Well today was a busy day. I went and looked at apartments here in Minneapolis. I am bound and determined to move up here if my boys move up here. It's not going to be easy but it can be done. I am hoping my ex-sister-inlaw will be able to buy a house so that I can rent a room from her. But if she can't, then I'll just rent a one bedroom apartment on my own. It would make money much tighter, but I know I can do it. I just have to save every penny from this summer. But I am hellbent on doing it. I have every right to be in the same zipcode as my kids, or in the same metropolitan area at least. There has to be a way I can do it. God wouldn't be so cruel. I am ready for bed but thought I'd do a quick blog to let you know I am actively beginning the next process of my life -- moving back to Mpls. 'Brrrrrrrr. What we'll do for our kids. Going house hunting with Karin tomorrow. Wish us luck with that. More to come when we figure out what and how we can make the next move.

We're in Minneapolis, MN for Spring Break...so the kids can visit their dad. I am staying at my ex-inlaw's while they visit. It is too far to drive just to turn around and drive back, so I am staying up here too. It is cold and snowing here. I am having a restful stay The kids check in via phone every once in awhile. They are having a blast. I have been reading a lot -- Judith Orloff, MD. The book is titled Emotional Freedom. It is pretty new age psychiatry and interesting. I'm also reading Danielle Steele's One Day At A Time. I've been shopping and bought this cool little "mini" PC..an HP Mini. The screen is only 10". It fits right in my new purse. I think it is cool for traveling back and forth to MN which I will be doing a lot of when the boys move up here. I am still not ready for that.

The kids went to visit some of their friends yesterday, at least Lj did. I suppose Ely stayed at his dad's and played Rock Band on his PS3. They've got the drums, the guitar, the microphone, the whole nine yards. I hope they don't get too addicted to it as it is staying here in Mpls. There's no room to set all that up in our house. They'll just have to play it when they come up here to visit...well, when they move up here in a couple of months. Like I said, I'm still not ready for that.

Stay tuned for more of what's going on in our lives...if you're interested...and I'll post when we return to AR.

The bookcase is finished! It looks gorgeous, too. Mike did a wonderful job. Now all I have to do is get the rest of my books out of storage and put them on the shelves. Oh, and get a window treatment for that window. That's my chihuahua, Choco, perched on the back of the couch there.

The weather here was gorgeous today so Mother and I planted some climbing roses, then when Mike got here, he and I worked on the storage shed. We're putting a front porch on it. Don't ask me why, that's just the way he designed it. He's at his apartment now.

The kids are in the other room reading a series by Erin Hunter called Warriors, books about wild cats, as in not pets but strays that live in the woods. They have all these adventures and stuff. I haven't read them but the kids are devouring them and they are school library approved. Maybe I'll read them when they get through.

I am reading William Shatner's autobiography, Up Till Now. It is very funny. Not much else is happening around here.

One of my blog followers wanted a more recent pic of my oldest son, Lj, so here is one of him dressed up, much to his chagrin, for a school field trip. And here's one of both boys for good measure. Enjoy!

These are pictures I've taken with my Kodak digital camera so if you click on them they blow-up to huge pics. So be careful unless you have a really fast internet connection.

I have been one busy lady! Mike is building me a bookcase -- a wall-to-wall bookcase -- and my walls are warped. I live in a really old house with low ceilings and bowed walls. Now mind you I gutted this house...tore it down to the studs and put all new sheetrock walls in, replaced what flooring or other critical wood that needed replacing, but some studs were just jutting out a tiny little bit further than others and were perfectly good, albeit very old, studs so we left them. Figured we'd call it "character" or such. Anyway, now we are having a time making straight, square, perfectly gorgeous shelves fit into a warped, out-of-square, unlevel house. :-( But Mike is a wonderful carpenter and he is making it work. It is just taking more time.

The casing is in and painted. We just have to get the shelves cut to fit and painted. I can't wait to see the end product. I've included a sneak peak for you here. The color is "caramel nut" brown, matching the trim in the room. The walls are a light gold, a color I had blended, there's no name for it, and the furniture is black, all but the sofa which is red. My "real" sofa is being made and should be here by the first of April. I ordered it from Pottery Barn. It is also red and a sectional but of much better quality than the one that is in the room now. I can't wait for it it get here. Nor can I wait for my bookshelves to be completed. Finally, a place for my wonderful books. I used to have about 1500 books, but I have given most of them away. We'll see what is left when I start unboxing the ones I couldn't bear to part with and putting them on the shelves. Maybe I'll have room for some new ones! :-)

Feb 27th was my youngest's (Ely's) birthday. Eleven years old already. He got a new "bigger" bike, some video games (Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm, Sonic Unleashed) and some movies (Madagascar 2, The Penguins of Madagascar). And of course some money (Thanks, Uncle Max!). We took the money he got and I matched it so he could buy a new wireless controller for their PS3 so he and his brother could play it at the same time.

Other than designing, building, painting, and the usual chores, life has been simply going on..."obladee obladah"

P.S. Josh, the new puppy, is doing great. He learns fast and minds pretty well. The only person he barks at so far is my dad, but that is because Daddy was stretching a rattlesnake hide and had the smell of it on him the other day and it really freaked Josh out. At least I know he'll bark and run from rattlesnakes! :-)