From Chaos Comes Happiness

I pride myself in keeping a well stocked " cubbard " and refrigerator. My sister laughs at me because I always seem to have the ingredients needed to make even the most obscure recipes. You need a spice? I've got it! Out of sour cream? No problem! Forgot to pick up eggs? How many do you need? I've got 18 right here! So it was nothing new to pick up the phone the other day and hear my neighbor on the other end, asking if she could borrow a stick of butter. Butter. BUTTAH . That Yellow Goddess of all things Good and Delicious! The one thing that I could (but NEVER have) bite right into . . . . ah, Butter. If I could have, I would have given both Katie and Ella the middle name of "Butter". Yum. Imagine my horror when I looked into my frig and discovered . . . I was OUT . . . of butter. WHAT!?!!?!!! HOW COULD THIS BE???? "I'm out of Butter!" I told my neighbor. "Oh, that's ok . I have to run to the store, so I'll pick some up,"...

The best fathers I have ever known . . .   My Dad, Joe You were a wonderful father, a good hard-working man who was always there for his family. I am so blessed that YOU were my Dad. But, you were taken away too soon. You never got to meet your granddaughters. Yet they are so much like you, its as if you picked them out for me. I miss you so very much and think of you every day, Dad.  I love you. My Father-in-law, John Your hard work ethic and loyalty was so admirable. I was proud to be your daughter-in-law. You always had a great story to tell. But you, too, were taken from us all too soon. And I miss you daily. Katie will never forget her dear "Bumpa", and neither will I. I love you. My Father-in-law, Rich I'm so grateful to have you in my life. You love us all, and you can always make me laugh. I am forever grateful that Katie & Ella have you, their Papa. They love you and I love you, too. My Husband, PG Hone...

Do you ever imagine what it's like to be a fly? Ok, maybe that's a little too weird of a subject to break into. Maybe there is a better way to bring this up. Let's try it this way - with . . . a story. Most of my work day today was spent at a clients office - in a cubicle - researching information off of an imaging system. It was a quiet day. Focused and quiet. And you know - "quiet" isn't really me . However, it was a lovely way to spend the my first day back to work following some crazy healing days off. While I was focused (and quiet) in my work mind, every once in a while I would overhear these conversations that would leave me quietly laughing to myself. A big topic of conversation today was that Jimmy John's (a local sandwich shop here in Chicago) was offering $1 sub sandwiches from 11AM to 3PM. And let me tell you - you might not think that a $1 sub would provide that much stimulation to the brain waves, but today . . . it was! Detailed discussion...

Hello dear blogland friends, and wishers of "Good Back Thoughts" ! It's been a very strange few days since my last post. For a quick update to those of you who are waiting to hear from me, my lower back pain was just a bad sprain (THANK GOD!!) However, my Doc has reminded me that sometimes sprains take a while to heal and I just need to take it easy and let those muscles do their things. I'm doing lots of back stretches (which actually feel amazingly good), but other than that, the past 3 days have been spent on the couch. Ibuprofen is my new best friend (along with another pain med that I can't spell). So, A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to those dear friends who commented positive thoughts and sent such wonderful energy my way!! I felt it, believe me!!!! It's amazing how back pain can really make you appreciate the little things, you know? I've been really fortunate to have not had back problems in my life. But, I have known a few people who have really been thro...

Ok, friends, I'm down for the count . . . I totally did something to my lower back yesterday morning. What was I doing? you ask . . . well, I was doing the very strenuous and often physically challenging task of . . . standing up from the couch. Seriously. Standing up . . . from the couch. I've been in lots of pain since "it" happened. I'm avoiding the ER at all costs and spent the evening sitting up with a heating pad behind me. It's my lower back (which has always been sort of sensitive). I'm thinking it's just a pulled muscle, because I am able to move and bend my knees up to my chest and stretch things out. When I'm standing - I'm fine. When I'm sitting - I'm fine. When I try to stand up from a sitting position - now that's where the trouble comes in. Let's just say I'm using the ol' "I dropped something" line a few times the past 24 hours, when I could NOT get myself to a standing position. So, I think I...

(Me, the day Ella joined our world, January 2007) PG and I recently found out that three of our friends are expecting additions to their families. Yes, THREE!!! (And one of the three is expecting TWINS…so that’s 4 new babies joining the world by the end of the year! Holy COW!) It’s a super exciting time (and in case you think this is a sign for us, I assure you - NO WAY! We are super duper happy and content in this house. And balanced … I think 3 against 1 is perfect, don’t you?) I digress … With all the talk about babies lately, I’ve had the opportunity to take a little stroll down memory lane and been able to tell my own very favorite “Delivery” story. The one story that is all “ME” and would happen, pretty much, to ONLY me. Those of you who have given birth have at least one childbirth story to tell. If you haven’t given birth, please hang in there and keep reading, for my story is really a story everyone can appreciate. Hopefully make you laugh. While I LOVED being pregnant, the ac...

I was so inspired by a recent post my blogfriend Angie from “ Treasures ” did last week about **BIG**COOL** rings . . . did you see it? (click here if you missed it.) Aside from the fact that she is a random thinking expert (like me ), I absolutely LOVE how Angie always shares her wonderful “Treasures” with us!! She is so creative and I feel like I found a TREASURE when I found her blog! :) Smile, Angie!! I'm talking about YOU!!! tee hee!!! Anyway, I loved her new rings post because a few weeks ago, I, too, purchased a big ring. I thought, “I can pull it off! I love it! I have to have it! It will be my summer treat. My new “thing.” It will make me oh-so cool and stylish." Right? (hmmmm . . . the vote is still out on that one!) Since I like to share (almost) everything with you, my dearest blog friends, I asked PG to take a few pictures of the ring for me. Here is the first picture he took . . . “Oh, gees, honey . . .” I said, “My hands look terrible from that angle. Mov...