"Utilizar placa de relajación"

That's what the dentist wrote in my indicaciones today. After developing a toothache over the weekend, we were able to get in to see the dentist this morning. While I do have a cavity, it's not where the pain is...the pain is totally due to me grinding my teeth at night. What she wrote translates "Wear your bite splint!" Several years ago I paid a lot of money to have one made specially for my mouth but I haven't been faithful in using it.

That changes today.

Aside from the pain, the dentist told me I'm literally grinding my teeth down to nubbins, including those expensive crowns in the back of my mouth.

Something that makes me feel better though, is this award from Mari at My Little Corner of the World: This award is to thank people for leaving comments. "They are beautiful people who practice blogging etiquette by visiting or visiting back, and leaving nice comments. Their observations are apt and helpful. It's a pleasure to have them as commenters on my posts...."

I am to pass this one on to 5 others. Mari passed it to her top five commenters but if I did that, it would go right back to her (which isn't such a bad idea considering she had a sad day yesterday -- but then I don't think it's supposed to keep bouncing back). Anyway besides Mari, I think my most frequent commenters, and subsequent recipients of this award, are:
Rita at Meemaw Moments
Sara at Make Music From Your Heart
Susan from This Day!
Elizabeth at Zizzie Happenings
and last, but not least,
my Jubisista from My Hands...His Glory!...

...who also goes by the name Skoots1Mom, and who gave me the sweetest anniversary gift! Muchas gracias Jubisista!

The hubby and I spent a quiet day at home on our anniversary but plan to get away to a B&B soon for a couple of days. The hubby has been in contact with a man who built a straw bale house in the valley to the west of us and he's offered to show us around and explain what he went through to build it. We enjoy learning about alternative methods of construction and dream of someday building an unconventional place of our own.

In other news, my art class tomorrow was canceled but I continue to work on my collage. Tonight I looked through a box of odds and ends to find some three-dimensional objects to adhere to the surface. I found cording, bits of fabric trim, metal letters from a scrapbooking project, teeny tiny mirrors and a paper butterfly. Photo will be forthcoming when finished.

The hubby is currently checking different settings on the oven with our new thermometer, in preparation to start making bread. The book says having an accurate oven temperature is critical to the process. Did you know most home ovens are off by up to 75°?! Since our oven knob has no markings at all (totally rubbed off in some distant past) we are starting from scratch. We're super excited about trying different breads in the book!

Our little winter garden is sprouting all over. The peas are 3-4" high already; pretty much everything is up except the green onions. The drizzly rain these past few days has been great for all the growing things. Not so good on the laundry front. I'm going to have to get a drying rack to set up in the kitchen near the heater for days like these.

I know this post is random and all over the place. So is my brain. I have a little notebook I keep by my chair with different things on different pages....quilt and craft ideas on one, thoughts about my Spanish blog on another, a growing grocery list, Spanish words and phrases I hear and need to look up, my "to do" list (must write them down when I think about them or they just won't get done). I've been flipping back and forth in that notebook like crazy tonight.

And so before I veer off in yet another direction, I'm signing off. Hasta mañana!