The Shopping Moratorium.

While at my sister's beach house this summer, I saw a human interest piece on the Today Show that really caught my attention. The piece involved a bunch of friends, who simply stopped all shopping for a year! It went on to tell how they managed to get by (and trust me, you can get by) ... I honestly don't recall the details, but it fascinated me. What this moratorium intends is to bring awareness to the non-sensical type of spending. At the end of the moratorium and once you begin to shop again, when you do purchase things, you're more apt to ask yourself: Do I really need this?

My niece Jordan and I did it for the month of August - NO SHOPPING. Starting last week, about four friends and myself started another month of NO SHOPPING.

I'm doing great! I'm not the shopper I once was, so honestly, it really doesn't bother me much. Example: In the past few years, I find myself picking up things I would really like to try on; things that look so nice on the rack, and I carry them around for a while... then suddenly, some urge overwhelms me and I just put them all back. Nothing really happens, I just look at them and feel it's not worth it. That's why in the my closet at this very minute, there are pants and sweaters, blouses and shoes, dating to the early 1990's... I know for a fact, the other day, I wore pants that I had bought when Pat was a baby (he's 16 now!).

I did, however, start a Good Will bag this past week! If I clean out my vintage clothes from the 90's, I will have to buy new...right? So, perhaps during this moratoruim, I'll clean out all my drawers and closets, and by the time it's over, I'll shop!

It's rather liberating, this NO SHOPPING thing... I've been reading, and cooking - made spag. today, and baking, and crocheting.... I've turned into frigin' Martha Stewart! I believe I'm becoming: domesticated....

So folks, if you hear that the Dow suddenly and unexpectedly takes a nose-dive, you first read the reason here: A Shopping Moratorium, right here in Central PA!

Where's Rick Wagner?

I've been on a crusade for the past few weeks: "Where in the world is Rick Wagner?" As you know, he's our local TV newsanchor, and he hasn't been on the news for about three weeks now. At first, I didn't think much about it; just thought he was on vacation or something. Then, I read something on PennLive, someone else wondering where he was, and they went on to say they had checked the WHTM web site, and he's no longer listed! I WAS OUTRAGED! As the days went on, more and more folks were talking: his contract wasn't renewed; he moved on; yadi yadi yadi.... I DON'T LIKE CHANGE! I want my Rick back! So, I went on a letter-writing campaign and asked all my friends to do the same. Via this blog, I'm imploring you to do the same. Go to: www. whtm.com and on the left, click the link: Contact us. Write your letter too, telling the powers that be at News 27, that we don't care what Rick looks like! Yea, he's gotten a little older, lost a little hair... But hey, haven't we all???? We trust Rick, he's been in our house for twenty years now, he's eaten supper with us, he did homework with us, he's our comfort food: He's grilled cheese and tomato soup! I can't imagine the news without him!

Yes, in this day and age of perfect teeth, beautiful hair, young hard bodies, I know what the networks like: They like those phoney balonies, those model-like anorexia-suffering personalities! Not me, I want my grilled cheese and tomato soup back...

TWO Pies This Weekend!

We'll be HUGE by the end of this winter since my new-found love of the little Pillsbury Dough Boy.......

IF HE DOESN'T WIN...

I'LL NEVER WATCH TV AGAIN!

Awwwww B E T H A N Y ................

It was great!!!! Great fun, great friends, great food... What can I say???? But the very BEST part was the WEATHER!!!!!!! It was in the low 70's to mid 70's each day! Bright, sunny, blue skies; just picture perfect!!!!!!! What Lucky Girls we were!!!!!

We were told that a few weeks ago, Bethany had a Nor'easter' which did havoc to the beaches. I never saw so many shells and pebbles on that beach! We found lots of shells that are not normally found this far North. We found Starfish and Sand Dollars; just really nice finds! We honestly didn't want to leave the beach as it was just so beautiful! From the beach, we walked downtown, had lunch, and shopped a bit. That was fun! We ate at Five Guys... yum yum...and tried to walk it off! ha!!!!!!!

Back to the grind today which was hard! I started my Winter Palattes tonight, again, HARD!!!!!!!!!! As I sit here blogging, my stomach and legs are IN PAIN!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and by the way girls, "WHAT HAPPENED IN BETHANY, STAYS IN BETHANY!"

Have a great, wonderful week, and don't work too hard.

GO METS!

Bethany Bound!

A girls weekend in Bethany = shopping, eating out, drinking wine and other spirited types of drinks, shopping, eating out, and drinking more wine.

I hope to post pictures upon my return...

No dogs in my bed, men or otherwise... no dog hair to vacuum, no Dream Meals to fix up, no claimants to give benefits to, no getting up 50 times in the middle of the night for dogs, no laundry to fold, no domestication of any type.... PERIOD!

Awww, now that I got that out, I'm ready to pack!

Have a great, lovely weekend..... enjoy, relax, eat good dream dinners, and sleep well....

:)

Oh Look at Johnny, He's Soooo Wonderful, Don't You Think So??

We went to a Shootout at Alvernia College yesterday and I noted something particularly fascinating: Everyone thinks their kid is a star! Doesn't matter how much they suck or that they can't shoot; doesn't matter that they hog the ball and don't know how to pass.... Nope, they're all stars! I thought perhaps this was an elementary/middle school thing, but nope, it's a high school thing too! I sat in a gym for about eight hours and noted the most interesting things (ok, there was nothing else to do!) There were 200 kids there, so let's say, there were approximately 200 adults there. Guess what??? Maybe about 40 chairs!!! There were two games going on at all times on the court, so the bleachers were up. The spectators sat on the top level of the gym, looking down on the courts. Each kid played three games. All day long, there were parents coming and going, trying to catch their phenom playing. After about 45 mins., I managed to find an empty chair (very very rare). This woman next to me was getting up, leaving for lunch, and said to me, "Will you save my chair for me 'til I get back?" Sure Lady, I'll be happy to.... Less than two seconds later, a nice lady came and sat next to me. Certainly that woman who left knew the situation and realized I couldn't save her chair for her! OMG!

Then, the parents with their little tripods and videos all set up, taking up the precious space where we all squeezed into, filming their wonderful little phenoms! It was all too much, that's all. I couldn't wait to get home! Trust me, I'm no sports critic, but to the unskilled eye, there was maybe, just maybe, two or three kids that stuck out. Joe agreed, so I must have seen something. It's the boy hustling, trying to get in every play; the one who's running full speed, down court, even though he has no chance at the ball - he never once gave up. It's the girl who won't give up on D, she's so annoying, she hardly lets any play develop. It's the boy who won't give up under the basket until he gets the rebound no matter how much he's clobbered. It's the player who came up to us and apologized 'cause he had his things on a chair (around where I was standing), moved his things, and told me to sit down. They are the four athletes who I'd give scholarships to, if I could....

So, that was my ever so humble observations of the Shootout. I doubt very strongly I'll ever set foot at another...

What da ya think????

Is he a little OCD?????