JC Penny Catalog From 1977

Sweet! Cool pattern for a leisure suit you can sew!

This is hilarious and accurate--check out a few pictures from a JC Penny catalog from 1977. I remember everyone and everything looking like this. Well, almost everything. My parents were more into a Scandinavian Design kind of look back then--clean lines, light woods, it was tasteful.

However, when I went to the Raquet Club for tennis lessons, I saw in the lounge area a table with an inset TV screen which had a new thing on it--PONG! It was mesmerizing. The table and the chairs looked kind of like the barrel furniture in the JC Penny catalog. How did anyone see that as stylish or well designed?

1977. No longer the Bicentennial year, and kind of a let down.

At least we still had terry cloth, polyester and his and her matching clothing.

Today I am 44/Random Stuff

It's my birthday today--I'm 44. Which means that the kids made me homemade cards yesterday with my husband's prompting, hid them in their rooms, and when they woke up this morning, they got them and gave them to me in bed. It was very, very sweet.

It also means that I had to go and get my drivers license renewed as it expired on this day--why did I not do it last week, or the week before that, or before that?! I'll tell you--because that's not how I roll.

I wait.

I procrastinate.

I stall, and push aside and forget until I can't any more.

Oh, and I'm none too pleased with Obama either (yes a non sequitur...) Where's the Change?! Did we close Gitmo yet? Not only are we not out of Iraq yet, we're increasing our military presence in Afghanistan. Because Russia was so successful there and we can turn to their experience as an example, right? Why are Monsanto people in any kind of position in the government--can you say fox guarding the hen house?

I want a fierce proponent for all of the liberal stuff I believe in and thought we had that with Obama. I'm hoping he has some sort of secret hidden long term plan that will all come right in the end. But for right now I'm worried.

We have rats, but not the invading, uninvited kind. We purposely went and got them as pets. Not ones from the pet store as we learned from all of our google research they would not have been properly socialized. No. I had to find ratterys in the Northern Illinois area and find ones that had babies. Ones that had female babies (the males mark a lot and get really big--we didn't want that.)

I finally found a rat breeder--and can I just say here that I didn't realize there was such a thing as a rat breeder or that they breed Fancy Rats. I love sub cultures. There's so much in the world--I will never be bored. We went almost to the Wisconsin border and bought our rats, a giant cage, a running wheel and brought them home.

My kids are ecstatic. It turns out that a fancy goldfish doesn't really elicit any kind of affection or feelings of fun from my children. After my daughter's ancient calico goldfish died, the kids started lobbying for some sort of mammal. Our 24 year old cat won't tolerate another cat or a dog, and I don't blame her. The search was on then for a small caged mammal.

My son told me that he had heard that rats make good pets. Yeah, OK. But they're creepy, and while I know that the plague wasn't their fault but that of their flea passengers, still, they were involved. Plus, there's that hairless tail. Ugh. *shudder*

I googled, "which is a better pet a rat or a mouse?" The result was dramatic and almost completely one sided. The rat won. It is smart, trainable, affectionate and unlike mice, hamsters and gerbils doesn't bite. What?! Who knew? It will come when called, and can learn tricks. It doesn't smell and is social, so needs companions.

We got four rats.

I am a sucker.

My kids are all the more happy for it.

What's new with you cyber people? Tell me the good news!

And lastly, Team Conan.

Guess What!

Guess! No really, what might it be?

Give up?

OK, I'll tell you.

Another homeschool conference presenter has dropped out who was also going to do five workshops. Ha! Cosmic joke on me.

Could be worse--could be rainin' (Name that movie)

When you have 10 workshops all lined up, don't be jaded and take that for granted--it could all go away like this *snaps fingers*. Appreciate what you have. Be thankful.

Because it's Thanksgiving, here's Alice's Restaurant.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and don't get busted for litterin'...

PartI



Part II



Part III

An Appropriate Song

OK. I'm trying to do my part for the upcoming homeschooling conference. I agreed to be on the Children's Workshop Planning Committee so that I could help arrange presenters. I will be rewarded with a hotel room and free admittance to the conference for my entire family--this goes a long way. We will all appreciate it and enjoy the conference. That is good and I am glad for it.

However...

Of the several workshops I lined up, a full five have recently been dropped because one of the presenters realized he couldn't do it--after agreeing to months ago. FIVE workshops to be replaced! Arggghghghghggh!

And, another presenter hasn't returned phone calls or e-mail. That represents another FIVE workshops. I'm still hopeful about that one, but where's the communication? "Where are you wonderful presenter who agreed to do it oh these many months ago?!" Do you guys hear me yelling? That is because I'm feeling anxious and desperate and frantic.

You can't always get what you want...