Saying Good-bye to KMart and New Vlog up!

New Vlog up! (Click here)

We have had a Kmart close to us ever since I moved to Illinois back in 1993. I didn't really shop there often until we lost our Target. Kmart had a decent clothes selection and I loved their discount bin when it came to makeup. (The only O.P.I. nail polish I own came from the discount bin at Kmart -- there's no way I could ever afford $10 a bottle for nail polish!!!)

So it was a sad, sad day when we learned our local Kmart was closing. It was an even worse day when we found out most of the Kmarts in the STATE were closing! We took advantage of the closing sales, however. I bought my new wedding set from there; supposedly $2,000 originally but I got it for CONSIDERABLY less.

I think the building is finally empty now, but I've got to say the last time I was in it I felt depressed considering I had been a Kmart shopper for over 20 years. Looking around and seeing this:

where there used to be racks and racks of clothes my kids liked. A place I went to literally EVERY Christmas for the past 20 years to buy presents from people. And now it's empty.

I still get clothes for good prices (when they're on sale, anyway) at Walmart and Kohl's, but not near as much (that my kids liked) as Kmart. So that stinks. Another good-bye in a year of good-byes. (This year has SUCKED SO MUCH.)

On to happier thoughts: Our skies lately have been stunning! No picture could describe it but here's a couple shots from a couple days:

Yeah, I usually only get pictures of corn and beans, since that's usually what I see while I'm driving around. I think summer's greens against the blue sky is just gorgeous. I love summer more than any other season, except maybe Spring (with all the flowers!!). I love how snuggly warm summer is, even though here in Illinois I also have to deal with nasty sweltering humidity.

The last thing I'll bother you with today is our very first harvest in our new house. I wanted a zucchini plant and I've been checking it, but it has been hiding it's fruit from me!! THIS is the first one I picked:

I am AWARE you're supposed to pick it WELL before it gets THIS big....but like I said, it was hiding from me!!

I hope it still tastes good.

Till next time!

Dinner tonight.

Here's how dinner got planned today:

"We should have spaghetti for dinner," said Brittany as she stroked her cat.

"Spaghetti's fine by me," I said as I  folded clean laundry, "It's easy and everyone likes it. I can make it tonight, if you want."

She stopped petting her cat, "I like the way Trena makes it better."

"Better than me? I'm the one that TAUGHT her how to make it!"

"Well she makes it better."

"Okay," I said, "You can ask her if she will fix it."

Brittany got up off my bed and left the room, heading down the stairs. After a few minutes I finished folding the towels and took them down the stairs to hang up in the bathroom all seven of us share. As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom Brittany appeared and yelled at me.

"Tell Trena she has to make dinner tonight!"

With a sigh I said, "I told you to ASK her...."

I was going to explain (yet again) the difference between asking and demanding when I heard from Trena's room, "I'M NOT MAKING DINNER TONIGHT!!"

I laughed and yelled back, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO!! BUT IF YOU DON'T MAKE DINNER YOU'D BETTER MAKE SURE ALL THE DISHES ARE DONE!!" (Her chore this week)

She yelled out again, "I'LL MAKE SPAGHETTI!!"

I laughed again, because it was spaghetti Brittany wanted in the FIRST place! So Brittany was happy, Trena was marginally happier (she certainly enjoyed harping on me to get my chores done, lol) and everyone got "the good" (apparently) spaghetti for dinner.