Thursday, July 2, 2009

Your Guest Book Comments, Well Behaved Garages and My Wordiness

As promised, here are some responses to your guest book questions and comments. They're in no particular order since my "jumping around tendencies" from yesterday seem to have "jumped around" into today as well.

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Krista from Boise asked how the garage cleaning out process went and if we had any pictures.

Let me just say (and I'm sure you all can relate) I have discovered that cleaning out a garage is an ongoing, never ending, eternal process of messy and mammoth proportions. You clean and sort and organize and step back with a great sigh of accomplishment and satisfaction.

And then one short, minuscule week later, you walk out to the garage and discover that some more cleaning, sorting, and organizing projects have just sort of mysteriously sprung up out of nowhere. I still don't understand how that happens but it is a non-negotiable fact of life! At least in OUR garage. Maybe YOUR garage is more well behaved.

One good thing we did accomplish in the garage cleaning arena was that we started packing stuff that we know we aren't going to be needing again before the move. We also took a huge load of stuff to Salvation Army, threw away some stuff and just felt very happy (and sweaty and dirty) when we were finished.

For some strange reason, I decided to put on a little make up before going out to the garage to work in the 90 degree heat. Why I did such a foolish thing is still not real clear to me but the makeup lasted for about nine minutes and then, POOF! It was gone, ostensibly "sucked up" by the 1000 percent humidity that we "enjoy" here in the South.

Since I was not wearing any make up, you can be quite thankful I don't have any pictures to post from the garage cleaning project. However, I do have a few photos of the piles of stuff I brought IN from the garage that needed to be sorted and organized.

For over a week, I spent several hours a day going through thousands of pieces of "stuff," including old letters, thirty years of journals, papers/promo materials from fifteen years on the road, pictures, music, recording studio charts, rough drafts of songs, baby/kid memorabilia, medical records, school papers, etc. By the time I was done, I was ever so happy to have it all organized and even more happy to be finished with dealing with it all!







"Queeny Baby" commented on Steve and Sarah's grocery shopping expedition and asked the million dollar question, "Did Sarah put the toilet paper away?" I am happy to report that yes indeed, all of the rolls of toilet paper quickly made it to their designated spots around the house. I'm not sure if it was Steve or Sarah who did it, but I was just happy it was done. (And all the Moms said, "Amen!")

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A few of you made some "interesting" comments about my post concerning Steve's happy weight gain. I appreciate you all commiserating with me about the fact that I am living with a man who so cheerily applies himself to gaining weight.

However, I would like to mention the lovely (to me, at least) news that he has now announced that has reached his weight gain limit and is now cutting back.

Do you know what sort of JOY that creates in the deepest regions my heart? Do you know the kind of elation I feel when I see him turning down a second helping of a dish, even when he loved it and really wanted more.

And I think, "Well, it's about TIME, fella! Fifty-two years of living and you're just now having to decline something you really want to eat?"

Ladies, how many times have WE already had to do that in our lifetimes? Tens of hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of times? (I know that isn't an "official number" approved by the Global Association of Mathematical Geniuses, but you get the point.)

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We've also had some conversation going in the guest book about the new discussion widget with a couple of you saying you aren't quite sure how it works.

Here's the scoop: If you would like to comment on something, ask a question, or start a discussion (let's say you want to start taking bets as to how long it will take Steve to lose his "extra" five pounds) then you click on "Visit the Smithellaneous Community."

If you want to see who has recently started (or added to a discussion) you click on the person's name.

We actually had a discussion with eight (count them, EIGHT!) responses about the movie "Up" so we have now gotten our official inaugural discussion behind us. Now it's time for you all to jump on over to the Chatter Room and ask and/or discuss to your heart's content.

For a couple weeks or so, whenever a new comment/topic is listed over there, I'll mention it on the main page until everyone gets a little more into the habit of looking over there.

And while we're on the subject, I have the option of naming this Smithellaneous Community "chat area" anything I like. I've thought about Smithellany, The Chatter Room (takeoff on a "Chat Room") or The Chatter Box. I'm going to add a poll to the right side bar and let you all chime in to see if you have a preference on the name. Or if you have an idea besides what I've listed, email me or let me know in the guest book and I'll add your idea to the voting area.)

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I appreciate all your understanding comments concerning my post about getting rid of books. It sounds like a lot of you have the same feelings I do when it comes to that tough decision, "Do I keep this book, or do I pass it on?"

I especially enjoyed Dina's comment who wrote, "I am the product of a union that involved a hoarder and a purger. Is it a wonder I sometimes feel conflicted?"

It seems to me that most marriages are comprised of those kinds of opposites and it's especially hard when the dilemma in question is whether or not to get rid of certain books. Or items in the garage. Or bar-b-q tools. Or extra gym socks. Or sauce pans. Or whatever.

The longer I live, the more I am trying to develop a streamlined mindset; if I don't use it, read it, love it, or wear it--I will pass it on.

Even when it brings great pain assuagable only by chocolate.

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Random asked if I ever used the online photo editing program called Picnik and the answer is Yes! I love it! And use it ALL the time! If you haven't tried it, she and I highly recommend it.

I tell ya what, I love photography, editing, and messing with graphics so much that I think my ideal job would be to stay at home and spend half the day writing and half the day doing editing and graphics. And the other half eating chocolate. (Hey, I never said that math was my strong subject.)

Well, I do believe that I have finally accomplished the title of this post and in a very wordy way replied to your guest book comments.

Next post? A Belated Father's Day Dinner and Chicago Hot Dogs.

I'll sign off now with a picture of my Writing Buddy, tucked in beside my leg. If I even THINK about sitting down in my writing chair he is Right. There. Immediately. I'm just not sure if I could even maintain my blogs without his "help."

3 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

Sue G said...

Chicago hot dogs. Yum.

Terri said...

I would like to suggest a title for your "chat widget area thingy": Perhaps you could call it the Back Yard Fence. If we all lived near each other, that is where we would gather to chat about our day and solve world problems!

I have been a lurker, following Sarah's journey for quite some time. I have four boys that straddle her in ages (17, 15, 11, 9), so she has won a special place in my heart, as has your entire family! Know that you are all in my thoughts and constant prayers.

Terri
West Chester, OH

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