Quick sand in our own backyards??

Anyone who knows me well knows I love to pass on a good safety tip. I grew up with a father who lectured against wearing dark colours at night and actually wanted us to wear reflective arm bands on our jackets as teens. New shoes placed on the counter would bring you unbelievably bad luck (??) and the ocean was FULL of sharks and you should always be on guard. So forgive me if I seem overly fearful of things just waiting to hurt me and my family...

This information I am passing on to you, however, is truly relevant. It may be a rare occurrence, but it is not the first time I have ever heard of it happening. Just this week, my friend Krissy and I were chatting while watching our kids during their swimming lessons. She told me about a mother and father in Massachusetts, I believe, who fell into some sort of sink hole while wading along the shore at a beach. They perished, and I shook my head at the freak accidents that happen and sent up a silent prayer that something like that should never affect my family or anyone I know. Lo and behold, later on I was checking Lani's blog over at The Wooden Porch and she had posted about the miraculous recovery of a little boy who had literally been buried alive in sand for five minutes and survived. Nobody can tell me this was anything short of a miracle. You can read the mother's own account here. She has some very good tips to help avoid this ever happening to you or your family. Follow the links from her post and find out more about this more common than you think danger.

I am so happy that little boy is alive today! Thank God for miracles...

I'm "rockin"...or so I'm told!!

Well, I just received a compliment that I had better not let go to my head. Lani over at The Wooden Porch just awarded me the title of a "Rockin Girl Blogger"!! I've never considered myself as "rockin" before...as I told her, I now have pressure to maintain that title! Since I still feel locked in the "eighties" (mentally, not fashion-wise...at least most of the time), I don't know how cool I really can be!! I also have to choose five others to share the title with. Hmmm...I'd better think on that one...I want to be in good company after all!! Don't want anyone to "bring me down" so to speak!!! ;~)

Guess it wouldn't be too cool to make one of those "if this blogs a rockin'" jokes...Nah, that would definitely not qualify as cool...!! Thanks Lani!!!

Cleaning up nicely...

photo: www.redshoeworks.com

I have a confession to make...I really don't mind cleaning. I like things to be clean, so cleaning is required to get them that way. I'm not saying it is my favourite thing to do, but if given certain choices, cleaning would likely win out. For example, I'd often rather clean than babysit, unless of course it's a baby. If you have a newborn baby, I'm the one to call if you need some help getting your house under control (just call the non-cleaners to mind the older toddlers...). Also, I'd rather clean than go grocery shopping. I HATE grocery shopping...except when it's at the Superstore and I can spend the bulk of the time browsing the home decor items. Yep, take the kids out for me to get the groceries, and throw a dust mop in my hand, and I can actually call that a break (on a bad day, mind you...). I think it's just the idea of having the house to myself and cranking up my music (Madonna, of course), and getting my house to sparkle. It just breathes new life into me. Then, I can relax...

Paul will get irritated at me when, after supper, I am scurrying around the kitchen restoring it to normal, while my tea gets cold. He likes to just plunk down on the sofa after supper and have our tea together. I prefer to get the cleaning up out of the way and then relaxing. My cup of tea even tastes better then!! It's all part of the disease I inherited from my mother. Neither of us can truly feel content until all is right with our tidy worlds. Pathetic isn't it...except you can't make fun of me...it's not nice to make fun of people with diseases after all!! I don't love every type of cleaning, though. I don't like vacuuming, don't dust as often as I should, and never iron...really!! In fact, I bought one of those steamers just to avoid any ironing that I can't get out of. My favourite type of cleaning is when you can really see the difference. You know, pulling out the heavy appliances and cleaning the floor beneath them. It can be scary how much dirt can get under those suckers!! I like the instant results...I think that's why I am always picking things up. To have uncluttered counters is very satisfying, although the process can be frustrating. I seem to be the only one who can apparently see the clutter.

I thought I'd show you some pictures of pretty tools to make tidying up a little more fun. I actually own a broom (I call it a brush) like those below. Mine is pink with white polka dots. And I have a nice enamel bin that says laundry and an enamelware bowls that say soap and sundries. Why not indeed? We have to have these things, why not make them look a little less ugly. It's kind of like shoes. There are sensible shoes that none of us want to wear, and pretty ones that do a similar job. In this case though, these pretty things don't give us blisters...

So go on now, buy yourself a pretty broom or duster. Then it's up to you whether you decide to just sit on a chair with your hot cup of tea admiring them, or be a fool like me and drink up your lukewarm brew later...!!!