My postings are back - by popular demand!  I started a gratitude journal recently.  While I don't write in it every day, I do make try to list 5 things I'm grateful for, especially on bad days.  On this eve of Thanksgiving, here are my top 5:

My husband.  This year has been a tough one so far with a number of stressful events and periods. We’ve always been there for each other and it’s made our relationship stronger.

My job.  In the worst economy I’ve ever seen, I’m grateful to not only have a job, but to have had opportunity to switch to a much better position in a more stable industry.

Murphy.  He may get on my nerves constantly with all the attention he needs, but he brings me joy every day.   He reminds me of the ultimate simple pleasure: To love and be loved.

My health.  I am the picture of near perfect health and all I have to do is enter a hospital or talk to a patient, which happens often, to be reminded of how fortunate I am.

The ability to help others.  When possible, I give back my time, energy, skills and money because it gives me a greater sense of abundance. 

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It's wintertime, which means the cats get more cuddly than usual.  It's actually really nice and you find yourself not wanting to move to disturb them.  If the remote is barely within arms reach - forget it - you'll disturb them and they'll jump down.  Sometimes they'll nestle themselves between me and Tom in bed and make the blanket into a sort of hammock.  We were able to catch them in some snuggle-bug poses.  In the one picture, Tom kneeled on the floor for just a minute and Matty came right over and curled up on the back of his legs.  They also appreciate the toasty radiator covers (that is, when our heat is on!)  Matty is also trying to stay warm another way by playing with his new toy stuffed with catnip, which he absolutely loves!  Just thought I would include it because it's another cute one.  What do you think - should I send these in for next year's "Cuteness Overload" calendar?!

A new year always brings resolutions that are overly ambitious that I don't carry through.  While my situation is not unique, I really want to make an impact in '09.  So I'm reading The Power of Less, by one of my favorite bloggers, Leo Babuta. One of his lessons is to not try to do everything at once on January 1, but to set smaller goals that allow you to form a habit that becomes a part of your routine. 

My main resolution in 2009 is to get more organized so I can use my time doing things I enjoy.   I hope to read other productivity books that allow me to better manage my time.  That will also help me when I go to clear out the clutter in our house, room by room.  This is something I hope to have done by the end of May so I have a good pile ready for another summer yardsale. 

My other resolution is to work on a healthier lifestyle.  The subgoals are to exercise at least 3x/week and make one fish or vegetarian meal per week. 

I'd also like to give up coffee this year, but this one will be hard.  I think I'm going to start by reducing my consumption to a cup a day and then make coffee with half decaf.

Another very hard one for me will be to work on worrying too much.  How will I try to accomplish this goal?  Read a couple of self-help books and practice meditation. 

So you see, these are more long term goals, but I hope by this time next year I've at least made some progress on them.  I have a plan and I think that will make the difference this time. (Of course, if you have any suggestions to help me further my goals, feel free to leave them!)

My Mom is one of the greatest people I know, and last Saturday about 30 friends and family gathered to celebrate her.  The guests came from all over the area, as well as my grandmom and aunt, who traveled from Florida and my uncle, who lives in Maine.  My uncle surprised my mom and brought my two cousins, too.  It was a lot of fun with many laughs and catching up. 

My Mom was actually looking forward to turning 50 and when you spend time with her, you understand why.  She looks so youthful, yet possesses a wisdom that's even beyond her years.  She knows she has a lot to be grateful for, starting with a family that loves her so much.  Mom has lots of great memories and much to look forward to in the next best years of her life.

Happy birthday, Mom.  You are the best and deserve the best.

(Click here for even more pictures!)

On Sunday, we lost a dear friend, companion and to me, the closest thing I have to a child. Rusty provided so much joy in our hearts and inspired love. From his purr to the little noise he made when he saw me in the morning, as if to say ‘hello,’ to his little tail that quivered when he was happy, I miss everything he did and all that he was.

One of my earliest memories of Rusty was when I was particularly sleepy with a cup of coffee in hand. We always had a playful relationship, but I was too tired to notice Rusty on this particular day. He wanted my attention, so he reached up, grabbed my arm and made me spill coffee all over my outfit. I couldn’t be mad because he was just too cute. When my parents first brought Rusty home, he hid and was a little shy at first. It wasn’t before long that he touched our hearts in a special way. He loved cuddling up next to you and being petted.

Rusty had a rough start to life, and we learned early on that he was a survivor. He lived on boxed cereal and toilet water for a few weeks while in a house that had been foreclosed on. This house happened to be in the same neighborhood as my mom’s boss at the time, Chris. Being an animal-lover as well, Chris rescued Rusty and promised to find him a good home when she found out Rusty’s life would be prematurely ended had she not intervened. We quickly fattened him up and he came to know the life he always deserved.

Rusty had a best friend for the last 10 years. Matty joined our family a couple of years later and ever since they were inseparable. They loved to play fight and clean each other. They frequently passed the time by looking out the window together. I know Matty misses him very much too. Before Rusty got sick, I used to say he was like a dog. After I parked my car, I would see him in the back bedroom window. By the time I got to the back door, he was right there to greet me.

Rusty also had his favorite toys. He found a lot of pleasure in two furry mice and a white furry ball. He’d make weird predatory sounds, a sign that he was having lots of fun. Every morning, before I went to work, he’d pace in front of the closet in the dining room, where these little toys wound up. You see, he’d throw one of those things around, chase after it and wedge it in the space under the door where he would then spend several minutes trying to get it back out, only knocking it back further in. So I would open the door and he would come looking for it. I usually found it first, so I would throw it deep into the living room. He ran, then pounced and the routine started again.

The adorable picture of Rusty on the blue couch followed me through college. I thought of him often and it made me a little homesick. I used to have a poster in my dorm room, “All I need to know in life, I learned from my cat.” I don’t have it anymore, but I remember there being some cute sayings, like: “Life is hard, then you nap” and “Curiosity never killed anything, except maybe a few hours.” I learned this and much more from Rusty. Rusty was very special in many ways and he is sorely missed. Our home is just not the same without him, but I seek comfort in all the memories he made for me. There’s a saying: “Cats leave paw prints on your heart forever.” Rusty’s will always have a special place in mine.

I quickly dismissed the CVS circular last week.  But when I saw that next week's was no better and I had ECBs to use, I examined it closer and I'm glad I did!  I could not believe my good fortune:

2 Colgate toothpastes
6 bars of Dove Soap
Dove Shampoo
2 Kitkat packs (for Halloween)
1 Reese cup pack (for Halloween)

All for .59¢!  Total saved: $25.17!

I had $12 in ECB's, a $3/$15 and various manufacturer's coupons.  I got $7 ECBs back, along with a bonus of $4 in ECBs for my summer purchases.  In addition, CVS sent me a $4/$20 coupon to spend in November!  So already I have $15 to spend next time and that's not including coupons!

I also scored a little at RiteAid.  Those Herbal Essence Shampoos were virtually free.  They were 2/$6 and there's a $3 rebate instant check, plus I had a $3 coupon on two.  The Hershey's Bliss were the most expensive - we paid $2.50 plus tax for both bags after also having a $2.50 coupon.  Those are for us!

We made out pretty well at Giant, too.  We got lots of things BOGO and walked away with two heavy canvas bags spending $57.  (It would have been less if Giant took my expired coupons!  That's the first time I was rejected in a while.)  I really wanted to make a Perdue over stuffer tomorrow, on sale both at Giant and ShopRite.  Would you believe both stores were out of stock?  So I got rein checks. 

While it takes some effort, I just love couponing!

There are lots of things I didn't come to appreciate about Philadelphia until I moved back here.  One of which was Fairmount Park, one of the largest city public parks in the U.S. with 9,200 acres. 

Why am I so fascinated with this park?  Once you're there, you would never believe you're in the city.   So if we want to get away from the traffic and seek a more serene setting, we don't have to go far. Luckily, we're within a 10-minute walk to two of the park entrances.  It also combines two things I really enjoy - nature and history.

You hear so much about beautiful parks being taken over by office parks or commercial development.  That was once the story of Fairmount Park.  First home to the Lenni-Lenape Indian tribe, it was taken over by colonists.  It didn't take long for it to be lined with mills and taverns.  The history is a little sketchy on how the park was transformed back to its original landscape, but I surmise the citizens were tired of the pollution from the mills, in need of clean drinking water and the mills had seen better days and were forced to close.

The restoration process seems to be ongoing.  With an overpopulation of deer, other wildlife are seeing declines.  There are problems with run-off and erosion.  Unfortunately, pollution is a huge issue, too.

There's much to do in the park.  Many use it to bike, hike, fish and even ride horses.  You can feed the ducks, have a picnic, walk along the creek and even read about the park's history along the way.  It's home to a covered bridge and a restaurant, the Valley Green Inn.

Fairmount Park is one of our favorites because there's no concrete and there's a real effort to preserve the natural landscape.  We've biked the entire Wissahickon Valley section, but there are still many trails to explore.  Whether we want to get some exercise or take it slow and bask in the beauty of nature, going "back the creek" (creek pronounced as crick) as we say in Philadelphia, is a real treat.

It was a 4-hour wait, but totally worth it!  When Aunt Ronnie told me that Barack Obama was going to have a rally at Abington high School yesterday and it was my day off, I knew I had to be there.  I got there at 7:30 and gates didn’t open until 9.  I couldn’t believe that the line was already insanely long.  The time passed by quickly, though, with lots of interesting people to talk to.  It was great to have political discussions with people I knew I couldn’t offend!

The prep work for the event was interesting to see.  K-9’s were sniffing the bleachers and field for anything potentially dangerous.  When we finally could enter, we had to walk through a metal detector and were scanned over with a wand.  I wanted to stand to get a pretty good view of the podium.

At 10:30, a local representative and some people from the campaign got the crowd excited.  We were chanting “Ready to go!” and “Yes we can!”  My favorite question was, “Do you want a candidate that will wink at you?” And we all shouted “NO!”  It was a lot of fun.

Finally, at 11:30, Bob Casey, Jr. and Ed Rendell really pumped up the crowd and then introduced Barack Obama.  The crowd went wild!!!  It was so cool to be 20 feet away from him and hear him talk.  It’s one thing to see him on TV, but in person, it’s way better.  It’s hard to describe.

He touched on a variety of topics, but mainly talked about the economy, healthcare, renewable energy and education.  He talked about the great challenges we face today and that we can overcome them, just like we have in the past.  Obama said, “Our destiny is not written for us, it’s written by us.”      

As expected, I left feeling inspired and full of hope.  It was the first time in my life that I felt there were no barriers – it didn’t matter your race, age, sex, income level – everyone there was so friendly and energized and it didn’t matter who you were because we were all there for the issues.  (The fact that his base is so diverse says so much, too.)  I felt that he has the potential to be one of the greatest leaders of our time and will make the world a better place.  Go Obama, the next President of the United States!!!

(Special Notes: 1) Even if you don’t agree, please be kind of the comments. 2) I took a lot of video; below is one of the best segments.  I wish I could upload them all, but it takes a very long time.)

    

    
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I know, it's been almost a month since my last post - so not like me.  And it's not that things haven't been going on, which has been partly to blame.  I've been busy between work and volunteering and life in general.  My spirits have also not been at their normal medium-high level, but I've been counting my blessings and focusing on the positive energy around me.  With that said, here are some highlights over the past few weeks:

Labor Day The Mountain Home^TM - David and I trademark it because it's one of a kind!  We went to eat at Flow - the newest restaurant in Jim Thorpe that brings you delicious food right from the farm.  It was a former wireworks factory dating back 200 years and a stream flows underneath the restaurant, which you can see through a glass enclosure in the dining room.  It's my new favorite!  It's also cool because it has an art gallery, but I'm not much of the artsy type.  The next day, we had a picnic with extended family and saw some cousins we usually only see at funerals, so it was nice to reconnect with everyone. There were lots of kids, but they were tons of fun.

The weekend after that, we visited Tom's family in Western PA.  We didn't take any pictures, but I wish we brought the camera.  All I can say is that I'm the bongo ball champion!  Aunt Helen also made the best halupses (stuffed cabbage rolls).  We almost got caught for breaking and entering a new home under construction, but it turned out they were people being just as "nebby" as us! 

Tom's birthday was on the 10th and we went to the Manayunk Brewery, one of his favorite places to eat.  I also tried a new recipe - chicken spinach cannelloni.  He's been asking me to make it for some time and I was able to use a lot of our organic veggies from the CSA. 

I'm really looking forward to the weekend - our last hoorah before Tom starts school.  We have some fun things planned, but more on that soon.

 
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It was our last day in Yosemite.  Well, half day.  So we decided to stay on the west side of the park and visit Hetch Hetchy.  Tom learned about it in geology class, so was looking forward to seeing it.  Called Yosemite’s lost valley because it’s now underwater, Hetch Hetchy now serves as a reservoir for San Francisco and the surrounding counties.  John Muir fought to stop the development of the dam and there are organizations and people today hoping to restore this treasure.  It was still a beautiful area and we hiked in search for another waterfall, which was dried up.

The drive back to Reno was very eventful.  We stopped in a little town called Sonora.  There were so many eateries to choose from, but we settled on a French café called Bon Appetit.  I had a Monte Cristo sandwich and it was sooooo good.  Tom got some little pastries for the road that were also yummy!

We took the scenic route by going on the Sonora Pass.  It was another scary, yet exhilarating ride through the Sierra Nevadas.  I’ve never been so high in the mountains, I don’t think.  It’s one of the most beautiful areas I’ve been to.  We reached 9600 feet and the views were really breathtaking.

On Friday, Chuck took the day off, so made plans to do something together.  It started with breakfast at the Black Bear Diner.  Tom and I found this place one day and we loved it.  So we went back!  It’s a chain, but it really doesn’t feel like it.

Paula said she had a “surprise” for us.  Anyone who knows me knows I hate surprises when I know something is a surprise.  I love surprises when they are completely unexpected.  Well, I still liked this one!  They took us to the Animal Ark, a wildlife sanctuary.  It was cool to see all different types of animals that can’t be re-released for one reason or another.  Their story is posted by the glass enclosure.  We really enjoyed seeing the one bear – she was so funny.  She kept circling her cage and did this little head movement every time she came to a turn. 

Then we headed to Virginia City. The city’s tagline promises “A step back in time.”  It was a very wealthy mining town back in the 1800s, and was the place for arts and culture.  Many of the historic buildings house shops with Western gear, jewelry and lots of “crippity crap” as Tom would say, but it was a really nice place to visit.  We especially liked the fudge and ice cream shop!

Sadly, our vacation came to an end the next morning and we had to say our good-byes.  It was tons of fun and we’re looking forward to getting back in a few years for a longer visit.  
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On the way to Yosemite, the scenery was spectacular.  It was cool to see the changing landscape – from dry and little vegetation to lots of greenery.  Mountains were always around us.  We were excited to see a Trader Joe’s right outside of Carson City, so we got some Clif Bars and vitamin water. 

Upon entering Yosemite, we came in via Route 120 and Tioga Pass.  It’s very high and windy with no guard rails.  I was kind of nervous, but we pulled over and took really cool pictures.  Once we got to the park, we explored Tuolumne Meadows with a hike to May Lake.  It was a very steep, rocky hike.  I don’t know if I would have tried it before, but I was feeling adventurous.  We must have been at over 10,000 feet in elevation.  It was a real high once we got to the top.  And the lake was really pretty with such clear water and stunning views everywhere you looked.  There was a campsite up at the crest, which kind of made me want to stay there for a while!

We drove across the park that day, almost 50 miles.  We made one last stop to see the giant Sequoias.  The pictures we took really don’t do them justice.  Take a look at the video, though.  That will help give you an idea.  It was so quiet in the grove that I heard the flap of a bird’s wings.  It made me so much more attuned to nature.

On the second day, we went to Yosemite Village.  Since it was very smoky that day with the nearby wildfire, we saw the exhibits of the Visitor’s Center, visited the Ahwahnee Indian Village and a rock climbing museum.  We were amazed at the people who free climb with no equipment.  We visited some waterfalls, but you’ll have to look hard at the pictures to actually find them.  They are more of a trickle around this time of the year.  But while searching for waterfalls, a brown bear made an appearance.  There were a ton of people around, so it was surprising that he was so calm.  Before heading back for the day, we got pictures in front of El Capitan, a granite monolith. 

We went to dinner at the Iron Door Saloon, California’s oldest saloon.  You got the feeling of what it was like in the Old West when you stepped inside.  Of all the interest artifacts, I thought the most intriguing was all the money hanging from the ceiling.  We asked our clueless waiter about it and he said it’s to help support a local charity.  People put a pin through the money and throw it up to the ceiling.  I didn’t think the money was doing anyone good still hanging from the ceiling, but it was still a sight to see. Despite the terrible service, my Red Snapper was excellent.  We left satisfied in that respect. 

We really enjoyed staying in Groveland, even though it was a far drive to and from the park every day.  Our accommodations were comfortable and we had a free breakfast to look forward to in the morning.

More Yosemite and Reno pictures are coming soon!

        

Before telling you about our first couple of days in Reno, I was very excited to see my friend, Jenny, during our layover in Houston.  I haven't seen Jenny in over three years, so this was really a treat!  Her husband Steve joined us and we had a nice dinner and conversation.  I'm kicking myself, though.  We had the camera in Tom's backpack and do you think I thought to take any pictures?!  And for all the years Jenny and I have been friends, I don't have a picture of the two of us!  Jenny, I'm coming back to Houston and getting that picture!!!

After forgetting the pictures with Jenny, I vowed to take lots of pictures for the rest of the trip.  On our first full day in Reno, we spent time with Paula and her family.  We went to the casino, Atlantis, for brunch, which was nice (even though we ran into a crazy drunk in the ladies room).  The next day's highlights included a driving tour of Lake Tahoe, hiking and mini-golf in the evening with Ricky and Charmie.  Charmie is such a pro and blew us all away!  Of course, we had lots of fun playing with Drake and Diesel.

Stay tuned - Yosemite National Park pictures are coming!
 
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We made it back, somewhat safe and sound.  There was a 5-minute period on the plane when I thought it was going to crash -- seriously.  We went through a lightening storm and I saw a bright light and the plane fell, but then leveled.  Everyone screamed and I thought I was going to have an accident (if you know what I mean!)  It was very, very scary. 

Other than that, the trip was great and we have lots of pics to prove it.  It's going to take me a while to upload them all.  Here are a few pics and a video to whet your appetite.  The video is during our drive across the Sonora Pass, a very steep, windy road that goes across the Sierra Nevadas and tops out at nearly 10,000 feet.  A lot of people were surprised that we made it to Yosemite despite the wildfire burning just 12 miles from the park.  The park is huge, so we tried to pick areas surrounded by the least amount of smoke.  It was bad in Yosemite Valley the one day, but if you visit Yosemite, you just have to go to that part of the park.  When we drove back to the hotel, we crossed under the band, as you can see in the pic with the thick billowing orange-pink cloud.  We also spotted a black bear during our visit.
  
Stay tuned - much more to come!

So I went to CVS tonight and came out sorely disappointed.  Not because I didn't do well in the end, but I could have done better.  Here are two pieces of advice, which might seem basic to some:

1) Bring a calculator
2) Give coupons in this order: CVS $/$$, manufacturers, then ECBs.  I knew about giving the $/$$ first, but I made the mistake of giving too many ECBs and I could have saved 3.  I know, dumb.  So we had to buy an extra candy bar and gum.  Tom was quite happy because he wanted the other dark chocolate bar and said he would have bought the gum any way.

We still only paid $1.01 for everything and got $8 ECBs back.  The chocolate was buy $10, get 5 ECBs and the toothpaste yielded 3 ECBs.  I had manufacturers coupons for everything, including a buy one, get one free for the Hershey's bliss. 

CVS is also giving away a free gift with your receipt.  I got a free 24-count CVS brand of ibuprofen.  I just noticed the expiration date is in one week, so I'll have to get back there soon!

I've been looking forward to this day for a few months now.  Tonight was the first pick-up of my CSA, a share in fresh, locally-grown organic produce.  Kim at work is splitting the share with me, and we were really excited.  The woman who coordinates the CSA is very nice and accommodating.  She said if we don't like something to just let her know or if we want more of something, she'll see what she can do.  This week was a mix of zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, string beans, eggplant and onions.  She was rattling off the numerous other things they have growing, including blueberries, lettuce, scallions--you name it!  The tomatoes are slowly coming in - hopefully they'll be nice and red really soon.  Now it's time to scour the web for yummy recipes!

CVS is so good to me!  These four items cost me 47¢.  Yup, you read correctly.  I used all of my ECBs ($18), but only got $7.50 back.  So I won't get this lucky next time and I'll have to start building them up again.  We were in desperate need of Brita Water Filters and just as I was about to spend full price on them, I was pleasantly surprised to see them in this week's circular and with $5 ECBs returned.  I'm curious about the exfoliating wipes.  I got them for the ECB (and I also had a $2 off coupon), but also as an experiment since I frequently get lazy at night and don't feel like washing my face.  We'll see how these work.  Here's the cost breakdown:

Brita Water Filters - $14.99 on sale, $5 ECBs back
CVS Pantiliners - $.99, $.99 ECB back
Dial Soap - $1.99 on sale, $1 off coupon
Exfoliating Towelettes - $3.49, $2 off coupon, $1 ECB back

Redeemed $17.99 in ECBs.  The pantiliners and towelettes were part of the July monthly deals - there's a separate in store circular.  Now that I have it, I can begin planning for next week!

It was a great 4th of July with family.  Here are a few pics of the family - my cousins from Maine, Christian and Conor, were here for a visit, too.  I made two pies - Blueberry and Key Lime.  The key lime really went over well. 

I usually get scowls from the cashier's at CVS when they see all my coupons, but the cashier today was pretty nice and surprised.  She said, "What a bargain shopper - that's what I'm talking about!"  That made me feel like I wasn't robbing the store!

With that said, here are some of my awesome buys:

Kashi - 2/$5 (had 2 coupons - $2/1, so they were $0.50 each)
Cottenelle TP (Tom's favorite) - $4.99 (special sale, $0.25 coupon)
CVS Cotton Swabs - $3.19 (2 ECBs back)
Mascara - $7.99 (7.99 ECBs back)

In addition, I used a $3 off purchase of $15 or more and $11 ECBs.  Total saved: $27.43.  Total Paid: $2.92!!!

The best is that I didn't burn into my ECBs - I pretty much recouped the amount spent and still have 8 left over from my previous trip.

In the afternoon, Tom and I went to the Manayunk Arts Festival.  Some of the art was nice, but very expensive.  Some of it was just plain weird.  We didn't buy anything except water ice.  It was great to go just for a change of scenery and the freebies.  Got free ice cream, Stonyfield yogurt and all of this cat food!  Matty, Molly and Rusty will be feasting for a while!

Oh, how I love CVS and look forward to my trips!  I was actually having a not so good morning at work and I went there at lunch time and had a great rest of the day!  What a pick-me-up!  So here's what I got below.  My receipt says I saved $34.01 and I paid $11.27 for all of this.  The best part?  I got $18 ECBs for my next purchase!  I spent $20 worth of toilet paper, paper towels and batteries and got $10 back.  The Soy Joy's were free plus I had coupons.  (I also had manufacturer's coupons on the Bounty and batteries.)  I really accumulated the CVS coupons and can't wait for my next trip.  The ECBs are really racking up!