Alright, for those of you who wondered about the lie in the April Fool’s Day post, here we go:

1. When I was very young, 4 or 5, one of our neighbors became upset about something and sent me home. Evidently I was worried for her so I picked her some flowers and took them to her to cheer her up, all of my own accord. TRUE - I don’t remember it but my momma told me about it.

2. When I was about 4 my mom helped me learn how to do Somersaults. I was very proud of my newly acquired skill and I wanted my mom to do some with me, so I asked her, “Can you do MommySaults?” (Do you get it yet?)TRUE - I think I must have been a very cute kid.

3. My dad brought home so non-alcoholic beer when I was about 16 just for us kids to try. We each took a sip and promptly spit the nasty stuff out. My dad chuckled while we each declared we would never drink real beer ever. I still haven’t ever had a sip of anything alcoholic. TRUE

4. I was a social outcast for my early years. Painfully shy and determined not to be like other girls, a so called Tomboy. My only friends were boys and books. TRUE

5. I am a treat-aholic. I love to bake and eat sweets. My favorite dessert ever is a deep dish Cherry Pie. FALSE- Did I trick you? I do love to bake and eat sweets but I really don’t like Cherries, especially cooked.

6. I didn’t kiss a boy till I was 17. After that I only kissed one other guy and he is now my hubby. TRUE

7. I went to my 11th Grade Prom alone. I had it on good authority that a boy two years younger than me was planning to ask me and I didn’t want to go with him. He was super annoying to me in class and I was a bit immature so the very day I heard the rumor I made it known I already had a date. But I didn’t. Then I went to prom and told everyone my “date” had to cancel. TRUE - And those of you who said it must be false since I didn’t seem like the type of person who would do this, made me feel even more guilty. I wouldn’t consider it now and I certainly regret it. I also felt very guilty about it at the time but I was more selfish then. Ah, the stupid things we do when we’re teenagers.

8. I won second place in the 8th grade spelling bee. The word I misspelled: Guard.
TRUE- Yeah, it’s pathetic that I mixed up the A and the U. But so it is, and I’ll forever knock myself over the head about it.

Now, seven more things you might not have known about me, courtesy of Liza

1. I love candles! I have a large collection of them that I like to rotate through. A nice smelling home is important to me. Especially to cover up the stench of baby diapers.

2. I like to dye my hair light orangey red. I haven’t done it recently but whenever I dye it that’s the color I go with. I’ve always wished I was born with the beautiful red hair all my aunts and uncles have.

3. I’ve always wanted to dye my hair purple or blue. But I haven’t dared to do it since I’ve become a “mature adult”

4. My favorite vegetable is corn on the cob. Corn is good anyway but it just tastes better on the cob

5. I do all the assembly work around here. Like putting our bookshelves together, putting the boys bunk bed together. Hubby doesn’t like to do it and I do. I like tools.

6. My favorite animals are Gorillas and Octopuses. I have a small stuffed gorilla collection and an even smaller octopus odds and ends collection (one octopus magnet & one octopus key chain). Why don’t they make more cute octopus stuff?

7. Christian Bale is my favorite actor. My favorite of his movies is Batman Begins. I also love him in Little Women. I can’t wait for The Dark Knight this Summer!

Ever heard of J. Scott Savage?
No?
Neither had I until today. But what I heard has me very interested indeed. See, if you’ve checked out my goodreads page at all, you may have noticed that my favorite reading genre is Fantasy. I’m always checking out random Fantasy books I’ve never heard of in the hopes of finding something great to read, and sometimes I get lucky.

So when I heard about the chance to be part of a blog tour promoting Mr. Savages new Fantasy series Farworld, I couldn’t resist. It’s my chance to obtain a free copy of his book and to review it either for good or bad. Can’t beat that.

Do you want to join the tour? Just visit his blog for instructions on how to enter. It’s really very simple.

I’ve got a review and giveaway up on my other site.

If I type the words, Elinor and Marianne, will that have you running?

I took a walk Saturday with my camera in hand.

Spring has just arrived.

I’d never seen a Magnolia tree till we moved out here.

Now Magnolia’s are my favorite things about spring time.

They’re more than just blossoms. The full out flowers and they’re big.

I only wish spring lasted longer.

This is a neat story.

… by the spring cleaning bug.

* The balcony has been cleared of items that were too big to put down the trash chute, dead leaves and spider webs. And the cheap green golf turf has been vacuumed.

* The hallway closet has been reorganized. Blankets and Towels have been refolded. My Cake Decorating Tool Kit has been cleaned out and all of my supplies reorganized. Anything else that sits on those closet shelves has been reorganized as well. It is so wonderfully neat again.

* The broken printer, old boxes filled with unnecessary computer stuff and other items that have been sitting under our computer desk collecting dust for a few years, have been moved elsewhere or thrown out. All that sits under the desk now are cords.

* The stuff I don’t regularly dust has now been dusted

* I’ve vacuumed underneath the couch and chairs

I’m not usually a big spring cleaner. I prefer to keep things clean and organized as I go, but sometimes I get behind. Keri being on the loose motivated me to take care of things that were on the floor. That’s what started it and it’s gone from there. Now I don’t want to stop. I suppose some of it is partly anticipation of a possible move before the year is out. I want to move as little as possible whenever we do move and I do so hope we’ll be moving this year.

So what about you? Started your spring cleaning yet?

To love someone deeply, is to risk heart ache of the deepest kind. Their hurts are yours.

I keep asking myself, why this person I love is still making such foolish decisions at this stage in their life. Why don’t they realize what destructive behavior they’re exhibiting? Why don’t they realize that their actions affect not only themselves, but those who care about them? Why is it so hard for this person to let go of these habits that have now landed them in jail?

I wanted to cry as I read the arrest detail, but no tears came. Only sorrow for poor decisions and some hope that maybe the first time in jail, will be impressionable enough to make it the last time.

After six days of hiding, foraging for food beneath the fridge and making scurrying and nibbling noises throughout the night, we caught Keri!

I had fruitlessly endeavored to trap her in the days prior. I created a ramp leading up to a deep mixing bowl. I rubbed the ramp with celery and carrots and then placed them inside the bowl hoping to find her in the morning. All I found was one missing piece each of celery and carrot and no hamster. I knew regular hamsters could jump fairly high but these dwarf hamsters are something else.

The show down came in our walk in closet yesterday morning at approximately 6 a.m. As I nursed Angel Girl I heard Keri scuttling around in there. I waited till Angel girl was fast asleep
and quietly went into the kitchen where I grabbed a shoe box that contained bedding and some food pellets. I also grabbed the lid into which I had poked multiple holes.

As I entered the room I heard her scuttling stop and knew she was aware of a human presence. This I hoped would be a good thing, driving her into a dark hiding place in our closet. Once I went inside and closed the closet door, there would be no escape for Keri.

I snapped some celery in half and held my palm out. She peeked cautiously around the corner of the duffle bag she was hiding behind and then darted toward the closet door which I’m sure she could have flattened herself under had I not stuffed a blanket there, blocking her path. Her capture was quick, Keri fighting the whole way but I got her into the box and slammed the lid on. Then I taped it shut for good measure.

I would have loved to keep her but she is just so tiny and fast and feisty, the kids would never be able to hold her if she was determined to escape. So we took her back to the pet store where I’m sure she’ll find a better matched owner to love her.

And this? This is Callie:

You didn’t think I’d disappoint my kids by taking their Hamster back and not getting them a new one did you?

We already love this adorable Calico Hamster.

We love the way she uses the window in her tiny house as entrance and exit while blocking the door with bedding.

We think it’s hilarious how she uses the top of the cage as monkey bars

We love how silly she is running on top of her wheel instead of inside it

And how she nibbles on the bars at times.

She is friendly and cute and best of all, her head can’t fit through the bars, which means neither can the rest of her.

In honor of April Fools Day I ‘d like to see just how many of you I can actually fool. One account of the eight written below is not true. Can the you guess which one it is?

1. When I was very young, 4 or 5, one of our neighbors became upset about something and sent me home. Evidently I was worried for her so I picked her some flowers and took them to her to cheer her up, all of my own accord.

2. When I was about 4 my mom helped me learn how to do Somersaults. I was very proud of my newly acquired skill and I wanted my mom to do some with me, so I asked her, “Can you do MommySaults?” (Do you get it yet?)

3. My dad brought home so non-alcoholic beer when I was about 16 just for us kids to try. We each took a sip and promptly spit the nasty stuff out. My dad chuckled while we each declared we would never drink real beer ever. I still haven’t ever had a sip of anything alcoholic.

4. I was a social outcast for my early years. Painfully shy and determined not to be like other girls, a so called Tomboy. My only friends were boys and books.

5. I am a treat-aholic. I love to bake and eat sweets. My favorite dessert ever is a deep dish Cherry Pie.

6. I didn’t kiss a boy till I was 17. After that I only kissed one other guy and he is now my hubby.

7. I went to my 11th Grade Prom alone. I had it on good authority that a boy two years younger than me was planning to ask me and I didn’t want to go with him. He was super annoying to me in class and I was a bit immature so the very day I heard the rumor I made it known I already had a date. But I didn’t. Then I went to prom and told everyone my “date” had to cancel.

8. I won second place in the 8th grade spelling bee. The word I misspelled: Guard.
Hey, did I spell that right?

Maria over at Mommy of Four asked me to share the contents of my purse with the world. For me, this ain’t hard. Here is my purse/tote:

Here is what is in my tote:

TADA!!!

Yes, I am still in the diaper bag stage so all of my belongings go in there. So here is my Diaper Bag:

Isn’t it adorable? I hinted in a recent post that I’ve had trouble finding long lasting diaper bags. Shortly after that I decided to splurge on a hand made bag in the hopes that it will long out live the other mass produced versions I’ve tried. And it’s so adorable to boot. I purchased it from Pink Lemonade Boutique Bags and so far I love it! And no, I was not asked or paid to mention this.

Anyhow, aside from the typical baby stuff that belongs in diaper bags here is what I have in there for me:

Tissues, Notepad, Cell Phone, Breath mints, Clear Lip Gloss and my Pocketbook. There should be a pen in there as well but I don’t know where it disappeared to.

No makeup you say? Nope.

I’m a bit of a minimalist. And I’m a mascara and eyeshadow only makeup-wearer-ist (and even then usually only on Sundays for church), so my purse contents are not much to look at.

When I do go out by myself I just throw the cell phone and pocket book into my tote and I’m good to go. As for things like cash and keys, those are always in my pockets.

Want to play along? Feel free.