I nearly burnt the dinner last night, and then cookies later that evening. What was the cause of my distraction?

I was looking at flood pictures from the Binghampton, NY area. I was mesmerized because this is the area we lived in when we were on the homestead. There was actually a picture posted by someone near my old street. I was actually in tears – it felt too close to home because I’d been to *that* restaurant, shopped in *that* store which now had muddy water up to the awnings. Driven that road, but never seen that field that full of water…

I was crying just looking at pictures – can you imagine being in the middle of it? Having all your possessions submerged in a mud bath, losing your house to structural damage, or spending days with other evacuees in a rescue shelter…with little kids and only what you grabbed in the 20 min. you had to flee the rising waters? And your husband’s place of work flooded, and your Church, and you’re  wondering if you will even have employment by the time this is over?

What a blessing that people with vision and compassion have already stepped up and are creating ways we can all pitch in and help the survivors. My friend Mandy has set up a toiletries drive to help flood victims. Visit her blog to find out how you can help. And for photos of the flood, you can check out this facebook album.

Today, to distract myself, (’cause I don’t have a baby yet and it’s all I think about unless I keep really busy but I wore myself out by 3pm) I went over and visited the Pioneer Woman. Everyone knows who she is. She’s got a huge, wonderful blog and a ginormous following (she gets an average of 2000 comments per post. I. Cannot. Fathom. Does she read them all?). I like her blog. She can be a little, well, crass, at times. But she has beautiful photographs, and keeps it real. Those are my favorite things in a blog, and what I strive for around here. I don’t read her often simply ’cause I like to be different, and it seems everyone else reads her blog and links to her all the time.

I decided today that was a stupid reason.

My favorite thing is her writing voice. It’s so real – it’s like you’re talking to her on the phone. And she’s got a great sense of humor. That is one thing I want to copy about her – using my true voice when I blog.

Oh, I would also like to give away complete sets of Fiesta wear and $250 gift certificates, but I don’t have sponsors calling me begging me to expose their products to my ginormous readership. I’m not complaining, mind you. You guys are great, all 79 of you (oh, there’s more of you? Well, become an official follower in my sidebar and give my ego a boost, will you? I need all the distraction I can get while I wait – and wait…and wait...)

Yeah, so the ticker does appear to be going backward. Except when you click it until it says “40 weeks, 4 days so far”. Then you get an accurate picture of why I’m so desperate for diversion. Yeah, I know that a due date is aproximate, and I went 9 days late with my Boy, but I was sooo sure I’d go on my due date ’cause it was also the full moon. And I’ve had plenty of warm-up labor and I am sooo ready. But I can’t help being grateful for how good I feel and how much we get done each day we wait.

I asked myself today, “Why isn’t my house always this clean?” Cause, I’m telling you, it is spotless,  spit-shined,  perfectly polished from top to bottom (Well, I don’t go in the basement – that’s Jeremy’s territory). I mean, here’s proof that it can actually get this tidy (I had decided it was impossible before this week) – so why isn’t it?

The answer? ‘Cause normally I like to do other things besides clean my house. That is all I have done this month. I take nesting to an extreme – it is an excuse to depth clean every room in my house and finish all kinds of unfinished (or even un-begun) projects.

It’s really nice, actually, living in a house that feels like a condo. I could live like this all the time. But I wouldn’t get anything else done. And I dearly love that ‘anything else’ category – like sewing, scrapbooking, reading good books and connecting with friends – oh, and blogging. So, as in everything, you gotta find the balance.

So, to help me from being bored – why don’t you all share YOUR favorite blog or website that you like to kill time on? Or, the one place you visit when you only have 5 min. online and no new emails…

And, while your at it, tell me your favorite thing about this blog, so I can remember why I love hanging out here with you all so much. Thanks. It would make my day.