The Wookie goes to school

Remember Chewbacca - the Wookie Dog?!

Well I think he has entered the terrible two/threes in Dog years!  I decided his little sassy attitude needed some adjustment and that he needed to remember who was the Alpha dog - ME!!!!

He's still a cutie pie and the problem is he knows it.

We go to training class at Petsmart and I make WIttyGirl and TechSavvySon attend also because it is good for them and it "builds character". Although WIttyGirl, has recognised that I use some of these training techniques on them. 

Hey - Don't judge!  Pet ownership often parallels parenting! - - - Think about it!

He's not in jail - He's on the stairs!

Chewie is brilliant!  Of course, he'll do anything for  a treat.  Actually, he's doing pretty well - as long as there are no squirrels, birds, or other dogs to distract him from what he's suppose to be doing!

He needs practice, though.  So do the kids!

Enjoy your day!

Chewie says don't forget me!  I can go to school.

Sewing - and they are up!

I took on the challenge!  I haven't been posting on the blog because I've been doing this!

I actually used a sewing machine!

Then, I actually used thread and needle.

Here's where the Engineer Extraordinaire came in.  He built the frames for the curtains to hang from.  I appreciate all his calculations.  I think they turned out great!

What about you?

Not too bad for a person who really doesn't know how to sew!  I think they are beautiful even though I know they aren't perfect.  You won't know the flaws unless I point them out so - I won't!


While I was at the fabric store I found a bolt of fabric at a discount price that would be perfect to recover my dining room chairs.

Now, these chairs were in storage here in Houston for the four years I was in Singapore.  They came out of storage looking a little sad!  I don't know if it was the heat or humidity or what, but the seats were stained and it wasn't a pretty sight!

I don't have before pictures - which is sad because it was more work than I imagined to recover them.  I have recovered chairs before (It doesn't require sewing - just a staple gun - which I am an expert with!)
These chairs, however, were a pain!!!!

The covering on the seat was the original and I think they must have been stapled with some high-powered machine!  I could NOT get under the staples to remove them!  They were sooooo tight!  I had to call in the big guns!  The Engineer Extraordinaire was busy with other "stuff" so MoustacheMan came to my rescue.  He got the staples loosened with an ice pick and a hammer tapped under them and then GG and I removed them with pliers.  This should have been easy!  It turned into a 3 day event!

However, here are the results!

I LOVE THEM!

One step closer  to  a finished house . . .

Here's hoping you GO FOR IT on those projects that might be a little out of your comfort zone!

Remember:

"It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" - The Nester

It's curtains for me!

Curtains, drapes, shades, shutters, blinds - they are all window treatments!

They are the bane of my existence at the present moment!

As an expat, I didn't have to worry too much with window treatments.  Both in Belgium and Singapore, we rented our condo and flat.  The Landlords provided window treatments as part of our lease agreement.  They were still a source of contention with the Engineer though, as the lease agreements required that the drapes be cleaned before we handed the condo back over to the landlord. Both places charged an exorbitant fee for this service.  In Belgium - I agreed with my husband that this was an unnecessary expense as we were there less than a year and I don't think it is good for drapes to be cleaned too often as they tend to shrink and become distorted with each washing.  In Singapore, we lived there for four years and the geckos, I think, hid in the folds of the drapes and left little presents!  GROSS - I know!  But remember, geckos are your friends as they eat the other critters that I'd rather not deal with!  So while I do think the drapes needed to be cleaned - I didn't agree with the cost to clean them.  $2,000 was one quote we got - I only had 5 windows with drapes! My comment was that you could buy new ones for that price!!!!!  A wonderful, expat friend gave me the name of a lady who did it for 1/3 that price.  Thank God! but it still left a bitter taste with the Engineer!

The Engineer and I have totally different views on window treatments.  I think they complete the look of a home- make it cozy.  The Engineer believes they are a complete waste of money.  They serve the function of blocking the sun and providing some privacy, but (on the spreadsheets) they don't ever add up (meaning the money they cost, you never get back)!

The one thing we agree about window treatments is they are ridiculously expensive!

We bought a new home (never been lived in before)!  The new trend is to have very large windows.  I love the natural light and the openness these windows create!  However, I think the builders are in cahoots with the window companies and the window treatment companies.  There is not a single, standard size window in this new house of mine.  Guess what that means?

Every window requires a custom window treatment!!!!!  This just adds more expense!  I can't just order them out of a catalog!
Luckily, most of the windows are a normal width (meaning they are within the width of a normal bolt of fabric).  Unfortunately, the kitchen window - the one everyone sees and I look at everyday as the computer sits right in front of it - is 6" wider than a bolt of fabric.  This is a problem because I can't sew! SOOOO - If I want window coverings to complete the look of the room, I have to be crafty!  I am so NOT crafty when it comes to things on a large scale!  Scrapbooks, school projects, cooking - those things I can do.  I can do a staple gun and a glue gun with relative ease, but sewing - NO!

In typical Engineer style, my husband said that if I wanted drapes I had to "go figure out" how to do them in the most inexpensive way possible!  

Glue gun here I come!

My solutions were quite satisfactory to me.  I love the website www.thenester.com
She says, "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful".  She also says, "People don't have to know you used a glue gun - They just see the finished product"
AMEN - sister!

My solutions usually involve a cornice board (staple gun) or a pole with fabric to wrap around.

See this is how I dealt with my Master bedroom.  I found a website that sold custom roman shades for a reasonable price.  Then, found fabric at a discount fabric store and just folded and hung swags of material between the windows.  I couldn't use a pole as these are set of bay windows and each is at a slight angle to the others (there are two more windows).  It isn't perfect, I know, I still have to make adjustments, but how many people are going to go into my Master Bedroom and scrutinise my curtains.

Now the big problem is my kitchen window.  

Everybody who comes into the house will see this window.  I sit in front of this window everyday!  I am right now! A cornice board is how I usually handle these windows.  The kitchen window over the sink is no problem as it isn't wider than a bolt of fabric - You just staple the fabric to the board and hot glue the fringe and you are good to go.  This is great, if you choose a solid fabric with no pattern.  So now, because I chose this lovely fabric, I have to match the pattern for the other window. PROBLEM - I can't sew!  The Engineer has instructed me to "figure it out".  That is what I have been working on all week.

The Engineer believes he can sew and doesn't see why I don't think I can.  (He's also a perfectionist, so where as I can often get away with good enough - here's an example of,  if the pattern is off - he will notice and it will constantly bother him!)

The blue tape in the picture above is an example of his pattern and his attempt to help me figure it out on my own.  I've called in my mom because once upon a time she did sew - before arthritis set in.  She also has a sewing machine and is willing to guide me through the basics, but I'm concerned.  I've been watching a lot of YouTube teaching videos, but I'm not quite getting it.

I will update y'all on my progress - hopefully it will get done soon.

Just plan for the cost of window treatments upon repatriation!  

It doesn't help if we chose a pre-existing house - maybe it would a little - but in ALL my moves - the previous owner's taste in window treatments did NOT match mine - yet, another reason the Engineer thinks it is a waste of money.  They aren't like furniture - you can't take them with you - why? - because nothing is standard anymore and it won't fit into your new house!!!!!

HAPPY DECORATING!

100th MOTHER'S DAY

On May 8th, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day in the United States.  This Sunday marks 100 years that Americans have been honouring their mothers on this specific day in May!

You know me by now - I, of course, googled Mother's Day history around the world.

Here's what I found interesting:

MOTHER’S DAY: HISTORICAL PRECURSORS

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.

Did You Know?

More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year. These holiday chats with Mom often cause phone traffic to spike by as much as 37 percent.

This is from www.history.com - This is a fantastic website!  I use it all the time and also send my kids here for any projects!

I'm treating my mom to an early brunch!  I searched all the menus at the local restaurants and settled on the one that serves a crab cake benedict!!! 

CRAB CAKE BENEDICT
Poached Egg, Hubbell & Hudson Crab Cake, Spinach, Lemon Rosemary Beurre Blanc  

YUM! Can't wait to try that!  I'll take a picture for the blog!  If I was in Singapaore, we would be going to TWG Tea Salon in ION Orchard!. I'm not exactly sure what the kids are going to do for me.  I gave them some suggestions, but we'll see. . . . .

For some people Mother's day is a tough day!  Some women can't have children, some have very topsy-turvy relationships with their moms, still others have lost their moms.

No matter your circumstance - remember that GOD LOVES YOU!  Take the time to honour and cherish the people around you that are special whether they are a mom or not - 

SPREAD THE LOVE!

Driving again!

One of the topics that my expat girlfriends and I often talked about in Singapore was the type of car we would get upon repatriation!

We were a mix of ladies - some of us actually took the driving test in Singapore (see earlier post) and some of us did not.  Singapore has great public transportation.  You really didn't have to drive.  You could always walk (remember your umbrella), take the bus or MRT and then there were taxis (as long as it wasn't raining).  However, I certainly missed the freedom of getting in the car and driving myself wherever I was going, when I wanted to go and not have to plan and consult traffic or bus schedules.  

Anyway - in Texas, especially out here on the edge of Suburbia, a car is a must have!  There are no taxis or buses!  You could walk, but it is 5 miles to the nearest store of any kind from my house.

Size of car is the other factor we would discuss as expats.  A Toyota Camry was considered a BIG car in Singapore.  That is quite laughable to my Texan neighbours.  They all drive SUVs or trucks.

Cost of cars is another factor.  A Toyota Camry in Singapore costs over $100,000 dollars because of their tax, tag & license laws.  Ridiculous!  However, Singapore is a tiny island nation and they are trying to limit the amount of cars - that is why they provide good public transportation. 

One of the things that amused the Engineer the most was that there were many very wealthy people who could afford any car they wanted even with the exorbitant tax,tag, & license fee.  These wealthy people would buy and drive lamborghinis, ferraris, maserattis … cars all designed for speed.  The top legal speed in Singapore on any road was 90km per hour.  That is roughly about 55 mph!!!!!  It was ALL for show!

Anyway - It was in Singapore that I discovered my dream car and fell in love with it.
I found a website that lets you design your own personal style for the car.  For kicks, I designed mine:

This is the Audi R8!  This is my version of what I designed and it only comes to $156,000 US dollars - who knows what it would cost in Singapore.  I could NEVER justify paying that much for a car no matter how luxurious it is - I'm just too practical.  It is fun to dream though.
REALITY & PRACTICALITY smack you in the face upon repatriation though - to keep you grounded!

I've mentioned before that I'm pretty simple and practical, but I am also married to the THE VERY FRUGAL, PRACTICAL Engineer!!!!!!   This might be totally unique to me, but I'll share anyway.  Buying a car in our family is a very painful, weary process for me!  I'm pretty simple. A car just needs to be reliable and have air-conditioning to please me.  Amenities are nice, but not necessary.  I don't live in the car it just has to get me (and sometimes the kids) around town. This is why the R8 is only a dream - it can only transport one kid at a time - yeah - that's the reason why I'm not getting the R8!
Anyway, with the FRUGAL Engineer - buying a car involves numerous spreadsheets comparing car reliability, fuel efficiency, price, resale value, insurance, etc. etc. etc.!!!!!!  I refused to go "shopping" with the Engineer until he needed my signature to actually purchase a car!  We arrived back in the States in June - we did not actually purchase a car until September!!!!!!
To his credit, these are the parameters that we had to work with.  The Engineer is a manly man.  He plays ALL sports!  He loves to camp and I don't mean glam camp - He is in the back country having packed it all in!  He fishes. He hunts - anything and everything.  He gardens.  He builds things.  He can take any kind of machinery apart and put it back together.  This is why I call him the Engineer Extraordinaire!  The manly man needs a truck! Oh and not just any kind of truck, but a BIG truck!  One that can handle all the demands the manly-man, Engineer Extraordinaire would require!  The PROBLEM came in when the spreadsheets didn't match up with the wants!
The COMPANY has the Engineer working at another location 70 miles from our house and 50 miles from where he will eventually be located!  The Engineer HAD to have a fuel efficient car!  A BIG truck is NOT fuel efficient by any means.  The Engineer still wanted a truck so he could engage in ALL the activities mentioned above that were NOT possible in Singapore.  In order to "Have his cake and eat it, too", the Engineer had to ask his wonderful, understanding wife if she would consider driving a BIG truck as her vehicle.  Since his most gracious and loving wife still didn't have a vehicle after 3 months of living back in the States and since the truck had Air-conditioning and could transport both kids, she agreed to drive the BIG truck!  

After 7 months of driving the BIG truck, I might be getting the hang of it.  It isn't too bad out here on the edge of Suburbia.  I fit right in with the cowboys (although, I don't wear a hat or cowboy boots).  I like being up high above everyone else.  I see other women driving BIG trucks - BIGGER than mine - you have to take two steps just to get in them!  I still am having trouble parking it.  We should get a back-up camera for the truck! I prefer angled parking spots!  I usually just park way out in the parking lot - it is part of my keep fit plan to never park close!

HERE'S HOPING YOU GET THE CAR YOU WANT UPON REPATRIATION, BUT IF NOT, YOU HAVE A COMRADE IN SPIRIT!

HAPPY DRIVING!

Corrected by TSS

I had a very proud moment as a Mama.  

We were having our little family Cinco de Mayo supper (I cooked Chicken Chile Verde), when the Engineer asked what is the point of Cinco de Mayo.  

I very smartly replied, "Oh, it is the Mexican Independence day!

TechSavvySon piped in and said, "No, it isn't - their independence day is in September.  Cinco de Mayo commemorates some battle - I think a French invasion."

No, I'm pretty sure it is their independence day.

No, Moooommmm!  We went over this back in September in Texas History.  It is NOT their independence day!.


We have a pretty strict no electronics at the supper table rule, but the Engineer said we needed immediate clarification so we googled Cinco de Mayo.

Here is what Siri found on the web:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Mexican Independence Day, which occurs on September 16.

Cinco de mayo
Battle of Puebla
Observed by	Puebla, US Americans, mixed nationality
Type	Multinational
Significance	Commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War; celebration of the victory of Puebla over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862
Observances	Celebration in Puebla, the United States of Mexican-American culture and experiences. Food, music, folkloric dancing
Date	May 5
Next time	5 May 2015
Frequency	annual

Cinco de mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States^[1] and in Mexico, primarily in the state ofPuebla,^{[note 1][2][3][4]} where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla).^[5][6][7]

It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War,^[8][9] and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of thanks to Mexico in fending off the would be French invasion of the U.S.^[10] In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.^[3][11] In the United States, Cinco de mayo is generally mistaken to be Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16.^[3][12]

Sure enough - TechSavvySon actually had it right and REMEMBERED these facts.  You never really know if your teenager is getting all that he needs to out of his lessons at school!  I'm so glad to know he is.

Since I like the blog to be correct and to give credit where it is due,  I was mistaken about Cinco de Mayo and YES - You, TSS not only had your facts correct, but enlightened your mother on a historical fact!

Comments

Hi Viewers -

It has come to my attention that the comments section of my blog is not working as it should!

I have worked to correct this, and thought it was going okay, but sadly that is NOT the case.

When I have time to devote to figuring this out I will.

In the meantime, should you actually WANT to go through the hassle of commenting, then try to click on the post title in the right hand column (the Archives) and scroll to the bottom where you should be able to join the discussion under my comment.

HOWEVER - I totally understand NOT wanting to go through the hassle!

Please just enjoy the blog and email me if you really want to say something or if you know how to fix this problem in BLOGGER!

Blogger is a free site and they don't give much support or help.  I have considered moving my blog and/or opening it up to google+, but be patient with me and just enjoy my posts until I have time to devote to figuring it out.

Thanks!

Pamela

WEEKEND STUFF

We had a busy weekend full of the "stuff" of Suburbia!

WittyGirl had a volleyball game.  Her team won!!!! Always makes for a good day.
We went to a book signing for this Legendary Local Author and then we had to make the rounds of Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot so I could "Love the House I am in RIght Now!"
The kids were NOT excited to make the rounds, but I now have curtains actually hung in my Master Bedroom and my Breakfast room chairs are recovered! Yea!

Saturday was the "Run for the Roses" also known as the Kentucky Derby.  I LOVE the Derby  - always have!  When the Engineer was at University, we lived hours (a doable drive) from Kentucky!  My girlfriend and I were all set and ready to go, but that day the Engineer had his Professional Engineering Exam and  - He couldn't miss that - go figure!
Since then, I usually make a special supper and we watch the running of the derby.  I was going to have a party this year complete with a "Best Hat competition" and this very cute Teapot cake!  However, the Engineer once again thwarted my plans - we had to have dinner with his boss - planned long time ago. Next year - I'm going to have an AWESOME Derby party!

Sunday was May the Fourth!  STAR WARS fans greet each other with - May the force be with you! Yes - it is a little nerdy, but TechSavvySon & I are big Star Wars fans.  So much so that TSS made supper last night and here's what we had:

Always fun!

So today is Cinco de Mayo!  Like our Fourth of July, but celebrates Mexico's independence!  Not a big deal in most of the USA, but in Texas, which borders Mexico and has a large hispanic population - it is a big deal.  I've heard that schools in San Antonio get today off.  Wow!  If you live in Louisiana, you get Mardi Gras off!  So there are regional holidays.  We, of course, are having some kind of Mexican food tonight for supper.  I may even get festive and decorate the table - depends on how much I get done today.

Anyway - MoustacheMan is probably wondering what this post has to do with repatriation.

I've said before that in Singapore all the 5 major world religions are represented so the kids would get these random to us days off of school like Vesak Day - never heard of this before we moved over there.  Thaipuisim  - that is another unusual day - (That is one worth googling, if you don't know about it).

I'm going to attempt to get y'all out of your shells and commenting on the BLOG itself instead of emailing me, but I definitely understand privacy issues and if you want to remain anonymous - that's okay!

However, I'd like the brave among you to share (on the blog) your favourite event or holiday to celebrate that aren't the normal ones, Like the Kentucky Derby or Hug your neighbour Day and what you do or did in the past to celebrate.

MAY DAY! May Day!

Happy May Day!  

I did a little research and the Bankers of the world have turned this into a Monday Banking Holiday so now many cultures celebrate May Day on the first Monday in May.  According to my Google searching, May day is supposed to be May 1st - halfway through Spring and a balance to November 1st (All Saint's Day).  It is a totally pagan holiday made up to celebrate the end of dreary Winter and the beginning of Summer. Just so you know, in a weird freak of nature - it was 43F degrees this morning as I walked TSS to bus stop - Monday, it was 93F! - I think we are going to skip Spring and go straight to Summer!

I enjoyed reading through the ways different cultures celebrate May Day.  Of course, this is a Northern Hemisphere celebration as the seasons don't match up in the Southern hemisphere.

My favourite story that I found on May Day is this:

Facewashing in May Dew : 

Washing the face with May dew was yet another custom. There was a belief among the women in Great Britain and other parts of Europe those days that May Day dew has the power to restore beauty. This why in the Ozark Mountains, a cradle of American folklore, girls used to nurture a belief that having their faces washed with the early dawn dews on the May Day would help to be married to the man of her choice. - See more at: http://www.netglimse.com/holidays/may_day/traditions_and_customs_of_may_day.shtml#sthash.sG5RsIkm.dpuf

Interesting, Eh?

Anyway -  I don't care where you live in the world, May is the most hectic, stuffed month of the calendar year.  For me, May 1st is aptly named MAY DAY.  It is a call for help!!!! MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY!!!!

Everyone is trying to finish something up before Summer.  Gotta get plants in the ground.  Gotta lose the weight to fit in the bathing suit!  Gotta get the kids in their camps for the Summer. Kids have tons of end of the year projects.  The kids have outgrown all their warm weather clothes - gotta shop for them. All organisations throw their volunteer appreciation luncheons.  People are graduating.  People plan weddings.  There is Mother's Day, the Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial day and WittyGirl's B-day!  If you are an expat repatriating - this is usually the month you are preparing to move so all that falls on your plate, too!
Yesterday, I didn't post to the blog because I ACTUALLY did the Spring Cleaning that I've been putting off for forever!  The job grows exponentially!  You start cleaning one thing and notice something else needs to be cleaned!  I was on my feet all day yesterday! I did take a break at lunch with GG & MM, but that was it. The family got Breakfast for supper as I didn't have energy to serve anything else!

Wow! - I'm exhausted and it is only May 1st!

Actually, this MAY Day I am having a little celebration as this is the 1st time in 4 years that I'm not getting on a plane back to the States!  Every Summer for the last 4 years I have dreaded making the trip!  From the time I left my condo in Singapore till I reached the door of my parents house - 32 hours of my life would pass by - lost forever.
Did I mention that I am married to the FRUGAL Engineer and that we ALWAYS flew economy?  Did I mention that I am 5'8" - tall for a woman and way taller than what is the Asian norm?  Did I mention that I ALWAYS had to sit between WittyGirl and TechSavvySon to keep the peace? Did you know that they fought over who got to lay their head in my lap? Did you know that they wouldn't eat any food from the airlines?  Did I mention that I can't ever sleep on a plane?  Have I gotten any sympathy yet?  The only thing appealing about the plane trip was that I would catch up on all the movies I missed watching in the theatre!

My celebration rejoices in the fact that I won't have jet lag for the first few weeks of June and that I don't have to fly through the Moscow airport!!!!

This is a typical international flight for me & the kiddos. Notice we are at the BACK OF THE PLANE!!!!  This is not the flight back to the States as  first of all - I'm wearing a tank top and not yoga pants and hoodie (I am not the most beautiful traveler!). I'm not sitting in-between the kids and the Engineer must have taken the photo.  My guess is this is a flight to Thailand, but it is a pretty close representation.  Sympathy? Oh no, wait . . . I don't have to do that this year!

BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS AND HAVE A HAPPY MAY DAY!

Don't forget to wash your face in the morning dew!