And The Winners Are..................

The 2nd Annual Peep Show went off without a hitch.  Entries came flooding in not only from our department, but now other groups are trying to enter their works of art in the contest too.  We may have to rethink this next year and perhaps charge an entry fee to pay for the awards.  Not a bad idea, actually!

All day long entries arrived and were logged into the contest.  Some of the other entries not shown in pictures or mentioned there were:  When You Wish Upon A Peep, Little Bo Peep, Snow Peep, Gullitine Peep (can't think of the actual name, but based on a famous Royal who lost her head-sorry, brain cells are dying faster than I can count them!), Fish Peep, Tootsie Pop Peep, and I know I am forgetting some!

The judging finally took place at 2:30pm PST. There were 6 categories:  Grand Prize, Most Outstanding, Most Artistic, Well Done, One Of A Kind, and last but certainly not least, The Honorable Mention Award. 

There was a bit of sour grapes with one of the contestants who felt that because Janna thought the contest up she should not be able to enter.  (Janna won the Grand Prize and this other person won The Well Done Award.  Oh well, you can't please all the people all the time.  It's only for fun, for God's sake!  You'd think they were competing for a large purse!  ha! 

The pictures are not the greatest (I still need to take the time and learn how to make them bigger), but you get the idea.  I was unable to take pictures of all the entries, but highlighted the cutest and of course all of the winners are here too.

Which is your favorite?

 

2nd Annual Peep Show

    

 

It all started last year when Janna brought some PEEPS into work.  You know the little marshmellow chicks that are so popular at Easter?  She had this great idea that everyone could decorate a PEEP and then we'd have a contest to see whose was the best.  I know it sounds goofy, but we had so much fun with it that this year we are having our 2nd Annual PEEP Show.  Hey, don't scoff at the idea.  It makes working more fun! 

And guess what?  There is an official PEEP website too!  If I'd have know about it sooner we could have offered PEEP prizes from the PEEP store!  Perhaps next year.........

Anyway, here is some PEEP facts:  (taken from their website)

Due to demand, Just Born now produces more than one billion individual Marshmallow Peeps a year covering all of its holiday seasons.

In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one Marshmallow Peep. Today, it takes six minutes.

 During their early years, Marshmallow Peeps were squeezed one at a time out of a pastry tube and the eyes were painted on by hand. Now, technology can create 3,800 Peeps eyes per minute.

As many as 4.2 million Marshmallow Peeps, Bunnies, and other shapes are made each day at Just Born's Bethlehem, Pennsylvania factory.

 Last Easter, more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps and Bunnies were consumed by men, women, and children throughout the United States.

Strange things people like to do with Marshmallow Peeps: eat them stale, microwave them, freeze them, roast them, and use them as a pizza topping.(Note:  they didn't mention our Peep show! grrrr)

Marshmallow Peeps and Bunnies come in five colors and received new packaging in 2000. Yellow Peeps are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.

Each Peep has 32 calories (160 calories per five-chick serving) and 0 fat grams.

Each year Just Born receives thousands of letters, e-mails, and phone calls from consumers acknowledging their passion for Peeps.

Check out the Peep Fan Club!!!!

Well Gang, there you have it!  All the info you'd ever want on PEEPS! 

I'll try to post some pics of our Peep Show later, so you can get an idea what I am talking about.  After all, you wouldn't want to miss the fun....right?

Let the PEEP's be with you!

 

Potpourri

It's a good thing that I forced myself into mowing the lawn Monday evening when I got home, because it started raining last evening about 7pm. I didn't get the fertilizer on it though, but it was too dark by the time I finally put the mower away. Oh well, I'm sure I can fit it in at some point this week.

I finally got the leak under my kitchen sink repaired, and the one under the sink in the mudroom. Things only needed to be tightened a bit. Next on the list is my two outdoor faucets.  I think they just   need new pistons which ordinarily wouldn't be a big deal.  Unfortunately, because this is an older home (1960's era) it may be more complicated than that. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it's not.

I think I may have already mentioned that I bought 6 yards of bark-dust. Now I have to find the time to spread it. As you all probably know it's no easy job, but I look forward to the hard work because I always feel so good afterwards, sitting back sipping iced tea and admiring my yard. I'm waiting until the spring flowers and foliage is spent before I begin.

I'm in the market to buy a carpet shampooer. I'd like to purchase a good name brand that steam cleans. Any suggestions on which one(s) are the best? I can use any help that you can offer on making this choice because I have no idea which one to buy, or the features to look for.

I am still plugging away slowly but surely on getting your journals read! I'll get to yours, I promise!

Until next time………………

Try This Quiz!

Try the "BATTLE OF THE SEXES" quiz & see how much you really know!  It's fun!!

Daily Affirmation

 The only devils in the
world are those running in
our own hearts. That is
where the battle should
be fought.
Mahatma Gandhi


Man, like a bridge was
designed to carry the load
of the moment, not the
combined load of a year
all at once. 
William A. Ward

 

I'm BAAACK!!!

A funny thing happened last Tuesday evening. After dinner I was sitting quietly reading a magazine when suddenly out of nowhere I heard the sound of tiny trumpets! And just as suddenly the Munchkins (from Wizard of Oz fame) started chanting in unison: "THE MADISON IS COMING, THE MADISON IS COMING, THE MADISON IS COMING!!!"

And so she did. Madison came to Grammy Robyn's for an unforgettable 5-day stay. Hence, the reason for my temporary hiatus from J-Land. I tried to update my journal Tuesday and then again on Wednesday morning, but wasn't able to. Both AOL and my computer received equal amounts of my wrath!  (It just couldn't be operator error, now could it?) After 5 days I had nearly 100 email to read/answer, and suddenly this started feeling like a job - something's wrong with this picture! I have not been keeping up to date on your journals either. I promise to get to each of you SOON, but be patient. This may take a while.

I had a wonderful time with Madison! She and I went shopping every day and I can tell you right now that the girl is just like her Grandmother. She gladly would miss her nap as long as we are in a store! Friday I took her for her first photo shoot at a local studio. She is a natural! Not a tear or even a pout! She loves the camera! Saturday she spent most of the day with her Great Grandmother (Steve's paternal Grandmother).

I had a couple of fears going into this "babysitting" agreement though. My biggest fear was that Madison would not sleep at night, but my fears were unfounded. The little doll was out like a light in 5 minutes every single night.

Additionally, we all were a bit apprehensive about the "separation anxiety" issue. Didn't happen! As far as Madison was concerned, out of sight out of mind. In fact, she snubbed Mommy and Daddy a bit when they first returned, and only had smiles for me at first. (Secretly, I loved it!)

Perhaps the most memorable moment came when she was sitting on my lap Friday evening before bed, and she put her little arms around my neck and leaned forward and kissed me, not once but twice! My heart melted completely.

It was a bittersweet moment when she left to go back home. But she is truly in the best place that this earth has to offer: The loving arms of her parents.

The Yellow Birthday Dress

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me........

While I was pondering my birthday this morning, a memory came to mind like it happened yesterday:

It was 1956 and I was a mere 5 years old.  My Mother and Father took us kids (as they did every year) to town to buy each of us a new outfit for Easter.  Mine also doubled as a birthday dress since Easter and my birthday fell real close together - at least that year they did.  I ended up with a pretty pale yellow dress that had some kind of filmy see through material layered over a very full skirt.  It was dreamy looking and I felt just like a little princess. 

My Mother hung it in my closet, but I was so taken with it that at some point in the middle of the night I just had to see it again and be close to it.  So I got up, and after falling into the closet and making all kinds of racket, I was able to pull the dress, hanger and all into my arms where I quickly buried my face into the new fabric, smelling the newness of it.  I promptly laid it at the foot of my bed and climbed back in.  I must have woke my Dad because he came in to check on me, and asked if I was okay.  I was a bit embarrassed because even at that young age I knew that wanting to be close to my new dress was weird, I just didn't want my Dad to see that.  Satisified that his daughter was okay, Dad went back to bed.

My folks had our pictures taken in those new Easter clothes at a studio and if I had a scanner I would share them with you.  But since I don't you will have to trust me when I say that Eddy, Kim and I were adorable!  I can also say with certainty that we were three of the luckiest kids in the world to have had the parents that we did. 

Isn't it funny that out of 53 birthdays that is the one that stands out most in my memory? 

..................Happy Birthday dear Robyn, Happy Birthday to me!