Post-Monday Gladitudes

Is it too late for the Monday Gladdies??

I think not.

I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open and the yawns are about to split my head in two, but the pressure to never go too long without posting the need to share all the things I am glad about tips the scales in your favor. If you could call it a favor, that is. Maybe it's just a nuisance to you. But whatever. Author of this blog? Me.

I'm as full of the gladitudes as a tick who is buried in the family dog. Me needs to let them out before I burst! Too much of a word picture?

Getting on with it then...

10) Started off last week with a "getting in touch with your inner teen" Girl's Night Out. What's not to love about that? About 15 ladies sat around and played "I've Never", giggled, snorted, and nervously awaited their turn at the prank calls that may or may not have taken place. Ahem. Calls like "Your fridge is running...you better go catch it!" and (wives calling husbands) "Like, oh my gosh, I think you're totally cute. And, like, will you go to prom with me?!" most certainly did not happen. There was not an excess of junk food ingested. Things such as Doritos, Ding Dongs, Twinkies, Funyuns, Pixie Stix, Pop Rocks, popcorn, licorice, Skittles, cookie dough and the like did not give me a stomach ache, reminding me of why I can no longer eat like a teen (At least, not without paying the consequence for it later). We did not watch "17 Again" and marvel at the talents of Zak Efron and Matthew Perry. To top off the night we did not don our black attire, grab Saran Wrap and toilet paper and head out before we all got too tired our curfew to leave our signatcha on a friend's abode. (Go here http://img132.yfrog.com/i/qgmy.jpg/ to see us getting ready. Taken by an accomplice of the male gender.) So glad I didn't do all those things! So glad I got to spend that fun bonding time with some great old and new friends. Not old as in age old, but long time friends. Just clarifying.

Hm. This is quickly turning into a Not Me! Monday post. Focus, Cathy. Focus.

9) Garage sales. It just about drives me to distraction that I haven't been able to wheel and deal this summer as much as I had it in my mind that I NEEDED to. BUT, I'm ever so glad that I made it to at least 1, and it was a doozy of a neighborhood sale so it fed my addiction (of good deals) for a little longer.

A few of the "must haves"...

These awesome 50's dishes were $5 for 12 plates and 12 cups. Aren't they cute?! Not sure when I'll use them...guess I need to throw a party!

Not pictured:

~A denim Old Navy vest for Emma.

~An electric hedge trimmer complete with extension cord (which I didn't notice, but the hubs sure was excited about. Note to self: All it takes to make him happy is an extension cord. Good to know.) which I offered $5 for and he accepted.

The deal of the century and the one that sent the hubs over the moon? Our very first gaming system!! The Atari Flashback 2 for $1.50!!!! Oh yeah, baby. Can you say Pitfall, Centipede, Pong??

8) 11 years. 11 YEARS!!! That's how long it had been since I'd seen this friend from college. So when we knew we were passing right through her town during our little family getaway, we decided to make her town our lunch stop. We picked a really classy, chic place for our reunion. Cause we're classy and chic. And nothing says class and chicness like....McDonalds. Especially when your son falls face first from a bench to the exposed aggregate in the playland, and after asking for an icepack a manager doesn't come see how he is for 1/2 hour. Exposed aggregate + kid friendly = oxymoron.

We caught up on each other's lives...well, as much as you can when you have an hour to eat, comfort grater-faced babes, and wrangle 4 young children. But it was SO good to reconnect face to face, not just facebook to facebook!

7) My first MIRL. Wow, that's a pretty important title! And the lurvly Gretchen now holds it. We came bearing Pumpkin Zucchini Bread (Yes, I'm a nerd.) and met near her digs at a place called "The Spotted Cow". One word - GELATO. But as sweet as the gelato was, the company was even sweeter. She was as lovely, easy to talk to, and adorable in real life as she is on her blog. More so. And, in fact, it was a little bittersweet, because now that I've gotten a taste of gelato...er...facetime with Gretchen ;) 250 miles seems even further then it did before. So good to meet her. Such good "getting to know you" conversation. Such a wonderful person. Such yummy gelato.:)

That's Gretchen with the spotted cow, I mean the freckled "Cathy", I mean with me at "The Spotted Cow". Sheesh.

6) Glad for chances to see the beauty God created...while eating. Double bonus. **This gladdy made possible by the generosity of a woman who gave us their unused nights at a resort on the Washington coast. More blogging about that to follow.**

5) Glad for moments like these:
That even though they last mere fractions of a minute, somehow in that short amount of time my mama cup is filled back up.

4) I'm super duper glad in advance for future MIRLs, cause I know that along with my flesh and bone friends, God brought these in my screen for a reason and purpose as well!

3) Amandel Gebakjes - Also known as Almond Tarts to us less egeecated folk. Also known as heaven on earth. Also known as God's dessert. Also known as one more craving that will attach itself to my muffin top. Found in a little dutch town, in a little dutch bakery. That which lured us back for Round 2 for the happy dance in our mouth goodness.

2) Second chances. At this point God's really probably given me about 36,135 of them. However, "God is a god of 36,135 chances! Our God is a God...do do do do, do do doo...of 36,135 chances!" just doesn't flow the same and it may have thrown Jonah off a little. (VMV = Veggietale Movie Version)

1) He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me gla-a-ad!

And she goes out with song....

Cause my OCD self wouldn't let me finish with just 9. Needed to round it out to an even 10. Now you would think that OCD part of me would help my grammar and punctuation. Apparently not.