As Is?

While out shopping today for items to include in a silent auction I found this on the clearance aisle.It's a cookie jar.

Well, part of one.

It used to be a dog but the head is obviously missing.

I couldn't even imagine why they would still be trying to sell it! Who goes out shopping for the bottom of a cookie jar?

"Oh, I broke the bottom to my cookie jar! I'll just save this head in case I ever run across the legs somewhere."

I mock, but I guess it could happen.

I had to know. How much they were charging for the bottom half of a cookie jar.I know it's blurry...I'll help.

AS IS...NO HEAD
$6.00


Good grief. Even if I had the head, I wouldn't spend $6 on the legs.

Out of the mouth of babes...

My girls all got Zen Mosaics for Christmas. Remember these faces?

As Shawn set them up with a Napster account and started loading music he asked each of them who their favorite artist was. McKinley and Kennedy instantly said, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Rascal Flatts.

When he asked Reagan who her favorite singer was she said, "Juju." That's our aunt who teaches them voice lessons. She is an amazing singer. But not on Napster. Shawn smiled and laughed and then asked who her favorite artist was. Her answer? "Mrs. Masterson." Who is Mrs. Masterson you might ask...her school art teacher.

Don't you just love 7 year olds?

I do!

Her 'drug'

So since I've drug my sweet Aunt Carrie into Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and now the blog world, I had to find another website to addict her to.

Enter Statcounter.

When I discovered if for my blog it opened a whole new world!

Tonight found us chatting on Facebook, after texting about it first (and yes, I got her addicted to that, too) with me explaining how to navigate all things statcounter.

It could be a blog post all its own. We were pathetic.

Stefunk: Click the country/state/region tab.
Carrie: All I see is a red box with a line through it.
Stefunk: You must be special. I've never had one of those.
Carrie: Okay, now I'm there but the little black arrow doesn't work.
Stefunk: Wait, where are you?

We're both a little 'challenged'.

But eventually we prevailed!

I found that 14 people in the town she lived in had been to my blog today.

And only 8 from my own town.

She found out 1 from my town had read hers. (That was me!)

And 6 from her town.

I found out I had 17 readers from 6 different countries drop by today.

Hello to all my readers in

-Canada-Bon Jour or Hello!
-Australia (and I know one of those is sweet Miss Peg)-Wunman njinde
-The United Kingdom-'Ello
-Kenya-Subaa
-Ireland-Haileo
-Belgium-Bondjoû

Those are all places I have never been. If anyone of you would like to meet me in person I would gladly accept a plane ticket:c)

I Ran

So, remember that whole half marathon thing that I did?

The five months of training?

Running four days a week?

Yeah, I kind of do, too.

I had some struggles...but had an amazing group of friends, coaches, and mentors around me. There was also this little thing that made all the difference in the world.


Accountability.

I don't have that anymore. No one is checking on me. No one is sending me e-mails. No one calls to ask if I want to ride to the Saturday runs with them.

I am not motivating or challenging when it's just me. I can talk myself out of just about anything.

That's what got me to this point. 19 days before my next race...and I've only run 5 times since the half. It gets worse. I haven't worked out at all for 5 weeks.

So, that's what found me today at the gym. I don't want to completely shock my system so I walked a mile and then ran a mile. I didn't look at the counter, and luckily can't do math in my head while working on breathing properly, so I made it 12 laps before I even realized it! I felt like I could do more...but I didn't. Instead I did some weight lifting. Then I came home and did crunches on my ball. Can't do that at the gym...too many people watching!

I have no idea what got into me...but I hope it stays.

At least for 19 more days.

Nests

*****Updated*****

Cozyflier and deedee had an interesting question that I should have covered! I use the leftover circle for sandwiches for the girls lunches. It's our own 'uncrustables' without spending the money!


When The Pioneer Woman wrote about this she had many alternative titles. Some made me giggle, some kind of grossed me out!

*Egg-in-a-Basket
*Chicken-in-a-Basket
*Frog-in-a-Hole
*Toad-in-a-Hole
*Egg Basket
*Bird’s Nest Egg
*Toad Hole
*Egg Hole
*Pop Eyes
*Egg Toast
*Private Eyes
*Bird’s Nest Egg-in-a-Hole Basket Toad Chicken Frog

At our house, they're Nests. Don't ask me why...I really don't have a good answer. And I just can't lie under pressure.

For my now very plain sounding 'Nests'...I start with a slice of my Molasses Oat Bread. You could just stop there. It's good enough to stand on its own. But...you can take it one more step and trust me, you should. You will enter a whole new world of flavor.

So, where was I? Oh yes! The bread.

I searched my whole 'food' folder and I don't have a picture of just a slice...oh well, I like this one!

Next pull out your oldest cookie cutter that is smaller than the slice of bread. Mine was given to me by some cousins when they were downsizing. It has had lots of previous use and I love that you can tell it!The stories this cookie cutter could tell!

Cut out a hole.Melt some butter in a skillet,and put the bread in. Quickly crack an egg into the openingand use the edge of your spatula to break the yolk. Sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper. After cooking for a few minutes, flip it over.

Cook until egg is to your liking. At our house, if I'm fixing the egg, it will be dead. But feel free to do it your own way. Whatever floats your boat. Whatever makes your skirt fly up.

But if you're going to eat an egg that runs away from you when you cut into it, don't invite me over for breakfast!