Woohoo! My Blog is still here!

A new friend just asked if I blogged and I had to reply I used to. Much to my delight, after checking, my blog is still here. So I'll be at it again and try to be good.

The original point of this blog was to highlight arts and education (mainly homeschooling info) through web links and to keep friends and family up to date with whats going on around our house.

Right now we are a week away from Christmas and running behind as usual. I'm hooked on Bollywood movies. More on that at a later date.

For now, I have to thank my friend for motivating me.

So.....
Thanks.

back in the saddle

Well, my poor laptop was in the shop out of the shop and now back in the shop again. I've got a loaner from my hubby. If your mac starts smelling like a forest fire get it checked, its not a good thing. I got my motherboard replaced after it the mac died and it still smells bad. Now its back in the shop again.

On the brighter side of life, I have been going to life drawing again and will post some pictures (when the mac is back). Artist's Unlimited in Tampa has life drawing every Wednesday night from 6:30-9:30, $8 for non-members (I think $6 for members). I also have aDeviant Art account for any of you who can't wait for me to post. Of course, the Deviant account is MochaTribe .

New Family Member

We went to Tallahassee to visit some relatives and brought one home with us. Monkey Jones is our newest family member. He is all wiggle and 83 pounds of love.

Free Starbucks in Tampa, finally....

For those of you who have read past blogs you know that we received coffee at no charge two times while we were in N.C. in December. Well, Tampa stepped up last week. The Starbucks at Westshore Mall made my coffee wrong, fortunately I figured it out, and they gave me a coupon for my next coffee free and remade the wrong one. Finally, a step in the right direction for Starbucks customer service. On the other side of that coin, the Starbucks on 56th St. and Fowler Avenue has yet to make my coffee correctly and doesn't give a damn. Therefore, we only visit that Starbucks when its an emergency. They used to be great. All the pros have left, it started when Ms. Wendy departed, then Angelique, its all been downhill from there. So beware! If you are in the USF area and need a cup of Jo go to the Fletcher Avenue Starbucks by I-75. It might be 5 minutes farther to drive but your pallete will thank you.

Pixagogo - Painted Hands

This photo album was sent by a fellow homeschooler. Great animal paintings - on hands.

Pixagogo - Painted Hands - Share your online photo albums - unlimited storage - upload photos - digital photography

Starbucks best kept secret-the short cup

Not long ago on NPR, my husband and I heard a segment on Starbucks and their "short" cup. It seems that it is almost always available yet not on the menu. When ask why the spokesperson replied "there isn't enough room." The short cup weighs in at 8 oz. It is shown here next to a venti (in my cup cozy).

Great Homeschooling Site

A great site for homeschooling parents. Articles on homeschooling, as well as, links to internet sites that will help educate your child. As the author of the site says, "grab your favorite cuppa' and enjoy!" I couldn't have said it better myself.

Best Homeschooling - Homeschoolers' Best Advice, with Links to Educational
Sites and Free Learning Materials

Bert Christensen's Cyberspace Home

One can only hope Mr. Christensen's physical home is half as amusing/interesting as his cyberspace home. I found this site by accident while looking for information on a spanish impressionist called Giner Bueno. Mr Bueno's work is included on this site but so are many more interesting, humurous and disgusting things. So instead of offering you Giner Bueno for visual stimulation today I am offering Bert Christensen who will do so much more. Enjoy!

Bert Christensen's Cyberspace Home

Yeah, well there's something down there...

Isabel (aka Claire) when asked about her gas replied, "It's not me, there's a goblin in my pants." When questioned further she replied "Yeah, well there's something down there."

The Spiralizer-WOW!

I have just bought the best gadget. I have been exercising and dieting with all hope of wearing a two piece bathing suit without shame this year. What an accomplishment that would be at 43 with 2 children. Anyway on this journey of mine, I have given up pasta and cheese. I am still having some whole wheat/grain products occasionally and an asiago cheese bagel every Sunday with my cup of Panera swill (sometimes referred to as coffee). In my recent readings, I came across a product called the Spiralizer. Its very popular among raw/living food people. Its a dream. Tonight I prepared spaghetti for my family. In the time it takes to say abracadabra I had spiralized myself a zucchini and a squash. I put the spaghetti sause over it and voila! I couldn't tell the difference, except maybe that it tasted a little better and I won't pay for it when I get on the scales tomorrow. My husband and daughters both tried it and thought it was good. I just have to figure out a way to warm up the spiralized veggies for my hubby, he likes his spaghetti hot not room temperature. At any rate, you can read about it or buy it here:

Saladacco, The Spiralizer, makes pasta out of vegetables

Am I the only slob here?

I've never been one to get all fancied up, especially just hanging around the house. My girls, on the other hand, love to "get dressed." Here's Kate practicing violin with her sequined hairbow. If you could see me you'd notice my hair had not even been brushed let alone adorned with anything. If we don't go out I can generally still be found in my jammies at the end of the day.

OK, so this week it is Tuesday

I had to have my mocha today. 7 days without loosing a pound and we won't be going to the bookstore Thursday after violin. I don't want a mocha if I can't sit and enjoy it. Its different when you get one everyday. You just gulp them down. Now I want to savor every sip. This is so sad. Anyway, I did it. I had my mocha and now I have to wait 9 days for another. Dieting is so wrong! That's ok now I have 9 days to loose more weight (and dream about Starbucks).

A new look for Isabel

Claire (aka Clara, Isabel, etc.) has a new look for her Isabel persona, no more frumpy glasses for this beauty queen!

Thursday is Mocha day!

To celebrate my return to the fold of the mochatribe (since it is my tribe I can't stay gone too long), I recorded the moment for all to see. I must also state for the record that this is the last mocha that will cross my lips that is not from Starbucks, unless I make it at home.

Hey mam, you got anything else to say to me?

Bathroom stalls have oblong handles that lock the doors. The handles have those little round nobs to pull the lock open and shut. Well my little one, Claire (a.k.a. Clara or Isabel as the mood strikes her) likes to look at them while I am going to the bathroom. Its kind of like looking in a spoon it makes your face look funny. Well, the other day at Borders, Claire is looking in one of the bathroom door knobs and this lady in the stall next to us starts talking (on her cell phone). Claire spins around and says mom when I look in the mirror there is someone talking to me. But it gets better. She starts replying to everything the lady says. Answering questions, saying uh-huh and oh really. The lady is still on the phone not talking to Claire. Then she stops (I guess she's listening to whomever she is talking to) and Claire yells "Hey mam, you got anything else to say to me?" "Hey lady, are you through talkin' to me?" I was laughing so hard I was crying. At any rate that day she was Isabel and I thought it only fitting to include a picture of her dressed as Isabel because Isabel looks nothing like Claire or Clara. Isabel is the only one of the three personalities with glasses. Here she is, Isabel:

A week without coffee?

Yes, its hard to believe I know. Those mochas really put on the pounds and I finally decided if I am ever to get off those mocha-pounds I have to take a mocha-break. If I'm good all week (not just abstaining from coffee, but also bread, pasta, sugar, etc.) and exercise Sunday is bagel and mocha day. Last week I had an asiago bagel and Panera coffee. It was easy to only have one cup it tasted like I was licking water from the gutter. This week I am looking forward to a "Venti half-calf three pump extra hot soy mocha" and the bagel. Yumm, yumm, I can taste it now. Its almost as good as being there.