Dish Soap vs. Hand Soap

Okay blog world, I have a question.  It is one for which I need an answer.  Do you keep both hand soap and dish soap at the kitchen sink?  Or do you only keep dish soap there and use it for washing both your dishes and your hands?

I faced this conundrum recently.  I keep a small unmarked bottle of dish soap on the back of the sink.  Someone was visiting and wanted to wash up a few dishes for me, and asked where the dish soap was.  When I told the kind visitor where to find the dish soap.

The startled response, "Oh! I thought that was hand soap!  I've been using that to wash my hands."

I had never really given it much thought.  I don't wear gloves while washing my dishes.  This soap is what I always use to wash my hands at the kitchen sink when I am getting ready to prepare meals and such.

I have hand soap in the bathrooms.  Do I need to keep hand soap in the kitchen beside the soap that is already there?

Please tell me if I am breeching some rule of etiquette or ruining my hands by using dish soap to clean them!

Thanks friends!

Thanksgiving ~ Fun, Family, and Food!

Every other year we celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.  On the years we are not with the nuts from my family tree (and I love each and everyone of you!), we celebrate with my husband's side of the family.  This year we had a special treat.

The wonderful parent-in-laws invited us to have the big meal at their new (to them) lake house at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.  They own half this duplex, condo, town home, whatever the correct term is!

The five grandkids had a blast exploring...

skipping rocks,

riding scooters,

and even taking a boat ride in the inflatable, two person kayak.

after Mimi and Poppa had their turn of course!

We all had a nice relaxing time at the lake.  We enjoyed great food (which I forgot to get pictures of), fun with family, from sun up

to sun down (and then some!)

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was a blessed as ours and may we remember to give thanks for each day we have with friends, family and loved ones!

Book Review - The Realms Thereunder

I reviewed this book for Booksneeze.  I picked the e-book format so I could get the book immediately and start reading it right away.  The description of the book was that intriguing.  I also found out after reading the book it is the first in a trilogy. Within the first few pages, I was drawn in.  I didn’t want to put it down.  Freya and Daniel were connected in their past, separated, and then in young adulthood, they needed each other again. 

Unfortunately, after the first few chapters, the book got strange, hard to keep up with, and hard to understand.   Old world spelling is used for very different names, which for me were unpronounceable.  The story kept jumping from the past to the present, from reality to illusion.  When I finished the book, and I did struggle to finish, I had no sense of learned anything from the story.  I wasn’t sure why the characters had to struggle, why certain things happened, or even why some characters and scenes were in the book at all.

I don’t have “get” something from every book I read, but I don’t want to feel confused by a fiction book I am reading for enjoyment.  Usually when I read the beginning of a trilogy, the beginning of a saga, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.  I am content to leave Daniel and Freya where they were when The Realms Thereunder ended. 

I love reading and will not stop investigating new (to me) authors.  I love finding a writer that engages my imagination and challenges me to think through concepts and ideas to gain understanding.  This book jumped around from time to time and from real world to fantasy world to much to understand if there was symbolism in the places and characters.

I cannot recommend this book to my fellow readers.

Happy Birthday

Last week was my birthday.  I got a great pair of earrings and a nook cover with a notepad inside from my guys.  They also made me a cake. Yum!

I was sung to five or six times, received many birthday wishes on Facebook, was texted by friends, and opened loads of birthday cards from friends and family.

Thanks everyone.  It was a great day.

Must Do List

This week there is a LOT going on.  Here is my to-do Must-Get-Done list and the deadlines:

Sew Cubbie patches on a few vests - Tonight
Sew ATA patches in a new student uniform - Tonight
Take Black piping off my husband's uniform - Friday
Sew red piping around the collar of my husband's uniform - Friday
Teach school - every morning
Bake and decorate a cake - Friday
Go and cheer my men on at the karate tournament - Saturday

I better keep this short.  I have a few things to do!

Work (if you can call it that)

Most of you know, our family is involved in karate.  We love it!  Exercise, self-defense, confidence builder, and fun!

Everyone once in a while, the school owners must both be out of town for various tests and competitions, and I  have the privilege of working behind the front desk.  I must unlock the doors, answer the phones, and help out parents who may have questions.

Tiny Tiger Class (4-6 years old)

This week I got to work behind the desk Wednesday through Saturday.  I saw every level of student and most ages between the 4 year-old Tiny Tigers up to the 60+ 2nd degree Black Belts in the adult classes.  There are beginner White Belts in their 40's and a 2nd degree Black Belt who is 12, and many ages and ranks in between.

Karate For Kids Class (7-13 years old)

Unlike most other sports, karate is an individual sport.  I have been to three competitions.  Most of the people are friendly and wish you the best.  You are not competing against everyone at the tournament. You are only up against those of like ranks, gender, and ages in your ring.  I have made friends at the tournaments and cheered for them while they were performing.  It is uncommon to root against someone.  The judges then determine who had the best form, or weapon form, in the ring.  Sparring is a little different.  While there are strict rules so that no one gets hurt, there are points to be won.  Even at the end of the rounds of sparring, we all truly congratulate the winner.

Adult Karate Class

I enjoy the sport of karate very much.  My goal is trying to improve with each testing cycle and each tournament.  Sharper moves, crisper formations, and higher jumps.  I have watched my boys grow in skills and pride.  I have even seen maturity and confidence as they learn more moves and acquire the next belt up the ranks.

But anyway, this Stay-At-Home Mom has been working this week.  Really, I have been talking with friends, blogging on the computer, and knitting a Christmas gift. I also take class on occasion.

End of the day

It's been a Monday.

The electricity went off last night at 3:30am.  How do I know this?  For some reason, the sound of everything turning off woke me up.  I lay there in bed trying to go back to sleep but knowing I needed to get up, go downstairs, and find my phone.  I needed to do this because I walk in the mornings with my good friend and we being our two mile jaunt at 7:00am.  If the power is out then my alarm clock won't wake me and she will be sitting on my porch waiting for me while I sleep.  Therefore, I could not sleep until I knew I would be awake at the right time.  So at 3:(stinkin')30 in the morning, I am wandering around my own house in the pitch black looking for my cell phone, without the aid of my glasses or contacts.  Then the idea hit I should find a flashlight.

So I found a flashlight with working batteries and the first object the blazing beam of light landed on was my phone.  I scooped it up and trudged up the stairs, calculating the remaining hours of sleep I might get if I fall asleep as I climb in bed.

My phone alarm sounds at 6:45am.  I hit snooze, twice.  Finally I get out of bed, again, and begin to get ready for the hike around the neighborhood, praying the whole time it is raining and I can get back into bed without the two miles of hills. No such luck.

After our invigorating exercise, I returned home to wake the troops and being our school day.  After ten minutes of school and before my first cup of caffeine, my walking buddy calls.  One of her guinea pigs must be taken to the vet, could I accept two of her students into my class room for a couple of hours.  Bring it on, I reply.

With two in the school room and the visiting students in the kitchen (or school annex), I stood in the middle and made out pepperoni rolls for lunch for all students and a couple of teachers.  Once my friend made it back (with bad news on the guinea pig subject), we had a nice lunch, then separated our classes and headed back to our respective schools to finish up the lessons for the day.

Once the lessons ended, and with store list in hand, we headed to Sam's Club to restock the bare cupboard.  Did you know Sam's Club now has Self-Check out?  Those little scanners are really fun!

We made it home and got the groceries put away with just enough time to get dinner ready before karate began for the oldest little M.  Once karate was over, it was time for chores for the little guys and exercise for the oldest two in the house.  And now, that the day is done, I'm going to get my knitting and go watch Castle on TV.