Too much stuff

For the last month I have been cleaning out the estate of a woman who was a collector of all. She didn't just have one of everything, she had to have two. I'm not kidding! Everything in the house is in pairs. She was a QVC junkie, there were boxes and boxes of unopened QVC items that he had purchased in the last few years plus all the antiques that she acquired from her mom who passed away in 1998. Now, I cleaned out mom and dad's house when they passed away and I thought there was alot of stuff but it was nothing compared to his woman. Thanks goodness mom didn't have cable or she would have been buying on QVC too! This woman's poor husband is beside himself. Not only did she leave him alone, she left him almost in bankruptcy. She had at least 30 charge cards that are all maxed out and a huge hospital bill too. She had fibromyalgia and suffered for about 12 years. The last 4 years were unbearable pain for her, I've learned alot about what fibromyalgia is and how it affects not only the person suffering but also everyone around them. For the last two years of her life she couldn't drive, she couldn't control her bladder, she couldn't write very well anymore, she couldn't do her crafts, she couldn't teach pre-school anymore, she couldn't do anything but take her pills and drink her Margaritas until the pain subsided. The only thing she could do that made her happy was to shop but since she couldn't really go anywhere, tada, QVC was there for her. I think that it was the only thing left that she could do so she did it well. From what I have been seeing for the last month, she was a very active, always happy, gave from the heart, wonderful human being. She tried every new thing that came up to try to help her with the fibromyalgia including diet, exercise, new drugs, anything that might help. She had 100 books on how to help her with this disease but nothing worked. She ended up going to bed on night with her blender full of margaritas and a bottle of pills and went to sleep. She never woke up. She is no longer in pain and that makes her husband happy but he misses her, alot. They were married for 30 years. He's a wreck, he has a broken back from an automobile accident that he had in December so he can't work or do anything. I have been there every day for the last month and he is starting to do a little better. The house is all cleaned out and cleaned up, he won't go upstairs though, even though the bedroom is up there, he sleeps in the living room. I am going to have the biggest sale this valley has ever seen so we can make some money to help pay all the bills that he has, maybe he won't have to declare bankrupcty. The bottom line is - if your house, your shed, your garage, your basement are all full of stuff that you don't need or want, GET RID OF IT. Barb, I will come and help you get rid of all your stuff this summer. You will feel so much better when it's gone!

New blog site

I would like to invite you to join my other blog at http://shouldibeglutenfree.blogspot.com

Evidentally I'm not as brilliant as I think I am. My fingers were in the wrong spot on the last post and there are two words that are not spelled correct. It should say pair of not paid or. I tried to go back in and correct it but... As I said I can't figure it out. Do you have any suggestions? By the way, Miss Queen of Blog, where are you and why haven't you been updating your blog? Where are you??????????

Winterskol

So, I woke up this morning and decided that I wanted to take Cali beagle to the Winterskol canine fashion show. I never could enter her before because at RE/MAX we were the sponsors and we couldn't enter our own dogs. It's always been fun so I thought I would dress her up and take her in. It took awhile before I could figure out what to dress her in but I came up with an idea. She went as the number one Bronco fan. I took one of my orange pom poms and split it in half and braided it and then took the stick off. I had this paid or gold, star antennas that were on a headband from a previous birthday party and the Woody Creek Tavern. They ususally are on Buck, the jackalope but we borrowed them so Cali could wear them. I attached the braids on to the headband with a couple of pipe cleaners (I always have them for other things). Then I found my lucky orange, Bronco sock that Jennifer gave me (the other one ripped so it was pretty worthless) and cut it into four pieces. I had some velcro pieces from some of my other projects so I used it to make these really cute little leg warmers for Cali's outfit. She already has a Terrell Davis jersey that she has been wearing for years so that was perfect. I also made her a little necklace, I have this really little Bronco football so I glued some ribbon on it. She was so cute! She didn't think so and kept looking at me like "how much longer?" There were 40 dogs this year! They usually have an original category which is what I wanted Cali to be in but they didn't have it this year. I had to choose the most adorable category which Cali isn't. She was really cute but not adorable. This tiny little dog dressed in a lobster outfit won, she was really adorable. Anyway, Cali and I had lots of fun even if we didn't win. Cali got a bunch of great dog cookies and I got a reuseable shopping bag, one can never have too many of those. Now, if I could just remember to use them every time. Jennifer, Michael and Kat came up, they missed the parade, it was really short this year. I sat in Cooper Street Pier now known as Bad Billy's and had a bloody mary with my friend Ronnie. It was fun. When Jenn, Mike and Kat got up to Aspen we walked around and looked at the snow sculptures, there weren't many of those either but the ones there were were pretty good. Now I'm making chicken soup for my sick baby, Craig and I'm making a meatloaf for dinner. See ya!

It keeps getting better and better!

Wow, it's already the 9th of January, how does it go so fast? Already this year is better than last, I am very excited for each day that comes, great things are happening! I found out that I am going to be a great aunt, my sister is going to be a grandma! How did that happen, I'm the older one, shouldn't I be first? It doesn't matter, I am so excited for Crystal, she is going to be a great mom! And Joe, he'll be a great dad, this new little girl is so lucky to be coming into the world to two wonderful people. There are so many babies born into the world who are not wanted or loved, it makes my heart happy when I know that this little girl will be loved and wanted by everyone who knows her.

I finally got the last proof done on my book, yay! I think I had to proof it about 15 times, I kept finding little things that weren't right and it has to be perfect when it comes out in print. I'm like that, I think it's a hereditary thing. Anyway, the book should be here in the next couple of days so I can do a final proof and then it will be printed and sent to me so I can finally get it out to the public. I already have a bunch sold and I know that it will sell well. I asked the fairy cards what I needed to do to be successful with my book and they said I should use my charm. Well, we all know that our family does possess lots of charm and can pretty much get anything that we want to. I was in Glenwood yesterday so while we were sitting at Taco Bell eating our tostadas I saw the Post Independent building staring at me so I decided to go and talk to the editor over there about an idea that I had. I left Craig and Jennifer at Taco Bell and went over to meet Dale, the editor of the newspaper. I told him that I was the representative for the Celiac Disease foundation for the Roaring Fork Valley including Glenwood, Basalt, Carbondale, Snowmass and Aspen and that I am trying to get a group started here. I asked him if he knew what Celiac disease was, he said no. Of course, I went right into it, I explained what it was and how many people probably have it but don't know. He was intrigued. I really want to get my book some free publicity but I didn't want to just ask that he advertise my book for free. Then I told him about my new book and that it was almost here. I suggested that we do a two part series on Celiac disease and that I had been contacted by a valley resident who was just diagnosed a couple weeks ago with Celiac disease. He got really excited and said, Wow, when your book is in your hands, we'll do the series, I'll set you up with a reporter, do you think that guy would be willing to be interviewed? I said I was sure he would be willing to do an interview, after all he is a real estate developer in the area and already well known. I was so excited when I left there, I already had sent press releases to all the newspapers from here to Vail, Eagle, Steamboat, Rifle, basically, the entire central part of Colorado. They all said if Glenwood or Aspen would run the articles, they would too. So, here pretty soon I am going to be in all the newspapers! Pretty good, huh? I got my first online article published yesterday too, I submitted it to Ezine and wasn't sure they would accept it but it was. Yesterday was very uplifting! After all of that I came home and made another snowman, actually it is a snowwoman! The sun was shining and the snow was really wet, it made a wonderful snowwoman, Jennifer and I had lots of fun!

So, I haven't quite figured out how to put the pictures on here throughout the blog, they always stay at the top, any suggestions? I wonder what great things are in store for me today! We'll be going into Aspen this evening for the Soupskol, it's a soup tasting contest where there are about 30 different places that make soup for this contest. It's really fun, you get full just tasting all the different soups and there's usually a band playing so it's really loud. My favorite is always Johnny McGuires Cheeseburger in Paradise soup, hope it's there this year! Well, the sun is finally up and it's snowing big dogs again, I think I'll go and drink my tea and enjoy the view! See ya!

Restless

So, I'm really restless but I don't know why. It feels like I'm waiting for something but I don't know what it is. I could be cleaning the house, it sure could use it after having lots of people here for Christmas but I don't feel like it. I have football on but it's not the Broncos so I'm not really into it. I could go sit in the hottub next door but it's cold outside and I don't feel like going over there right now. The sun is shining, I could go cross country skiing but I'm too tired and it's cold outside. I just don't know what to do! So, here I am blogging, I should be blogging on my gluten free site, I started it up yesterday hoping that I will be able to find more people to buy my book. Jennifer comes back to Colorado today, maybe that's what I'm waiting for. I know she's not going to be here until tomorrow, I might have to go and pick her up in Glenwood. Maybe I'll go and take a nap, that's productive, right? Bye Bye

Here we are in a brand new year, thank goodness! Last was, well, not what I expected it to be. I have high hopes for this year. I do not have any resolutions, usually I do. I always say I'll quit smoking and lose some weight, neither of which I ever do so why bother making the resolutions. This year I have written something that I will read outloud with Craig, hopefully, the universe will hear us. Basically, I will longer hold on to the past but go forward with the present and the future. I never really thought that I was holding on to the past but rather passing on tradition. My son, Dan, pointed out to me that there is a big difference. He said "Mom", "every year I come home for Christmas and all you talk about is the past and the memories. We look at pictures and you tell me about things around the house". "The past is the past, we need to make new memories". Now, I know that and I do that, every day is a new memory. I take pictures, I do new things, I didn't understand what he meant. I told him that I show him the pictures and tell him about the things around the house so when I'm gone at least somebody knows how special the things are and who are in the pictures. I didn't think that I was stuck but I guess I was wrong. I asked him, should I get rid of all the old stuff or what? No, keep the stuff but focus on the new. I'm still a little confused but will make an effort. At what, I'm not sure but I'll figure it out as I go. I do think it's important for someone to know who's in the pictures though, I don't want them thrown out because nobody knows who they are! Anyway, when he left, evidently I did do what he said cause he told me that this was the best Christmas he's had here since he left home. Go figure. So, this year will be lots of new memories as is every year but I will focus on the importance of the new instead. I will make the present and the future a memory that my kids will talk about when I am gone, not that I am going anywhere, I plan on living til I'm 100 or more! I have lots to do and lots of grandkids and great grandkids to play with!
Tomorrow the tree will come down and we will be on our way through the next wonderful year. 2008 flew by so fast, I hope to savor 2009 daily so at least I have something to remember. I go into 2009 without my real estate license. Weird. I haven't not had my license since 1993, I will get it back very soon, as soon as I get somemore money coming in. Gotta get a job, bummer! I've been looking and putting in my applications everywhere, haven't heard anything yet but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm having black-eyed peas and cabbage tonight for dinner, I'll have double luck coming my way, 2009 will be a stellar full of lots of great things including financial prosperity for me and my family. Might go to the fireworks tonight in Aspen, they were cancelled last night so they are supposed to have a double show tonight! It should be great! I wanted to build a snowman today but the snow was too dry. Craig asked how snow could be too dry, I told him it won't stick together so I can't make a snowball. We need a couple feet of new snow so I can build my snowman. Well, gotta go and finish dinner now. Talk later