"The time has come," the walrus said,

"To talk of other things. 
Of shoes and ships and ceiling wax
 Of cabagges and kings..."

So, how's that for random?  I needed a title, but feel like I write "random" all the time.  For some reason, as I thought of random this sing-songy rhyme came to mind from "Alice in Wonderland" (the walrus and the carpenter).  Also a list of randomness... which just happens to contain the word SHIP.

So, speaking of ships... No joke.  In November of last year, my parents sailed on the Costa Concordia.  You know? The now sunken ship?  Yeah.  So, needless to say... since Saturday morning when the realization hit... I have been thanking the Lord often and loudly that they are safe and sound, and not currently sailing.  I cannot imagine the feeling of having loved ones that are unaccounted for.

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This morning, Dear Daughter complained of a sore throat (worse than her usual allergy-suffering sore throat), and it seemed she had a fever.  So, off to the doc we went. We love our doctor.  He's been our doctor since practically forever, and he delivered our kids. He feels like family.  The kids have never had one ounce of fear (even as toddlers) going to see him. We have never let any insurance company tell us that we can't go to him.  Best decision we ever made on behalf of our family.

Diagnosis: Tonsillitis --> $10 co-pay
Rx: Z-pac --> FREE
Knowing --> priceless

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Yesterday, the kids and I (along with my sister and her three kids) went to see "We Bought a Zoo."  I really enjoyed it.  I thought the kids would love it because of the animals.  Truth is, you don't have to be an animal-lover to enjoy it.  It's a lot about relationships, and a little about the animals.  Good movie.  My daughter says it goes on "THE LIST." You know what that means?  The DVD will reside in our home someday.  Yeah, there's a list.

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I'm still working on the 52-week home organization challenge.  How about you?  Last week was exam week around here, and therefore a wonky schedule.  I didn't get to clean under the kitchen sink as I'd planned, so that's on the schedule for this week.  Also - this week's challenge is organizing the pantry, spices, and food storage areas.  At this particular time, for whatever reason, my pantry is not super-stocked.  So, I imagine this will be an easy job. In general, I wouldn't say this is one of my problem areas.

For whatever obsessive-compulsive reason (who me?), things don't accumulate in our kitchen.  Just ask my mom and sister, who have been known to make fun of me for my tidy refrigerator.  Hey - other than the cheese that stays around too long, we've never had a science experiment in our refrigerator!

I have two food cupboards in my kitchen.  One is narrow with three shelves.  One shelf is for baking spices & etc.  The next is for all of the other spices.  (Both spice shelves have a lazy susan to eliminate reaching to the back of the shelf.)  The bottom shelf is for snacks.  The second cupboard is larger, and also contains three shelves.  It contains coffee and teas, plastic wraps, bags, and foils, peanut butter, and various often-used ingredients -- canned, and otherwise. There is somewhat of a method to my madness, but, truth-be-told -- it's pretty hard to lose something in this space.  I tidy it up from time to time, and we're good to go.

I don't keep a big enough inventory to worry about a pantry inventory. You know the old "Field of Dreams" saying:  "If you build it, they will come?"  Here's what happens in OUR house.  If I buy it and put it on a shelf, they will eat it.  True story.  I have teenagers.

I think this will be a light "Week 3" around here.  What's happening at your house?

Is the pantry an "easy" area for you, too

-- or do you struggle here?

Do you stock up on lots of foods?

I think it's so interesting to see different people's organizing styles, and priorities.  {Look at that pretty kitchen drawer at my sister's house!  The tote on the counter is all the "probably unneeded" stuff that she is putting away for a while.}  Want to see other people's organizing and storage ideas?  You can check out the "under-the-sink Hall of Fame" HERE, and the "organizing-and-storing-spices Hall of Fame" HERE.  For real.

Okay, now go check the sink.  *wink*

WEEK THREE MISSION:

Organize pantry, spices, and food storage areas.