At Home With Ailsa - April '04

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February '05 * January '05 * December '04 * November '04 * October '04 * September '04 *August *

June '04 * June 1st - 4th * June 11th-13th *

April 5th- March 30th * April 6th - 18th

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It's The Weekend! April 17th & 18th, 2004. Hey there, Good Lookin'! A Shiny Bit of Brilliance in the Universe! (Ain't that a nice way to think of yourself?? I think so, too!) So guess what we're finally gonna do, today? That's right, Build the Fireplace Mantel! WooHoo! Can't wait. I showed Dwight a couple of Mantelplaces I liked last night, and we have had it waiting for someone to give us a quote, so we're just going to build it ourselves. I'll take pictures as we go along, as always, so you can learn how to do it, too, in case that appeals to you...

We had planned to get lots of Landscaping done this Weekend, but what with all that crazy snow last week (and it's still on the ground), it would just be a big sea of mud out there, so that'll have to go on hold, yet again... the weather's really starting to bother me, given that it's Spring and we're still dealing with Snow! Ugh. Must move South! And more than 10 miles!! ha,ha!

Yum -- I just ran upstairs to make me a wee bowl of my favorite Apple Crumble -- I really have to get back on track with the whole 'Diet thing',much as I hate that word... I'm thrilled that so many of my fabulous Readers have tried my Apple Crumble Diet, and have lost a ton (literally??? ha,ha!) of weight -- it's the easiest schmeasiest way to drop some pounds in a hurry, then keep them off for life. Unless you discover those new Cadbury Chocolate Toffees, like I did last week. They're delicious little morsels, and of course I felt it was completely reasonable to eat 3 at a time, many times a day...

You know what I rely heavily on, now? The information panel on the side of every package of food -- I hope they do make that mandatory for all food items, so Consumers can make informed decisions about what you eat and how often and how much of it your indulge in... And so there is no information panel on the Cadbury's Caramel Chocolate Package, so I have to assume they are perfectly fine for me! It's sooo crazy, because even though I clearly know better, I have rationalized that the amount of sugar must be low, because they're hard candies... man! I'm delusional about it!

It's funny that I need to see it in Print to make the final decision that I'll have no more than 4 a day, then mete it out accordingly. It's my guess that Company's who make Snack Food may be anxious about putting their information about the Carbs and Fat Content of each Item, but it's absolutely critical info for the vast majority of the population. Plus, we all want to be informed consumers, now, and there's no turning back, once we're on that path. People won't stop buying all their favorite Snacks -- they'll just be more selective about what they eat and how much of it at any given time. (Hopefully, never within 2 hours of their Bedtime -- Three if you can make it! ha,ha!)

So speaking of buying too much of the wrong food, yesterday after I took Cara in to get her hair cut (and it looks great, by the way...!), we swng by the local Tim Horton's to get some Boston Cream Donuts for Aidan -- he dreams about them, and goes out on the Deck at night to wish on a Star for them... no kidding! "I wish for something tasty to eat -- one hundred zillion boston cream donuts..." He's moderate in his wishes, just like his Mother...! ha,ha,ha,ha! Anyhooo, we went through the Drive-Thru, and we had the nastiest person serve us -- man, she was just horrible. Now, I know that Boy loves his Donuts, but I won't support any business where the Employees are rude to me. I'm buying donuts, for Goodness Sake -- who needs to be stressed out by a meanie doing that?? Puh-leeease! And you know the irony in a lot of places where you will encounter nasty employees? They are often at the Management Level, and have become little demi-gods. Nothing nicer than a demi-god -- they're always so kind and caring... ha,ha,ha! So Dwight will have to get Aidan his Boston Cream fix, because I'm never going back to that Donut Place, again. Live and Learn, Baby, Live and Learn.

Tip of the Day: Hire great employees, or at least make sure they are polite to your customers.Or Be a Great Employee.As much as I feel for the Owners of the Store or Business that has terrible Employees, I feel even more strongly that the Owner is ultimately in charge of what goes on in the Organization, and the people on the Front Lines who are dealing with the Customers have to be nice. Bottom Line. Competition is tough out there --there are lots of great places to choose from, so if your Employees are turning away your Customer Base, it's time to redirect that Employee, retrain them, or 'Do Like The Donald' and Fire their sorry beeehind! And quit moving up the mean ones, leaving the nice ones behind -- what's that all about? It happens in all organizations -- The Teaching Field is notorious for that -- they often take the worst Teachers who were awful with their students, and move 'em on up... now that's not a good message, is it?

Let me go get you some pictures! Be riiiight back!

See the Fireplace in the Far S.E. Corner of the Lower Walk-Out Level? Apparently, that's very good with the whole Feng shui thing, so ain't that lucky?? ha,ha! I'm not about to do much else in accordance with a method thought up to accomodate folks with teensy apartments, where space is of the utmost, and here someone comes along and tells them where to put everything they have in order to bring in some good luck. I say, be prepared for everything, and when a good opportunity presents itself, you'll be ready -- now that's how I define 'Luck'!!

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Oh, yeah. I DID try to put something Pink in our Bedroom -- supposed to make things all rosie, 'n all -- that ain't workin', neither! ha,ha,ha! Therapy or Something Pink, Therapy or Something Pink... such a tough decision! yuff, yuff!

So that's the Fireplace - Dwight still loves the nice clean lines of the Granite, which I love, too, but I definitely feel like a Mantelpiece will look lovely there, so now I have to go get Dwight up and make him a nice Breakfast so he'll agree with me about the Fireplace! ha,ha,ha! Who said manipulation is bad?? They're craaazy! In the long run, it can often be a good thing -- that's my story, an' I'm stickin' to it! ha,ha,ha!

And there's the annoyink snow I've had enough of -- that last picture is out our Front Door. The Trees across the Road aren't really that fr away -- it's hard to get a picture of what we really see... but I guess they are about 300 yards away, now that I think of it... whatevah... they're really beautiful, and it's like living in a Park!

Thanks for swingin' in for a little visit! Have a fabulous Weekend! Oh, hey, and after you sign up for stuff on my site, can you drop me a line at Ailsa@buildyourownhouse.ca? I'm testing out this new Program, and I need to see if there's a screw-up with it -- seems to not be tracking well, but that's the easiest way for me to figure it out -- you know I always like to find the easiest way out! ha,ha,ha! And Thanks for Signing up for stuff -- I really appreciate that!

Later, Baby! Ailsa!

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Friday, April 16th, 2004. Yo, yo, yo! What up wit' mah Home-ies?? Holla'!! Well, did you see it -- The Apprentice?? Man, was that a Great Show, or What?? Could you wipe the smile off your face when you saw that fabulous New Building Proposed for Bill to Manage, or that unbelievably gorgeous Golf Course and Resort in California? Wow. Wouldn't it be a riot to Build a House in there?? ha,ha! Now that's my kind of Building!! Can you tell I'm all excited? What about that crazy Omarosa? Oi, does she drive you crazy? What an emotional roller-coaster ride, what with being sooo mad at Omarosa trying to ruin everything for Kwame, taking Jessica Simpson away just when 'The Donald' was coming in to meet beautiful little Jessica... and what was up with the whole Breakfast fiasco? Why didn't anyone call down to the Caterererer (think Homer!) around 8:00 am to confirm the Breakfast Order?

Big Congrats out to Bill, though -- man, he really pulled that out of the hat. He seemed to be dealing with a tiny bit of sabotage too, what with a Major Sponsor's Ad Poster being taken out to the dumpster. Now who throws away a Box without looking inside to see what's in there? Even if there are a lot of boxes to get rid of?? Puh-leeease! I thought the 'chicken little' thing was a bit annoyink, and I personally would not care for a Boss like that, but then again, I don't have $5 Billion Dollars, yet, so clearly Donald Trump knows what he's doin'!! ha,ha,ha!

And lookie what I found! A great Deal on Trumpalicious Stuff! Don't we all want a little bit of Trump, right now?? I want to work with a Trump Coffee Mug -- for my Tea, of course, since I'm a little 'Tea Jenny', but I'd like to see that on my Desk every day! Talk about Business Incentive! NBC Store Free Shipping on Orders $50+ >

So what will happen to Kwame, now? Wouldn't he make a great Bachelor?? You know you'd watch it, because fer sures 'The Donald' would make a Guest Appearance! Hey, I wonder if The NBC Store has a T-Shirt with Donald and His Chicks on it -- you know the Sketch he did on SNL?? (That's Saturday Night Live, for the Oldies in the crowd -- I just learned that, meself!! ha,ha!) Who knew Donald Trump was so hilariously funny??

And then with Survivor right after The Apprentice... (we're on Satellite, so we get our choice of when we'll watch stuff -- very practical for TV addicts like ourselves!). Now who's one of the most brilliant TV Producers on the planet?? Mark Burnett. That man is sheer genius! We love both those Shows, and hope to watch them for years to come! Boston Rob is like the Omarosa of Survivor, except that occasionally he shows some redeeming qualities. (Although, Omarosa does have some fabulous Suits and an uncanny ability to schmooze...!!) That Boy'll be gone as soon as he doesn't win an Immunity Challenge, though, me thinks... (think Shakespeare, not the moron down the road! ha,ha,ha!). Must say I was happy to see Kathy go -- not sure why I didn't like her! (!) I've changed my mind about Shiiann, now -- I thought she might fly under the radar until the very end, but as soon as she becomes vocal, again, she'll be out, too.

Now I'm thinking that Rupert stands a good chance of winning, again. He's very sweet. And I like that he's such a good Family Man, and loves his Wife and Daughter sooo much. He could use the money to dig a giant hole and build a house over it!! As long as he Cribbed and Poured it, it would all work out, and no water would run in! Yuff, yuff!

Tip of the Day: Bizarrely enough, it's a Laundry Tip, because this is Laundry Day -- in fact, almost every day is Laundry Day around here, my life is soooo glamorous and exciting! Anyhooo, here's something I just figured out about a month ago, and it has been working really well. Perhaps you figured it out years ago, and I'm just starting to catch on, but here goes in case you're a fair bit like me...(!) -- Have everyone in the house bring their Laundry straight through to the Laundry Room and put their laundry directly in the Washing Machine. Whenever it is full, go ahead and run it. I know, that sounds sooo painfully simple, but it has really changed how much Laundry piles up. Go ahead and try it for a month, and let me know if this trick works for you, too. And the other little trick is to make the rest of the people in the house actually DO IT!! ha,ha,ha!

And now for some new pictures!

Okay, I swear these are the last of the Easter Pictures -- but you know I am 'Camera Happy'! This is the lovely Park where we went to Roll our Easter Eggs. If you click on the First Picture, you'll be able to see the Mountains more clearly. It's a great hill, though, because the Grass is really short, and there's grass as opposed to Muck, which we are more accustomed to... ha,ha!

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And that's Aidan chasing after his Egg as it rolled down the hill. When he found it at the bottom, he was devastated, "My egg, my beautiful egg! It's ruined!!" I guess he had missed the bit where the Egg would break open and we would eat them! Poor little guy -- but it was hilariously funny, so you can find humor in your child's misunderstanding...no, that ain't right!! ha,ha,ha!

Thanks so much for swingin' in for a little visit! I always enjoy your company, and I hope you enjoy mine! Feel free to bring ten thousand of your closest friends with you next time -- the more, the merrier... or drunkerer... it's so hard to remember those catch phrases, ain't it?? ha,ha,ha!

Love & Luck, Ailsa!

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Thursday, April 15th, 2004. Hi, Honey! You're HOME!! And it's soooo nice to see you! Did you get your Taxes Filed? Hope so -- I don't know how many years I did my Taxes at the very last minute, then had to run to the Post Office to File them -- Thank Goodness for the Computer, since you can File Online, now -- that's why I made that Online Taxes Page -- and I included the Extension Forms, since that's a good thing to do if you can't get your Taxes Filed by Midnight, tonight. Oh, and remember that if you're expecting a Refund (lucky you!), it won't be affected by Filing for an Extension (which I think gives you 'til August to File Yo' Taxes), but if you think you DO owe Taxes, you'll start paying Penalties at the Stroke of Midnight, so keep that in mind.

One thing that's really weird about being Married (one of the zillion things...) is the whole Financial Thing -- Dwight insists on being wholly in charge of the Taxes... he has an Accountant, so he likes to hand everything over to his Accountant, but I was Single for a really long time (!), and I was always in charge of all of my own Financial Affairs, so it's bizarre for me to have to relinquish control, there. I guess I don't have to, but it's less stressful to let Dwight handle it, since he seems to want to do that so badly... Now there are a lot of women who do let (or give in to...) their husbands manage all the money, or the bulk of it, and then they don't have a good handle on how to manage their own money. I firmly believe that everyone needs to be fully informed about money, or you might end up with none, and that ain't good.

At the very least, you need to know how much you have and where it is. We still have an account I don't have any access to -- now that's annoyink! Who can be bothered with that? Now I want an Account that Dwight doesn't have access to...! ha,ha,ha! And I think I'll use it to buy frivolous things! Then we can just stand back and watch Dwight's Blood Pressure go up and up! ha,ha! No, no. I'm just kidding... I don't really like to buy very many frivolous things -- I'd rather save my money and buy more Property! Now Dwightie would be Okay with that! As long as I let him come and visit! ha,ha!

Oh, and speaking of a propensity to mismanage money, did you watch The Bachelor with lovely, charming Trish, last night? What a gem -- not quite as polished as she thinks she is! I think her middle name might very well be,"Snaggy", but I'm not sure of that, so don't quote me! To her face! ha,ha,ha! She's one of the many women (mostly it's women, since a lot of the world's money is still in the hands of the men, but I'ma tryin' to change that up a little!! ha,ha! We want to ALL have it, right??) Anyway, Trish has not actually met any men with money, because if she had, she'd already know that folks who have a fair chunk o' cash don't like to spend it frivolously. She thinks there will be Dinners Out Every Night, A Nanny, A Personal Trainer, no actual attention to the children, which would only happen 'by accident'... ugh. That's a good way to rip through a few million in no time at all. She needs to read, "The Millionaire Next Door" to get a better handle on how people with money really live.

You know who does the Dinners Out Every Night thing? Folks who want to LOOK like they have a ton of money, but it's mostly an act. It's tiresome eating out all the time -- you know when you're on Vacation and you have to eat at Restaurants the entire time? It's really fun for the first few days, then by the end of the holiday, you can't wait to get home and have a bowl of Mr. Noodles or some Homemade Spaghetti! And it's one thing to Be Wealthy, and another thing to Stay Wealthy. Poor old Trish -- she's deluded... but she might just win, or come in the last Two Standing, so-to-speak. She's a little like a Trophy Wife -- Shiny on the Outside, Hollow on the Inside. Whatevah... let's hope Jesse has a brain in his head and can see through the charade. But she makes for great TV -- even Dwight wouldn't be quiet during the Show, he was so busy saying what was wrong with her -- The Bachelor is like a Sport to Dwight! ha,ha,ha!

Tip of the Day: It's a Realtor Tip -- we were watching that relatively new Canadian TV Show 'Buy Me!' last night, and we were appalled at how the Realtor pitted the husband against the wife. I hate that sort of business practice. So here's the Tip -- whenever you're going to do any really big Financial Deal -- Buying a Home, Selling a Home, Buying a Vehicle... you know -- the big stuff -- be very clear with your spouse before you talk to any outside Third Party. Make a Pact that you won't let outsiders come between you, because it's a common business practice, even though it is remarkably sleazy. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Real Estate! But you know what? Always keep in mind that you are in charge of your own life, so there's no need to bow to outside false pressure. So Know Yourself as much as you Know Your Spouse, and you'll be able to get through the pressure a lot easier!

I'll go get you some nice new pictures! Be right baaack!

You know how we painted Our Easter Eggs on Easter Morning before we went to the Park to Roll them? Well, here they are! Invariably, I put Ducks and Flowers on mine, Cara Draws a Face, Dwight Draws a Bunny, and now Aidan can really do his own 'Personal Creation'!

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Cara did a Donald Trump Egg, this year, too -- now we all know he's a Good Egg, right?

Thanks for coming in for a wee visit! See You Tomorrow!

Yippee! The Apprentice is on, tonight -- I'm still pullin' for Kwame! We'll talk all about it, tomorrow! Can't wait!!

Love, Luck, and the Occasional Dinner Out! (ha,ha!), Ailsa!!

Check This Out! Americas Best Kitchens> You can get some Great Free Recipes and Stuff, and Submit Your Own Fabulous Recipe -- then you'll be famous!! "Finally!!", as Aidan would say! He hates having to wait sooo long for Fame, what with him being 4 already, and no million dollar contracts, yet...! ha,ha,ha!

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Wednesday, April 14th, 2004. Hey, HEY, Hey! How are ya', today? Everything good? No worries? I hope so! And let me know how you got to that point in yo' life, 'cause I'd like to be there, too! ha,ha! I wish I had more time to read that new Marriage Book, 'The Challenge of Marriage', since I just looove the Chapter Headings -- they're hilarious! Here's what I want to check out, today, when I get a mnute -- 'Marriage is No Heaven' (D'uh!!), 'The Answer to Philandering' (looove that fancy name for something that ain't good at all...), and 'Mating Serves Secret Personal Anticipations'...ha,ha,ha! Which one should I read first, you think? That last one sounds like a crazy e-mail I might get about, say, ten times in a row!

Oh, and speaking of e-mail, I have actually been getting spam e-mail from my own address -- now how they do that is beyond me, but if any of my Readers ever get a letter from me from my Ailsa@buildyourownhouse.ca address, it ain't from me... I have no clue how to do a Newsletter of any sort, so I could never figure out how to do a mass mailer... bizarre. And here's another very odd thing -- when I opened my Ailsa@buildyourownhouse.ca address, this morning, I'm down at least 3500 e-mails... that's strange, isn't it? Hopefully all that info wasn't lost, but I have no idea why it would be lost... anyway, if you wrote to me at that address, give it a little time to see if it all comes back.

Oh, I've been meaning to get this link for you for ages -- it saved me a bunch of times when I've had a Trojan Horse, a Worm, and another annoyink Virus -- their system completely cleaned out my computer and got me back on track right away. Award-winning protection: Panda Antivirus Platinum> Panda Software has an excellent Free Service to remove any viruses from your Computer. Just go to their site, scroll down 'til you see the Blue Box, Click on 'Scan My Computer', and let it do it's own work. It's great!

We had a big Snowfall again, last night, so now Tia, the Dog, is covered in snow when she comes back in the house from Playing, so gotta go clean her up -- be right baaack!!

Okay, here I am! Tia loooves the snow so very much! Tia and Aidan love it more than anyone in the house, because they see it primarily as a playing tool, whereas the rest of us see it as potential work and a safety risk, especially on the roads. I'll tell you, if I do get to move to a much warmer climate, I won't miss driving in the snow one tiny bit!

Tip of the Day: Well, are you inundated with Chocolate left over from Easter? It's all very exciting opening all the Baskets of Easter Goodies, and the chocolate looks really good, but no-one really eats much of it, so it tends to sit in the Pantry until I have to go in and throw it out. So this year, I was standing looking at all the Chocolate lined up along the Island (it's a 10' Island Countertop, so you can imagine how much extra chocolate we're dealing with around here... ha,ha,ha!), and I came up with a plan to use it... I'm going to Shave some of it for future use (Grate it, then pop the Chocolate Shavings in the Freezer), and melt the rest of it to use as the chocolate part of a Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake. I'll post the recipe as soon as I make it up... seriously! ha,ha! I never know how I'm gonna make anything until I get started!

I tend to like a Baked Chocolate Cheescake better than a Non-Baked Cheesecake with Chocolate, since it just seems to work out better. So if you already have a great Baked Cheesecake Recipe, follow that, then melt down the extra Chocolate (just pop it in the microwave with some butter...), then pour it in a circle over the Cheesecake Batter already in the Pan, then use a knife to swirl it around. You'll love it!

Ooooh, just thought of something -- you could melt down the chocolate to mix with some Whip Cream, then pop that into some nice Parfait or Wine Glases. I'm sure that would be tasty!

You know the easiest way to become a good cook? Start playing around in the kitchen with different things. You can start off with your own Basic Recipes, then add stuff as you go along. There aren't any big rules in the kitchen -- just try to aim for 'something edible', then go for 'something deeeelicious'! It won't be long and you'll be a master at everything you do... or you can scrap it and go out for dinner! ha,ha,ha! It's all good!

And now for some new Pictures...

There's Aidan and Tia on Easter Morning! Cute, or what?? ha,ha! And there's Tia desperately trying to get at some of the Chocolate -- then when she finnally was able to snag a little piece, she ran to her bed to eat it! Funny!

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Thanks for swingin' by, today! I love a visitor!! Or Thousands of Visitors! ha,ha!

See You Tomorrow! Love and Luck, Ailsa!

I just made a new Internet Connection Page, for folks who are Travelling, or people who are in one of those Relationships where you have to basically live out of your Suitcase -- you know when you go over there and stay a few days, then they come over to your place and hopefully not stay too long... until a Ring Emerges... ha,ha,ha! Anyway, there are tons of times when you are away from your Home Computer, and still need to Access it -- makes me less anxious about actually taking a Holiday, one day...!

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Tuesday, April 13th, 2004. Hey, Baby-Cakes! Little Butter Tart! Is 'Tart' okay? No? Okay, I'll be waaay more sensitive tomorrow, fer sure! ha,ha! I'm reading this hilarious book, The Challenge of Marriage, that I got from the Church a few years ago, when I asked my Minister for some help -- I got this book and laughed myself silly through it -- because it's insanely crazy... here's a little example, "The Four Rights of the Dominant Sex" -- guess which one that one is?? ha,ha! And then there's "Interpersonal Communication without Awareness"and "Jealousy as a Psychiatric Problem"-- it's key information like that that can really save a marriage! ha,ha,ha! Think I might do little tidbits from the book as I go through it, again, to use it as a 'jumping off point' for some fun discussions! The book was originally written in 1946, then released again in 1974, so it's good, current information! yuff, yuff!

Hey, you know my 'Hook Me Up' Page? Well, I think I've made my first 'Site Hook-Up'! Our friend, Woody, found Rhonda's info on the Hook Me Up Page, called me, and I Hooked them up! Voila! Just like that! Dwight met with Woody (at the Bar, of course...) to chat and for Dwight to get his Tile Saw back from Woody -- Woody is an Oil Man, first, but he's the one who first taught us how to tile. What a great skill! I think he does Powder Coating Inspections for the enormous Pipes in the Oilfields -- I know he goes all over the world to do these Inspections, so if you knw anyone who needs their Pipes Checked, drop me a line! ha,ha! I'll keep you posted on the Woody & Rhonda thing, though -- we can just live vicariously through them!

Oh, that reminds me -- ages ago I got a letter from a woman called 'Angel' or 'Angelique', I think, about Trevor, our Carpenter (very good-looking carpenter... you don't have to be good looking to be in the Trades, but a good percentage of them are! WeeHee for Me!! ha,ha,ha! Makes working very easy!). Anyway, I literally have thousands and thousands of e-mails, so I tried to go back and find Angel's letter a couple of times, but to no avail, so if you know (or are!) Angel, please have her write to me, again. Same thing goes if you've written to me and I haven't responded within a week -- it means I either didn't open your letter because it was too generic (or maybe suggested I could grow an appendage I don't even own, or words that are just slightly misspelled so they can get through... very tricky!), or I can't find it when I go back to look. Either way, please write again with a specific Subject Heading -- maybe include 'Site Reader' -- I'd respond to that in a heartbeat! ha,ha!

Oh, and dinny ferget aboot oor wee Adam -- that boy needs a Date! Remember, he's 25, EMPLOYED (Yes, it's true!), and living in Salt Lake City...but hails from New York. Come on, Ladies ... he won't be on the market long! ha,ha,ha! You can reach him directly at arusso@overstock.com . That's how I met him -- he's my contact guy at Overstock.com -- one of my favorite Online Stores! I just heard from Adam, and he's working on some Links for me for their Magazines (they have fabulous Prices, and I love giving Magazines as Gifts...) and soon enough for their new Travel Section. Overstock has everything you could imagine, then a zillion more things! Excellent for little Shoppers like myself!! And with any luck, My Readers!! ha,ha!

Hey, if you know anyone who is going to make a Purchase Online, anyway, send them to My Site, so they can buy it through me -- it helps to Support my Site, and then they'll get hooked on all the fun, too! It's all about 'Word of Mouth', Baby -- I'm not even spending my usual $35.00 a year on Advertising anymore -- now my fabulous, brilliant and helpful Readers are helping me to 'Build My Site'! And I thank each and every one of you!! Tank you very, very much!! (And just so's you know a little bit more about my lovely marriage, Dwight used to get sooo mad at me spending the $35.00 per Year on Advertising -- he thought that was a ridiculous waste of money... ugh. See why I need to make my own income?? ha,ha! I can't wait 'til I can tell him what I think is ridiculous... so click away, my lovely Readers!!)

I caled Ron our Landscape guy, yesterday, and he's coming over this weekend to 'move some Land'. I'm not sure why Dwight wants so much Land moved -- I like it where it is, but he can do what he likes as long as we can get the Spray Grass down this year. Last year we tried Grass Seed, which worked relatively well, but we have an Acreage, so it's just too big an area to cover effectively with Grass Seed in the old-fashioned manner. The Spray Grass is cool because it is literally Sprayed out all over the Lawn to give complete coverage. I think this is the ideal time of year to get that done, before the massive Rain Showers we're all hoping and praying for -- those dry summers are too hard on our Farmers.

Tip of the Day: This is something I tried last night, in an effort to stop Aidan, our 4 year old, from kicking Dwight in the middle of the night when Aidan invariably comes into our bed... I know there are plenty of other Parents out there dealing with the same thing, so if you are having a bother with your kid in your bed, try this... Roll Up a Bath Towel Lengthwise, and place it alongside the person who hates being kicked... And it really worked, too! Now I wonder if I should build a little wall made out of Brick or something to block in my own side of the bed?? ha,ha,ha,ha! (Again, that one's for me -- I have to keep myself amused!!)

Let me go grab you some new Easter Pics! Be right back!

So here's my Easter Table -- I love a pretty Table -- and then a Pretty Table all Full of Chocolate -- that's even better!! ha,ha! Cara made that cool Easter Basket -- she tied a whole lot of the Easter 'Grass' around the Handle of the Basket, and it looked fabulous!

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Thanks for popping in for a wee visit! See You Tomorrow!

Love & Luck, Ailsa!!

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And this is the Link to see one of my Site Reader's House -- Jack... he's moving to Saskatchewan, so he needs to sell his home right away. Maybe we can help him out!

www.zedbiz.com/house

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Monday, April 12th, 2004. Hi, Honey! You're Home!! Wit' MEEE, your Hosstess wit' da Mostess!! ha,ha,ha! (I'm workin' on that, though... me and My Apple Crumble...! ha,ha,ha!) Did you have a lovely weekend? I hope you had a fabulous Celebration -- whatever it was you were celebrating! I took some pictures (now there's a big surprise! ha,ha!) of the Easter Sunrise Service over-looking the Mountains that Cara and I went to, yesterday morning. It was gorgeous, and a wonderful way to start off our Easter Day. I'll post the pics for you. today.

There are a few thing I was thinking about at the Service -- the obvious stuff, then the not-so obvious thoughts, too -- they're the ones I wanted to mention ... You know what would bring a whole lot more people 'Back to the Church'? Informal, Outdoor Services. And with any luck, Non-Denominational... Everybody is looking for a nice, uplifting, happy experience, and if includes some great Scenery, great Music (I love a good Hymn!) and no Specific rituals, then I think folks would go in droves. I really do. There was a beautiful spot in Ontario where I used to go for Outdoor Services -- I think it was in the Brighten Area -- so hard to remember all the little Towns in that Region -- it's all very pretty. Anyway, they had built some log Beam 'seats' on a hillside beside a Wooded Stream, and that's where the Services were held. Doesn't that sound nice?

Now, I realize that in Cold Climates, we would be restricted to the Warmer Months, but what about places with Year-round great weather? I'm thinking, as always, about California!! That's never far from my mind! ha,ha! But wouldn't it be great to have a Service down at the Beach, or in the Gorgeous Gardens they have down there? I'd go all the time, and I'm sure there are all sorts of Folks who would go, too! Sometimes a Whole Church with all it's Rules and Regulations can be intimidating or daunting to people who may be 'outside the Fold', but still Believe. And I think that's probably a whole lot of folks. There was one Church I went to for almost 2 years, and the last day we went there, one of the women 'Greeters' wouldn't shake my hand -- me. I'm not a 'baddie', and even if I were, that's not nice... and who needs crap like that?

I would hazard a guess that everyone who used to go to Church and doesn't go anymore has a story like that to tell -- then they never go back. Which brings me to another thing I was thinking about, yesterday (probably all these thoughts were brought on by a slight over-indulgence in chocolate...ha,ha!)... you know, we are about the first Generation to have Children who were not raised in any Church. That was unheard of before, even in our Parents' Generation. That's a huuuge Cultural Shift, and I'm not sure what kind of general ramifications that'll have... I truly believe that all these adults and kids who feel displaced or unwelcome in a regular Church would welcome the opportunity to Gather somewhere nice, feel comfortable, and not have to worry that they aren't sure when to Stand Up and Sit Down, or What to Say and When to Say It... It's a big step to walk through the Doors of a Church, but it's easy to stroll down to the Park. Just a little something to think about...

Okay, that's enough of that... back to Building! I got another letter for the Ask Ailsa Page, and you know I can't resist those letters -- I love them! So this one's from John from Ontario, and he wants to build a Two Bedroom, One Bathroom Cottage Style Home in Southern Ontario. I'm trying to convince him, and anyone else, to always, always include at least Two Bathrooms in any new structure -- it'll be well worth the money and effort! More Bathrooms, Less Fights! Trust me, it's true!

And that brings me to the last thing I was thinking aboot... that crazy Dwight keeps going in MY Bathroom in the early morning when only I'm allowed in there -- okay, to be fair, that is my own rule, and Dwight refuses to go along with it, and technically, it's the Master Ensuite Bathroom, so his as much as mine... but that doesn't support my fight, so forget about that! ha,ha,ha! My 'idea' is that Dwight has to stay out of 'My Bathroom' from 5:30 am to 7:20 a.m., since that's when I need the Bathroom, and he never needs (or wants...) to get up any earlier than that. Doesn't that sound reasonable? Yeah, it does to me, too! ha,ha! So twice in this last week, Dwight has been in the Bathroom when I left the room for two seconds to go turn the Kettles on... ugh. Annoyink! So that's it -- in my Next Build, I'm definitely going to put in His and Hers Ensuite Bathrooms -- I'm not sure who is going to get to use the 'His' Bathroom -- it ain't lookin' good for Dwightie right now! ha,ha,ha,ha! (Okay, that one is just for me! ha,ha,ha!)

Tip of the Day: Put in at least Two Bathrooms in your New House at the Building Stage. You won't regret it, since there's bound to come a day when more than one person is in the house, and then you're gonna wish you had Two Bathrooms...! And just for the Record, we have Three and a Half Baths -- a 'Half Bath' is a Bathroom that has everything but a Shower &/or Bath. A Front Entry Bathroom is typically a 'Half-Bath'.

Now let me go grab you those new pictures -- there are some great shots!

So here are some shots from The Easter Sunrise Service out at 'The Big Rock' that Cara and I went to on Easter Morning. It's a piece of rock that 'broke away' from the Mountains during the Ice Age -- cool, eh?

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So there are all the people going to the Service, then the Sunrise, the Service itself (Great Minister from The United Church, by the way!), the Mountain View to the West, then the Procession of everyone leaving, and The Big Rock itself. Rock Climbers use it to practice for their big climbs. Plus, it's fun to hike out to... and the Views are magnificent! What a great way to start off our Easter Morning!!

Oh, almost forgot to tell you -- one of My Site Reades, Jack, is moving out of Calgary to Saskatchewan, so he has just put his House on the Market. If you know anybody who might be interested, here's the Link and you can go check it out! I clicked on to see Jack's house, and it's very nice -- priced at $235,000. in a very nice neighborhood with the most gorgeous Waterfall Park and Lake. And they have a beautifully Landscaped Garden! Tell him I sent you -- I'm sure he'll give you a Good Deal!!

www.zedbiz.com/house

Thanks for popping in for a wee visit! I always love to have Visitors! And thanks for 'Clicking and Signing Up' for All the Contests and Free Stuff -- every single thing helps to support my Site!

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Easter Weekend, April 10th & 11th! Happy Easter! I hope you Love Chocolate, since this is THE Chocolate Holiday ... and of course, if you don't happen to celebrate Easter, you can still eat lots of Chocolate and just Celebrate Your Life, right?? Maybe we should ALL do that every now and then -- jus' a big ol' celebration of our lives... now that would be fun! I hope we can have Cake! (Okay, who hasn't had Breakfast?? ha,ha,ha!)

I had to go upstairs there for a minute -- I heard a faint knock at the Door -- why people persist in knocking at the door in a giant house like this is beyond me, but whatever -- really I was alerted to actual people at the door by Aidan, whose relaxed, calm response whenever there's someone (anyone...) at the Door is to run back and forth in front of the door squealing, "Yikes, yikes, yikes, yikes..." It's all very entertaining. Normally, the Dog is right in there barking along side Aidan's squealing, so I usually have to make the two of them stand on the Stairs in the Front Entry so I can open the door, but I glanced out and spotted the Bibles... most folks who are coming over to buy your House aren't bringin' they own Bibles, so-to-speak, so I just motioned "Is this about Religion?" They nodded, "Yes, indeedy!" (I'm guessing...), so I signed back that we already have a Religion... Hmmmm... now, really, is it great timing to try and convert people on Easter Weekend? I've already bought all the chocolates and feel very secure in my Faith...!

So then when I was telling Dwight who was at the door (we're all still in our jammies...), he said I should have opened the door and tried to sell them some Air Conditioning Systems, then I could have told them, "We've already Got J.C., but do YOU need A/C??" ha,ha,ha,ha! Okay, Dwight's pretty funny, so that's a big reason why he gets to stick around, for a while, yet, anyway...

So we watched a great movie last night -- Something's Gotta Give, with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. Wow -- I wouldn't have guessed it would be as fantastic a movie as it was, so I highly Recommend it... and for all of us who loooove houses, you're gonna love Diane Keaton's Character's House! It's stunningly beautiful (so is she...), with Four Sets of French Glass Doors in one room, a fully glassed in Bow Window in her Home Office, 2-Storey High Windows in the Living Room, a fabulous enormous Island in the Kitchen -- really, the film is worth watching just to check out the house! But the Storyline is fabulous, and the acting was hilarious! Check it out when you have minute! Man, would I love to get my hands on the Plans for that house -- Have I told you I used to spend a lot of time on the Twentieth Century Studios Lot in Los Angeles, California? Yep, so the Outside of the House most likely didn't match the inside of the house, but still, I'd like to see those Plans!

I also really liked the running Theme throughout Something's Gotta Give with the whole 'I Love You' versus the old stand-by 'Love Ya'. I like stuff with word plays, what with bein' a writer, 'n all... but it's true -- when someone adds 'Ya' to then end of pretty much anything, it adds a little bit of distance ('Love Ya', but only this much... 'Miss Ya', but just a litte bit... you get the idea.)

So back to the Big Easter Celebrations -- Cara and I are going to a Sunrise Service -- that's my favorite of all Services -- there's something about being out in Nature, beltin' out the Hymns... I love that sort of thing! And I really like the whole play on the 'Sunrise/ Son Rise' -- love that! The Service starts at 7:00 a.m., so Dwight and Aidan can sleep their way through it at home, then Cara and I can be back in time for the Easter Egg Hunt -- now that'll be a great Morning! And I won't have to chase a relatively small boy all over the fields, since the Service is out in the Open Fields...

Oh, and then we boil our Eggs, Paint them, then go to a nice Hill and Roll Them! It's waaaay more fun than you might think, if this is a new Easter Tradition for you. It's a laugh riot, for some reason... my old dog, Hamish, a great big Golden Lab, used to sit and wait for us to roll the eggs, then run like mad down the hill to get to them first -- we would all laugh ourselves silly -- lots of great Easter memories! You have to Boil the Eggs until they're really Firm, cool them down completely and dry them off, then use Water Colors to Paint the Eggs, or Markers to Draw pictures on the Eggs... and you know those litle boxes of Paas -- I think that's what they're called -- they color the whole egg, then you can add stickers and what-not. That's always fun, too. I boild about a dozen eggs, that way we're all sure to have two each that survive the ride to the Hill, since you only want to Roll the Uncracked Eggs.

The Eggs are Symbolic of New Life, and I think decorating them is a symbol for Beauty in Life, then Rolling the Egg symbolizes the Stone Rolling away from The Tomb. You toss the egg down the hill, and let it roll until it cracks -- sometimes you have to run down the hill, retrieve yo' egg, run back up and try again until it cracks! See the fun?? ha,ha,ha! We bring along some Salt to sprinkle on the Eggs and then we eat them! Delicious! Sometimes it's the really simple Traditions that make a Holiday really Special and Memorable, right?

And here's one more little tricky, tricky recipe that you might like to add to your Holiday Dinner -- 'Nutty Coleslaw'. I always buy the Coleslaw 'pre-cut' in the Salad section of the Grocery Store. Add just enough Mayonaise to lightly cover the Shredded Cabbage and stuff. Put about a Cup of Walnuts or Pecans (I used Pecans when I made this last night...) in a Baggie, then crush them with a Rolling Pin. Add the Crushed Nuts to the Salad, and mix it well. Voila! It's absolutely deeeelicious!

Tip of the Weekend: Buy Silk Plants for your house -- I know, that seems sooo obvious, but what an on-going difference they will make to the look of your place! I happened to buy 5 Silk Trees from Walmart, yesterday, when I was in to buy Milk and some Stickers to put on the INFO Box out on the House For Sale Sign. I found the INFO Stickers at the back of the Store,.looked up, saw the Silk Trees, asked how much they were, and bought 5 of them. I had to really jam them into the back of my Van -- lucky I don't have a Sports Car, no?? ha,ha! I wasn't sure what Dwight's reaction would be with me showing up with sooo many Trees, but it turned out that he loved them, too, Thank Goodness. No fights over that... so I put one on either side of the Big Screen TV downstairs, one in the Corner by the Pool Table, one in the Great Room, and the last one in the Front Entry. Now I need to go back and get some more, because they look fabulous! And they won't wither away, like the rest of my 'Real' Plants!

Let me go get you some pictures of my new Silk Trees, so you can see whether you might like to try that, too .. or perhaps you have, already, and now you want to add some more!

So here are the new Silk Trees -- nice, huh? The Space is so huge that the house just kinda soaks them right up, but I like how they look. The first Three Pictures are of the Lower Living Room and Billiard Room. The third shot is from my Office, through the Windows, thus the 'Glare'!

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Then these last three pictures are of the Main Floor Level, looking into the Great Room from the Dining Room in the middle shot, and that's the Front Entry Tree in the last picture -- not a very good shot, but I'll get a better one some day... I took them this morning before I even had a cup of Tea! ha,ha!

Thank you so much for coming in for a wee visit! Hope you have a great weekend!
Happy Easter! Hope the Easter Bunny is Kind to You!!

Love & Luck (because that's a good combo!), Ailsa!!

My Whole Page Full of Easter Goodies!!

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Good Friday, April 9th, 2004. Yo, yo, yo! What up wit' my Home-ies?? ha,ha,ha,ha! I love calling us that, since we all love ourselves some Homes,right?! Wow, did you see The Apprentice last night? Does that Omarosa drive you up the wall, or what?? Man, I'd have to Fire her myself -- poor Kwame... but he doesn't say very much, not that I'd want to do battle with Omarosa any time soon, either, since there's clearly no winner in that sort of battle... ugh. She really loves her meals, though, don't she? ha,ha! "Uh, I'm having a nice meal... could you handle that for me? It's just my Job, but it's far more important for me to have Dinner than to make this work for Kwame..." I'm paraphrasing, there, and then I added a few of my own thoughts... not good, though, and I would imagine it'll be a little tricky to get around that behaviour of sabotage out in the Real World. With any luck, she'll see the Show, be shocked herself, then make the necessary changes... she's a Smart Woman, so I'm sure she'll come out on top, but man that was hard to watch ... but excellent TV!! Oh, that Donald -- he knows how to choose 'em!

And speaking of choices, I was surprised at how badly ol' Amy did in her Interviews. You can't answer a question by changing it to suit the stock answer you had in mind -- that's hilarious! I would have laughed, then said the same question s-l-o-w-l-y, and waited for her to laugh, because you have to see the funny side of things or it ain't gonna be an easy ride for any future Employees. Ever worked for a Humorless Boss? Ugh. Can't find another Job fast enough... But didn't I call it a long time ago with Bill, Amy and Kwame going to the Final Three? Trump should call MEEE! ha,ha,ha! (Mostly because I'd love to meet him, and I desperately want to see that 6-Storey Waterfall! ha,ha!) I hope Kwame Wins -- he's my favorite, by far. We'll see, we'll see!

Oh, and on Survivor, you know how I had said Boston Rob had gone up 20 steps in my books for being so sweet about Amber, his 'goilfriend'? Well, his horrible back-stabbing with poor ol' Lex moved him below scum level -- what number is that? ha,ha! You know what I can't stand? Whenever a Player thinks they are in charge of the whole game -- that just irritates me somethin' awful! BUT, I loved the New Buffs, love all the play the Buffs get, and I hope to God I can get some good Contracts with the Buffs from My Site because of that type of exposure to the Buffs! Can't you just see your own Logo on a Buff? Come on, now -- I'm tryin' to make more money than Dwight so I can decide with him about the stooopid Fireplace Mantel! ha,ha!

And speaking of Dwight, I finally broke down and told him at dinner that he had to apologize for his very bad behaviour the other night... so he gave this big long explanation of WHY he did what he did, but nothing about what he said, and still no apology. This is very annoyink, because now I have three full days of stuff I want to talk about, but don't want to go against my new thing I'm trying to see if I can't make Dwight come around all on his own. Stoopid Reverse Psychology! Dwight would do remarkably well on Survivor, because even when he did speak, no-one would be able to understand him, and then he wouldn't remember what he'd just said, so alliances would be easy to break... plus he's really good at Building Houses, so the chicks would dig that! ha,ha,ha! So my new strategy is not working well and more of a bother for me than anything... like when parents Ground their Teenagers -- then who has to really pay, hmmmm?? ha,ha!

Tip of the Day: Be prepared before you have any Interview or go in for any Important Business Meeting. You need to know all about the Company or Organization, Yourself, the Type of People they want working there... oh, that reminds me of an Interview I went on when I was in my very early Twenties... (yes, waaaaay more than three years ago! ha,ha,ha!). It was for Katimavik, I think the Program was called. As far as I know, it still exists, but I went in for this Interview wearing what I always wore for an Interview -- a beautiful Feminine Suit, Skirt 'n all... it never occured to me that they wouldn't recognize that I was wearing a Suit for an Interview, but that I would be wearing my Camping Clothes for the Job, since it was some sort of Camping/Helping Organization... Everybody else who showed up for the Interviews were wearing their Jeans and looked a bit rough -- I'd never seen anyone show up for an Interview looking messy, so I was pretty shocked, myself.

Needless to say, I didn't get the Job, Thank Goodness, and returned to my first love, Teaching, where I made even less money than I would have with Katimavik! Really, I wish they'd pay Teachers better, since so many leave the Profession as soon as they can figure out how to earn more. And it is about the money, because no matter how much you love what you do, you have to feed, clothe and house your family, and that has to come first. Also, there's the small problem of Teachers not having any say over what happens in their Classrooms, anymore, and the Government of the Moment going in and Changing the Curriculum every Two Minutes, but that's a Rant for another day! And I haven't even started on the Homework Issue! See how much there is to talk about?? Must make up with Dwight! I have a very high need to chat, if you haven't guessed that by now! ha,ha,ha!

Hey, it's almost the Deadline for Filing Yo' Taxes, so I quickly made up a new Tax Page for you -- Check out my New Tax Page!

And now for some cute Pictures!

Here's my Two Favorite 'Girls'!! ha,ha! Cara and Tia! And wouldn't you know it, they're both wearing Buffs! Tia not as willingly as Cara... Oh, and Cara is a whole year older, the French Glass Doors behind Cara are Painted White, now, and I have lovely white flowing Drapes on the French Glass doors. Tia hasn't changed a bit!

That's the Settee in my Master Bedroom, and the Sunroom is Off the Master, too, just in case you're new to the Site!

Thanks for popping in for a wee visit! See you on The Weekend!

Happy Holidays! Ailsa!!

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Thursday, April 8th, 2004. Hey, Good Lookin'! Are you all geared up for the Long Weekend? Normally, I love Easter, but this year, it feels kind of weird... I'm mad at Dwight, today -- for the last three days, actually... and I've barely spoken two words to him, and do you think he's noticed?? No! And last night I was so mad, I wouldn't go out in the Hot Tub with him, so he had to go and Float out there all by himself... now that's really showing him, ain't it? I think I've got a good strategy goin' on ... Of course, he gets out the Tub and tells me how fantastic it was...ugh. I'm never gonna get through to him when he's this blissfully unaware!

Hey, you know what arrived in my e-mail, this morning? A little thing you can sign up for Starbucks Coffee and Crisy Creme Donuts! Crispy Creme has just come up to Canada, recently, and I heard about a Brand New one in the North of Calgary, so next time we're up there, we'll be sure to check that out! So here's the Link -- Sign up for a FREE $10 Starbucks Coffee Card and 2 Dozen Yummy Krispy Creme Doughnuts>. And here's a funny little 'Donut Story' -- who knew there'd be actual stories attached to Donuts, but Donuts are a huuuge part of Canadian Living, so here goes... On the first afternoon after the big incident that made me mad at Dwight, this week, Dwight brought home two boxes of Donuts. No words of Apology, just Donuts... and here I am a full-on Adult, and I'm gonna need some real words -- in addition to the Donuts!! ha,ha,ha!

Good Friday is a Holiday in Canada -- I can't remember whether I had Good Friday off when I lived in The States... well, if you do have a holiday, tomorrow, and you are lucky enough to head out on a mini-vacation, have a great holiday! We are staying home (there's a big surprise!) and guess what -- working on the House! One thing I will definitely do differently in the Next Build is to Hire More Outside Help -- that's hard to do when the other person in charge of agreeing with you happens to be capable of doing many of the tasks at hand, but one person (or Two, when I'm helping him...) is not an effective way to work at most jobs -- it's just too slow. So, if we are still together (!) to do the Next Build, I will be more forceful about Hiring 'Outsiders' for even the 'little' tasks! Wonder how many Donut Boxes there'll be around that Project??

Wow, The Donald is on Oprah, right now -- man, I love working at Home! What fun! I never miss a Show! Yippee!!

Trump -- How to Get Rich: Big Deals from the Star of The Apprentice

> And it turns out that Donald Trump has a new Book Out -- Surprise! And it's right up our alley -- How To Get Rich! ha,ha! So, of course, I had to immediately go in and make up an Ad for you so you can buy it -- maybe we can all read it together! Now that'll make a Great Gift for the Holidays, too, along with the Flowers and Chocolates!

Oh, and The Donald handed out a little bit of Free Advice on Oprah's Show, too -- the two really good tidbits were, "Don't intimidate people" and Invest in Real Estate! WooHoo! We're already on the right track! Now don't that make you feel good?? ha,ha!

Aidan spent a good portion of his morning trying to convince me that we should take a vacation and go on a Pokemon Cruise -- "It's only for Pokemon Masters, and I am one!", he squeals! ha,ha,ha! That Boy -- he has a very active imagination... he lives in the realm of the Pokemon, and pretty much every conversation comes back around to Pokemon at some point! Cara's friend, Scott, gave Aidan his old Pokemon Cards, and Aidan keeps them in a Stack and cuddles them like a wee girl would cuddle a Doll! Sooo funny!

I need to call our New Finishing Carpenter, Albert, to see if he can give me a quote on the Fireplace Mantels. Or one of them -- Dwight said it was okay to have the Lower Level Fireplace Mantel done, then he'll decide whether there should be on upstairs... you know why I want to make more than Dwight? Because until I do, he thinks he gets to make all the final decisions, and I suppose I feel like that, too, on some level. (It's a low level...) And that's why I appreciate every click and sign-up from my Lovely Readers!

And the Weather is finally getting nicer, so I think it's time to get some quotes for Paving the Driveway. My guess is the quotes will come in around $3,500 - $6,000, so I think I'll get three quotes, then we'll make our decision. Oddly enough, most of the big decisions are mutual -- it's the smaller projects that Dwight wants the final say over... annoyink! But I'll let you know how much our Paving Quotes are, and which one we choose. Then we'll pray for some good weather so we can get the Driveway Paved -- man, that's gonna look fantastic, since it's a beautiful Circular Driveway.

Ooooh, I just about forgot that the New Bachelor was on, last night -- did you see it? Jesse is the Bachelor Guy, and very good looking,and wouldn't you know it, he's Canadian -- and one of the girls he really likes is also Canadian -- I thought they only chose American Contestants for Love, but I'm happy to see that! My favorite 'Girl' is Tara, the General Contractor! You Go, Girl!! We need to get more Women in the Trades, and it's great to see how attractive she is, because being capable in the Trades doesn't mean not being attractive, or being any less a woman -- that's the craziest thing! It's all about taking charge and making more than the average Wage that many women make outside of the Trades... even in the Professions. I don't think there is a Glass Ceiling in the Trades -- and if you find one, you can just break through it wit' yo' hammer! ha,ha,ha,ha! (Okay, that one's for me -- I really like that analogy!)

Tip of the Day: Learn a Skill -- any Skill. Tiling, Organizing, Plastering... whatever happens to appeal to you, because you can always find a job when you have Specific Skill Sets to offer to an Employer, and then with any luck, and if this also seems like something you would like to do, you can set out on your own and Run Your Own Business! Yep! That's another great way to Get Rich! Then you're paying yourself, and not held in by a set Wage determined by your Boss... And if you're wondering how on earth you can learn these new Skills, you can get a job with a General Contractor (maybe Tara, if you're that lucky!!), take some Courses from a local Community College or High School, or Develop your Professional Skills with a Degree. I happen to like a combination of those things, then you'll be ready for anything!

Now let me go grab you some New Pictures! Be right baaack!

It's Easter, so it's all about the Eggs this weekend, right?? Here's the easiest schmeasist way to make Scrambled Eggs for yourself or a big crowd. Hopefully, you won't use the same number of Eggs! ha,ha!

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I always put in Two Eggs per person, then add a wee bit of Milk. Mix that with a fork. Cover it and pop it in the Microwave for the same number of minutes as you have eggs, so 8 Eggs = 8 Minutes... see how easy?

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Use your Oven Mitts to take the Eggs out of the Microwave. You can Serve the Eggs like a Souffle, or chop them up with a knife and fork to make Scrambled Eggs. I serve the Scambled Eggs with Toast and Salsa, which is delicious, and often I make Sausages &/or Bacon on the Side. It's all very healthy! ha,ha!

Thanks for coming in for a wee visit! Happy Easter! And Passover!

See You tomorrow! Ailsa!

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Easter Gifts!

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Wednesday, April 7th, 2004. Hello, hello, hello! How you doin', Baaa-by?? Does that sound Spring-like? Perhaps a little 'Sheepish'?? ha,ha,ha! Reminds me of some Engineers I know! Man, I'm a little sleepy, today - I was up 'til 2:00 a.m., last night, creating my new Easter Gifts Page -- I like it -- lots of Flowers and Chocolate -- two of my all time favorite things! I put all sorts of neat stuff that I thought you'd like if you're sending something off to someone you love, which reminds me of an Ad I came across for Mother's Day -- it said, "With Warmest Regards"! ha,ha,ha,ha! Now that's a lovely sentiment for your Mother! I should put it on my Mother's Day Page when I make that just for fun! ha,ha,ha!

Hey, I just got a letter from Bhupinder -- he wants to Build His Own Home in the Toronto, Canada Area. I really enjoy all your Letters, so I like to answer them as quickly as I can. You can read Bhupinder's Letter on my Ask Ailsa Page.

So I just wrote a wee letter, myself, to Ryan Seacrest on his Show, On-Air With Ryan Seacrest -- www.Ryanonair.com . . I was watching the other day when Rachel Hunter (Rod Stewart's ex-wife, and lovely woman all on her own...!) Ryan had been on a Tour of Rachel's House when it was up For Sale, but he didn't buy it, so that means he's still looking, right? And doesn't he have a gorgeous Girlfriend (perhaps soon to be a Wife ... I smell May Sweeps!! ha,ha,ha!) who would looove a great big beautiful house?? Hmmmm?? So, of course,I wrote to say he might want to consider Building His Own House, then they could follow the Build on the Show. Wouldn't you tune in for that?? I know I would!

So here's the deal when you're building a really huge, gorgeous house -- that's when you can literally save (and then make, after you've lived in it for a few years, you sell it, then you build yo'self another mansion... ha,ha! You know that's my favorite thing!!) millions of dollars. That's a lot of coin, and I love to see Celebrities going ahead and trying this whole Building thing. And I would really, really love it if I ever got to help them through the Building Process -- for a small Fee, of course! ha,ha,ha! Hollywood (or the Surrounding Area...), Here I Come! ha,ha,ha,ha!

Hey, Donald Trump is going on Oprah, tomorrow, and he's gonna tell us all how to get rich! WooHoo! And how about giving us the Plans to Build that 6-Storey Waterfall?? I'm gonna need that! And all the Candidates will be on who've been 'Fired Off', so-to-speak! Can't wait! Hey, did you like my color choices I used to Highlight their names?? ha,ha! Green for Doanld -- the color of money (although that would have worked for Oprah, too!!), and Purple for Oprah, since she loves "The Color Purple'!

Tip of the Day: Whenever you encounter someone, anyone, in any circumstances, whether it be in Real Life, in Books or on TV, who has really become Successful, Stop, Look, and Listen! Not, Stop, Drop and Roll... that's a whole different sort of meeting... I can't be bothered with someone who clearly has their life in a shambles, barely making it month to month who wants to give me Financial or Life Advice. Puh-leease! Gimme a Break! But when I do meet someone who has their Act together, I want to learn as much from them as I possibly can. Most Successful People are happy to impart their wisdom, and little tidbits of Advice you can take into your own life to see how it can change for the better.

Let me go get you some new pictures!

You know how I told you a while ago that I made a Cookies 'N Cream Cake for Dwight's Birthday on Feb. 25th? Well, he's been after me since then to make another one, so I made one last week. It's very, very involved, what with the Two-ish Ingredients and the 15 minutes, tops, that it takes to make it! ha,ha! And see my two very happy kids enjoying the Cake?? Everybody loves this treat!

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So that's what the Cookies 'N Cream Cake looks like from the Top, and those are the carefully selected Ingredients -- that's right, you guessed it -- Cookies ... and Cream! ha,ha! Just Whip up the Whipping Cream, put in about a teaspoon of Sugar while you're mixing up the Cream. I always put the Chocolate Wafer Cookies in a Flower Shape, then put a blob of Cream on each Cokie, then just build it up until you have about 6 Layers.Then you put the last of the Cream on the Top for 'The Icing'.

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Now, the extremely cool thing about this Cake is that it looks like a 6 Layer Cake completely when it's ready. It takes about 6 hours in the Fridge, I'm guessing, to be ready... try to keep everyone away until then! The Cream softens and expands the Wafer Cookies, so then it's like a very light Cake, all layered with Cream... gonna try this on the Weekend?? Deeelicious!

See you tomorrow! Hey, click on my Easter Page and let me know what you think!

Later, Baby! Ailsa!!

Well, this seems appropriate, in preparation for 'The Donald' on Oprah! Soon we'll All Be Rich! ha,ha!

Tuesday, April 6th, 2004. Hi, Honey! You be Home, again! Good to see you! Hey, and it's the 6th -- that's supposed to be a good day for Financial Success -- I know, that might sound like I'm grasping at straws, but right now I'll take any little piece of positive thinking and run with it...!

Have you been on MSN this morning? I go in to check my Business e-mail first thing in the morning, and I was side-tracked by an interesting Article about buying a 'Fixer-Upper' House. It was a good article, except for the bit about a Coat of Paint being a good way to fix up a house. That is relatively true, but here's the thing about a 'fixer-upper' -- they can cost you far more than buying a Newer Home, and the money to fix the thing up has to come straight out of yo' wallet. With a Brand New House or a House that is in Good Repair, your money is all wrapped up in the Mortgage.

Everybody always thinks they're gonna get all the work done for under $2,000. -- I have no idea where that number comes from, but it's the first number in people's heads when they're thinking of a big reno -- no matter what size... so when the plumber shows up to replace the Bathroom because it's a disaster area, and his quote is $3 Grand for a basic Bathroom Reno, shock waves run through the room. And Painting is no easy chore, nor is it cheap. The painting for this house was somewhere in the $7,000. range -- possibly higher -- we try not to think of it, now, because it was waaaaay higher than we anticipated.

And replacing the Carpets ain't cheap, neither... (yes, I'm playin' with the Language -- no need to get yer knickers in a wee knot! ha,ha!) Man, you can easily go from Zero to $10,000. for flooring, and that's in a smaller home... I just don't want to see folks think they're geting a great deal when it might be the biggest nightmare of their lives... I hate that! As long as you know exactly what you're getting into with a 'fixer-upper', you're fine, but if you want to make a profit on the home, be sure in advance of the Purchase that you won't have to put more time, money and effort into the home than what you will ever get out of it when you're ready to sell.

Have you been to my Renovations Page, yet? I wrote it ages ago, but it's full of great ideas that can really help in a renovation -- just remember to keep your eyes wide open for the actual price of something before you rip apart yo' house thinking it'll be cheap and easy. That'll be your next date after your current relationship falls apart after the Reno! ha,ha,ha!

Now here's one of the weirdest dreams I've ever had, and it happened last night -- and wouldn't you know it? It's 'Plumbing Related'! In my dream, I woke up and went into my bathroom, but the Toilet was gone. Bizarre. So when I woke up 'for real' I was laying there thinking about this crazy dream, and realized it probably is a symbol for something that Dwight can do to take something from me that I can't replace myself. So then after I got up, I thought, "Well, I can just hire a different plumber, and get a new Toilet!", then I felt a lot better... weird, though, eh?? Hmmm, now that I think of it, perhaps that's an even bigger message that I could replace Dwight, should I ever have to... I'll keep you posted! ha,ha!

Tip of the Day: If you're looking at purchasing a 'Fixer-Upper' Property, please-oh-please be realistic about how much it'll cost to truly fix it up, and where that money for the Renovations will come from. Think about how much extra cash you have at the end of a regular month, now, and if it's not more than a Thousand Dollars, you're renovation will be long and tortuous. I know -- that's crappy news, but it's the reality. The beauty of buying a home in good repair or Brand New is you have One Payment a Month (hopefully ... then you'll make one or two 'extra payments' per year with the money you would have used for all the renos...), and you'll live comfortably.

Now let me go get you some Pictures! Be right back...

So here's one of the House For Sale Signs we had Professionally Made Up.

The first picture is the Sign in the Dining Room, beside my very pretty Wine Rack -- see, there's still some left in there! ha,ha,ha! Oh, and that's Dwight's Cell Phone, so For God Sake's don't phone the '809' number! You won't enjoy that phone call! You can call our normal number (995-1462), though, if you're interested in Buying Our House!

The other picture is one of the Signs out at the Front of the House -- Dwight built the Frame to Put the Sign on, and secured it to the Ground with a steel post so it won't fall over in the wind -- and we have some storng winds out here! Then we put a Mailbox at the bottom of the Sign, and I filled the Mailbox with Information Sheets for the House.

The Information Sheets always have the Price, Size of the House, and all the Features of the House, so they give any Potential Buyer a quick Overview of the Property. Of course, everything I do has pictures to go with it, so there are some nice shots of the house too!

Thanks for Coming in for a Wee Visit! Hey, thanks for signing up for the Free Stuff & Contests on my Site -- I really appreciate every 'Click' and every 'Sign Up'! You're keepin' me afloat! ha,ha!The other picture

See you tomorrow! Love & Luck, Ailsa!

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See ya', Baby! Ailsa!

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I love this Ad for Spongebob Squarepants Screensavers because on of my very favorite Spongebob scenes is where Spongebob is secretly watching a Show of Jellyfish like it's a porn movie, when Gary the Snail comes in the room and Spongebob yelps at getting caught watching 'something bad' and quickly changes the channel so Gary can't see it ... Hilarious!

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