Beads and Birds

2012-01-06T06:00:00.011-05:00

I love gimmicks. You have heard of them. Little games you play to make yourself do chores that must be done. Like when The Flylady told me to take 15 minutes a day to do just a little of a chore, like dusting or clearing the clutter from the dining room table.

I like to read the blogs that YOU are reading. That's how I came across my newest favorite game. The 366 Challenge. You can read about it here.

I decided to play along. Every day I'm going to choose an item, maybe more to donate or give to someone that can use it. Maybe I'll even have a give-a-way or two. Each week I'll post a picture of what I cleared out. This isn't going to be easy, but I can DO it!!

What Did You Say????

2012-01-04T21:07:00.000-05:00

I wanted to get up early today. I guess Junior thought I meant 3:30 AM when Opie (the possum) came to visit. So, I had an early start to a good day.

Terry had an appointment at the VA Clinic in Ft. Wayne for a hearing test. We had decided that we would leave whenever we got up and have a nice relaxed trip. It takes about 1-1/2 hours to get there. We go to Ft. Wayne every now and again. There is always someplace to visit. Its a big city.

Now, its official. Terry has lost 1/2 his hearing in both ears. O, what 1/2 you ask? Well, the 1/2 that hears HIGH pitches. You know the ones that his wife's voice pitch falls in. Now he has an excuse ~lol~

Seriously, he has been hard of hearing since before we met. Its probably from the big guns, whatever they are called, that he shot while in Korea. He served at the DMZ during the conflict when North Korea took our Pueblo and its crew captive. I guess the next step will be to look into hearing aids.

After we left the clinic, we had lunch and then checked out some shops on the way home.

It was a nice day with quiet time spent together. The kind of day we don't get very often and cherish when we do.

The "WORD" Is The New "RESOLUTION"

2012-01-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

Yes! Happy New Year!!

I have been giving so much thought to the coming year. I am not dwelling on the past year. Oh, it wasn't a BAD year. I'm just not looking back. But the coming year is going to be exciting for me.

Terry is going back to the property that he transferred from. The old manager quit after he left so we expect this to be a good move.

The owner of the business where I work has bought a new building. It is HUGE. A block long HUGE! A little farther away from home. My office will be back in the "Office" and no longer in the shop. I'm losing my private bathroom. But I CHOOSE to look forward to the move. AND Boeing got a multi-billion dollar contract so that should be good news for our future.

My daughter and grandsons will be looking for a place to live. X = (this is my fingers crossed!) I look forward to them moving on with their lives and becoming more independent. AND Sometimes my house is a circus, or noisy like a depot as they come and go. Or a bank cause we are the go to bankers when the boys need. Or a gym when they practice Jiu Jitsu in the living room or wherever else they decide to throw each other around! Do you know that Corey can actually (from a standing position) lift his foot to the sink and hurl his body threw a window opening to the next room!! It's a circus, I tell ya! Anyway, it's time, though Corey told me he is leaving his room intact just in case.

So. Are you wondering about the WORD that I mentioned in the title? Lots of you (us) pick a word to inspire us for the coming year. Unlike resolutions that are only meant to be broken, THE WORD helps us to focus on what we expect to accomplish in the coming year. I've had a discussion with a few of my friends about what their word will be and my perseption of their choices.

Since I talked to Susan Elliot, I have only had one word that my heart, no my SOUL, as spoken. It is FREEDOM.

Freedom to create and show my creations without fear of how others perceive them. I once posted a piece that I LOVED and still do. It sits before me right now. One commentor called it primitive. I didn't take offense at all, but it stiffled me a bit. Made me shy to post some other of my pieces for fear that more accomplished stichers would judge them. I'm shakin' that off!! So don't worry, say what you think when you see coming pieces. I'm not self conscience about them ANYMORE. I welcome constructive comments.

Freedom from guilt because I allow the others that live here to be responsible for themselves. Ah, FREEDOM. I welcome you!

Freedom to be less serious. To smile and laugh more. To be more of the person I keep hidden inside. Freedom to be free.

Happy New Year. I'm going to be "out there" much more this year.

Back Packs For Lunch

2011-12-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

While I was on sick leave, I watched an episode of Anderson Cooper. One of his guests talked about how she had started a lunch backpack program at a school in New York. I remembered hearing about such a program before.

Well, you know how I am about listening to the Universe. She sent me a message the very next day. I received an email from the boy's school telling us there would be a basketball game soon. The team was supporting a local program and asked that everyone that attended the game, both home and visitors teams, bring a jar of peanut butter. They would be donated to a program that the elementary school custodian and his wife had started called CAREousel. Yep, you guessed it...a Back Packs for Lunch Program.

I sent an email to the basketball coach asking for more information. He forwarded it to Mr. K, the custodian, who called me that same night. He explained that he had noticed that one child in particular was saving some of his lunch to take home on Fridays. After talking to the boy to find out that he was saving food for lunch on Saturday, Mr. K. talked it over with his wife and they agreed to send a bag of food and snacks home with the boy on Fridays. The project kind of took off from there. Mr. K. told me that there were at least 150 students that would benefit from the program in just the elementary school. So far, they have only been able to commit to 50 bags a week. I asked him how much it would cost to fund one bag.

Since we are on a pretty tight budget right now, I thought about what I could sacrifice to sponsor a couple of bags each week, and made the commitment to do so.

I'm not telling you this story to get a pat on the back. I'm just telling you, because you may be looking for a way to make a difference. You may want to be sure that difference is made in your own community. If you have been thinking along these lines...take the leap. Someone is waiting to hear from you.

Merry Christmas.

What Would You Be?

2011-11-27T22:43:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder what I would be if I had taken a different path. Oh, that thinking sets me off on all kind of paths.

I am not talking about wishing I could be a rock star that could just belt out a song in perfect key, dressed in perfect rock star garb. No, not GAGA. I don't think I could ever be THAT creative or WANT to dress that way. I would probably dress more in Cheryl Crow mode. But that's a day dream.

Sometimes, I'm a dancer..Broadway Dancer! Kicking high, doing a quick roll and back on my feet to kick again. In my day dream I ALWAYS spin and spin and fall right off the stage. No matter how many times that one has run through my head, it always plays out the same way. I actually do remember riding in the car when I was about 8 years old having that day dream!

Of course, sometimes I sew, and knit and embroider like no other and actually make a living at it creating one of a kind always in demand high-end ...anything.

But what I REALLY wish I was is a Psychologist. I never day dream about it. I just wish it was the path I had taken. Of course, I would not be a rich Psychologist. I would be helping those that have no one else..

So, I am rambling, but I really am content in the path I took. I just wish I knew then what I know now.

Things Have A Way of Happening/ Counting Blessings

2011-11-23T00:58:00.000-05:00

I have been telling this to a few of my friends. This information has had a huge impact on me. It actually blew me away...scared me a little..gave me pause....I am re-evaluating priorities.

I went to my doc Tuesday to discuss the test and surgery I had. I got a little more than I bargained for. I also got some kind of shocking news. Remember I posted that I had 2 gall bladders? The 2nd gall bladder is refered to as a second gall bladder, but its really a somethin-somethin cyst that is usually not detected unless you have gall stone problems. If it goes undetected it usually develops into cancer. Mine tested OK. So I am one lucky lady with a whole lot to be thankful for. It was lucky that Terry pushed me to have the colonoscopy or I would have let the GB issue go for a long time.

So, on especially this day, I am counting my BLESSINGS.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends. You are in the count.

Diamonds R Forever

2011-11-22T10:29:00.001-05:00

The best presents I have ever received from Terry, have been the unexpected ones.

For a long time I have wanted a ring that fit just right on my thumb.

Even though my gem of choice is not diamonds, and my metal of choice is not gold, I cherish this ring.

Because "diamonds are forever, like you and me, and gold is preciouse, like you are to me". That's what he said after surgery.

A Medical Mystery

2011-11-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

Well, its been a month since I posted.

Its been a crazy month.

I had a bad day. Bad enough to stay home from work. Had some pain, and other symptoms. Called the doctor for an appointment. Thought I needed to have a colonoscopy. Now, I have to tell you that I have been careful to monitor any symptom that might call for the test. My mom (aunt that raised me) ignored symptoms. She died from peritonitis caused by diverticulitis. The doctor agreed, I had the test. I have diverticulosis. A warning to eat more fiber.

BUT, during the initial exam, we had discussed pain I had that NOTHING to do with that condition. My doctor ordered an ultrasound of my gall bladder. I had pain under my right ribs. I also had shoulder pain that I had thought was a pulled muscle, but was lasting a long time. I was occasionally nauseated. The ultra sound showed my gall bladder was full of stones, and what looked like a cyst on my liver. Last Thursday I had surgery. Imagine my surprise when I was told the cyst was actually a second gall bladder! I was a medical mystery. My surgeon was excited because he had never seen anyone with two, let alone two with ducts from the liver to each of them.

So, I'm here to tell you, do NOT ignore pains or symptoms that you think (hope) will go away. Both of my conditions would have gotten much worse if ignored.

Now, I am looking forward to two quiet weeks at home to recuperate. As I have been reminded by some of my friends, my body has been through a LOT in the last year.

60 is the new 40???

2011-10-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

This is the new improved me!
New teeth.
New hair color.
New weight.

Here is my Heart.

In The Halloween Mood!

2011-10-09T20:44:00.000-04:00

So, this is how I used the mums. This is looking out one of the patio doors onto the front deck.

I love this gargoyle. So does Junior. He sits in front of the window and stares at him. Then he lays down. Then he falls asleep. But he is always on guard!

And this is how it looks at night. There are orange lights across the deck rail. I plan to leave it up until Thanksgiving.

The stores have all holiday decorations out. I strolled through Menard's Christmas display admiring their decorated trees. There is something magical about a Christmas tree. And Christmas is not THAT far off.

How about you. Do you decorate for Halloween AND Thanksgiving AND Christmas?

We Spoil Them

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Corey wanted a hammock.

I can't believe that Papa agreed. He used to complain about holes in the walls.

I didn't care. What's the big deal? When he gets tired of it, plug the holes. After all, Terry is a Maintenance Man. He will teach Corey how to do it, right? That's what I thought.

But wait!!

I always call Kyle Corey's puppet. (said lovingly and laughingly). Of course Kyle wanted one too!

Anything to keep the tribe happy!

We Are Honored

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Let me just take a moment to warn you. If you don't like tattoos, don't understand about tattoos, or don't think people should HAVE tattoos....don't read on.

Corey has lived with us almost all his life. We know he loves us. But I think we REALLY understand now how he feels about us.
I can't tell you how touched we are that he got a portrait tattoo of Terry and I.

And he is proud to have it.

He's growing into a well adjusted young man. He is on the high school wrestling team and continues to study Jujitsu. His grades are good and he is taking a tech class at the Career Center for auto body repair, which is affiliated with the high school. He loves it. Its a two year course. The best are usually offered jobs when the course is completed.

Though you always hope your kids will go to college, some don't. Some do later. At least he will graduate high school with a skill.

And THIS is his brother. He is our Techno Geek (said with love and affection). He fixes broken X-boxes.
Tears apart controllers and wires them with led lights. He's straight A's and a B. He says he's going to college and he will own the business and give his brother a job. He is the brains and his brother is the brawn. He is our resident comedian. He studies Jujitsu too. I say, everything he learned he learned from U-Tube. ~lol~

Huh?

The Fall Season is Here

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Notice the yellow centers of the burgundy mums?
Notice the burgundy centers of the yellow mums?
How cool is that!

My front deck is ready to be transformed to the fall decor. I have 6 of these mums. I need to get a couple of bales of straw and some pumpkins. Throw in some lights and valah!! Fall Transformation.

I'll post a pic when its done.

Wildflower or Weed?

2011-09-20T06:00:00.002-04:00

This is one of my favorite flowers to look at. The color in this picture just doesn't give it justice. It is the most beautiful shade of delicate periwinkle. Do you know what it is? Chickory.

When I first saw it growing wild along the roads, Terry would stop and dig a few up and plant them where ever I asked him to in the back yard. Terry did this same routine MANY times with no results. (Terry is a gem. How many guys would just say, forget it. They don't want to grow here. Besides, its a weed!). Nope, not Terry. He aims to please.

Finally I gave up. I just figured it was Nature's way of telling me I should get out. Take a drive and see all the beauty that Nature wants me to see.

But wait. What was the tiny bit of blue/purple that I could just barely see when I looked out the window?

You guessed it. A little Chickory plant. A seed dropped by one of my precious birds. And you will never guess where it is growing....on Jack's grave. So appropriate.

Thank you Mother Nature.

We call him Choo Choo

2011-09-19T06:30:00.000-04:00

Bet cha thought I abandoned my blog. No Way. I LOVE the blog world. I read everyone's blog everyday. I try to comment on each, but sometimes I just can't. I used to be able to catch up a little while at work, but I just have not been able to squeeze it in to my day anymore. All this work is interfering with my social network!!

Well, I HAVE been up to a few crafty things that I will be showing you eventually.

In the meantime, I'd like to introduce you to one of my feathered friends. But let me back up a tiny bit.

If you have been around here for a while, you may remember Mr. Baldy. You may also know that I believe in the metaphysical. I was pretty upset that I hadn't seen Mr. Baldy for a while. While driving down the highway a few blocks from my house, I saw a dead Cardinal in the road. Something made me turn around with the intention to bury it. But, when I got to it, it was not a bird but a piece of cloth. I felt I could NOT have mistaken the cloth for a bird. I immediately knew that I need not watch for Mr. Baldy anymore.

A short time later, this fella started to appear at our feeder.
He is a bit unusual, which you can't see in this picture very well. He is what I call scruffty. Also, he has fluffy feathers covering his legs. Terry mentioned that he had a chicken when he was a boy that had the same kind of feathers. Since he called the chicken Choo Choo, that is what we dubbed this guy too.

Just like Mr. Baldy, Choo Choo's head is a bit mis-shaped. In this pic, he is losing his neck feathers too.

He has been very illusive when it comes to allowing me to get his picture. He always seems to know when I go for the camera.

Here he is again. He is even more scruffty than before. I haven't been able to get her picture, but a female often comes to the feeder too. She is also pretty scruffty. We think they are Mr. Baldy's offspring since they look very similar to the way he looked the first time I saw him. That was about 6 years ago.

These two birds know that I love them. If the feeder is empty, they sit in the tree, or on the feeder and actually squawk to get our attention. When we come out, they fly to the tree and wait for their meal. Before we even move away, they land and begin their meal.

YOU may not believe that I communicate with my critters, but that's OK. I DO.

Be well my friends, and remember. Be Kind To Yourself.
xx, Carol

Planning a Boho Bag

2011-09-18T22:16:00.000-04:00

Have you seen the Boho Bags that some of the crazy quilters are doing? They are a little too victorian for me, but I am planning to put my own version together.

I went through SOME of my stash and came up with these 4 fabrics so far. I need to find more blue and some sandstone fabric. I think I have trims that will work, but if I don't, well heck, that's why they have fabric stores, right.

I'm excited to get going.

Gerry K has an excellent tutorial on her blog. I love her method for putting one together and avoiding bulky seams. Go visit her site to see what its all about.
http://olderrose.blogspot.com/2011/08/step-2-avoiding-bulky-seams.html

Do You Know Who Goethe Is?

2011-08-13T21:29:00.000-04:00

Well. I won't be telling you here. But I will tell you that he was a German Genius who lived in the early 1800s. I found out about him surfing around about color.

However, when I read a little about him, I came across the following quote. His thought parallels what I have come to realize in the last ten or so years. For me, it was not a frightening, but enlightening realization.

Here is what he said:

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming. ~Goethe

Its a passage that we should read often, don't you think? A reminder to look for the good and the positive and face the day with a smile.

I've been away from the blog for a while. I always shift gears in the summer. My job has been even more busy than it ever has. I have been focused on spending time with Terry and the boys. I have been giving needed attention to Junior. Its part of my "ME" time now and I am happy that it is. My garden is a jungle due to the high heat and humidity. Its been all but impossible to work outside. But!! I have a wonderful container garden on the front deck that has flourished. I'm sure that I will continue THAT next summer. NO WEEDS!!

I have been sewing a little, along with a little crochet and a little embroidery. A little of this and that which are WIP.

Life is good to me, is it to you?

If You Don't Like A Bath, Why Are You In The Tub!?!

2011-07-12T18:20:00.000-04:00

On Monday a super storm raged across the Midwest from Minnesota to the East Coast. Some straight line winds reached 85 MPH. That is blow down trees strength and very scary. I was at work when the sky got black, rain poured down and the wind raged on.

It seems like since our other two dogs have gone, Junior is acting pretty weird doing things he usually doesn't do like digging holes, pacing, nothing really bad. Did I say digging holes? But let me back the story up just a little.

Junior has an immune system illness that causes him to have skin yeast infection which causes him to lose hair, have a tough hide where its gone and a distinctive odor. I have to give him a bath every week in a medicated shampoo which has been keeping it in check. Junior hates a bath, but has learned to know that if I say he will get a bath, I am dead serious. So is he and he doesn't cave until he knows its hopeless.

Reel forward to yesterday and the storm now. I was at work when the sky got black. Imagine my surprise when I opened a text message from Corey with this picture attached captioned "Junior wants another bath". Juney was so upset when that storm blew through that he jumped into the bathtub. That's where Corey found him when Corey woke up.

Corey said "Well that's where they tell you to go if you think a tornado is coming."

Second Chance Flowers

2011-07-08T00:41:00.001-04:00

This is one of the things I like best about the pond. We add more water-lilies every year. We keep a heater in the pond for the fish over the winter and it seems it is helping to keep the water-lilies survive the winters too. I have several colors now and love every one.

Since we have been staying away from the pond area, we have concentrated on re-landscaping the front of the house. Rose of Sharon seed themselves here and it can be quite annoying to have to pull the starts out like weeds. I have been having an issue with my eye that is probably caused by allergies so Terry surprised me one morning and beat me to weed this area. He is just the best.

I got these petunias in the clearance area at Lowes. They were pretty much sticks. But at 50 cents for a container of 6, I figured what the heck. I bought $5 worth. I was going to put them in the pond area. When I went out to prepare the ground a Cardinal started yelling at me so I retreated to regroup. I looked around for some pots and thought they would probably do well on the front deck.

This one is my favorite. I love the color contrast. There are also three long rectangle planters full of them. Terry hung a shelf from the deck rail to put them on. I also got geraniums in the clearance and they are also doing great. I have a water soluble fertilizer that I water them with and that must be the secret.

They Left and Never Even Said Goodbye

2011-07-06T00:41:00.001-04:00

They haven't stopped here for a couple of years. The last time they did ended in tragedy. We were heart-broken. The minute I saw this male blue-bird scoping out the houses, I took down the feeders with food that English Sparrows sometimes visit. It limits what other birds visit, but I didn't want to encourage ES to visit my yard.

He's calling his mate to check out the new pad. But, poor guy, he should have known she'd find one she liked better.

This one is better, I heard her tweet. It's not so close to that fence.

She doesn't know that the house by the fence was a decoy for the ES. The entire time the blue-birds made a comfy nursery, the ES male would sit on a house nearby chirping his heart out to attract a female. She must have gotten my message that if she dared, I'd be her home wrecker because she never showed up. For weeks he chirped and I got sick of hearing him all day long. Gosh, why didn't his throat get sore!

On with my tale. Finally the blue-bird babies were hatched. I was practically glued to the kitchen window. We had watched the male bring goodies to his mate while she warmed the eggs. Then we watched as both of them took turns bringing a smorgasbord of birdie delicacies to the chicks, who chirped wildly all the time waiting for the next course. As they got older, the chicks only chirped when they sensed the parents were near.

The parents brought moths, green wiggly worms, little white worms and earwigs. I wonder what else they brought that I didn't see. It was difficult to get pictures since the parents would fly off if they sensed any movement nearby.

That's why the area around the bird house looks like this. After months of an over abundance of rain we needed to clean this area which is near the pond. But we were convinced it was necessary to give our visitors their privacy in the new parental role.

One day I looked out and saw this tiny face and for a moment, I knew the day was near that the babies would be fledglings.
Then, before I knew it, they were gone and they didn't even say good-bye.

NO PICTURES--BAD DOG!!

2011-06-10T09:48:00.001-04:00

Nope, no pictures today. We have been re-landscaping the area around the pond. Moving ornamental grasses away from the edge and planting more manageable flowers in that area.

From the time we decided to put in a pond, we fenced the area, mainly to keep the dogs out so we would have a safe area for critters AND doo-doo free grass. However, since Buddy and Jack are gone, TERRY (see how his name is in BOLD) decided that we could take the fence down now. It would be easier to mow and Junior would not bother the area. I liked the fence and wanted to replace it with wrought iron. I liked that I had plants along it including climbing rose and peony and hollyhock, plus much more. But since I don't always have to have things MY way, I deferred.

Anyway, back to the area I started talking about. I have been weeding and planting flowers in a small area on the house side of the pond. I like to look out the window and admire the blooms. While I was working last week, I noticed the ground moving and knew there probably was a mole down there, but couldn't get him. I just let it go and went about my weed/planting business. I planned to finish that area up this weekend. However!! When I got up this morning and looked out to check on the Blue Birds, that area had been dug up. I saw that it was kind of a track pattern. Terry said Junior did it. I figured if he did, then he was after the mole. But his paws were not muddy, which I mentioned to Terry. He huffed off since he took that for protecting my dog. It was just a statement for heavens sake! For me, this all comes back to removing the fence that I (in Bold) never wanted to remove in the first place.

Sweet guy that Terry is, went out to replant the flowers to try to salvage them.

So, do I go out and replant the area? Or do I stick a bush there and plant flowers in a different area.

And Junior? Well, he's a dog. He does what comes doggy natural. THAT is why someone invented fence.

New Birds Are Visiting

2011-06-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

We have lived in this house since 1976. From the very first year, we saw Orioles flying by from a nearby yard. They never stopped at our house, but we saw them every year. I have tried to lure them with everything I ever read that Orioles like. No Luck.

I always have suet for the Woodpeckers. We have several varieties that live near, probably because we have a dying tree in the back yard. They all love to eat the Sunflower suet I put at the feeders. About a month ago, I bought a suet I had never seen before...No Melt Apple Dough. Let me tell you that from the first day I added it to the feeders I was visited by both the male and female Orchard Oriole. They LOVE it. They come several times a day. The other birds have shunned the other suets and are eating the new one exclusively. Who knew!

This is the male. Its been really hard for me to capture a picture. They are very alert to humans and don't stick around if I even come near the door.

Believe it or not, this is late afternoon. Even though it got dark with a storm threatening, this male just kept mowwing that suet.

This is a Weigela in the back yard. I saw a lot of movement in it and took a really close look. I don't know how to edit a picture to draw a circle around the bird. If you double click the picture, you will see orange near the bottom. The Oriole is taking nectar from the pink flowers.

Another new regular visitor is a Flicker. We also have a pair of Grey Cowbirds that I have never seen before. Their call sounds just like a kitty mewing. Bluebirds are nesting in one of the Blue Bird houses. Thankfully an English Sparrow has been calling for a mate every day, ALL DAY, forever with no takers and the wrens moved on too so maybe, just maybe the Blue Birds will have an easy time of it.

Oh, I caught a frog with my hand the other day! Terry called me to look at it because it had a kind of pointy nose. Without a thought I just reached down and picked it up. I think it startled both of us that I did it so quickly. You may remember that Terry banned the big frogs last year because they were eating his fish. That hasn't hit him yet this year. I asked him if he wanted to take the frog down to the river and he told me to throw him back in. Didn't have to ask ME twice. I love my frogs.

Blessing abound in my world, how about yours?

WHAT THE!!!!

2011-06-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

Why I make THEM empty their pockets before I wash their jeans!!!

Our Nightly Entertainment

2011-06-02T21:57:00.000-04:00

Our living room has two patio doors that open onto a deck that runs almost the width of our house. For the last year, we have been visited at night by a orphan possum that I named Opie. The deck is really close, but not attached to the house. Opie scootches between the house and the deck to see if there is any peanut butter bread left over from the squirrels. Its pretty amazing that he can get through such a tight space.

I always know when Opie has arrived because Junior lays at attention patiently waiting for Opie to appear.

Sometimes I can tell Opie is under the deck because Junior paces from one door to the other, ears at attention.

Imagine my surprise when I looked out the door and saw THIS critter scarfing up the bread!

He's a baby too and it didn't phase Junior at all that he was out there. Junior just continued to intently watch the racoon eat...and watch back.

When I get ready to go to bed, Junior is still keeping guard...

Your Heart Gets Bigger, Even Though A Part Breaks

2011-05-16T16:47:00.000-04:00

I saw him on the morning news, during a segment that introduces available rescue dogs. I already had 3 dogs, but the minute I saw Jack I fell in love. I couldn't get him off my mind. I called The Pet Refuge and the next scheduled time to meet a dog was a couple of days off. I couldn't stop talking or thinking about him. My daughter called and told a volunteer about how taken I was with Jack so they arranged a special meeting. There was a mutual undeniable attraction. They told me that Jack had been living at their facility for quite a while. That since he was a pup, he had lived in a paint shop. I took him home the very same day. When I took him to the vet that had been taking care of him, I was surprised to see a very big file. I didn't even ask what his medical issues had been. Jack was a boxer/labrador mix that looked like a pit bull. I called him a box-a-dor. From the first day, Jack got along with the other dogs. He was a family dog, but everyone knew that he was mine and I was his. I had many nick names for him...Black Jack, Black Jack Shelack, Jackie Chan (my favorite), Jack of all Trades and many more.

Jack did a dance that I like to call the Jackie Jig. Later I found out that Boxers do a dance called the Kidney Bean Dance. The Jackie Jig was a much cooler version than the normal. He would dance on command any time I asked him to. Jackie always loved to look out the front windows into the trees across the street and watch squirrels. He HATED trucks. I surmise that part of the reason had something to do with his crooked jaw and snaggle tooth. Terry always said that Jack looked at us like he knew us from another life. We always joked and asked if we knew anyone that could dance like that.

Jack lived with us for about 10 years. I always say that I rescued him from Doggy Jail.

He was scared to walk by Buddy, because Buddy always growled, though it was just a warning that Buddy's bowl had food in it.

Jack and Junior were best friends. They were always together and sometimes almost crowded me out of my sewing room so they could lay next to each other next to my chair. Jack slept next to my bed, and his place in the living room was next to my recliner.

Last night about midnight, Jack started to have seizures..or heart attacks...or strokes...I'm not sure. I felt his end was near and stayed with him to comfort him and to comfort me. When the vet opened we took him there to find peace. But I am not at peace. I am heartbroken. I loved Jack more that even I can believe. I don't know what to do without him. Junior doesn't know either. He has been digging up the grave.

I know my friends that read this will want to send healing wishes. I thank you in advance because I will turn comments off.

Sad Site

2011-05-11T07:10:00.000-04:00

Every day there is a new weather condition on the news. The tornado news overshaddowed the flooding of the Mississippi. This morning in a CBS news report, the reporter was panning houses in Memphis while floating on the flood waters. Honest to God, there was a deer laying on the top of a roof of a house with flood waters threatening to completely cover the house.

Tester Teeth!

2011-05-05T22:37:00.000-04:00

Here I am.
Hair in pony tail.
Sun darkened lens glasses
Maire Dodd Earrings
Flowered hoodie that Corey says look like PJs
and...Tester Teeth.

This was the final step to getting my permanent dentures.
The dentist made a wax mold of my jaws which was fitted for size and several other adjustments that I was very impressed that were made. This morning I had an appointment for a cosmetic fitting. A check to see if the teeth were the appropriate size and color and if my jaw profile was cosmetically right.

I was pleased with the look and fit. My friend's daughter has been the tech that assisted the my dentist so I had her take a quick pic. Then I signed on the dotted line, and off they went to the lab to be turned into dentures.

One week from today I will have my real Fake Teeth.

Just in case someone that is searching for denture information stumbles on my blog, let me mention one thing. I had temporary false teeth that were meant to be worn until I would get the permanent dentures. They were fine and helpful in the beginning of this journey. However, as swelling subsided, they became uncomfortable and I just did not want to take the time, effort and expense of having them adjusted. I have been without even the temps in my mouth for about 3-1/2 months. My jaw muscles hurt without teeth to separate the jaws. It's like the jaws never get to relax and rest. It is also difficult to talk as the day wears on. I don't really care that I am limited to eating soft foods. I don't miss eating meat at all, except possibly a Rib Eye Steak.

Goodbye Buddy.

2011-04-28T06:47:00.000-04:00

We said goodbye to a friend yesterday.

He was Junior's brother.

I remember when the kids would call us in the morning before school to help them get him back in the house. He liked to run out the door and go to visit the workers in the factory down the road.

He knew how to make the water from the cooler come out so he could drink from the tray.

He knew how to turn door knobs to let himself out.

He woke Laurie up in the middle of the night because he wanted a cookie.

He loved everyone especially Ky and Laurie.

We always waited at the door about 5 minutes before Laurie got home. How did he know?

She called him "Big Dog".

Falsie Flower

2011-04-25T21:39:00.001-04:00

Fake Flowers have been popular for a while now, but you know the Midwest...it takes a while for fashion fads to hit. (They're really called Shabby Chic Flowers, but I call mine Falsie Flowers). Anyway, when I saw a fabric flower on a military jacket, I loved the look. Then I noticed one on the strap of a great purse. I started playing around a little bit with making flowers. I haven't yet hit the one I want for the jacket I bought, but this one is really pretty and it looks great on my black sweater.

I'm going to putz around with more. I have a couple of old denium shirts that I wore to death and I think their soft worn fabric will be great.

Happy Holiday!!

2011-04-23T06:32:00.000-04:00

Na, I'm just kidding. We don't eat bunnies at our house. Heck, we barely eat meat. A few years ago I switched from making the traditional Easter ham dinner to the New Traditional 2 selections of Lasagna, one with red sauce and one seafood alfredo, yum!

Wishing everyone a happy holiday, not matter what holiday you celebrate. If its not a holiday for you, the have a terrific Sunday.

Spring Is Here, But Has Anyone Told The Weatherman!!

2011-04-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

We have daffodils blooming by the pond. The lilac bushes are budding right along with some of the other bushes. The birds are building nests and you can hear see male sparrows sitting on the top of the birdhouses they have selected, calling for a mate to join them.

O, but what happened yesterday (Saturday)! Snow mixed with rain fell in broad daylight, dashing hopes of shorts and flip flops coming out anytime soon. Forget about working in the yard to clear debris and leaves left from late fall.

But what do I care!! I know the weather will get warmer and when it does, I'M READY! I found these Ranunculus. I liked them so much after I got them home that I went back and bought 7 more pots. I usually select shades of purple or orange, but Terry wanted me to buy all colors so that's what we did. When it gets just a little warmer, we'll go out to the pond and move he ornamental grasses farther from the pond. Terry planted them too close and they have spread to unmanagable sizes. Yay for me, because I have flower plans for where they were. The wind we had brought to light some issues with our privacy fence. Our lot is 285' long and the perimeter is privacy fenced. The wind blew down a couple of sections which made us realize that we need to start replacing it all. Its been up for more than 25 years so we expected that we would have to. Its not such an issue as far as the work goes because the boys are always willing to work and learn something new, but financially at $25 a section plus new posts, well darn it!!

Terry just called me to the window. Bluebirds are scoping out one of our bird houses. They are so beautiful, but we have so many English Sparrows around which love to kill them, that I almost would rather the BB move on. We'll see how it goes.

I have been making fabric (shabby chic) flowers. I'll be showing them later in the week.

Junior is doing very well and looks great. Some days he's tired, but mostly still loves to chase the laser light.

For those that have been asking, on April 7 I went to the dentist to have a mold made for my falsies. Usually two weeks later you go back for the first fitting. But my dentist took my deposit and went on vacation ~lol~ so I don't go back now until April 26. I have been really pleased with this entire situation. I am patiently waiting to have them and feel comfortable with them. On August 7, Terry and I will be married 40 years and I have already paid to have our pictures taken by a photographer for the newspaper. Gosh I love my guy.

So, please remember all the things that you are grateful for today.

I'm thinking of my family and friends, pets and critters, jobs and the ability to help those in need.

LIMITLESS

2011-04-02T23:55:00.001-04:00

I've been on kind of a roller coaster lately. One of my dogs has been sick and it looks like his problems stem from an immune system issue. I took Friday off because I needed to give him medicine and was advised to stay with him all day incase it made him sick. I thought we had things under control but Friday brought another trip to the vet due to Junior developing conjunctivitis. I had no idea dogs got it! Scared the heck out of me because it didn't cause his eye to be pink, but caused the tissue around his eyeball to swell. VERY SCARY and UGLY! I have found the most wonderful vet and she is my new friend. She gave me ointment and by the time I left the office, Junior's eye looked 100% better. Thank you Sheila.

Laurie is off to Indianapolis to visit a friend. She usually spends a lot of time with the boys on the weekend, so her trip gave Terry and I the opportunity to spend a little time with them. There is a movie theatre in Niles Michigan which is just a few miles from us if we drive the county roads. The tickets for first run movies are $2.50 before noon, $4 from noon to 6PM, and $5 after 6. Big bags of popcorn are only $2.75 with .75 refills. These prices are so unbelievably affordable, so we took advantage of our time together by taking the boys to see Limitless. We all thought it was a pretty entertaining movie. Then we stopped at a restaurant that Terry and I used to go to all the time years ago. They have good burgers and a really great atmosphere. Niles is a quaint little town that Terry and I used to visit about once a month to visit the local antique mall or see a show and have dinner. The day brought back a lot of good memories and I'm sure we will be traveling there often again.

Tomorrow will be quiet. Its supposed to be stormy. The boys are on Spring Break and I took Monday off too so they probably will have plans for me. However, I am going to try to get some sewing in this weekend too.

O, I forgot....Yay BUTLER!! Great Game.

Sherry Serafini's Sensational Bead Embroidery

2011-03-23T18:36:00.000-04:00

Amazon sent me an e-mail suggesting new books I might be interested in. Nice guys. They do that all the time and I don't really mind. Sometimes they have some good suggestions. I gotta tell you though, I check out what they have to offer that I might want, stick it in my Wishlist, then I open another browser and check to see if what I want is available at http://www.betterworldbooks.com/ . I had to give them a plug because you get fab deals there, they do good work AND they are located about 5 miles from my home and I can order on line and pick my order up at their warehouse if I want. If not, the shipping is reasonable and faster than they promise. You can get great deals on used books also.

OKay, OKay, back to Sherry's book. I preordered and it was released early so it was waiting for me when I came home today. I'm telling you, the book is worth its weight in eye candy. I have only thumbed through it so far. I'll take a better look after I fix supper and grab a cup of joe. Even thumbing through it I saw techniques that I don't think were in her last book ( if they were, I missed them), that I never knew how to do.

What do I know! But I think its a great book and I can't wait to read it.

Have an absolutely fab evening!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Take Time...

2011-03-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

"TIME IS THE COIN OF YOUR LIFE.

IT IS THE ONLY COIN YOU HAVE,

AND ONLY YOU CAN DETERMINE HOW IT WILL BE SPENT.

BE CAREFUL LEST YOU LET OTHER PEOPLE SPEND IT FOR YOU."

~Carl Sandburg

1878 - 1967

Carl Sandburg has always been one of my favorite poets. When I came across this quote, it reminded me not to feel guilty about time I spend doing what I want instead of what someone else thinks I should be doing.

If you have a hard time steeling "me" time, remember what Carl Sandburg said.

Is This A Habit?

2011-03-09T20:45:00.001-05:00

Are you old enough to remember when this was on TV 1st run?
Well, I am. I think it was on TV on Satuday nights. I don't remember watching it, but we probably did. My mother LOVED Lawrence Welk. I know we watched THAT. I think I read a book instead.

Terry has discovered the Encore Western station. Every weekday night, Gunsmoke is on at 7:00. We watched it a couple of times. Now, at 6:55 no matter what I am doing or where I am in the house, he comes to tell me that Gunsmoke will be on in 5 minutes. Right now, the older ones are on. The ones that Burt Reynolds were in playing the part of a black-smith.. part Indian..sometimes deputy. The show is actually pretty good. And its a nice hour spent watching TV with Terry. We hardly ever did that before.

And another thing. He has started taking his BP at 8 after the show and its been in the high/normal range.
Go figure.

I Can Survive Anything As Long As I Have A Cup..Constantly

2011-03-06T16:23:00.001-05:00

March certainly started off like a lion around MY house.

Monday Terry called me at work right after I got there and said he was sick and was going back home. He NEVER does that so I knew he was pretty sick. That turned out to be the flu. He was sick all week and finally agreed to go to the doctor on Friday. Even with meds, it still been a slow recovery.

The boys were in Ohio this weekend competing at The Arnold's Competitions. Both boys took gold in their weight class. Sly Stallone was in the crowd which was pretty cool. I have to give my daughter a lot of credit because she came down on Monday with the same flu Terry got. She had to go to work on Wednesday or lose her job AND she took the boys this weekend.

My job is super busy. Not a bad problem to have, but yet stressful. To be honest, I'd rather not have overtime, but I still hit a few hours over even with taking off at 1:00 on Friday to take Terry to the doctor.

O, you are wondering about my teeth! Well, I still don't have any. My temps are just too big to use and I don't want to pay another $150 to have them adjusted. (I find it hard to believe that they could be adjusted down to be comfortable). So, after April 5 I will begin the new denture process that takes 3 fittings, 10 days apart. I don't regret this whole process and view it as a necessity. I have lost 30 pounds and weigh what I did in 1998. Pretty soon I'll break down and see if I have any jeans stuck anywhere that will fit. AND I just don't see myself ever eating a rib-eye steak again. So, if you have top and bottom dentures, I'd like to hear from you on what I can expect as far as eating with them. Right now I pretty much live on soup and I really like it.

O, and a couple of people have asked me what I am working on. Well, I have undertaken a big project for me. I'll be revealing more about it another time because I am too lazy to take pics and post!!

What I am grateful for today:

Terry is feeling far better. I was really concerned about him.

My grandsons performed to the best of their abilities and all their hard work helped them to achieve their goal and enhanced their self-confidence.

My daughter was able to enjoy quality time with her boys.

Junior, one of my dogs, is recovering nicely from a dermatological yeast infection.

I got a million more.......

Feeling Grateful Today

2011-02-23T06:32:00.000-05:00

I guess I have always known New Zealand was near Australia. At least I knew it since 9th grade Geography Class. I always loved Geography. But I never heard of Christchurch. Then one of my blog friends moved there from England, if I remember correctly.

In the last few years she has shared on her blog things that interest her, just like we all do. But she has also opened a window to parts of her life in a new country. I have enjoyed her thoughts, pictures and a vid or two and gone a step farther to investigate through the Internet some of the places she has visited.

I sent an e-mail and waited for the reply that she is safe.
My reply was there when I woke up today. She and her husband are OK. There was some damage to their home, but not as much as properties near the epicenter.

Our beloved former Indiana governor and Senator and his wife were in Christchurch for a conference. They are also safe.

I am grateful for so many things this morning, but my focus today is Christchurch.
I am grateful for my friends safety and pray for those lost and missing.
Please bring peace to this Earth.

I Found The Answer

2011-02-09T12:18:00.000-05:00

Don't you love this guy! I just can't post without a pic!

So, Indiana must have some law now that says when the temps dip to a certain degree schools will be on a two hour delay. Since it was below zero this morning and will be for the next two mornings, I guess I will gain two extra hours at home so that I can taxi the kids to school. Nice. Yes, I enjoy the extra time. BUT, and there ususally IS a but...it throws us off schedule in the AM.

So this morning Corey was taking just a little too long to get his Prima Donna butt in gear. I said " Hey Corey. Its getting a little late." His typical reply was "O God". Before I thought about it, I replied "Don't call me God, because if I was God I'd make it 90 degrees outside". I waited, listening for a wise crack reply. Silence. Do you think I found the perfect response? Well, I think I did. I'm gonna try it again the next time I get the OG whine. I'll let you know if I'm good until they think of the next come-back ~lol~.

Have a great day...Spring is just around the corner...now tell me someone...which corner!

Boys Wanna Be Men Wanna Be Boys

2011-02-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

Doesn't look like a lot of snow, does it? Well, it's been snowing every day and this just happens to be an area that the snow drifted OUT of.

For some reason the boys wanted to go out and play in the snow. They got the idea that they were going to take the tractor and push snow into a larger pile and build an igloo.

I was in the kitchen when I heard

"kill the Caribou".

What the heck did THAT mean.

It meant that Ky was going to slay something.

But the "Caribou" proclaimed that he could not be taken and found his weapon.

So much for the igloo.

They want to be young men one moment and play like boys the next.

But they always accept the responsibilities of helping with work that needs to be done.

But they are still boys at heart!

Incidentally, Terry had a birthday recently. I went to the only best place in Elkhart Indiana to buy him the best cake in town. They are not cheap, but worth EVERY cent and decorated beautifully. I have never before seen a cake decorated with chocolate pine cones and pine needles. White cake with custard filling. The icing tasted like the whipped milnut frosting I used to make 30+ years ago. It was a nice day spent with good friends and family.

What's In A Word!?!

2011-01-17T20:13:00.000-05:00

Lots of people are choosing their "WORD" to focus on this year. I haven't given that much thought until today. I have been sorting out why I had withdrawn last year from blogging. From showing projects I was working on. From sharing that I was even BEING creative. Then, I kind of went through a period of the dumps at Christmas. Not like me at all. All really started on the same day.

I got to thinking back to when it did start. A comment made about a profile picture and comment in my status line on FB was the culprit. My "friend" does not have a clue and I would never let on. I no longer post on FB. That's OK, not crazy about the place anyway, though I do like some games.

So why the pic of Snoopy doin the Happy Dance on New Year? Because this is STILL a new year. Because I LOVE Snoopy. Not so much the comic characters that accompany him...I LOVE Snoopy and all his alter egos. So I am joining Snoopy in the Happy Dance and my word for 2011 is INHIBITION. I will post my work to share with anyone that visits and its gonna be Happy Work cause I'm over the insecurity that I let one person wash over me.

Record Snow 1-8-2011

2011-01-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

If you don't live on the east to south east side of a Great Lake, then you probably don't know about Lake Effect Snow. It happens when the arctic air blows across the warm lake water, picks up moisture, turns it to snow and dumps it wherever it happens to dump it. Its not selective and there is no way to know from one MOMENT to the next which way its headed. It happened in Laporte County Indiana a couple of weeks ago when they received 3 feet of snow in the southern most section of the county.

Saturday morning, Corey had to be at the high school at 6:15 to board the bus to head to South Bend for a wrestling meet. The news hadn't come on yet when we left. We had snow, but since my Element is an all wheel drive, I don't notice how bad the roads are sometimes. The plan was to get Cor to school, breakfast at our favorite diner, then on to the grocery store. By the time we got to the store, we received a call to pick Corey up at school in 1/2 hour. The meet was cancelled due to snow. We didn't question it then because phone reception was bad in the store.

Early Saturday morning as it started to get light out. Look how serene it is. You can see how much snow fell since about midnight to about 8:00 in the morning. Doesn't look to serious, huh. When we picked Corey up, he told us that the snow in South Bend was about up to his waist, (he is 6'3"). He has a friend from Indonesia that wasn't too happy to be thrown in the snow. Corey couldn't even see him when he heard Joe yell that he was going to kill him for that! Then all the boys started pushing stuck cars out of snow drifts. They even pushed the school bus from Plymouth High School out! And the snow was still coming down.

How's THIS for moving snow??

That's a CAR they are digging out!!

No, I wasn't lucky enough to stay in and work on my January BJP. We have responsibilities in this weather to those we care for. And Terry has to be at work to clear walks. Since they have not yet found his replacement, I went to work with him. I didn't want him to be at work alone. Course, one of our side kicks was with us too!

And Maire, when you read this....most businesses were closed due to the mayor calling a State of Emergency, which means unless you are on the road for an emergency, you will be ticketed.

South Bend...38 inches of snow in 2 days.
Mishawaka (to the east) 28 inches in 1 day
Osceola (further east) 22 inches in 1 day
Elkhart (borders Osceola 22 inches, but the south east of town...5 inches.)

This all set a new record. The snowfall beats our comparison...the Blizzard of '78!, which was worse, but only because in '78 the winds blew drifts 15' high.

Is It A Promotion or Lateral Move??

2011-01-02T03:00:00.001-05:00

That was the question.

On Monday when I return to work, I will be the manager of the shipping department. Its a newly created position. It means more responsibility in one regard. But it also takes away other responsibilities. That's the lateral part. Managing the department. That's the promotion part. I could have said no. Since this is part of a restructuring of responsibilities of a couple people, it would not have been offered to someone else. The changes would have just been structured differently. But, if there is a sign that the economy is improving, evidence of it may very well be seen in the company where I work. We have grown and my job has become more than one person has time to do. Its going to be different. Less stress. But managing someone else's time will be a challenge that I haven't had to deal with for at least 10 years. Did I tell you that a new shipping person starts Monday too? Training a new person will be a challenge too.

My friend Maire Dodd posted about keeping an open heart. She always seems to give me a reminder just when I need it.

So lateral move or promotion. No matter. Its another area of my life where I am going to have to learn to ...delegate.

Po Po Po Poker Face!?!!

2011-01-01T15:01:00.002-05:00

How did YOU spend New Years Eve?

This is my youngest grandson. We decided to stay in New Years Eve with the kids and their friends and play cards. Ky is our resident comedian. He also LOVES hats and has one for every occasion ~ and the collection continues to grow.

We were playing Tripoly. If you don't know the game, our version starts off with a round of poker. When Ky sat down to his place at the table we all roared when he told us this was his Poker Face.

We all had a great time and laughed more than we have in a long time. We had plenty to eat and great music. Our neighbors provided plenty of fireworks and big boomers at the stroke of midnight.

The kids are still talking about what a great time everyone had. I think we can expect plenty more card nights in our future.

Inspiration at the....MALL????

2010-12-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Corey is taking Driver's Ed. The classroom is in a room at the mall. Since I was off on Monday, he drove me there. At $3.19 for a gallon of gas, I decided to stay there and wait for him. I never get any time to just browse around the mall by myself. Well, 3 hours was a little much, but I toughed it out ~ lol~.

I spent an hour in JoAnn Fabric walking up and down the aisles looking at everything there. I bought some clearance fabric and a new book. Then I mosied down to JC Penny. I never go there anymore. Their prices are a little steep for me. Its not that they are expensive, its just that I don't really need anything so I am pretty selective in what I spend my money on. But could you please tell me how a purse that isn't even leather is $70. Not just . A. purse, but almost every one was $70 or more. But I did notice the new styles and spent quite a bit of time looking at the jewelry. I went to several other stores browsing in the same manner. I got a lot of ideas and still had time to relax and look at my new book until Corey's class was done. It was time well spent.

Are You Resolute?

2010-12-28T19:29:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about the things that I listed that I wanted to do this year. Actually, I really did do most of them. Just not in a big way. Not in an accomplished way. Not in a satisfying way.

So, I started to really think about why that was. The first thought that popped in my head was that I didn't make enough time.

Make time? You can't MAKE time. There are only 24 hours in the day and no matter what you do, or how smart you are, its impossible to put more than 24 hours in one day.

Do you read "Notes from the Voodoo Cafe"? Well, even if you don't, and you think you need to MAKE Time, read just this one post that I gave you the link to. Rice is an author and so much more. She starts this post off with this sentence: "To make more creative time and space, you're going to have to give up something."

That first sentence just stood right up and talked to me. MAKE time? Impossible. Rearrange priorities, yes. Give up time spent on something not so important and redirect that time to what I want to be doing. Yes. Difficult maybe. But possible. Break old habits.

Rediscover the importance of me. That is my goal for the year.

Five people live here now. It cramps the space, thats for sure. But boys CAN pick up after themselves. They can do dishes. They can do laundry. They really do know how to vacuum and clean the bathroom and wash mirrors and be sure the mutts are fed and watered. They can even cook or at the very least, start supper.

Huge revelation...I am not all things to everyone, and I can say that with NO GUILT. And I pushed my funky mood right out the door.. Gone for Good and Good for me!!

My goal is in place for the year. I have already started delegating and reclaiming time.

My January BJP is in the works. I have a couple other projects I have wanted to try. I do have to de-clutter my room a bit, but I have been working on that too.

I am resolute but without Resolutions.
I am liberated.

2007 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve in Sarajevo

2010-12-22T07:19:00.001-05:00

Please enjoy my favorite Christmas music set to beautifully sychronized lights.
Merry Christmas and wishing you a prosperous New Year.
xx, Carol

A Quiet Christmas

2010-12-10T07:12:00.000-05:00

Are you old enough to remember these stupid Christmas trees? I think they became the rage in about 1959. I remember that we got ours when I was in about the second grade. My mother and sister both had them in their homes. My mother never really decorated for Christmas. We had a tree with a manger below. That is probably why when I got married, it became my tradition do go all out decorating for Christmas. Lights inside, outside and anywhere I could put them. I collect Nativities so they are stuck wherever I can find a spot. I also have quite a collection of village houses. Some years they have taken over the house. I like to put up decorations the day after Christmas and usually take it down the first weekend after Christmas.

Terry's mother never decorated too much for Christmas. I'm not sure how soon she puts up the tree, but she takes it down on Christmas Day. Christmas Day for gosh sakes!! I'm telling you this because EVERY year Terry gripes about the Christmas decor. We don't need a tree, big pain to put up the lights outside, blah blah blah. I made a comment early on that maybe I wouldn't put a tree up. A few weeks later I mentioned where I thought I would put the tree this year. His reply was "I didn't think you were going to do that this year".

And THAT my friends was the straw that broke my spirit. I don't blame Terry at all. He didn't say anything any different than he does EVERY year when I just ignore him, ask him to get the decorations out of the attic and he does. This year I didn't ask and I'm not going to. No tree, no lights outside. He has his issues, I have mine. All these years of decorating have been done for ME. Because I enjoyed it. Because I loved to look at it. I thought it was for THEM. This year is just different. I have no desire to hear a carol, see the lights or make presents. Its a state of mind that will pass in about 2 weeks and I'm good with it. At peace. The first Christmas season in forever, no stress. I suppose it could be called some kind of depression. I'm waiting to see what my mood is after the first of the year.

So, for my friends that read this..no worries...I'm good with it. I have been focusing on some projects that interest me. Really focused. More than I have been all year. That's why I'm not worried. Because I am enjoying my time.

For those that may read and relate, good. You know you are not the only one. You are why I posted this.

To my friends that may wonder where my daily inspirational emails and comments are...well...they are in my head...I am just in a short withdrawl.. I'll Be Back!!

Happy Holiday Wishes To You All

Look What I Won!!

2010-11-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

This is a necklace that I want to wear EVERYDAY. A signature piece, so to speak. It's called Infinite Moment. I love getting lost in thought, thinking about what I deem to be infinite moments in my own life. When I saw this piece on the Love My Art Jewelry blog, I knew that I had to have it. I actually KNEW that I would. Sometimes, things hit me like that and I just know. Go visit the blog and explore the etsy shop. This is a colaboration of very talented artists.

The designer is Maire Jane Dodd. I came to know Maire about a year ago when I stubbled on her blog. I was drawn to her because we share some of the same life philosophies. I followed along as she created jewelry. But then her pieces started to really come to life. She learned new skills and began to talk about what she was thinking before and during her creative process. Creating her art is to her what the first year of Bead Journaling was to me. What I want it to be again. Looking into myself and expressing my thoughts in creative work.

For me, at this point in Maire's career, her work is timeless.

Time To Register for 2011 Bead Journal Project

2010-11-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

I have been visiting a couple of my friends blogs and they are so excited for the 2011 BJP to begin, that they have already started their first page. I am glad to see many of the friends that I have made through the project are returning. I am really excited and expired to see many new faces have registered too.

If you are thinking of joining, but haven't yet, please visit the site and register today. There are only about 2 weeks left to register. Tracey has been steadily geting requests. Commonly, lots of the requests to join come close to the deadline. Make it easy on Tracey please ~lol~
go register today.

Another Blue Moon

2010-11-21T14:09:00.002-05:00

Did you know that the moon tonight is considered a Blue Moon? Some quirky thing with the blue moon rule. If you are interested to know, please google. I had a link to the yahoo story, but someone got a dangerous site notice so I removed it.

I have been doing a little reflecting on certain things. It seems like only yesterday that we were discussing the New Years Eve 2009 Blue Moon and what some of us felt about it falling at the end/beginning of a year.

I felt sure that 2011 was going to be a good year. Looking back, it was an excellent year. It has brought prosperity regarding the things most important to me. This is in no order of importance.

Corey's attitude about school has turned around 100%. He is focused on his grades and talking about college. I don't know how much of it can be attributed to wrestling, but we no longer have discussions about why school is important. One stress off my plate! ~lol~

Terry had a mini stroke. We found out he has high blood pressure, which we didn't know. If it hadn't happened, who knows. Even though he decided to step down from mgmt for less pay, he is far happier at work now. Today when he took his BP, which we monitor every day, it is the FIRST time that he got a normal reading. The FIRST time!! I am so grateful. Why? Can't put it into words. I guess I feel we are dealing with the unknown. The medical bills have given us quite a set back, but heck. I guess we just won't be taking the Austrailian Vacation anytime soon. He wants to go to the Amazon so I guess I'm off the hook on THAT one. ~lol~

We dealt with my teeth. I am STILL dealing with THAT situation. But its all good and will all work out. And financially speaking, well, we did it while we were still working before we get seriously thinking about retirement.

Laurie found a job earlier this year and we are hoping that holds out. Keeping fingers crossed that the RV show in KY is a big success this week.

We have had a very prosperous year. Financially, not so much.

How do YOU measure prosperity?

Register for 2011 BJP!!! Today!!

2010-11-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

Its time!!
Registration day is HERE!!

Beginning today, Monday, November 8th, you can send a request to beadjournalreg11@gmail.com for registration.

In order to be sure your registration is processed, when you send your request, please include answers to the following questions:

Your full name, first and last.
Your web name or alias, if you have one.

Your email address. Please give us your “best” email address, one that is not likely to change during the year and one that you check frequently. (Note: we don’t contact you very often.)

Your home address.

Your telephone number.

Do you have a website? Y/N – If yes, what is the URL?

Do you have a blog? Y/N – If yes, what is the URL?

Were you a registered participant in any other Bead Journal Project? Y/N - If yes did you complete the project for the year? Y/N

If you are a new participant, where did you hear about the 2011 BJP?
An easy way to do this, is to copy and paste the questions and answer them in the email request. Its just THAT easy. Then the fun starts. I hope to see old and new friends when the new BJP begins.

What Makes You Happy?

2010-11-04T00:04:00.000-04:00

My friend Robin posted a list today of 25 things that make her happy. I am wondering how I can figure out which 25 to list.
So, I am jotting 25, but not necessarily in any order, and not the only things that make me happy. Not by a long shot. I'll have trouble limiting to 25!

My family
My dogs
Watching the birds and squirrels at the feeders and frogs in our pond
Watching a hawk glide across the sky
Lazy summer days and nights
The sun and the night sky
The scent of vanilla
The glow of the Christmas Tree
Rainbows
Being at the Beach
Laughing with Terry
Day dreaming of the good things I will do when I am a millionairre
Spending quiet time alone
Coffee
Wearing shorts, a tank top and flip flops
Rings
Great BBQ Ribs
Vacation
Going to Chicago
Giving Surprises
Cheesy Love Stories
Filling all the squares of a crossword puzzle
Good Music
Good hair days
Weekends

The Cheesiest

2010-11-03T06:48:00.000-04:00

I admit it.
When I come home from work, I am looking for the quick way out when it comes to supper. Life is pretty hectic in my home at night until about 8 o'clock. Each boy is involved in a different activity and are usually going in different directions. They pretty much depend on us to be sure they get where they need to be when they need to be there. About once a week I depend on good old Kraft to help me get food on the table quickly. Its good and its inexpensive if you pick it up on sale.

The other night horror of horrors, I only had one box. Somehow I have an adversion to running to the store to pick up some last minute needed item so that was not an option.

I always have a large variety of pasta in the pantry, especially now since its about the only thing I can comfortably eat with any substance. Yep, I had a box of macaroni. My refrigerator is ALWAYS stocked with a variety of cheese. I had the ingredients for homemade mac and cheese. I am embarassed to say that I haven't made it from scratch in years. (I rarely use a recipe, so don't ask).

The kids came in for wrestling practice. "What's for supper". Chicken and Macaroni. No reaction. THEN they came in to check it out. Whats that? Homemade Mac and Cheese. O. THEN they took a taste from their plates. WOW! This is great!! I LOVE this stuff! It was a huge hit.

I get lots of great compliments on my cooking. I come from a long line of Polish fantastic cooks. I don't brag, I'm just proud of my skill (though, I don't like to bake).

So, 3 boxes of Kraft on sale...$1.50. 1 box macaroni and 12oz cheese about $3. Family's Reaction ....PRICELESS.

BJP 2011

2010-10-27T06:55:00.000-04:00

It's time to make your plans to join the 4th annual Bead Journal Project! The 2011 BJP will run from January 2011 through December 2011. Registration will begin November 8, 2010 and close on December 8, 2010. Registration information is available at the BJP website (http://beadjournalproject.com).
Please register early!

When you see this badge on a blog, you know that the owner is a participant in the 2011 project.

Unfortunately, I have not always been faithfully committed to this project. 2011 will be my third year. I can't believe its flown by so quickly. I remember stumbling on Robin Atkins blog and my jaw immediately dropped in awe. I haunted the participants blogs appreciating the wonderful bead embroidery they created. When I joined, I entered the world of bead journalling. I learned a lot about myself in the process. I also became cyber friends with other beaders. I have made my best cyber friendships through this project.

Last year, for some reason, was a hard year for me to maintain my pages. Looking back, I could make excuses in that we have had some illness. I've pittered in other projects. I've spent a whole lot of time outside this year working in the garden and other homeowner responsibilities. Well, stuff happens. But I can honestly say that I have come a long way. My pages have taken a curve toward more fiber/thread embroidery/paint. I like that and will continue on that path next year. I am planning the 2011 project with a realistic plan that I can maintain in my continual struggle to find "me" time to feed my soul.

Why not put November 8 on your calendar and join a group of very creative and talented people. I guarantee you'll find new friends and plenty of encouragement.

Fantastic Give A Way At LMAJ Blog

2010-10-11T10:19:00.000-04:00

Do you know Maire Dodd?
Well, she is in collaboration with several other artist that have formed the
Love My Art Jewelry Blog.
Mary Jane is having a birthday today and in celebration she has offered a
wonderful pair of earrings to give to a lucky follower.

Hurry over and check it out.
(Its really HARD for me to tell you about this, cause I want em so bad myself!!)

Lots of Love to everybody.
Carol

I Am Good!!

2010-10-08T21:49:00.000-04:00

People have been asking how I am.
Had some sores. Got an adjustment.

Remember, I love the sun!
And being toothless is no fun!
And falsies come in twos
Just don't forget to use the glues!!

Love you all. Thanks for the well wishes.

Could someone please.......!!!!!&&((&^%$#$#

2010-10-08T13:44:00.000-04:00

Its not bad enough that I am recouping from this surgery, not Blogger thinks they have enhanced this place. Reminds me of our not so wonderful governor of Indiana that says we don't know what is good for us.

They did a nice little change a while back. You could add several pics and hold them and add them as needed. What happended to that great feature.

Now, if someone will just tell me the easiest way to view the latest posts on blogs I follow. When I go to the dashboard, the blogs I follow used to all be listed and I could scroll down to view the lastest post of each. Now I get this long list of blogs I follow and below are a few of the updates. No opportunity to page down and see more.

So, I thought I'd go look for Reader, which I do not prefer. It looks different too. Someone please tell me the best way to see the blogs I follow because I am super &^%^&*(*&^%&*( right now. And thank you cause I know someone will give me a clue.

Have a great day. I hope I don't miss your latest post!!!

The Day After!!

2010-10-06T11:47:00.000-04:00

This is about how my smile looks today....HUGE.

They may be temporary, but they are prettier teeth than I ever had. I always had trouble with my teeth. When I was young, my baby teeth wouldn't come out when the permanent ones came in so I had 8 front teeth all at once. My mother used to tell me not to smile and show my big horsey teeth. Somehow, that stuck with me all my life.

I never saw a dentist till I got my own job at 16. It was the first thing I did and had to have 2 teeth removed. That set my resolve to take care of my teeth properly.

So, today is the day after losing all my teeth. I have temporary plates that I will keep for 8 weeks then get fitted for permanent ones. I can tell you, that I am glad I have temps because I don't think I could stand to feel the wounds and stitches.

Thanks to everyone that sent me well wishes and healing energy. Let me tell you I sucked in ALL in and was grateful to have it. I really knew I would be OK when Hawk flew next to the car for several hundred feet on the way to surgery. It always lifts my spirits to see Hawk.

So, I came and slept most of the night. Terry bought me pudding to us to swallow my pills.
I kept gauge in my mouth...you know why. (I had some bone removed too, so the lower plate could sit correctly)

This morning I went to the dentist to be shown how to remove and replace my teeth, to learn how to care for them and to have a slight adjustment.

Its all going well. Better than I thought. I think I'll have to learn how to talk again. A couple of things I found out is that:

Terry is pretty good at Charades and so is Corey. They were pretty funny trying to figure out what I was saying last night with a mouth full of gauge.

Laurie does not play the game well and had me laughing so hard I was worried I'd choke on the teeth.

My dogs under stand sign language VERY well.

Jack is my biggest baby and has stayed close to me since I came home.

Don't worry if you have to go through this. Select a good dentist you trust and surgeon and it will be OK.

Lots of love to all my well wishers. It really did mean a lot to know you thought of me.

Gettin New Choppers

2010-10-02T08:41:00.000-04:00

I could be getting these

But I'm not.

Nope, Not getting my own helicopter to take me away!!

What would I do with THIS chopper?

Yep. The bank is broke now. No choices except toothless.
I will be having my teeth pulled and getting falsies.
Don't let the tongue in cheek fool you. I am not happy.
I could spend thousands and get a few more miles out of what I have.
But its not adviseable.
So, Tuesday at 1 they are going to put me out and when I come out they'll be a new me.
I am not terrified, but I'm a baby so I'm kinda scared about the day after.
I'm going to let you know how the days after go. Why? I feel compelled.

If you have good stories..please tell me.
I would prefer not to hear the horrors, please.

Are You A Magnet?

2010-09-29T06:55:00.000-04:00

When the movie "Pretty Woman" came out, there was a line about how she called herself a "Bum Magnet". That became our name for someone who shall remain nameless.

Terry tells me I'm a Weird magnet. This is the kind of stuff that happens to me.

Terry and I were in line at Walmart. I'm sure it was apparent that we were together. The older gentleman in front of me in line turns to look at me and says "O my gosh, your Aura is the brightest most beautiful blue I have ever seen". I'm a pretty friendly person so I smiled and asked if that was good. He touched my arm, which I quickly pulled back, looked him straight in the eye and told him I didn't like to be touched by strangers. (I didn't look at Terry but I am sure he was at attention). Anyway, he apoligized if he offended me. He then proceeded to explain that he could read people and because of my Aura he wanted to feel my energy. (Well yeah, I'm sure!) Then he tells me that my Aura tells him that I am at peace with myself. I have an inner serenity. (Hmmm, I'm thinkin he never saw my temper...yet). Then he tells me that when he touched my arm he got a sense that I was a very giving person. That I will work with anyone that goes at least part of the way, and that I am the kind of person that will take only so much before I would cut you down with only a look. (Do you think I gave him the "Look" and didn't know it?) He then told me that he didn't know what my job is, but it is a position of a lot of responsiblilty. I told him I buy steel. He said that made sense (?) and that I have what it takes to barter a good deal. I asked what he did...he sells houses. He says he just has this knack of knowing about people. I told him that actually, he did pretty well. Then I asked what he knew about Terry. He told me he couldn't read him very well, but he did know that when he gets made, his eyes turn black. Even though science says that doesn't happen, Terry is one of the few people that it did. Well, THAT was true. Its something that our whole family talks about.

Sometime I'll tell you about some of he other "weirds" I have encountered.
Are you a magnet?
What do you attract?

Love My Art Jewelry Blog

2010-09-27T08:42:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to a new spot on the web
Its a collaborative effort of several artist.
Do you know Maire Dodd?
Well, if you love her art as much as I do, you will want to visit.
Go see because they are having a give a way to introduce the site.

Don't Ask-Don't Tell**No! Not THAT One!!!

2010-09-22T06:45:00.000-04:00

Nope! Not gonna get political here.
Whenever I hear the phrase "Don't Ask-Don't Tell" I snort just a little.
It always reminds me of my daughter's teen years.
She had her own version of DADT.
Like the time that she asked to swim in the neighbor's pool, two blocks over.
I asked a lot of questions, got all the right answers. Later I found out that I just didn't ask the RIGHT questions and the situation wasn't exactly as I was LED to believe. That was a turning point for me in our relationship. That was when I realized that she wouldn't really lie to me but if I didn't ask it right, I wouldn't get the stuff I didn't want to know. LOL. Occasionally we get the opportunity to hear now what we didn't know then ~lol~.

Today she and her boys live with us. That has its good and bad points. She works long hours...5 x 12. The boys usually look to Terry and I for permission, guidance, and support. We also have the opportunity to teach them our values. Even so, its a whole new world out there. I am sure they have their own version of DADT.

Did your kids ever use DADT on you?

Do You List?

2010-09-21T06:37:00.000-04:00

Stoneweaver commented on my last post that she also feels like she doesn't get enough done so maybe she should get rid of her To Do List.

That got me thinking about lists. We all keep a list whether is written or mental. For me, if I relyed on a mental list I would never remember all that is on it.

I am diligent about keeping a list at work. Not so much at home. I keep a running list at home of items that need to be bought on the next trip to the store. If you need it and its not on the list...to bad.
When I go to the store, I also scan the ad and list anything that is on sale.

If I am planning a holiday dinner, I always have a list of the menu, with a list next to it of ingredients I need to buy.

When we travel, I always make a list of what I want to take and check each item off when it gets packed.
Same goes with sporting events. Many times we have gotten where we wanted to be, only to return home for a forgotten item.

I used to keep a Honey Do list for Terry but we don't do that anymore. Since he began doing maintenance at a large apartment complex, it was pretty cruel to give him more work orders ~lol~.

I HAVE to have a list of kid activities, otherwise I would never know where I am driving next. Since I am great at multi-taxing, I try to combine errands into trips to sporting practice etc. I understand pretty well why I eagerly anticipate Corey getting a driver's license!

Personally, I would be happy if I could just remember to carry my cell phone. God only knows where it is right now. ~lol~

So, tell me. Do you keep written lists, or do rely on your memory?

Whats Going On Here......

2010-09-20T06:30:00.000-04:00

This morning, my friend Crissy blogged about never getting everything done she wanted to.
But really, it was about being grateful for accomplishing SOME things and realizing the hidden value of your accomplishment. Maybe you didn't get the garage cleaned, but you visited your parents and THAT was more important than your original plan.

The older I get, the less I get done, both at home and work. I just don't have the hustle that I used to. And that's OK. I have come to realize what the important things really are in my life. Maybe the end tables in my living room get a little cluttered. Maybe I go to bed with a couple of last minute dishes left in the sink. But I always find time to listen to Ky's toooo loooong stories with patience and interest. I always find time to help with homework, or to listen to a rehash of what happened at the gym. What Corey's World Civic teacher has to say about evolution vs creationism and to discuss the Big Bang theory so he can get BOTH sides of the story.

In my opinion, life is about trade offs. When I accepted Terry's marriage proposal oh so many years ago I thought we would never be money rich. But I knew he loved me more that any other man on this earth EVER would or could.

I work at a job I really do like. The money is ok...actually pretty good. I know I could probably make more somewhere else. But this job gives me the opportunity to be other places when I need to be. They are totally in agreement that family comes first. I don't mind staying late when I need to. Choices and trades are silently made on both sides. A mutual trust so to speak. A trade.

I find this in many areas of my life. It works for me. Its how I justify choices I have made.

In the past, I have looked at this blog as a place to offer a view to the artful things I do and to my time spent around the garden and my bird friends. But my blog friend June made me realize with her post this morning that there is so much more to me that I never talk about. So, in the future, well, you just don't know what you are going to find here or what I'll be talking about.

If you take the time to read, please leave a comment. I love them and I'd love to know what your opinions are too.

Have a great day. And remember to find inspiration today to be a better person.

This Is How The Conversation Went.......

2010-09-07T19:51:00.000-04:00

Hi Marie. How are you?

Hi Dear. I am doing pretty well. ( She looks me over, her eyes glancing at the top of my head).
Are you letting your hair go?

What do you mean? Did I forget to comb it this morning? Or can you see my roots? Or do you think I need a cut? (I have my hair pulled back into a wild uptail with bangs).

Well, no.. You know. The front is one color and the back is different. I think the front is lighter.

O, that! Well, you know me. You NEVER know what color my hair will be. Right now, I am lightening it because its hard to cover all that gray. The back is a little darker because its older hair. You know, the older we get, the hard it is for us to change. Our hair is like that too.

Oh, I know what you mean. I have been dying mine lighter too.

Well, I think lighter softens your face when you are older. But you know, I saw a girl in Walmart the other day with purple streaks in her hair. I think I might like that. Do you think I'd look ok with purple streaks?

O, HAHAHAHAHAHA. Carol! You can't dye your hair PURPLE!!

Why not. I dyed it dark red once. It was when I worked in a factory. My hair was so dark and the lights were so bad that the guys thought it was Navy.

O, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Well, I came to see John. My car has a scratch and I think I need to take it to Leroys so he can paint it.

O, Marie, John isn't here. He's at lunch. Don't know when he'll be back. I can show you a picture of him though.

O, HAHAHAHAHAHA. Yes, I know he's so busy. Sometime I have to look at his picture if I want to see him!

Well, Marie. You are pretty High Maintenance today. You need your hair colored, you need your car painted. What else do you need as long as you're out spending money?

O, HAHAHAHAHAH. Carol!!! No, I don't need anything else today. I'll just hang around for a bit to see if John comes back soon.

We give each other a genuine hug, and say goodbye.

I work as shop secretary in a local machine/die shop. The owner's father started the business in the '40s. Marie, his wife, was a school teacher who quit teaching to work in the office. When Marie's husband retired, their son, John, bought the business. (He had been the president for quite a while before that occurred.) Marie is a 90 year old widow that only retired 10 years ago. When I came, I job shared the front desk with her. I worked in the mornings and she worked in the afternoons, until John and I developed the Shop Secretary position.

Marie is a dear person that I love. She is one of the few people I know that I can be myself with. I let my guard down with her. We laugh together all the time. I can almost see her son shaking his head as he over hears our conversations. I wonder what he thinks.

Terry Got a New Toy

2010-08-31T00:01:00.002-04:00

Can you see his mustache flying?

John Deere says to cut in high gear!

We won't have to ask Ky twice to cut the grass!!

I Got A Rep To Protect!!

2010-08-29T20:38:00.000-04:00

Just to give you a little background here, let me tell you something I LOVE to do.
Years ago, when I did a lot of cake decorating, when someone at work had a birthday or other special occasion, I used to make them a cake that was symbolic of what they liked. A pool for the swimmer, a sunny beach for the sun worshiper...you get the idea. That all got to be too time consuming.

But it did evolve into something else that is tons of fun. The ower and President, John, looks forward to it. Is even disappointed if I don't come through. Once when he went on vacation, our plant supervisor brought his 2 year old son into the office. We took all kinds of pictures of him then posted them on a board with cute captions...you know like because the boss likes to leave early, one caption said something about gotta run to beat the 2:30 traffic. Another time I got that fake cobweb stuff and covered his door. You get the idea. We have a relatively new plant manager, CJ, who just happens to be John's son-in-law. Last week he went on vacation with his father to Canada. CJ's father was going bear hunting, but CJ swore to me HE was only going to fish.

Everyone knows I love animals. Since deer around here are totally over-populated I can ALMOST understand deer hunting season. But Bear! No Way!! Well I just couldn't let this one go by.

CJ had to be initiated into my Hall Of Fame.

I gathered my favorite bear.

Found a few militia type guns. Very high power!

Dressed him to the nines!

Gave him the warning!!

I think he'll get the message!!

What is YOUR Creative Style?

2010-08-21T19:41:00.000-04:00

I was surfing around the blogs and came across a link to this site.
The answer I got was pretty interesting to me because it was pretty much right on the money.
Check it out, if you want to see if its right about you.

http://www.psychologies.co.uk/personality-tests/whats-your-creative-style/

Creativity gives you insight

You feel that creativity provides insight into your own being. In fact, it is like therapy for you, enabling you to get to know yourself better. You seem to be looking for a way into the mysteries of the subconscious. It’s not really self-expression you are seeking, but rather the tools of self-expression: discovering what your creation will reveal about yourself. Art helps you reflect on, analyse and expand your personality. You long to be creative, and it’s not just because you need to deal with your emotions. It’s the tension between contradictions, and the need to resolve doubt that drives you to be creative. Painting pictures, decorating rooms, arranging shells in the sand — these are all creative processes that allow your introspection to roam. You can trace your life through the different ways you have exercised your creativity. For you, art is there to make sense of life. You are more attracted to artistic activities that demand reflection, planning and solitude, and the personal discoveries you make often provide answers for others, too.

COREY'S FIRST CAR

2010-08-17T07:02:00.000-04:00

He saved his money.

We saved ours.

His mom gave the rest.

We found a car.

He's not driving, yet.

BUT HE'S READY!!

What Will My Legacy Be

2010-08-11T06:53:00.000-04:00

When I look like this, will anyone remember that I did needlework?

On Tuesdays, my friend Lynn posts about Tuscarora beading.

This morning when I read her post, it got me to thinking about handwork that has been done and passed down over the years. Beading, needleart, patchwork. Some pieces have been saved for hundreds of years.

I have some of my mother's embroidered and crocheted pieces. I have my grandmother's crocheted doilies.

Will anyone see the value of my work and want to save it and keep it safe? Will they even admire it?

It saddens me that my daughter has no interest at all to learn how to do the needlearts. I am more than willing to teach her. She didn't have any interest when she was small either.

How will I be remembered

When I am gone from this earth

Will they think of me with love

Will they know how much I loved this earth

Will they speak of my garden, birds, squirrels and frogs

When they talk about me.

Will they recount that I was bold and out-spoken

But could be gentle and kind too.

Will they know that I will be here in spirit

To always hear what they say?

Big Flowers

2010-08-09T19:28:00.000-04:00

My garden and yard is full of Rose of Sharon. I have several varieties in all the common shades. I have double flower bushes too. Rose of Sharon are in the Hibiscus family. I have Hibiscus in Fuchsia.

I can't remember where or when I bought this bush. I think it was last year or the year before. This is the first year that it flowered. The leaves are purple. Believe me, if I knew the flowers were going to be this huge and this gorgeous and this color I would have broke the bank to load up.

My Back Hurts When I Do The Dishes

2010-08-08T15:03:00.000-04:00

He mentioned to me that his back hurts when he does dishes.

I thought, yeah right, though it was out of character for him to complain about work.

The other night, he called his brother to the kitchen.

I heard dish water running.

Peeking in, I saw him hunched over the sink.

He is 15 and 6'3".

Later I looked in.

I wish I had taken a picture.

He was kneeling at the sink.

On his knees, he stands about as tall as me when I'm standing.

So I got my stool.

Folded a bath towel on it

So he could be comfortable.

39 TODAY!!

2010-08-07T09:26:00.000-04:00

No, I am NOT 39 today. Well, in a sense I am because I had my 39th birthday quite a few years ago. But I HAVE been MARRIED 39 years today.

Every day I look for inspiration from the Universe. Today, my inspiration, my gratitude, my positive energy....comes from US!!

I can honestly say that I have had far far more better days than bad because I am married to this guy.

If it is true that there is one person on this earth that we were meant to be with, I thank the heavens that we found each other.

Taking a rest after yard work.

A quiet moment with Ky.

Guy talk with Corey.

I wanted a quiet place. I wanted a place to attract the birds. I wanted frogs. He built me a pond.

I wanted more light in the living room. He put in two patio doors. Then he built a porch.

As long as I have him. I have everything I need.

Happy Anniversary, Terry. I love you more than Dino.

PS to my readers. Dino was my most beloved ever dog. When the boys were growing up, I used to tell them that I love them more than Dino. When I said THAT, they REALLY knew they were loved! Its been my saying ever since.

BJP 2010 #5 A BIRD SINGS

2010-08-04T18:15:00.000-04:00

A BIRD

DOES NOT SING

BECAUSE

IT HAS AN ANSWER,

IT SINGS

BECAUSE

IT HAS A SONG.

Here is the second installment of my pages in transition. I have to say that I like these two pages, in certain ways, better than any others I have done. I was never really comfortable encrusting entire pages with beads. I think in the future I will feel at ease incorporating more and more threadwork into my pages.

I started by thinking about how I would color the back ground. I wanted to use chalks, but for the life of me, I cannot find my chalks. So, I used crayon, then heat set it. It was OK, but not quite the effect I wanted.

I don't know much about stamping on fabric. I love the saying on this stamp and decided I wanted to use it on this page. Stamping on wool felt didn't work too well for me. After the page was stitched and beaded, I had to tackle the fact that the stamped words had faded. I tried stamping on other material but didn't like the look on the page. So, I restamped a piece of felt. Tested textile medium on a stamped scrap and proceeded to glue the new stamped piece to the page and secured it with stitching. I'm still not too happy with the way the stamping looks, but after all its a learning experience.

I love these two newest pages. I'm not totally sure why. Maybe their 3 x 3 size. Probably the mix of thread stitching with the addition of beads. Its likely the fact that I am trying new things has a lot to do with it, even if it is in a small way.

Do You Know Lisa?

2010-08-02T23:47:00.001-04:00

No, this is not Lisa. But we both like squirrels so I just posted a pic of this little guy on my roof.

Lisa is one of my favorite cyber friends. I met her a little over a year ago. She is THE most amazing bead artist. This is a link to one of her recent posts.

She made the most amazing and creative gift for another bead artist we know. The thought and time that Lisa spent creating this gift is just an example of how wonderful she is.

I hope we always stay in touch.

BJP In Transition!

2010-07-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

The BJP is in transition for me.

First, I am not going to name them or even think of them as a "month" project. I will think of them and refer to them numerically. This is #4.

I recently decided that I wanted to get back to sewing and hand stitching. I long to mess with fibers again, mainly embroidery and crazy quilt. Its been at least 20 years since I did that kind of needlework. Man am I rusty! But it feels SO good to use a needle and thread again.

So the transition is from a bead encrusted page to a smaller size more fiber thread work page.

So, here is the story. The square is 3 x 3 white wool felt. I used colored pencils to color the square then glazed it with textile medium.

The story: This is a memory of a place at the beach in Michigan City Indiana where I was raised. When I grew up there, it had not yet turned into a tourist town. Not many people from Chicago had summer homes there. But (back in the 30's Al Capone owned a gated estate on the Lake Shore). Anyway, from my early teens until I moved away when I was 19 I spent almost every summer day at the Lake. I love the water and the sun.

What I learned: My embroidery skills are just so rusty. But they are coming back. I worked at keeping even stitches. For the first time I used metallic thread in an effort to show the sun reflecting off the ripples in the lake. I love the look, but hate working with this thread.

I'm going to continue with this smaller size page. I'm also going to continue to play with thread and beads for the rest of this year's pages. I'll be eager to see my stitching skills improve with each new page. I used to stitch really pretty embroidered pieces especially on clothes.

The picture is not that great, but this square is really pretty in person!!

One Year Later

2010-07-04T23:52:00.000-04:00

What was I blogging about a year ago? Well, since I live for summer and working in the yard...you guessed it....our yard. More specifically, our pond.

Terry and I have different ideas on how the landscape should look in the pond area. But, as in most cases, we put our heads together and just make it happen. Terry likes little "things" that decorate the area. Me, not so much.

Let me show you his pond chotch-chees. He has had his eye on this hippo for a LONG time. Yesterday the hippo found his new home. Doesn't he look happy!!

This is a solar powered bird bath that my sister gave us. I know it seems silly to put it next to the pond, but we thought it would be safer in the back yard. Just a couple of weeks ago, we were sitting by the pond watching baby house wrens leave their nest for the first time. They would fly out and over to the bird bath. We were scared they would fall in the water and not know how to get out. It was the sweetest moment. While we waited patiently to see how many chicks there were, one by one they flew out. One of the birds on the bottom wanted out really badly and actually shoved the hestitater right out the door. We watched 5 babies try their wings that day.

You know I love hawks. Well, Terry does too, but he loves bald eagles more. No, this isn't a real bird. But let me tell you that Terry called me a week ago on his way to work. He had actually seen a bald eagle fly in front of his truck headed in the direction of the river. We have had some articles in the newspaper that there have been sightings of a bald eagle near the St. Joseph River. Since we live two blocks from the river and near a bay, its believable that he did actually see one. How cool is that!!

Let me also mention that THIS bird is sitting in the middle of one of my favorite flowers by the pond...Spider Wort. I love it. The flowers open in the sun and close in the evening. It is a beautiful shade of purple and blooms all summer long. And it SPREADS!!!

Here is another new addition to the pond decor. Terry found this clock at Hobby Lobby. He had a good idea. Usually when I am working near the pond, I have no clue what time it is except a wild guess based on the position of the sun.

Terry's Goldfish, Koi and Shibunkin. You can't see any in this picture, but there are about a trazillion baby fish in the pond. They are all sizes and ages. Terry spends a lot of time gazing at them and trying to figure out what bread they are.

This is a little spot by the fence where I removed the grass and planted a few new perennials. I was putting the grass in a bucket then taking it to the compost pile. When I went to move to another area, I misplaced my claw hand rake. I swore I didn't throw it out with the grass.

When Terry disappeared in the house, I had no idea why. Here he came with metal detector and scrounged around until he found them.

IN THE COMPOST PILE!!

Terry is my hero, ALWAYS.

Just a couple more things.

The tree in the front yard next door has always and every year been home to litters of baby squirrels. This is one of a four of the latest litter. Its been great fun watching them run around and play. This picture is one of the babies helping to clean the maple tree whirlygigs out of the eaves of the garage. Good Boy!! And the last picture is of some of my Black Eyed Susans. They usually grow about 3 feet tall. We have had so much rain, they are over my head. Most of the other bushes have grown just as well and are higher than usual.

So, now you see why I am not posting beading, or sewing or any other project. They are in the works, but not complete. But they will be!

A Sad Situation

2010-06-17T07:07:00.000-04:00

Every morning when I open my computer to my Yahoo home page, the news of the day greets me. This morning the first story and picture was this. I don't know how long this link will last since its a news story, but in case its gone when you read this, the story is about the hoards of birds and marine life that are streaming to the shallower shore waters. Its an indication that there life space has been tainted so they are looking for clean water. Its a desturbing story to say the least.

For the most part, I havn't been discussing the oil spill situation. There are so many aspects of it that are affecting so many people on so many levels. I try not to get involved in these discussions. Most people around me are not very knowledgeable on current events.

I have seen that the experts are burning off some of the oil that has surfaced. I haven't heard a word about what that is doing to the environment. I am wondering if it is in any way part of the reason so many of our days have been overcast recently.

I hear BP officials trying to make apologies. Where are their PR people? Surely they must pay someone a fortune to help them project their image. Who told the CEO to say he wants to get back to his life? Who told the BP chairman to call people in the Gulf Coast the "little people"?

How will this earth ever recover from this destruction? If it does, how long will it take? I wish that I could see what this majectic country looked like before the first settlers came here. When the buffalo were plentiful and other wildlife flourished.

Most of us can only watch and read about this situation. I have boycotted BP. That doesn't mean much since I rarely bought gas there anyway.

I Am Determined

2010-06-02T09:27:00.002-04:00

I recently had a lot of time to think about just every part of my life. As always, I used some of that time to focus on some the things I want to do, but never take the time. Sometimes I think I am just plain lazy. But then I realize that I just need to focus on my own needs more, and not feel guilty that I did.

Terry has RA which is a very fatiguing disease so he usually goes to bed early. I am going to make a better effort to use that quiet time to focus on what I call "my craft".

I was thinking about my friend Susan and wondering what she will focus on this summer. Visit her blog and on the side bar click on Summer Charm School. I can't believe its been a year since she started that project. Anyway, my point is that I was thinking how Susan found a way to focus some of her summer time on creating. I recently asked Susan's advice kind of, regarding an on line class I was thinking of taking by Susan Sorrel. Susan asked what I wanted to learn and I never answered that question...because I didn't know how to answer. Now I know that I didn't answer mostly because I don't think I actually want to learn something new. I want to do what I know, and maybe practice at doing it better.

So the question is what part of what I know do I want to focus on. An honest answer would be CQ and stitching. I honestly think that I have about 90% of the CQ books currently in print and some that are retired.

So, I am going to borrow Susan's method, kind of, and focus on creating CQ. I will select a book (I already have a good idea which one) and go from there. I will be posting again on my gathering process later this week.

Thank you Susan. You are a wonderful Cyber friend and an amazing needlework talent. I can't tell you how much I value your friendship.

What You Should Do

2010-06-02T09:09:00.000-04:00

I my best friend spent 3 days last weekend keeping nd company during his emergency stay in the hospital. He's OK. You know me, always looking for the good in any situation. In this case it was finding out that he has High Blood Pressure. So lucky that we found that out. Anyway it gave me a lot of time to think about a lot of things. Of course the life changing stuff and most of it was focussed on him. But I had a lot of time to think while he was sleeping or off somewhere getting another test, my mind flew off in every direction. ( I had a hard time keeping his family away, but I did it. He didn't need all that activity coming and going.)

So, I have a couple of thoughts here that I want to share.

You can't possibly know the warning signs of every illness that can happen.

Don't mess around. If you think something is wrong, trust that inner voice and call an ambulance or if the hospital is really close like ours, just get there.

Find out your spouses family health history. We had NO knowledge that EVERY brother and sister besides his father have Hi BP!!! I can't believe we didn't know it. That was a VERY big part of Terry's diagnosis. The first thing I did when we came home was to sit my daughter and grandsons down and explain what had happened and to tell them all what our family health history is on both my side and Terry's. Something I never thought to relate before. Double wammy for them. High BP and Heart on one side and Cancer on the other!

If your health insurance requires you to go to a hospital in the network, know which options you have...right now. I took him to the nearest hospital. Network or not, that is where I wanted to go, the closest. Then as the tests added up, a small part of me wondered if the EGH was in the network. Luckily it is. But I should have looked into it when we got our new insurance cards.

I wanted to say so much more here like telling you the warning signs of stroke. But you probably know them. Hopefully, you will never need to use the knowledge. Just follow that little voice inside that tells you something is not right.

I LOVE you Terry. I always knew it. I just had a scare of how life without you would be and you are more dear to me than ever. I swear that I will be more kind and tolerant as we grow even older together. You are the Love and Light of my life.

I Love Sun Art

2010-05-26T21:53:00.000-04:00

My friend Deb told me about Kristie's blog because Deb loves Kristie's wire work. However, when I visited Kristie's blog the first time, she was showcasing some of her recent clay cabs. I am a sucker for clay faces and Kristie is one of my favorite clay face artists. Here is an example of her work.

I have bought several of Kristie's face cabs, but this is the first one that I have used. I love this piece so much. Its bright and shiney just like the sun I love so much.

Kristie is a very versitile artist. You just might want to check out her etsy shop.

The Pond Is A Place To Meditate

2010-05-20T04:00:00.001-04:00

The pond has always been a place to go for a quiet moment.

I look out the window and lots of times someone is sitting on the bench.

Sometimes its Terry and Corey, sharing a quiet moment after school.

Some times its Terry and Kyle. The Indian stands watch.

Laurie spends time there too. She bought the bench set for her Dad. Its a rather rustic type pond and the bench and chair are perfect.

I am amazed!!!

2010-05-18T23:18:00.000-04:00

This invitation was posted on the BJP blog.

I am a contributing writer for Creative Beading magazine

(Woodlands Publishing, Australia) and would like to mention the bead journal

project in my news column if this is ok with you. If so I would love some images

Sue Cordes

I thought, what the heck, and sent some pictures to her. I received notification that two were accepted.

How cool is THAT!!

I Need To Get Dirty!!

2010-05-18T04:00:00.001-04:00

This is only a FEW of the flowers that I have been gathering to plant.

Besides these, I have another selection of wildflowers and some others waiting back by the pond.

Did I tell you I have seeds to plant too!

But I haven't finished the weeding yet. The weather has been too crappy for me on the weekends. I just don't have the energy to do it after work.

But I'll post pics when they find their home.

Whats New at the Pond

2010-05-16T22:03:00.000-04:00

The weather in Northern Indiana has been cool or rainy on the weekends. O, the weatherman says it will be great, but there has been a rather chilly wind blowing or its cloudy and its hard for me to work outside when there is so much to do inside on the not so perfect days. Why are those great days always Monday through Friday!

Last winter we heated our pond. No, not the whole pond. We just had a heater that kept a spot open for air. Since we make the pond deep on one end, we hoped that the fish and frogs would survive the winter. TADA!! They DID. I couldn't get good pics of the fish because of the sky glare on the water, but they are alive and spawning and we have millions of babies!!

I think we have about 20 to 30 frogs now. Look close at the pics and you will see a few of MY favorite pond residents. The come in all sizes right now and there are about 3 varieties.

This guy is tiny, but he did let me get up close for this picture. He hangs out in this spot a lot.

This guy is standing up in the water with his head out. I am always amazed that they just let me get up close to take pictures.

Can you tell I love frogs!!

A Great Memories Day

2010-05-09T20:35:00.000-04:00

Well, lots of friends on FB and blogging Happy Mother's Day wishes. I have begun to call this Memories Day. I always find myself reflecting on memories of my mom, my grandmother, my daughter and grandsons.

We started the day quietly. I didn't cook at all, yay me. Terry and I got Pizza Hut carry-out since we ate at Red Lobster yesterday. Laurie took the boys out for the day, so Terry and I spent the day together and the biggest excitement was when he would yell AWK out the door at the Starlings in the bird feeders. Its hilarious to watch him and he is obsessed.

Hope you all had a great day today. If you are not a mother, I hope you enjoyed memories of your mom.

10 Silly Questions

2010-05-05T08:42:00.000-04:00

My friend Crystal posted these questions. I am feeling silly, so here are my answers.

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

Closed!! I HATE closet doors left open! I HATE it! ~lol~

(Compulsive Disorder, you know.)

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from the hotel?

Nope, Bring my own and use my own. Don’t want theirs. Probably dish soap in there anyway.

3. Do you like to use post-it notes?

I use ‘em all the time at work.

They make good markers to mark where you are on an intricate bead or crochet pattern too.

4. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

Tucked in at the bottom. I hate to have the sheets creep up off my feet. I must sleep in a neatly made bed. CD again.

5. How many languages can you speak?

Only English. And I sometimes have a hard time with that!!

6. Which are better Legos or Lincoln Logs?

OMG!! Both!! But I must admit I am just a little partial to Lincoln Logs.

7. Take a vitamin daily?

No, they give me acid.

8. Wear slippers?

In the winter. I go through a pair a season and throw them away when the flip flops come out. In the summer I live in flip flops. I go through a pair a month.

9. First concert?

Do I have to admit…the Oak Ridge Boys…I didn’t buy the tickets..I didn’t enjoy the concert….and the one guy was just horribly rude to a guy in the audience. I HATE Elvira.

But the best ever concert I ever went to at the county fair was John Sneider. You know the Dukes of Hazzard guy. He made two albums that I absolutely love. He was at our fair and he was so gracious and involved physically handicapped kids to sing with him. He was wonderful. I will love him forever for seeing him in that concert.

My next best was Brad Paisley at that same fair…different year.

10. Can you swim well?

OMG!! I could DROWN well!!

This Was a Good Day

2010-04-14T08:21:00.002-04:00

This is Susan (on the right). This was a Very Good Day for me.

Susan is one of my Cyber Friends. We met last year when while participating in the Bead Journal Project. Susan and I keep in contact occasionally via email. When she and her husband were going to be visiting family that live near me, I am so glad that she contacted me to see if we could meet.

It was a lovely visit. She brought some of her BJP pages and I brought mine. Its really neat to see other beader's work in person. I hope that we will be able to share more time together in the future.

When Susan's husband asked me why I chose an octagon shape for my pages, I really didn't think much about it. My answer was that I want them to fit together nicely. I am planning to use them to embellish a tote or purse.

But, if you know me, you know that I know there is a reason for everything we do, every choice we make. That got me to thinking about why I chose the shape. I played with it quite a bit to get each side the correct length. Six sides would have been easier. You might remember that I mentioned that my theme for this years project is Celebrate Who You Are. Well, an octagon shape is perfect for my Me Celebration. I am multi faceted, multi talented, multi personalitied, just plain multi. Maybe Eight is Not Enough!

What the Weekend Brings

2010-04-09T06:51:00.000-04:00

I've been lazy. Well, that's not really true. I have been battling alergies and that just zaps my energy. We have been running around for the last few weekends. Terry told me we have to stay home this weekend. There is yardwork to be done! Yay if the weather co-operates.

I pick the beads up a little, so I will be more focussed on that. and....I am waiting for my order of fabric dyes from my new friend, Dick Blick. Nope, its not a passing fancy. You are going to see more fiber work from me.

I also am putting together a new cuff idea..nope, not many beads in this one. Recycling is involved along with vintage personal charms of mine and those of my mom. Its amazing what you can find when you search through all your jewelry boxes. How the heck did I accumulate so many St. Christopher metals!!

We'll see what the weekend brings.

Lets talk about stuff

2010-04-04T14:04:00.001-04:00

How does a kid go from BMX bike tricks

to....

breaking a nose at Ju-Jits training within a year.

I don't really wonder about that. I guess its all part of growing up and just plain growing.

Take me. I know how to do a multitude of what some people call crafts. Actually, I made quite a bit of money at it about l0-15 years ago participating in local craft shows. Jewelry was always in demand. And that whole country craft era brought lots of sales too. I may do that again someday. Maybe that's why I have a hard time destashing.

I am still beading, still participating in the BJP, still have to be nosey and see what everyone is doing. But I have lots of other interests too. I plan to dye/paint a couple of jackets. I am researching dyes now. I used to use Rit but maybe there is something better now. I have accumulated some fabric paints for that same project. And don't forget CQ. I used to do it years ago. I am amazed at how many CQers there are on the internet. I wish I had continued honing my skills all these years and wonder why I ever put it aside.

Things in my life are on a more even keil now. Even though my daughter and grandsons temporarily live here, I don't feel the responsibility to be sure everyone is fed everyday, or to do their laundry or any other thing for that matter. I look after Terry and I which is what two people our age are meant to do. Its a freeing feeling. You might remember this was won of my New Year Intentions. Guess I am following through.

So, for today, I am making dinner for everyone with help when requested. (My kitchen is small). Later, I will be beading...quiet time for me.

Celebrate Who You Are!

2010-03-16T22:49:00.000-04:00

If I were to name the theme of my 1st BJP year, it would be Discovering Who I Am. This year I have named my theme Celebrate Who I Am.

Remember after my rather dark February post I promised something fun this month. Taking another item from my "list" I decided to choose music. I love just about all kinds of music. I especially love guitar blues. I could listen to Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and oooooo.....Stevie Ray Vaughn all day long. I like lesser known artist also. One I like a lot is a guy out in California, Cody LePow. I am also compelled to tell you that my very favorite song of all time is Harlem Nocturne by the Viscounts. Fantastic Sax!

BUT, one of my Go To albums is Santana's Supernatural. This album was marketing genius. In his comeback album, Carlos collaborated with a different popular artist on just about every cut of the album. My favorite three cuts are
Love of My Life, Smooth, and Put Your Lights On.

Put your lights on
Put your lights on

There's a monster living under my bed
Whispering in my ear
There's an angel with a hand on my head
She says I've got nothing to fear.

Did you worry about monsters when you were a kid? The first monster show I saw was The Tingler with Vincent Price. Pretty hokey, even then. But the movie that scared the crap out of me back then was The Creature From The Black Lagoon. I remember being scared to go in our basement after I saw it, and our basement was like another living room with tile, light green walls and a ceiling!! I must have been pretty young then, because I remember loving to stay up and watch Creature Feature on WGN transmitting from Chicago.

I'm sure I probably looked like this when some scary scene came on the screen. But I still LOVED scary movies. I grew up on Bella Lagosa (Dracula), Lon Chaney (the Wolfman) Vincent Price (perfect in any spooky role) and Frankenstein and his Bride. When I got older they made scary movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th and Halloween. And THAT is when I stopped watching scary movies. When they became BLOODY movies.

So here is my piece inspired by the song. Me and my Monster are created from Shrinky Dinks. Don't you just love to say "Shrinky Dinks"? Doesn't it just make you chuckle?

I celebrate me by making fun of my childhood fears and hopefully I have shown that even though I am a pretty serious person, I DO have a playful side.

What would YOUR monser look like?

Snail Mail/ E-Mail--What do YOU think?

2010-03-15T20:17:00.000-04:00

Do you watch 60 Minutes? Well, I do sometimes. Sometimes the best part of the show is the Andy Rooney Commentary. I liked the one about the Christmas gifts he has accumulated over the years. And the one about how many pairs of shoes he has.

Last night his commentary was about the U.S. Post Office and the plan to close a lot of postal stations. In part, he said this:
"We have a lot of things that need cutting, but Post Offices are not among them. There's something special about a letter, we all like to get them. An e-mail on the other hand has all the charm of a freight train. When I was growing up, we all knew when the mailman was coming, and we waited for him, even though we hardly ever got a letter. People actually wrote letters to each other though, which they don't do as much anymore. They e-mail each other. I would rather have a mailman or a woman, deliver junk mail to me, then to get an e-mail."

He illustrated his comments with a picture of a housewife from the 40s waiting at the end of her sidewalk waiting for the mailman. You know, she looked like the Father Knows Best wife dressed in a nice dress. You know, the same one she wore when she washed walls, floors and dishes. My mother was that kind of mother. It was her generation.

Snail mail is from that era too. Today, we want to save paper to save a tree. We NEED to get our messages out there as soon as possible. We want to be heard today and we want it to be free. (Forget it that we pay a monthly fee for internet.) Don't you love to get an email from friends or acquaintances? I do.
Just because someone sends you an email, does not mean they can't be bothered with paper mail. If it weren't for e-mail, we would miss a lot of correspondence with friends. Lets face it, who has time to send a paper letter. Who wants to spend the money on a the stamp? Who wants to waste a tree?

On the other hand, I am thrilled when I get a snail mail letter or card from a friend. To me, it still says they care enough to take a moment to stay in touch. Its a generational thing. My grandkids would rather text than talk on the phone. Thats the NEW generation.

So, just because you are special to me, if I have your address, you will be getting a little note from me when you least expect it. If I don't have it, and you want a note, send me an email (~crrrrrrkkk, email get it?) with your address and I'll send you a note so you can have snail mail.

Thank you for visiting and commenting and being a cyber friend.

What Color is YOUR Personality

2010-02-19T14:57:00.000-05:00

About a year ago, I stumbled on Crystal's blog. You can visit her here:
http://beadhappilyeverafter.com/blog/?p=10223

Crystal has an etsy shop where she sells the most wonderful vintage beads and another where you can find the jewelry she creates. Crystal's blog is one of my favorites. Originally I was drawn there because every Monday she offers a give a way if you answer the Monday question. O, there is no right or wrong answer. You just tell whatever you want to. Well, if you know me, I can get pretty wordy so its a great venue for my thoughts and antics. This week Crystal posted a link to a quiz that will lead to the answer we all want to know...what is your color personality.
http://www.truevaluepaint.com/content/Color/ColorQuiz.aspx

I answered the questions and this is what the quiz said about my color:
Nothing can stand between you and your demand for a calm environment.
How true this is of me. I will bend over backwards to squelch an argument.

To be free of conflict and disagreement is the only way to live. In fact, it’s this philosophy that probably allows you to be comfortable in conditions that would normally bother others.
Still another quality of me. Always the peacemaker, or the constable, depending on the situation. If all else fails, I can always find a quiet place to be my myself.
Your ability to focus is undisputed, and while you enjoy attention, you still have problems understanding how to handle it.
I have learned to graciously accept a compliment.

No other color out lives by the golden rule as much as you do.
I can't believe that this statement is listed. I preach this motto to my grandchildren ALL the time. In my opinion, it is the answer to "How to solve the world problems".

So, What color? Black. Whodda thunk it!
Well, black is basic and yep, I guess I AM basic.

February 2010 BJP

2010-02-14T22:48:00.001-05:00

When I started thinking about what my February page would be about, I looked at my LIST. Since February is the month for hearts, naturally I thought my page should be about one of my favorite Icons, the Queen of Hearts.

Then I read a post by my cyber friend, Stoneweaver. She talked about forgiveness and how sometimes you don't forgive, you accept. Well that all seemed to relate to the heart for me. It got me to thinking about myself. In some regards, its not easy for me to forgive. I have a sister/cousin that I have not forgiven for more than 20 years. I have, however, ACCEPTED the grievance she did to me. That doesn't mean I have forgotten it, or that I want to talk to her. It means that I have accepted what she did and I choose not to associate with her. Simple for me. Its locked away and I rarely think of it.

Can my heart be pure if I choose not to forgive? After all, its this ONE thing. I have forgiven so many others for wrongs that were equally as brutal.

See this pearl...its not perfect.

However, it's how I view the center of my heart. An imperfect pearl. Yet most pearls aren't perfect, are they? How many can claim a perfect heart, anyway. Are they honest if they do? And if their heart is not perfect and they claim it to be....well, you can see the thoughts go on and on.

Oh, you are wondering why those black beads are trailing through the center of my imperfect heart, huh?

Well, there are more black beads.

They are the shadow caused by an unforgiven grievance.

But here is the rest of my heart. It has a small shadow. And a path of darkness that runs through. The dark beads at the bottom are dark deeds from the past and the light beads have risen to the top. They have overcome the dark beads and their light glows all around my heart. Its' beams reach out and long to touch all they come in contact with.

OMG, I can't believe I said all that. I knew my page changed direction, but I truly didn't know the significance until I gathered my beading thoughts and put them into words in this post.

I am happy.

My spirit is soaring.

I fly with Hawk

Disappearing into

The Hole in the Sky.

Why Surf?

2010-02-13T16:50:00.002-05:00

Why do i spend so much time on the computer, reading blogs?
I NEED to keep in touch with my cyber friends.
I want information and inspiration supplied by many talented artists.
I want to see all the cool things that I can spend my "pin money" on.

I have a pretty diverse list of blogs I follow. Lots of bead people of course. Some interesting crochet spots too. There are several needlework artists sites. There are a few spiritual friends I keep in touch with too.

Occasionally I look at the blog lists that fellow bloggers place on their sidebar. Sometimes a name will catch my eye and I wander on over. That happened the other day when I was surfing OWOH participating blogs. I noticed RAVEN MOON MAGIC. If you know me EVERY word in the name peeked my interest...Bird....Night Sky...MAGIC.. I had to check that out. I was not disapointed. Here is a link to her page:

http://ravenmoonmagic.blogspot.com/

Look for her OWOH post...it is SO Cool. Her post today certainly made me smile. She has a way of hooking you then reeling you in.

The Secret Should Not Be A Secret

2010-02-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

This is the The Creed as written by Christian D. Larson.

Its one thing to read it. Its an entirely different thing to read it and analyze what each and every sentence means and how it applies to your life. Its not a religion. Its a way of thinking.

Several years ago, I became determined to become a better person. I had never heard of The Secret until a couple of years ago when my friend Deb mentioned it to me. She sent me the book. She sent me a link to the Creed. Take a moment to read it.

It speaks to several changes I had already made in my way of thinking. But the Secret has helped me deal with anger directed at others and to myself. I am focused on maintaining peace of mind. I strive to be the best person that I can be.

There are a lot more aspects to the Secret than what I have talked about here. I learn more every day. Before I learned about the Secret, I heard several people say it changed their life. What, you thought they got rich? Got lots of Money? Well, maybe. Read the Creed. Its All Good.