Got Mice?

No?  We did, well "mouse singular", we hope.  We'd just gotten back from a walk after dinner, and I was sitting at my desk doing bloggy stuff when out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed movement.  Rosie was in fast forward behind something small, round and brown, that was, fortunately moving faster than he was.  Out of my mouth spewed “oh my Lord”, and instantly I was up, scrambling for a flashlight to squint behind the refrigerator.  Ah, there he is.  One beady little eye looking back at me.  He's so cute!  Yeah, I know this is a disease-ridden rodent just waiting for the chance to nibble his way through my cereal.  Yikes, that stuff’s expensive.  Gotta get rid of the mouse!

By the time hubby emerged from the reading room (you guys know what that is, right?), our furry guest had come out, and having caught the attention of yet another cat, was now cowering under the stove.  Do you see something wrong with this story, or more specifically, with this mouse?  We live with three cats, one of whom lived outside for years, supplementing his daily helping of cat chow with critter parts.  This poor lil' mouse wouldn't stand a chance.

After exhausting our available options, including trying to entice him into a bucket with some cat food, we gave up and went to bed, leaving the mouse ensconced in his hidey place under the stove.  He was apparently settling in for a life of leisure and all the kibble he could eat, assuming he could survive the 3-foot journey to the cats' food.

So who won this little cat and mouse game?  We did!  We went out and got a Tomcat Live Catch Mouse Trap.  For less than $5 and a dab of peanut butter, we were able to trap and release our furry friend back to the wilds of our back yard.  So if you have uninvited mouse guests, I recommend this product for their safe eviction.

This recommendation is made solely from our own purchase and use of this product.

Restaurants.com 80% off Promotion - 3 Days Only!

Restaurants.com has a new promotion going on now through June 10.  All gift certificates are 80% off.  Just use the promo code SAVE when you check out, and your discount will be applied.  You can get $25 gift certificates for just $2.

What a great way to eat out and save!   

Quote of the Week

photo from wikimedia

Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right.  
- Henry Ford

This statement says so much about attitude and positive thinking.  If you believe you can do something, this attitude can propel you to success.  This doesn't mean that you will never fail, but if you go into something expecting to fail, you're already on that road.

I Sing No More

My songs are scattered

From shore to distant shore

Here I stand - alone

My dreams are shattered

I am done - I sing no more

I have turned to stone

Please visit Magpie Tales for more stories and poems.

Black Eyes and Tutus

What do black eyes, tutus and cookies have in common.  That's right, Kindergarten.  Back when I was a kid, kindergarten wasn't offered in the public school system.  Parents had to pay for their little ones to have juice and cookies with 20 of their closest friends, take tap and ballet lessons and perform for them in embarrassing pink tutus.

Now I envy those with crystal clear memories who can recount the most minute details from the time they were weaned, although many of those same people can't remember yesterday's lunch.  My own memories are scattered and vague, but here are some highlights from my kindergarten experience.

Drawing by Zeimusu

On day one we were lined up along the wall waiting...for what seemed like hours...for our 3-hour class to begin.  As time went on, I settled in, made friends, shared germs, and got my one and only black eye.  Yeah, who knew kindergarten was dangerous.  We all took turns running to see if the teacher was coming, and as fate would have it that day, I took my turn while another kid was running back.  Crack!  Our heads met with a thud producing instant tears and the ensuing shiner.  I'm sure it hurt, but I seem to remember thinking that if I cried, I might not get in trouble.  Hey, I've always been a "thinking" person.

Finally, we all know what great little germ spreaders kids are, right?  Well, before kindergarten, I'd had very little exposure to the outside world, so when I was suddenly corralled with 20 or so germy kids, 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, sharing God only knew what with each other, I caught everything going around.  I threw up so often that Mom knew what I meant when I said it felt like there was a snake in my tummy, and grabbed a bucket.

When I look back, I guess kindergarten wasn’t all bad.  After all there was juice and cookies.  What was kindergarten like for you (or your kids)?