This is what I've been busy doing, but now I'm taking a break. I think I broke my wrist a month or so ago and all this crocheting has gotten my wrist hurting again. The last 2 are the front and back views of a phone cozy.

Mindless randomness:

AJ turned 5 last week. We went to Chuck E. Cheese. They played, I read, everyone was happy. He starts school in August where he will be learning French. So I'll have him smarting off in a language I don't understand, and getting away with it. Gotta love it.

Came home from church Sunday and someone shattered my windshield. As if my car wasn't already on it's last leg, now this.

I'm thinking of starting a women's group. Has anyone had any experience with this? Ideas, suggestions, thoughts?

Remember the rap group The Pharcyde? If you've never heard of them, look them up on you tube or something. Some of their stuff is out there (and not appropriate for the kiddies), but it's the perfect car music. You can't help but nod your head as you drive along. Passing Me By is my fave.

And don't you just love india.arie? Even when I was married to a white man I couldn't get enough of Brown Skin.

I update my book blog once every blue moon, but I really do read all the time. The kids and I live at the library and my favorite thing to do is get them settled in at the computers or in a reading group and then stealing 15-20 minutes to find new books. I'll just go to a particular section and browse the shelves possibly finding a book that I never would have heard of otherwise. This past weekend I found a book Too Big to Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian. It's a cozy mystery featuring a plus-size sleuth. I'm already on book #3. Love it!

I mostly read to relax, so while I do read all kinds of books (except I can't get into biographies), I always have a plentiful stash of cozy mysteries, I especially like ones with a little humor. Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum is every one's Jersey homegirl) is my favorite. I only read her books at home because I don't want to look like a crazy person laughing to myself. Betty Hechtman marries mystery and crochet (my 2nd love). I want to invite Diane Mott Davidson over just to cook one of the delicious sounding recipes in her books. I tried to teach myself to knit and was unsuccessful, but Maggie Sefton renews my interest with her books. Gemma Halliday's sleuth is a bit ditsy for my taste, but the supporting cast is amusing enough to keep me coming back. In the first book, Ayelet Waldman's sleuth irritated me, but I liked her in the second book and she speaks the truth about the unspoken side of motherhood. It is boring building with blocks for hours. I've checked out Suzanne Price and Sharon Short to try next. Any suggestions from you?

I have never met a biography or autobiography that I liked no matter how interested I am in the subject except for Sidney Sheldon's The Other Side of Me. It truly reads like a novel.

Will this economy ever get better? Will I ever find a decent full time job?

Why are people so scared of other religions? I wanted to have a speaker talk to my Bible study group, but because she is Mormon, my pastor's wife said no. Really? Even if she's speaking on a non-religious topic. I wouldn't have her come in a talk about the benefits of being a Mormon, but she's a teacher, so she knows how to keep her faith out of the discussion, and the topic would have been building an emergency supply for your household. Would that really have turned us all into Latter Day Saints?

Speaking of which--do you have an emergency supply? When my husband and I first separated, I wasn't working and that food supply came in handy when I was broke and looking for a job. And again when a storm knocked our lights out and I had to throw away the food in my freezer. And it's nice to have everything right there when you have a screaming kid who doesn't want to hold still while you pour peroxide on his boo-boo. Do you really want to chase him down because you grabbed the wrong size band-aids?

Why do doctors reschedule your appointment if you're more than 15 minutes late, but keep you waiting for more than an hour if you're 15 minutes early?

Why did my son's eye doctor send a notice stating that his upcoming appointment would take approximately an hour, but when we got there there was a note taped to the wall stating to expect to be there at least 3 hours, to which the nurse replied that "it's always been that way."

Sometimes I'm surprised by my self-control.

Ed Mcmann, Farrah Fawcett and now Michael Jackson? It's too much. I have no words.

Pics of the kiddies.

I have a small envelope with coupons and possibly more to come. Email me at ebonyblue@mindless.com with your snail mail address and they're yours.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

I wish I didn't put off having an emergency kit in my car. AJ has some kind of infection in his eye. The doc sent us to the er. It's Sat & I'm wearing the same same clothes since Thu. Learn from me get a crate or small bag & put in it at least the basics like toothbrush/paste, deodorant, comb, chapstick, lady products & whatever must have products you use every day. If space allows include a change of clothes for everyone, snacks & entertainment like books, crossword puzzles, crayons, paper & whatever else youre family would find useful if an unexpected emergency. Not only would this have been nice during this my hospital stay, I can think of numerous cases where this stuff would come in handy. My daughter spilled chocolate milk where a clothing change would have been nice. Once Aunt Flo was visting, but was already at work before I remembered I needed to restock my purse with lady stuff. And it's never bad to have a toothbrush handy. Take it from me, act like a boy scout: be prepared.