That's My Bag

Today, I got tagged for a meme by Mama Bee at Mom to Bee. This one sounds like fun, and I get to show off something I love.

Here’s what you/I have to do:

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late, and you can't go digging through the bowels of your closet for the cutest bag you have. So what if it's ugly; we'll love you anyway. It should be the bag you carried today or the last time you left the house.

2) Tell us how much it cost. Go ahead, and slay us with your frugality and your ability to grab a good deal. Or if you decided to pony up a lot of money, good for you, girl... you deserve it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it.

(3) Tag some of your people. And link back to me, so everyone knows why we're having this little show and tell.

So without further ado, here is my bag...
I got it for about $10 from Old Navy a few years ago. Since it's fleece, it's a winter-only bag. It's super roomy so I can toss in a small book or my mail. I get so many comments on it, and it makes me feel hip even though I'm somebody's mother. It's really hard to be hip when it's below zero, and I'm dressed so I resemble the Michelin Man.

Since Mama Bee shared her contents, I thought I would mine (a little show me yours, I'll show you mine).

• my newly organized wallet
• a pen
• my cellphone
• some feminine products ('cause you never know)
• a miniature deck of playing cards (in case Pipsqueak exceeds her patience level while we're waiting for something)
• lipstick
• chapstick
• an emery board
• dental floss
• pumpkin spice scented hand lotion
• and my matching zebra print gloves.

Somewhere I have a scarf that matches this bag and gloves, but I couldn't find it today in the avalanche-prone area that is known as our coat closet. That will have to be an area of re-organization soon.

I'm glad I didn't get this meme a couple of weeks ago before I cleaned out my bag. There was probably six months of receipts, three or four old grocery lists, a salon's worth of hair accessories, postage stamps, and who knows what else.

And now for the tagging...

• Selena at Apron Thrift Girl
• Molly at Dark Oak Woman
• Tammie at Irregular Tammie
• Vicki at A Work in Progress (in case she's sick of cooking up a storm and putting me in a constant state of hunger)
• Betty at Wiens World

A Monty Moment

With another arctic blast on the way tomorrow, and me, still nearly frozen in place from the last one, I'm not in a good state of mind to write anything mildly amusing or informative. Instead, I will let pictures speak for me and entertain you with corgi cuteness.

If there is meat on the counter, he likes to be as close as possible. Those short legs only take him so far. He is using good manners and sitting.

And once you've taken care of the inside of his tummy, he likes attention to the outside with a good scratch.

I'm not sure why he decided to put his butt on the pillow, but he looks like it feels good.

What's In Your Wallet?

I received updated health insurance cards and new membership cards to a couple of local museums in the mail, and when I went to put them in my wallet, I realized I couldn't find anything except my major credit card. It wasn't that anything was missing, it was just there were so many.... department store credit cards, loyalty cards, membership cards, frequent shopper cards.

I pulled everything, reorganized and managed to eliminate three or four cards. I also unloaded a piggy bank's worth of change I was carrying around. Now every time I grab my purse, it's so light that I feel like something is missing, but it's all there and where I can find it.

A Moment in History

As I sit here and watch the inauguration of Barack Obama, I'm awash with emotions... hope and pride being those in the forefront. There is a sea of hope in National Mall and across the nation today; people waving American flags, and maybe for the first time in many months or even years, feeling proud to be an American.
For many, Barack Obama was not the choice, but today, we are not Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives; we are Americans who come together to support a man with a job in before him... a job that most of us would never want to have. He takes office at low point in our history, and he is faced with so much... a tanking economy, war, terrorism and a monstrous deficit. Just tackling one of those would bring most us to our knees. Can he turn this around? I'm certain that it will take considerable time and it won't come without trial and error. He is human, after all, and not a God. Tomorrow the ceremonies and balls will be over. He will step in the oval office for the first day of work and be handed the daily defense reports. Our safety will be in his hands. He seems like a friendly man, approachable and even magnetic. Peace seems very important to him, and he puts forth an outer calm that makes us believe it's possible. In his inauguration speech, he said that everyone would be met with an open hand, if they would unclench their fist. He sets an example for us as a peacekeeper, a father, a husband and a leader.
Today is a moment in history. The children of the future will learn that this was the day of the first black American president. Today is the day that Martin Luther King's dream came true. It's not so long ago that black people were fighting for the right to vote. For the first time in their lives, black children can believe that they can be anything they want to be, even the President of the United States. Every child should have that kind of hope.

And now, I'll get down from my political soapbox to which I will probably not return for many years. I do not typically have strong political convictions, but whether it is the state of the nation or excitement of President Obama's campaign, something in me woke up and I cared what happened. I think that happened to a lot of people.

Sunshine Martini

... but first, I have to talk about the weather. It's cold, and not just your regular, "brrr, it's chilly!" cold. This is frigid, run-from-the-house-to-the-car cold. How cold is it?

Yes, that's a "-" in front of that 13. Down in the valley, as I was taking Pipsqueak to school, it was 20 below. I was told yesterday that cold air settles in the valleys, hence the colder temps. One of the lunch ladies was right inside the door, passing cups of hot chocolate to everyone as they came in. But enough about that... it'll warm up.... someday.

In the meantime, we have all these oranges, and if I have a drink in the evening, I can forget for a few minutes how cold it is outside. I created what I named a "Sunshine Martini" the other night.

In a shaker half-filled with ice, put:

• 2 oz. Absolut Mandarin
• 1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 oz. triple sec

Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with orange zest.

It's one of those sneaky drinks where you don't think you're drinking alcohol... until you try to stand. up.

Blogging Etiquette - A Cry for Help

I've been feeling my way around this new world, learning the ropes and trying not to offend anyone in the process. Every once in awhile, I read about some one's blogging faux pas, and feel relieved that I hadn't done that specific unthinkable myself.

I do have a question, and maybe all you seasoned bloggers out there could enlighten me because I want to do right by all the wonderful people who read and comment. If someone comments on your blog, should you:

a) respond to them in the your comments section?
b) respond to them personally if you have access to their email?
c) read their blog and periodically comment when you have something to say?

I've been doing c, but I'm hoping my commenters aren't feeling slighted or unappreciated.

Blogging to Save You Money

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And thanks to Allison over at A Day Late and A Dollar Short, I have this great offer for you TODAY ONLY. You can get a full sized bottle of a Sauve body or hair product. Go to Sauve.com and click on the Suavenomics button at the top of the page.