Fun Monday - # 46 - Kitchen Counters in All Their Glory !

This week's assignment was rather simple, even if a bit embarrasing ! All week long, the counters are neat and clean ... come Saturday, some little gremlin must come in and mess things up. (That would be me ... I get lazy on the weekend and don't put things away) The sad thing is that if I continued cleaning up after myself on the weekend like I do during the week (this is true for other areas in my house too) - I wouldn't have to spend the weekend cleaning instead of playing !

Many thanks to Ari_1965 at Beyond My Slab for being the hostess this week.

Her assignment is:

It's time for show and tell. What does your kitchen counter look like right now? (And no fair cleaning just for the picture!) Do you have any favorite or unusual items on your counter?

This morning:

Now:

This morning:

Now:

This morning:

Now:

OH GOODNESS - I didn't realize how stained the George Foreman grill was - I guess it's time to get another one ! (It usually isn't out on the counter but I had just used it and it was still hot).

Can you guess what my kitchen is decorated with?

There are many more in places that you can't see from these photos. Some are purchased and many were made by me. Most are filled with infused vinegar or beans or pasta . And none of them have ever been used - they are for looks only.

Go ahead and say it ... I know you are thinking it - she's crazy !!

So, there you have it ... my kitchen counters in all their glory ! Hopefully they will stay the way they are tonight - well, at least until Saturday !

Wander over to Beyond My Slab and check out everyone else's counters.

Oh MY !!

**Scroll down for Fun Monday**

I have fallen victim to Facebook ...

One of my "friends" posted the following link - when I opened it all I could say was
"Oh My Goodness". (Not really, but this is much nicer than what I really said.)

I would assume that the "The Sun" is a legitimate newspaper - I don't really know.

But still ...

See for yourself - I wonder if your reaction will be the same as mine !

Fun Monday - # 45 - Your Feet (Inside your Home)

Gattina at Writer Cramps is our hostess this week.

Her assignment is quite simple !!

It is:


Please show us what you wear on your feet inside your home ! Do you wear slippers, flip flops, shoes or nothing ? just take a picture and show us your feet !


On Saturday - to honor Valentine's Day

But most often ...

If I need to run outside real quick (in the colder weather) ... like today !

And if my feet aren't bare, it's usually this ...

To see other's tootsies (which I am sure are prettier than mine), visit Gattina - OK?

Happy Valentine's Day

Foil Wrapped and Delicious

Hershey's Chocolate was founded 115 years ago today.

Have a KISS or two to celebrate !

Fun Monday - # 44 - Where Do I Live ?

Pamela at The Dust Will Wait is our gracious hostess this week. Her assignment is:

Show me in pictures or tell me in words what defines the place where you live.

She wants to leave the interpretation open to include any possibility.

I live in Prince William County, VA. I live on property that used to be part of the Rippon Lodge estate. I live on Gatehouse Terrace. To read all about that - go here.

OK, so I live in eastern Prince William County. Along the I-95 corrider. The exit I take to get home is Rippon Landing. If you go the other way - Dale City. I live (basically) at the end of Dale Boulevard.

With that said ...

As reported on the news, in the paper ... earlier this week.

Linton Hall, Va. Home To Longest Commute

LINTON HALL, Va. (WUSA) -- A fast-growing Prince William County, Va. community is home to a dubious distinction: the longest average commute in the United States. People living in Linton Hall, also called Bristow by some people, commute an average of 46.3 minutes one-way each workday. The national average is 25.1 minutes.

Bristow / Linton Hall is in the western part of the county.

Three other communities in the Washington area make the top 12 longest daily commutes in the nation. Drivers in Fort Washington, Md. have the eighth-longest average commute in the nation with a 42.5 minute one-way drive. People living in Clinton, Md. rank 11th on the list, clocking in at 41.7 minutes. Dale City, Va. commuters rank 12th, at 41.3 minutes. The rest of the top 12 list is made up of communities in New Jersey, California, and Florida.

The information for these commute times comes from the Census Bureau, looking at survey responses over the last three years. The Census Bureau is examining data down to exact streets, the first detailed research of its kind. The Census Bureau promises this will be an annual list to be published.

No pictures - you can't very well take pictures when you are driving on the very congested interstate. In the morning ... In the evening ... not even when it isn't rush hour !

Take into consideration that the news is reporting on the "average" . Some people commute 10 minutes - others an hour or more. I live 12 miles from where I work - on average, it takes 45 minutes during rush hour - either way. And I don't drive on the interstate.

Heaven forbid if it rains, or snows or freezes - sometimes all it takes is sunshine - the commute gets extended ...

Note: Prince William County is in Northern Virginia- about 25 miles south of Washington, DC. (the part of the county where I live) Linton Hall (western end) is somewhat rural with no "big" businesses out that way. I deal with I-95 - they have to suffer I-66.

Don't forget to visit Pamela to find out about the "special place" where others live.

It Must Be The Time of the Year ...

It's cold.

I'm tired.

I have no energy.

I have no motivation lately.

Is anyone else feeling this way?

It's frustrating ...