Yay!

Woo-hoo! We drove back through our VERY dark neighborhood from PJs to find an Entergy truck driving down our street with a spotlight on the lines. He followed the line from one end of our street all the way down to Jefferson Hwy. A minute later everyone was jumping up and down and screaming! We had lights! We flipped on the A/C and it's beginning to cool off. The best surprise is that once the electricity was on, we found out that we had phone and cable and internet too. An unexpected pleasure! Wheeeee!

Oh, and we did get mail today. I was shocked when the mailman drove up this afternoon!

The newspaper carrier delivered our paper today too...along with the last three days worth! So I had something to read while sitting on my porch today.

Still No Power

Ick! I haven't showered since we've been back, so I'm contemplating going somewhere to shower tomorrow. We're supposed to limit the amount of water we put into the sewerage system since the power is out at not only residences, but the lift stations that move the wastewater to the treatment plants. We flush only when absolutely necessary and try to put minimal amounts of water down the sink. Tommy washed the pot we cooked dinner in last night in the yard with the hose! Hee-hee!

I was excited to see energy trucks at the pole near our house today! They've been working in the neighborhood for hours though, but nothing yet. It is stifling hot inside. We spent most of the day on the porch, but the mosquitoes would eat us alive if we slept out there. I'm at the coffehouse again enjoying their A/C, a nice cold iced tea, and getting my money's worth in electricity. We have two computers, two phones and two i-pods plugged in recharging! ROFL!

We are all so spoiled. Kevin is definitely not used to entertaining himself without electronics for an entire day! I hope that *I* survive the complaining!

Pioneer Woman I'm Not

We got home today to a dark, hot house. Spent most of the day clearing up the yard and street. SO many branches and tree debris. Just one piece of siding peeled away...at the very top of the house, same place where it was replaced after Katrina, No big deal. The fridge was easy to clean thanks to the garbage bag trick. We cooked dinner on the propane BBQ. But now we are hot and bored and sitting at PJs cofeeshop trying to cool off. For some reason they have power here. The windows have condensation and it feels so good to be so cold! I don't want to go home! It will be nice to sleep in my own bed, but I'm afraid it will be so hot and humid that I won't be able to. Anyway, we hope to have power and cable and telephone and all that good stuff soon! I wouldn't make a good pioneer.

Here We Go Again

I kept hoping that we wouldn't have to go! But it's starting to get scary. The interstates have been bumper to bumper since dawn and contraflow doesn't start until 4 AM tomorrow! I finally started packing my scrapbooks and photos. Yesterday was spent on laundry and packing clothes. Since our hotel reservations are not until Monday, we are going to have to sit and wait...nervously. (Maybe I can get some scrapping done!? While watching the weather channel! LOL!) We plan on leaving pre-dawn on Monday. Hopefully will be back after just a couple of nights. Crossing fingers!

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Tommy is insisting that we can't wait until Monday morning to leave, but our hotel reservations aren't until Monday night in Jackson, MS. So we are going to leave tomorrow and drive to Memphis where his area manager lives. He offered to house us. We will stay overnight, and then drive BACK DOWN to Jackson. We will probably be in the car all day tomorrow, get a few hours sleep and take off again. UGH!

But it is getting scary. Around mid afternoon, all the stores had closed. Groceries, drug stores, McDonald's, BLOCKBUSTER (just when I could have used a good movie/distraction! LOL!), etc. Gas stations were running out of gas.TV coverage has been non-stop and the mayors and parish presidents are scaring everyone. Guess that's exactly what they are trying to do...to get the people to leave. We boarded up the windows, took in the porch chairs, etc. There is mandatory evacuation in many of the parishes, including New Orleans and the part of Jefferson on the other side of the river. So far we only have voluntary evacuation. In other words, it's strongly suggested.

So we're going on another adventure...and hope it's a short one.

Ain't (Isn't) It A Shame?!

OK. I'm going to try this again. It IS a shame but I never take the time to post. Maybe that will change. So here's to new beginnings!

Petunia in Paradise recently blogged about 5 Words I Dislike. I have one to add to her list:

AIN'T.

A certain perfectly cultured little person of 8 uses it and insists that it's a word. "No it ain't!" I want to say, just for fun, but I don't. It's bad enough that I have a T-shirt from Stinky’s Fish Camp with the phrase on the back..."It is what it is and it ain't what it ain't." Yes, I have to explain that one each time I wear it. But it's a cute shirt. :)

Whole Foods

OK...so I hadn't been in ages! When I just had one child, and lived in the city near the store, it was easy and I shopped there often. But now, with five kids eating me out of house and home, it's whatever's closest or cheapest or sells in bulk...Winn Dixie, WalMart (if I'm doing other shopping there), or Sam's Club.

Today, I went back to Whole Foods. They built a nice big beautiful store in the burbs and dh and I are getting serious about our health/weight.

But I'm so intimidated by the place!!!!! I was mesmerized by all the bulk nuts, seeds, grains, beans, etc. There's stuff there that I've never heard of! LOL!

Scrapbook Favorites Book

From the LM Archives: 30 Days of Gifts 2007 - DAY 21: Scrapbook Favorites Book by Madeline Fox, LM Design Team
Since beginning to scrapbook several years ago, I’ve accumulated quite a few albums filled with bulky layouts. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t get to share these pages with my parents or extended family as often as I’d like. The weighty books are not easy to carry around, so they sit, gathering dust on a bookshelf. I thought it would be nice to share prints of my favorite pages in a more compact and easily portable manner by using a Maya Road 4" x 8" Chipboard Binder Album . The landscape orientation allows me to display either two layouts side by side or a two page spread on each page. The chipboard pages are thick, and the sturdy binder just begs to be decorated. I chose fun, colorful papers from KI Memories Pop Culture for the cover and embellished it with ribbon, a Magistical Memories Chipboard   nested star shape, Fancy Pants Fashion Sense heart pins, and American Crafts Thickers chipboard letters. A little sparkle was added to the title with Stickles glitter glue. Instructions: Paint edges of chipboard binder with paint to match or coordinate with the patterned papers for the front and back covers. Let dry. Cut patterned paper for front and back covers, 4 ½ inches x 8 ½ inches, and adhere. Cut 1 inch x 4 ½ inch strip from coordinating patterned paper and adhere near spine. Cut patterned paper for title, 2 inches x 6 inches. Mat on contrasting colored paper and trim. Cut a 3 x 7 symmetrical rectangle from lace cardstock. Adhere title block to this rectangle and attach to front of album. Stick heart pins under title block. Tie ribbon around front cover. Paint chipboard star and attach with beadchain to the ribbon. Cut various patterned papers, 4 inch x 8 inch, and adhere to chipboard pages. Mat prints of favorite scrapbook layouts and add to album pages. Apply stickles glitter glue to title chipboard letters on cover and set aside to dry.