Just Some Thoughts

Six Months

2011-08-25T13:13:00.004-05:00

Six months ago today, my granddaughter Anna passed away. It is hard to lose a grandchild but even harder when the hurt is multiplied by having to watch your own daughter go through the pain of losing her child. I know how I feel, but honestly, I can't even begin to imagine the pain my daughter suffered at saying goodbye to one of her own children at only 16 years of age. I don't want to turn anniversaries of Anna's death into sad recounts of hurt and pain so what I would like to do is tell you how courageous Anna was but even more so, I would like to tell you how courageous her mother was.

Anna was born with multiple disabilities, devastating disabilities. We've all read about children like Anna who have been abandoned or shoved here and yonder because their parents or other caregivers couldn't face the situation or deal with the reality of what it's like to have a child who will never meet society's expectations for a happy or successful life. I'm not judging those individuals, I can understand better than most why that happens. Our family has walked in those shoes and I would ask all of you to not judge them either, but to pray for them and their children. In that vein, as strange is it may sound, Anna was lucky, she got the perfect mother for her and her situation.

I watched my daughter's heart break many times over the years. Grief has always been a part of the relationship, starting early on with realization that she had lost the child she anticipated. I know she must have visualized many times how beautiful Anna's life was going to be... the thought of those first milestones, sitting up, walking, talking and looking down the road to the first day of school, friendships and someday even dates and cars and college. Would she want to wear her mother's wedding gown someday or insist on one of her own. A few short weeks after Anna's birth, all those dreams were dashed.

I can't recall a single day that Jamie ever said why... why us? why Anna? why me? I watched her from the beginning roll up her sleeves and learn how to advocate for her daughter. She found the services necessary to properly care for a child with multiple 'un-abilities' and made sure they were in place throughout Anna's lifetime. I watched her fight for nursing care, schools, camps, whatever she could find that would give Anna the best chance at having the best life she could have. No matter how many times the family picked up and moved, Jamie made sure that Anna's services were kept intact as much as possible, fighting different state and local guideines everywhere the family went the first six years or so of her life.

Over the years there were multiple surgeries and procedures, therapies and special equipment. Wheelchairs, in-home nursing and yes, the dreaded short bus were all a part of their lives. Yet Jamie always treated Anna with love, dignity and respect. She took great pride in her. She found the silver lining in having Anna as her daughter and showed all of us who only thought we loved our children unconditionally, exactly what that meant.

This day, I still feel the hurt of Anna being gone. But she lived a life that counted and she gave us all she had in her to give. The last year of her life was by far the most difficult as we saw we were losing her piece by piece and the struggle she made to continue on with us, fighting every step of the way with all that was in her. She was certainaly a most courageous child but why wouldn't she be... look at her mother!

Fly free Anna... we love you and miss you every day.

Big Picture Scrapbooking

2011-08-05T08:53:00.003-05:00

Big Picture Scrapbooking is hosting a free summer festival of big ideas that will run for 12 days beginning August 15, 2011. Each of the 12 instructors will showcase their individual style and offer downloads of a daily word and template for their class.

There is a scrapbooking kit that can be purchased for the class but it is not required. I use classes such as this one to get new ideas and to rekindle my creative spark. It's free, there will be a few freebies, there's little required of me beyond participation and if I don't follow through or don't gain any useful tips or inspiration, I haven't lost anything but perhaps a bit of time.

Just click on the picture below to read about the festival.

I'm not associated with Big Picture Scrapbooking, nor is their any requirement to make a post regarding this class. I just thought I would throw it out there for anyone who might still visit this blog that would have an interest.

I'm A Winner and Didn't Know It!

2011-05-22T13:21:00.008-05:00

I occasionally write an entry either here on the blog or in the comment section of The One Minute Daily Writer in response to the daily writing prompt. The idea behind the site is to encourage people to write creatively in a manner that doesn't require a large investment of time. I enjoy writing and find that this method forces me to think quickly and grab words that I am more comfortable with and like, instead of opting for elaborate descriptions that don't ring true because I tend to overthink them if I take more time.

Here is where my entry for April 6 was recognized and my brief writing to the daily prompt Move.

This is the actual entry I made in the comments section of the OMW Blog.

Today's Writing Prompt: Move
Write about a move you've made, or are planning to make.
One-Minute Writing of the Day:
Writer: Marsha

In my mind, I'm always moving... big bold moves, life changing moves but in the end, I find the only move I ever really make is from the recliner in my den to the chair at my computer desk.

As a winner, I get to display this winner's button on my blog! I'll add it to the sidebar later.

Thanks C. Beth for the recognition and for hosting the One-Minute Daily Writer. Sorry it took me so long to realize that you had recognized me as a winner!

Mother's Day Giveaway - Wild Olive Tees

2011-05-03T00:14:00.001-05:00

Head on over to Wild Olive Tees to enter for a chance to win their Mother’s Day giveaway! They have the most amazing tees! Winners selected and announced on May 4th!

Six Word Saturday - March 26, 2011

2011-03-26T16:08:00.003-05:00

wasting too much time on facebook!

Letter to Harper Lee

2011-03-16T11:30:00.002-05:00

Today's writing prompt from The One-Minute Writer: Letter

You have one minute to write a letter to an author you admire. What does your letter say?

Dear Harper Lee,

Thank you for To Kill A Mockingbird. It is one of my favorite books ever. I love that you were able to write such a complex story in a deceptively simple manner. I have read and re-read this book many times over and never tire of it. The characters are people I recognize from everyday life, even in these different times. How I wish you had brought another classic story to us before you left.

Sincerely,

A Fan

MCP Actions Kelly Moore Camera Bag Giveaway!

2011-02-04T15:33:00.003-06:00

Just click on the picture to go to giveaway post on the MCP Actions Blog.

Another Giveaway at Wild Olive Tees

2010-12-17T15:12:00.003-06:00

Head on over to Wild Olive Tees to enter for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate! They have the most amazing tees! Contest ends tomorrow, Saturday, December 18th!

Giveaway at The Vintage Pear

2010-10-22T10:52:00.003-05:00

Be sure to stop by The Vintage Pearl Blog for a chance to win one of five $50 dollar gift certificates. She has some fantastic jewelry and what perfect timing with Christmas just around the corner. You can see samples of her work here The Vintage Pearl Website

Six Word Saturday

2010-05-22T16:00:00.001-05:00

leftover ribs and potatoes, cold beer!

I hate to do this but...

2010-02-24T08:54:00.003-06:00

I keep getting odd comments in foreign languages with links attached to them so I am turning on comment moderation. I dislike the verification boxes with random text or numbers to avoid machine generated comments, as I'm sure the ones I'm receiving are, so I am going to try moderating comments to posts first. As long as that works I will just use that. If I have further problems, I will change to comment verification.

Seems a waste since the blog isn't really being updated but I still have hopes of returning to active blogging soon.

Thanks to all who continue to visit as I am still getting a number of hits regularly.

Another Giveaway at Wild Olive Tees

2009-11-07T17:57:00.002-06:00

Check out the giveaway here: Wild Olive Tees Giveway

Check out all of the Wild Olive Tees fabulous Christian tees and the Love Without Boundaries charity page on the main site by clicking the Peace button. You'll find sizing information and gift certificates and don't forget to sign up for their newsletter to receive updates on sales, new tees and giveaways.

Good luck!

Random Dozen - October 7, 2009

2009-10-07T13:39:00.005-05:00

Hosted by:
Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee

*** post edited to add picture to answer 2 after finally doing a search of my computer to find it. I thought I had one of the picture after it was signed and framed but apparently not.

1. On an average, how often do you splurge and buy something for yourself?

Very seldom.

2. Are you more like Hall or Oates? Just kidding. Real question: What is the last creative project you began/finished? Feel free to post a pic of it.

It isn't really the last project I completed but the one I'm most pleased with that I will mention here. I did an oil painting several years ago that I gave to my mother. It is of a mother and daughter walking through a field of mustard that first reminded me of the field that we walked up to get to her (step) grandfather's grave site in Tennessee. Although she and I walked through that field together as adults, it occurred to me that my mom and her mother may have walked hand in hand through similar fields when my mother was a little girl. Her mother, my grandmother, died when mom was only six years old and the emotional impact of that connection is what drove me to complete the painting. It hangs in her living room to this day.

3. OK, Goldie Locks, do you consider your house too big, too little or juuuust right?

I have too many rooms for me these days. I like the amount of space but would prefer less rooms now that my children are grown and gone. Four bedrooms, a formal living room, dining room and a family room along with two and half bathrooms seem like a lot for one little lady and her dog. Three bedrooms would be perfect, larger and less furniture to maintain, dust, etc. Same with the formal areas. I don't use them at all. I would like to incorporate that space into other areas of the house but the expense of doing so is prohibitive.

4. What is your favorite outdoor chore?

Planting and nurturing but I don't do enough of it!

5. If you knew that cigarette smoking was not bad for your health but would be a weight loss tool, would you use it? Why or why not?

I gave up smoking almost 14 years ago. Even if it were not an unhealthy thing to do, I would not smoke again because of the control the habit had over me and I don't ever want to let something like that control my life again. I was always looking for a place to smoke so I wouldn't offend others, and I hated the stale odor in my house and car and on my clothes, not to mention the cost. No way will I ever let that into my life again. I'll either exercise and eat better or I'll just carry a few extra pounds... smoking is not an option for me ever again.

6. On a road trip, would you rather drive or ride?

Since there's usually only me, I always drive and it gets old and tiresome. I do like to drive so I would prefer to share the driving chores if someone were with me.

7. What do you consider a trivial pursuit?

A game! HA!

8. This weekend, we downloaded the movie "Duplicity" with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Within 5 minutes, I was bored and annoyed, but I kept watching 5-10 minutes at a time hoping it would get better between small chores. I finally gave up and Jorge watched it alone, and then regretted wasting that time because he disliked it intensely, too. So ... how long do you watch a movie or read a book before giving up on it?

If I'm in a theatre and actually paid full price for admission and the cost of snacks, I would probably stick it out to the end, but if I'm home and it's a cheap rental or freebie, I'm outta there PDQ... usually though, I just fall asleep (sometimes at the theater too!)

9. Is there a song that you really love but are embarrassed to admit because it's not cool or it's racy or because it's by Hall and Oates?

I don't feel embarrassed by what I like, whether it's songs or anything else... others may think I should be but that's their problem! (I like Hall and Oates, well some of their songs anyway!)

10. On a scale of 1-10 (10 = extremely) how spontaneous are you?

Not very maybe a 4 or 5.

11. Are you a food and/or beverage snob?

Not really, although I do have preferences for certain foods, methods of preparation or brands, but I don't think I'm snobby about it.

12. Who/What are you trying to control in your life?

Myself, my emotions, my need to try to fix everything and make it all better for everyone.

While I Was Away - part 1

2009-10-05T14:03:00.003-05:00

While I Was Away - part 1

I decided to make a series of posts entitled While I Was Away. I think I will do them in a semi- chronological order, unless I can't remember when things happened in the sequence of events and then they will be in whatever order I write them. Not that it matters, I just tend to be anal about such things and having some order or plan of order seems to be the right way to do this in my mind. The problem is that as I get older, my CSR condition (Can't Remember S*** ) kicks in and my anal-retentive ways get nipped in the bud (do you remember what tv character used to say "nip it... nip it in the bud"?) Anyway, this is the first of these posts.

While I was away, I spent a good part of my time working. In May, I finally got a call from the contract firm I had talked to last year about going to work and doing so immediately. The timing was terrible for me but I knew with the financial crisis we had just gone through and the losses my retirement funds had taken, I wanted and needed to do something to feel a little more secure.

Going back to work at this time would mean I would miss my usual trip to Indiana and Tennessee with mom. I talked to her and to my sister and since Robin had sort of made plans to make the trip with us anyway, it was decided they would make the trip and I would sit out this year. I would be missing out on mom picking out new markers for some of the grave sites of her family and that was a real disappointment for me. I've visited those graves with her for many years and I had looked forward to helping her do something that meant so much to her. But life is full of twists and curves and realistically, the best thing for me to do was to take this opportunity. I have a post in the works about these markers and finally getting to visit with mom that I will post later but for now, let me tell you about my job.

The firm that called me to work is a contract company to whom I sub-contracted. The work they were doing was to assist in developing a design for a telephone company that was hoping to receive stimulus funds from the government to place facilities to provide high speed internet access in rural areas as part of the economic recovery. We were tasked in part with identifying the location of potential customers in rural service areas that might take advantage of those services and how to get the service to them. This project is similar to the old REA funding that helped get electricity and telephone service to rural areas during the last century.

I was surprised how easily I fit into the flow of work. It didn't take long to get the hang of everything and it helped that I was working directly with an old friend of mine from CenturyTel who is and was a mentor of sorts for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the other design/engineering contract force were also former CTL employees. The owners of the contract firm are also former co-workers as are several of the management people with the actual telco we were doing the work for. It's a small world after all and was a little like homecoming without the frustration of corporate interference!

Working was a big boost for me as I was still in the tail end of a long term funk and the financial concerns had not helped that. My confidence was boosted and I felt needed and useful again. Not that what I do day to day isn't important in my mind but I have always enjoyed having an outside stimulus in my life. Making money again felt good to me. The job came and went in phases and a time or two I thought my part was done only to be called by someone in a panic saying we had to hurry up and get the next part done or lose out on the rest of the contract.

As it turned out, I worked a good bit from the end of May and into August, mostly at home, mostly in a very casual atmosphere with little or no pressure or stress. In that time I earned a good chunk of what I am allowed to make and not have to give back part of my Social Security. The only reason I signed up for SS this year is that I had not heard back from the company that finally offered me the chance to work in time to avoid doing so. But I still think it all turned out for the best. The kicker is that the telco we helped design the plan for, decided that they were not going to apply for the stimulus funds as they didn't like some of the restrictions the government put in place for this initial phase. Hopefully, they will decide to participate in the next phase and I will get to work again on this project next year. That would be perfect for me and my situation. Extra income and plenty of free time and no stress... you can't beat that!

Next up for WIWA is a home improvement project! I think!

While I Was Away

2009-10-02T16:51:00.003-05:00

I know I have been absent from this blog for sometime but the title of this post actually refers to my recent trip to Indiana to spend time with my mother. Many things happened while I was there and during our quick trip to Tennessee, that I kept finding myself wanting to blog about. The problem is that when I'm at mom's, I'm stuck on dial-up to connect to the internet. It's such a hassle to deal with that really slow connection that I don't enjoy trying to write and upload only to lose the connection before it completes. So I made some notes on my laptop and came home with good intentions about completing those thoughts I jotted down once I had broadband available again.

Posting my response to Linda's meme today was my first step toward getting back to the blog on a regular basis. While visiting one of her other responders, I was reminded of how much I used to enjoy the Wordless Wednesdays back when I was actively posting and I plan to resume those as well. From my trip, I have a couple of personal stories about family members who have suffered recent health crises. I also have an idea for a post about a lovely older woman I met when I went to visit one of them at a nursing home in Byrdstown, Tennessee. I've also been doing quite a bit of work in Paint Shop Pro and might consider posting some of those projects at some point in time.

Daughter Dee and her girls are coming over tomorrow for an overnight visit and I hope to get some new pictures of them to post here. I'm sort of bursting with ideas and plans right now and I don't want to burn myself out just trying to plan what I want to do first.

I just hope there's still people stopping by here from time to time. If so, I hope you'll come again soon. Leave a comment and I'll be glad to stop by your spot and visit with you as well.

Later!

Marsha

Random Dozen - September 30, 2009

2009-10-01T18:50:00.005-05:00

Hosted by:
Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. Tell me the absolute best way to watch a movie.

Easy question. At home watching a free (or cheap rental) movie, either on the sofa on in bed with a big bowl of buttered popcorn that didn't cost 10 gazillion dollars, without any of my children or grandchildren present so they can't make fun of me when I fall asleep!

2. Do you ever think about your own funeral? If so, do you have specific ideas about how you would like it to be?

Yes, one thing I'm certain of is that one of the songs will be Softly, Tenderly (Jesus Is Calling). I love that song. I also have some preferences for verses.

3. Are you more of a giver or a taker?

I'm a giver.

4. Vacations: planned activities and schedules, or play it by ear?

I like a basic plan that I can play by ear. (How's that for covering all the bases?)

5. What is one often overlooked item in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly?

The carpet in my family room. It's a very deep, rich, chocolate brown and Ginger's shedding hair just looks awful on it. It isn't really overlooked as much as ignored. I just get tired of running the vacuum.

6. Name a cause that means a lot to you.

Cancer

7. Do you eat a regular old peanut butter jelly sandwich, or do you customize it? And by the way, jelly or no jelly?

Regular... and I have a question, how can it be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if it has no jelly?

8. If we were having a conversation in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

I'd probably say uhm a lot or just talk a lot and say really stupid things.

9. Do you have an elaborate bedtime routine, or just the basics of tooth brushing and jammies?

nothing elaborate, I just usually hit the sofa and go out like a light and if I wake up enough to do so, I might go to bed at that point. If not, I wake up on the sofa wishing I had an elaborate bedtime routine so that I would actually go to bed before I fall asleep. (I do brush my teeth after eating - most of the time anyway - so I'm not a total slob.)

10. Have you ever regretted something you wrote on your blog?

Not really. I have said things conversationally or in the heat of the moment that I later regretted which is probably why I prefer written communication. I can consider it many times before I actually hit the post or send or print button.

11. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a famous person or celebrity? Did you agree?

When I was quite young (under 10), the doctors at Riley Hospital would tell me (teasingly of course) that I looked like Marilyn Monroe... of course I agreed! Funny, nobody said that after I grew up. I was told recently by someone that I looked like a character on her favorite soap opera but no one else agreed with that nor did I. Someone else once told me I looked like Holly Hunter but I don't see that at all either.

12. If you were going to dedicate a song to a loved one or friend, what would the song be and to whom would it be dedicated?

I could choose a song/songs for everyone I know. I love music and match a lot of songs up with people I care about for various reasons. I'll do what I always do in situations where I don't want to choose one over another and give the honor to my granddaughter Anna.

There's a song written and sung by Bruce Carroll called Sometimes Miracles Hide and I would dedicate it to her. It was written for a Down's Syndrome child and although Anna is not a Down's child, her life is certainly miraculous in our family's view. I'm sure there are many who wouldn't see the miracle that we do and I think this song would help them appreciate the miracle that's hidden from their view. I believe it was re-recorded last year.

A quick update, The Women's Colony and a sad note

2009-08-25T12:41:00.008-05:00

Once again, I apologize for the lack of posts here. I am not ready to give up on the idea of blogging but just can't get back into the groove either. I spend a bit of time frequenting Facebook and have been working in Paint Shop Pro again, mostly editing photographs and occasionally I do some digital scrapbooking. I've also been writing a bit although nothing I feel compelled to share here... mostly for my own enjoyment or posting in response to prompts at creative writing sites. Real life tends to take up a bit of my time these days as well.

I do still frequent several blogs each day and some short time back I added The Women's Colony to my list of daily reads. I think I found the blog through the Pioneer Woman's site. Mrs. G posts there on occasion. It's a fun blog, with a little more adult content than most that I read. There are many guest posts on the site in each of the several 'rooms' at the Colony. I enjoy Mrs. G's self-deprecating humor and unique third person style of blogging. She also hosts frequent giveaways that you might want to check out if you care to visit her site.

On a sad note, I had to put Mr. Woody K. Nibs to sleep a couple of weeks ago. Woody had been losing weight and after a couple of visits to the vet, x-rays revealed that he had cancer and that it was not realistic to try to treat him. He really didn't act sick and remained active up to the very end. If his breathing hadn't become labored, I probably wouldn't have taken him to the vet that day. He was such a sweetheart and Ginger and I both miss him.

I hope you won't give up on me just yet. I still plan to return to posting regularly one of these days!

Wild Olive Tees Giveaway!

2009-08-13T10:29:00.004-05:00

I love the tees from Wild Olive Tees. Today they announced that they are celebrating the launch of a new line, Wild Olive Kids! To promote the new line, they are hosting a giveaway that will run through Wednesday, August 12th.

To enter their giveaway for a prize of two kids tees and one adult tee of your choice, click on the button below and check out the rules at the Wild Olive Tees site.

Be sure to check out their fantastic tees while you're there!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-06-04T18:40:00.003-05:00

I want to continue writing here so much but I just can't seem to find the time with everything that's going on. I've recently returned to work and am fortunate enough to be able to work from home and set my own schedule but that's part of the problem. I haven't learned yet how to set boundaries between my personal time and work. Hopefully, I'll make that adjustment soon.

I haven't got a clue whether anyone still visits or not but if you do, please don't give up on me. I plan on returning and possibly even update the design. If you are still stopping by, thanks for checking on me even though I've been AWOL.

Hope to see you soon!

Timing and a Prayer Request

2009-05-20T06:40:00.008-05:00

Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21

To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue...

In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:1,9

I'm reminded often in my life of the importance of timing. When things happen can be more important in the outcome of events than the event itself. Timing determines how the event affects one's life. A positive event that occurs at the wrong time may cost time or money and perhaps even hope if we allow it.

Because of my human nature, I ~~sometimes~~ often lament not only the happenings in my life but the time of my life when they occur. I am guilty of falling prey to self-pity more than I care to admit. I long to be better at accepting things as they come to me instead of wasting time wishing they had happened differently.

I've had such an occurrence in the past few days and I have had to adapt to something positive that came at the wrong time for me to get the maximum value from it. I struggled with the timing and why it came too late for me to able to get the full measure of satisfaction from if it had only happened just a few months earlier. I had to remind myself that if I didn't stop looking at this event in that negative way, that not only had I lost out on what could have been but that I would be costing myself the satisfaction of what is really happening in my life as it is occurring. I can't change the how or when of what happened but I can adjust my attitude.

How sad it is that so often the events in the lives of others bring about my change of heart. When I looked at my disappointment in relationship to life and death events in the lives of others, I was once again brought up short. My cousin's wife was recently diagnosed with an aggressive, malignant brain tumor. They have sought opinions from the best of the best and come away with the same diagnosis. She has a few short weeks of quality time left with her family and less than a year to live. The options that are available to them are not many nor are they encouraging. Treatment might extend her time but could possibly affect her ability to enjoy whatever positive or quality time she has available to her.

As for me, I am returning, at least temporarily, to the workforce as a contractor. I am thankful for the opportunity and today, I am truly grateful that the offer came through even though not at the best time for me to make the most of it financially. God does not give me control over the when or the why but I was given the choice of how I handle what is in front of me, no matter how big or small. Mine is a small thing, especially when compared to life and death matters.

Please join me in prayer for my cousin and his wife and their family as they face the horrendous decision before them.

The Second Forty

2009-05-11T06:00:00.006-05:00

Today, my second born, my daughter Dee, turns forty. She doesn't look it. She's beautiful and smart. She's talented and manages to accomplish much through what often seems like chaos to me. She's a loving mother who does her level best to make sure her girls have all the opportunities that other children have and that they get to experience the things they want to try in life.

Forty years ago today was a Sunday, in fact it was Mother's Day 1969. It snowed a bit that year on that day in east central Indiana... slushy wet flakes that didn't stick, couldn't stick to ground already warmed by spring sunshine. Dee's entrance into our world was marked with hesitation, as if she were unsure if she was ready to join us on the outside. We made three trips to the hospital before we stuck around and finally greeted our baby girl.

She's determined, sometimes stubborn and often makes things harder on herself than they have to be but then, she comes by that honestly. Most of the time, it is because she is trying to do more than is humanly possible. Most of the time, it is because she sets goals and has aspirations far beyond what the rest of the world tries to accomplish. Most of the time it is because she is trying to be everything to everybody else. The amazing part to me, is how often she is able to do exactly what she sets out to do.

I recently read an excerpt from Maya Angelou's Letter To My Daughter (dedicated to the daughter she never had) that touched me.

I am convinced that most people do not grow up. We find parking spaces and honor our credit cards. We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are still innocent and shy as magnolias.

We may act sophisticated and worldly but I believe we feel safest when we go inside ourselves and find home, a place where we belong and maybe the only place we really do.

If this is so, I hope that the home that was built for you is a safe place to come to and that when you go inside yourself to find that home that you know you were loved and cared for and prayed for and wished for. I have no doubt that you are building that haven for your own three girls to go to when their adult days may overwhelm them and they simply want to go home.

I've searched my hard drive in vain to find pictures that I might want to use with this post. I never found the particular one I was looking for or that I haven't already used on previous posts. I know the girls are taking you to Macaroni Grill tonight for dinner so I am hoping that a good picture will come from that event and that one of them will forward it to me to tack onto this post later today. Until then, here's one that I like that.

All that remains to say is that I love you Dee.

Happy Birthday!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T11:40:00.005-05:00

This graphic is not made from the best picture of mom, but one I like as she was reading to me from the paper when I took this photo. It reminds me of the times when I was young that mom would read to me from the same books, over and over.

Between her and my great-aunt Zonie, I learned to read well before I started school.

I love you mom!

Dreams

2009-04-16T11:52:00.002-05:00

I seldom dream these days or if I do, I don't remember them at all. I miss dreaming. The vividness, the realness, the waking up to realize that it wasn't life at all, but simply a dream.

The One-Minute Writer

The One-Minute Writer provides a prompt each day to spur individuals into writing even when they feel they have nothing to say. I wrote the brief paragraph about dreams in less than a minute but I thought of many ways I could talk about dreams that I have had and I now have some ideas about posts for later. Maybe this is the inspiration I need to get back to regular blogging.

How many times have I said that lately?

Friday's Fave Five #31

2009-04-03T12:20:00.004-05:00

While this is the 31st version of Friday's Fave Five, it is my first time to participate. As I've stated before, I continue to search for something to replace the old Friday's Feast posts from ages ago. I enjoyed those a great deal and found many of the blogs I now follow from participating in that meme. I know that I found Linda from 2nd Cup of Coffee there and it is from her blog that I found Friday's Fave Five and decided to give it a try this week. Who knows what I will do next week. Anyway, here are my five favorite things from this week.

1. Having my son here again. While I hate the reason that he has been coming home from Missouri on a regular basis, I am always glad to have him here. John transferred to a GM plant in Wentzville, which is just outside of St. Louis, last year. He is coming home frequently because they are undergoing sporadic layoffs at that plant. Thankfully he is still working, unfortunately, the likelihood of that continuing is looking pretty dim. Still, I'm glad he is home. The only negatives I can come up with about having him stay here with me is that he eats all of my snacks and he leaves the toilet seat up on a consistent basis.

2. Seeing my daughter Dee and her girls again this week. I was just over there less than two weeks ago for a combined birthday celebration for my granddaughter Emily and I but decided to ride over with my son who had over night plans in the area where Dee lives. We had a great dinner that Dee fixed, watched the American Idol result show together and played Pictionary. It was a nice evening. The next day, with the girls at school, Dee and I had a quiet, relaxing morning before John re-joined us and we went to lunch before John and I headed back home.

3. Watching my son John help his sister with a problem with her dryer vent. John is really very talented about most types of repair and I love that he helps others so willingly. He has been a great help to me with any number of things around my home. It did my heart good to see once again, that my adult children have a good relationship with one another and to know that all of them get along really well.

4. I have one more thing from my visit to Dee's this week that I truly enjoyed and that was watching my dog Ginger playing with granddaughter Erin's dog, Bijou. Bijou is a Maltese / Chihuahua mix and about one-tenth the size of Ginger (Australian Shepherd / Border Collie). They play hide and seek around the kitchen island but the funniest thing is watching Bijou sneak food from Ginger's food bowl. She guards her food bowl diligently but he just patiently waits until she follows me or someone else out of the room then he runs to the bowl, snatches one piece and heads for his crate before she can get back. It's hilarious! They run and play to the point of ending up in time out just like kids.

5. Realizing that I've had a wonderful week of nothing really special but that the week was still very special to me.

This was harder than I thought it would be but then I tend to make things difficult by over thinking. I did enjoy it and think it's good to take the time to reflect on the good things that happen in our lives. I will try to be better prepared if I do this again and have pictures the next time around. I decided a little late to do it today and didn't want to take the time to get pictures together. Thanks to Suzanne for hosting this meme!

April

2009-04-02T12:20:00.005-05:00

I took this picture at my daughter's home in Bossier City. To me, spring is the most beautiful season in Louisiana and azaleas definitely mark the start of new beginnings in this area.

I decided to add the seasonal quote to honor the month of April and it's beauty and the leaving behind of the heavy coat of winter drudgery for the light, carefree days of spring.

Guess Who I Found?

2009-04-02T08:46:00.004-05:00

I am at my daughter's home and found an old friend here this morning. I am sure he has been here all along but I just realized this morning who it was in the background when I'm here that seems so familiar. It turns out to be someone who used to live at my house but went missing shortly after all of my children moved out and I became an empty-nester. My former tenant is alive and well, living at my daughter Dee's home in Bossier City and still goes by the moniker Nobody.

Yes, indeed, Nobody is alive and well and is found every time Dee wants to know who left the milk out... or who forgot to empty the dishwasher... or who left the cabinet doors open... or who left the mess on the bathroom counter... or any one of a myriad of questions involving responsibility for one task or another. One, or two or all three girls are quick to let her know that it wasn't them so apparently my old buddy Nobody was responsible for it, right?

You know what? That little sucker hasn't changed a bit!

First Day of Spring

2009-03-20T11:48:00.004-05:00

Happy Spring to each of you!

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass;
as showers that water the earth.

Welcome spring. I think everyone I know is ready to let go of winter this year. I am hoping for a renewed spirit with the start of this season of new beginnings.

I am praying that as a people, we get beyond our current crises of leadership in business and government and move forward to better times for everyone. God bless us all.

Five in a Row

2009-03-06T09:26:00.007-06:00

edit*** I'm not sure what the deal is with the Five On Friday blog site is but the link I provided is not to a current meme and you're not likely to get responses by leaving comments there if you can even get a comment accepted. If anyone wants to play along with this one, leave a comment here and I will definitely visit your site and hopefully anyone else who may play will visit any other posters as well. Sorry for the confusion.

Five in a Row (this site - Five on Friday - is still active but there is no current meme there... the most recent post is nearly a year old)

1. Name one thing you do everyday. I am on my computer every day... to a fault!

2. Name two things you wish you could learn. There are many, many things I would still like to learn and it's hard to just name two but I'll stick to the rules. 1. I would like to learn how to speak another language. 2. I would like to learn how to be a better photographer.

3. Name three things that remind you of your childhood. 1. My grandchildren, watching them do many of the same things I did when I was young. 2. The bowl in my kitchen cabinet that my mother used for years that she gave to me a couple of years ago just because I told her how much I loved it. 3. My pets often remind me of the pets we had when I was a girl and I think they keep me younger acting because I act so silly around them.

4. Name four things you love to eat but rarely do. 1. Lobster 2. sweets (I cut back on sugar years ago because I am hypoglycemic and eating sugar makes it worse) 3. Fatty foods (even when I am not dieting, I found that I feel better when I eat healthier) 4. Red meat (again, mainly due to trying to eat healthier but I still love a good steak)

5. Name five things that make you feel good. 1. My family 2. My pets 3. Watching the birds and squirrels eat and play in my back yard. 4. Watching the neighborhood kids play. 5. My church... I've been away from it for awhile and I miss it.

This is my first time to participate in this meme! I'm still trying to find a place to land after Friday Feasts disappeared from blogdom.

The Photographic Dictionary

2009-02-26T11:26:00.005-06:00

I suppose each of us could create our own photographic dictionary or at least do occasional blog entries of this type if we were so inclined.

Photojo newsletter

Has inspiration walked out on you? Is your gray matter a bit too gray these days? Maybe you need a kick in the creative behindus.

The Photographic Dictionary pairs photos with definitions of words, but this isn’t your bog standard A-is-for-Apple dictionary.

The Photographic Dictionary

I certainly qualify as someone who needs a kick in the creative behindus!

ZZZ-Mailing

2009-02-20T11:31:00.004-06:00

I thought this article was interesting. I've found myself nearly falling asleep while at the keyboard but I've never experienced anything like this!

ZZZ-Mailing

Where Have All the Posters Gone?

2009-02-16T13:13:00.002-06:00

As I surf through some of my regular blog reads, it seems that several of my fellow bloggers are suffering the same loss of blogging mo-jo as I am. I just can't seem to come up with a single (post-worthy) idea for a post nor am I able to turn my rather mundane days into funny or serious little vignettes to share with the few good folks who stop by here on occasion.

Just to let you know, I'm here, life is going good, I just don't seem to have much to say or share at the moment.

Like Douglas MacArthur, I shall return!

(I'm thinking that my new found addiction to Facebook might be part of the problem.)

Friday Fill-Ins #110

2009-02-06T12:58:00.004-06:00

(This is my first Friday Fill-In)

1. Please don't tell me how the movie ends.

2. Can you call me in the morning?

3. The color blue makes me want to dig out my favorite old sweater!

4. I have a craving for a Snickers bar.

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it on a lazy day.

6. Eyes are the mirror in which we see ourselves in others.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening, tomorrow my plans include working in the yard and Sunday, I want to read my new books if my order comes in !

Wordless Wednesday - February 4, 2009

2009-02-04T00:01:00.014-06:00

click picture to enlarge
I had a visitor at my back porch yesterday. I couldn't believe that he actually came this close to the house. Yet in doing so, he ensured himself a wonderful meal of seed and grain dropped from the bird feeder hanging from the eave of the porch.

I even managed to catch a quick video of him.

My Back Porch Buddy on Vimeo.
What you can't see in the pictures or the video, are the number of birds hovering around the feeder above him. The birds come every morning like clockwork, a mix of cardinals, chickadees and sparrows among others, but the squirrels never get this close. They generally prefer to maintain their distance and stay near the big tree toward the back of the yard. Apparently, this little guy was so tempted by the treats on the ground that he decided to go where no squirrel had gone before... all the way to my back porch!

click picture to enlarge

I was just lucky I spotted the little guy before Ginger did and scared him away forever with that booming bark of hers. He still nervously scurried off several times but returned over and over to grab whatever morsels he could find. He even came all the way up on the porch at one point but I had already put the camera down and he ran off again before I could pick it up and get focused on him.

Perhaps someday, I really will manage to do a true "wordless" entry... but it just wasn't meant to happen today!

Check out Wordless Wednesday to see a list of all participants in this weekly meme.

Blog This - and where is my cell phone?

2009-01-30T14:02:00.009-06:00

Talk about a family of blondes!

I sat down to my computer a while ago to catch up, since it had only been an hour or so since I had last looked at Facebook, email, my own blog and the other blogs I frequently check, and I was darn near withdrawal. I use Firefox and along with it several little add-on programs or plug-ins that are available with my favorite browser. One plug-in that I use is the Foxforecast add-on that allows me to keep a continual check on the weather. A really nice feature of this plug-in is that I can set up profiles for various locations that I have an interest in... translate to read places where various members of my family live. With a click or two of my wireless mouse, I can get a quick view of the current weather, as well as a simple forecast for the rest of the current day and into the next. I like it! I don't just like it, I love it!

So while I was checking out Facebook, I noticed one of my local friends, right here in good old Funroe, Louisiana where I'm at, had written a status update about being cold. So I immediately checked my handy dandy Foxforecast line at the bottom of my screen and it read 15° and I am like holy moley, when did that happen. I didn't even know the temps were supposed to fall today, especially that low. The high for the next day was only forecast to be in the low 30s. No wonder poor my friend was cold... bless her heart! For my yankee fans, that's a southern phrase meaning she's my friend and I care about her or it could mean that she may not really be a friend but I'm gonna bless her heart anyway... that's what southerners do... they bless your heart and I've learned that it is a good thing to bless people's hearts! Anyway... let's move on.

I'm thinking about leaving a comment to my friend who's freezing to death, and no wonder because we are not prepared for those kinds of temperatures here in the deep south, when the phone rings. It's my daughter Dee, who lives in Bossier City on the other side of the state. I'm about to ask her if she's freezing to death over there because they actually had a little snow on that side of the state a couple of days ago so I figured it must be even colder where she's at than where I am. Then it hit me... like a ton of bricks... like ice falling from the eaves of buildings... my profile is not set on Monroe.

This is a view of how it looks when set on my local profile -- click to enlarge
Sure enough, I clicked the button and realized that I was seeing weather for my hometown, Muncie, Indiana, where my mother and one of my brothers still live. In a moment of sillyness, I was dumb enough to tell my daughter what I had done... immediately she insulted me by laughing out loud, reminding me how old I am and that amid the graying strands, there is still a lot of blonde there! Hmmmph! She even went so far as to tell me to blog it! Brat!

After an ensuing ~~loving conversation~~ round of name-calling, she told me that she and Sarah had reached their destination and she would talk to me later. I could still hear the sneering condescension in her voice and a final chuckle at my expense when she told me to wait a minute as she ticked off each item she wanted to take in with her... keys, purse, wait, wait... where's my cell phone! (duh, in your hand?)

So who's the old blonde now sweetie?

REVENGE IS SO SWEET!

consider it blogged baby... consider it blogged!

Creating Photo Booth Strips

2009-01-28T18:30:00.002-06:00

*** quick edit made to emphasize the download location / link to Nicole Seitler's Photo Booth Strip template file.

Several people commented on the photo booth posts I did earlier here and here, indicating an interest in how I created the strips. I will attempt to explain in this post how I accomplished that in the graphic program I use, Paint Shop Pro (which I will also refer to as PSP). These instructions assume that you are comfortable working with layers and moving between multiple open images on the screen and that you know how to use basic tools and commands in PSP.

You can use other programs to complete this project if your software allows for the creation of layers within a file and if you know how to adapt the commands and tools used by PSP to the commands and tools your software uses to perform the functions I am describing. If you're not comfortable with my instructions or can't convert them, you can Google for instructions for creating a photo booth strip specific to your software, be it Photoshop, Elements, Irfanview, GIMP, etc., or feel free to contact me through the comments section or by email and I will try to help you find what you need. I'm sure there are better written, more complete, easier to understand tutorials out there for this type of project but I said I would try and I am good for my word (as well as being good and wordy)!

Again, my instructions are based on the commands in Paint Shop Pro, (I use version X2 but you should be able to do this in all versions of PSP). I've used PSP for years and I highly recommend it as it does almost everything that Photoshop CS software will do at a fraction of the cost and generally is easier to learn. It far exceeds the ability of Photoshop Elements, which is similarly priced to Paint Shop Pro. I will intersperse some screen shots in with the instructions to try to help clarify what I am describing. With that said, we'll get started.

The first thing you need is a template for the strip. You can Google for a photo booth strip template or simply go to Sugarplum Paperie to download the zip file which contains the template I used. Extract the template to your hard drive, noting where you are saving it to for access later. The zip file includes both a black strip and a white strip with four openings available in each strip for photo insertion. You can use either one according to your preference.

1. Once you have a strip template, choose the photos you want to insert in the strip and open all of the images, including the strip in your software. If you need to edit the photos you are using in the strip, please do so before you begin the process outlined below. (For the sake of brevity, which Lord knows is not my strong point, I will limit my directions to placing one photo in one opening with the understanding that you will complete the remaining three photos in the same manner.)

Click to enlarge the photo to see more detail.
This is how my program looks when I have opened the template file and my first photo (which I chose to crop before inserting into the strip as you'll notice in the next screen shot).

2. Making the photo strip your active image, grab the magic wand selection tool from the toolbar, which in my workspace is placed down the left side of the screen; it may be elsewhere in your version(see it highlighted in the screen shot below). Touch the magic wand anywhere in the area of the first or top opening of the photo strip. If you don't see the magic wand on your toolbar, click on the little down arrow of the selection tools section of your toolbar and a sub menu will pop up with all of the available tools displayed and choose it there. Once you have selected the opening, you will see that the open area inside the selection is surrounded by what is commonly termed as 'marching ants'. Then go to the Selections menu at the top of your screen and choose Modify, then Expand, then Expand Selection by two pixels. The reason for this is to make sure that your photo will completely fill the opening and not have any blank area around it when the photo layer is moved beneath the template layer.

Click to enlarge the photo to see more detail.
This image shows the selection tool I used (the magic wand) on the toolbar down the left side of the screen (circled in yellow highlight) and the cropped version of my first photo. On the right side of the screen image, I circled in yellow highlight where my new layer shows up in the layer palette. At this point the layers are named raster 1 and raster 2. I recommend renaming your layers just to keep track of where you are in the process. The template image is the active image in this screen shot. If you view a larger version of the screen image, you can see a dashed line representation of what's termed the 'marching ants' around the selection of the first photo opening. In the open program, the selection will actually be moving around the selected area hence the term 'marching ants' but since this image is static, you can't see that motion here. The new raster 2 (photo) layer will ultimately be pulled under the existing raster 1 (template) layer as you will note in a later screen shot.

Just a quick note on cropping and the shape or size of the photo to be inserted. If you decide not to crop your image -- and please understand that you do not have to -- just know that if you choose to insert a photo that is obviously not similarly shaped to the opening, it might scrunch up and distort the photo image more than you would like. Example: your photo is in landscape format (wider than longer) going into a space on the template that is portrait shaped (longer than wider), it will distort when you paste it into the selection. I prefer to crop to get the best view of the photo I am using and to also make sure it is somewhat similar in shape as the opening on the template I am going to insert it into. You do not have to be exact, although you can be if you want. I don't go to that much trouble. You can also make any other edits you wish to your photo before placing it into your strip. I won't describe all the possible edits here as I think a 10 page post would be just a tad much (as if this isn't already stressing the limits of any normal human to stay focused). I generally make minor edits to enhance most photos I use in any project. I probably have a couple of more age lines than you see in this photo! *grin*

3. Keeping your selection active, go to the Layers palette (your photo strip template file should still be active) and click on the add new layer button or you can go to the Layers menu at the top of the screen and select New Raster Layer. I would suggest renaming this new layer something like 'photo1' or 'photo layer 1'. You will eventually have 5 layers total, one for the template, and four image layers, one for each photo you will insert in the strip. Naming them will help you keep them straight. You can do that when you add the layer or later, whichever is easiest for you.

4. Making sure that you have the new layer active in your template file (it will be highlighted in your layer palette) move to your first photo image and simply choose copy from the edit menu, then return to your photo template image and from the Edit Menu at the top of the screen, choose Paste Into Selection making sure you are on the new layer you created for the photo. Regardless of how large your photo image was, it will insert fully within the space defined by the marching ants that you selected earlier. Go to the Selection menu at the top of the screen and click on Select None and the marching ants will disappear.

Click to enlarge the photo to see more detail.
This is how my screen looks after I have pasted the first photo into the selected opening of the template. If you look at the layers palette on the right, you can see the image of the photo on the new layer.

5. Return to the layers palette and highlight the photo layer and pull it under the template layer. You can also change the order of the layers by going to the Layer menu at the top of the screen and select Arrange. You can move the active layer to whatever position you would like in the file. Rename your layer(s) if you have not done so.

Click to enlarge the photo to see more detail.
This screen shot shows how the photo layer has been moved under the template layer and the changes in the layer names. I highlighted the entire area around the layers palette and underlined the layer names in this shot.

6. At this point, I would suggest saving the file in pspimage format. This format preserves the layers format where saving as a jpg or png will save the file as a single layer image. If you are not using Paint Shop Pro, the image format for saving in layer format will be called something different. Just make sure you choose to save as the file type required by your software to retain the layers. You will eventually merge the layers at the end of the process but until you have completed the project, you will want to be able to get your work back if you should make a mistake.

Congratulations, you have just completed the first image insertion. If you look in your layer palette area, you should see two layers, both with images now. The top layer should have your photo strip template and the layer below it should have the image you just pasted into selection. If the photo layer is on top, move it below the template where it should be. The image file itself will display both layers at the same time, looking like a single entity, but rest assured, both layers exist if the layers palette shows two layers (you can even turn individual layers on and off on the layers palette if you want).

All that's left to do now, is to repeat the steps in the preceding paragraphs (from step 2 through 6) for each of the remaining three photos. Just remember to create a new layer for each photo naming it accordingly, select the next opening in the photo template file, copy the next photo then paste each photo INTO the selected area of the template file on it's own layer and save the file as a pspimage after each photo is added. That's the condensed version... and this version didn't take 242 paragraphs to explain it all!

In PSP, as in most software, you can accomplish any task in a variety of ways. I simply tried to explain a way (or two) to accomplish each task in the most common manner or ways available. I personally use many shortcuts within PSP but felt like that would be even more confusing if you're not familiar with my particular methods. If you know other ways to do the same thing, by all means, work in the way that best suits you or that you are most comfortable with.

I hope that these instructions are clear enough for you to follow and that you like your results well enough to display it on your blog or elsewhere. If you wish, you can send your results to me via email and I will will be glad to post them here.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for help. I'm relatively new to tutorial writing so any questions you send to me will help me learn to write clearer instructions. If you find that you just can't do it at all, let me know that too and we can work together to determine whether the instructions are just too complicated or if I need to rate it as being for more advanced users. Remember, you're helping me here too!

I know I tend to be wordy and hope I haven't tried to over-explain and ended up confusing you instead of simply showing you how to complete this project. Let me know if that's the case so that I can do better the next time (if there is a next time that is). I wish any of you who attempt this project good luck and I look forward to seeing your results!

Credit to Nicole Seitler at Sugarplum Paperie for the photostrip. Be sure to visit her site, even if you don't want to try this project as she has some lovely creations and other freebies to share. Just be sure to thank her in her comment section and if you do choose to download something as a result of my link, please let her know that you came from my blog!

Wordless Wednesday - January 28, 2009

2009-01-28T05:28:00.001-06:00

I'm recycling this photo from a previous post My Ugly Mug. I figure this mug deserves a little more attention! It may not have won the contest, but it has a special place in my heart (even if it is kept on the top shelf of the corner cabinet pushed all the way to the back).

Check out Wordless Wednesday to see a list of all participants in this weekly meme.

The Tutorial Will Post Tomorrow!

2009-01-27T20:28:00.003-06:00

Just to let you all know, I'll be posting the tutorial on how I did the photo booth strips sometime tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28, 2009. It will be after the Wordless Wednesday post goes up so check back later in the day if you are interested.

My Ugly Mug

2009-01-26T06:01:00.000-06:00

Flash back to Mother's Day 1979. This is the year my husband I separated. I found out a day or two before that the kid's dad had not taken them anywhere to get me a card or gift. Jamie and Dee, who were nearly 12 and 10 at the time, asked if I would take them somewhere to buy me a present. I loaded the girls up, along with their brother John, who was only four and headed into town the day before Mother's Day so they could get me a gift. John and I sort of wandered around outside the stores the girls went into while they were shopping, waiting on them to make a loving and thoughtful decision about what to purchase for me with their limited funds.

When they came out of the last store with purchase in hand, they were giggly and seemed pleased with themselves. I was touched with how much my girls loved me and knew, that no matter how small their gift might be, that it was symbolic of their love for me. I just knew it... I needed to believe that... that while my marriage was falling apart, my relationship with my children would always sustain me and lift me up, even as my self-confidence waned.

This is what they gave me on Mother's Day that year!

The truth is, I was so surprised by this gift that I'm sure I didn't react as well as a mother should when her children give her a present that is, let's say less than desirable. I was overly sensitive at this point in my life and suppose I was afraid that my children thought of me as an Aggie joke! How silly my reaction seems to me today.

This mug has been a source of jokes in our family for the past thirty years and when I told the girls I was going to submit it for this contest, they couldn't believe that I still had it. In all honesty, this mug has kept me humble over the years and I wouldn't part with it for anything.

I talked to each of my girls today and asked them what they thought back then. I loved their comments.

Jamie:

"I was just a kid and I thought it was funny."
"Besides that, it was cheap."
"It was Dee's idea!"
"I always wondered why the clerk kept asking if that was what we really wanted to give you."

Dee:

"Mom, I was only nine or ten."
"I was a follower back then, it was Jamie's idea."
"I didn't even know what an Aggie was."
"We really tried mom, honest!"

When I was talking to Jamie, she had to do something so while she was busy, I talked to Kayla, my youngest granddaughter who just turned seven a couple of weeks ago. I asked her what she thought about her mommy and aunt Dee buying me a really silly present when they were little girls and what she thought I should do to them for being so silly. She didn't hesitate. She simply told me that I should say thank you because her mommy told her to always say thank you when people give her gifts, even if the gift isn't exactly what she wanted. See what I mean about this mug. Even when viewed through the eyes of a seven year old, I am humbled by it and reminded that I am a very fortunate woman.

So thank you girls, thank you for the mug and for years of love and caring and joy. I'm only sorry that it took thirty years to find a purpose for it. Please know that I love my ugly Aggie Mug. Someday, I hope to find two more just like it!

John, just be glad you were only four or I might be looking for three of them!

********************** PLEASE GO VOTE **********************
Go to 2nd Cup Of Coffee and follow Linda's instructions on how to vote! Please, vote for me, as it will go a long way toward improving my scarred relationship with my children and how people of the world view Aggies in general. Perhaps I could get a new mug with the Starbucks gift certificate that the winner will receive... I mean really, have you ever tried drinking from an Aggie mug?

The Ugly Mug Off

2009-01-20T23:45:00.001-06:00

2nd Cup of Coffee is sponsoring a contest!

Click the pirate mug below to find out about Linda's Ugly Mug Off contest. She's offering a Starbucks Gift Card to the entrant that has the ugliest mug (coffee mug that is). I plan to enter an almost 30 year old coffee mug in the contest. I'm not sure that it will be the ugliest mug but I think I will be in the running for the most pathetic story behind my mug and why I've kept it all these years.

I plan to post my entry before the voting begins on Monday, January 26. Lidna's readers will be voting in the comment section of her blog for the winner. Stop by Lidna's place for the details and dig out your ugliest mug and enter this one. I think this will be a fun contest and I'm looking forward to seeing who really has the ugliest mug!

*** This is a sticky post that will remain on top of the blog for several days. Please check below for possible new posts. The pirate button will be available in the contest section of my sidebar until the contest is over.

Working On The Tutorial and Other Things

2009-01-15T14:36:00.004-06:00

I'm at my daughter's home in Bossier City, staying with my granddaughters while their mommy gets a little me time. Once I got things squared away today, the girls off to school, dishes done, laundry finished, etc., I started on the written portion of the tutorial to create the photo booth strip. As usual, it is taking on a life of it's own and what I thought would be relatively simple, I've managed to turn into a major production, the likes of which haven't been seen since Titanic debuted a few years ago. Well, maybe not that bad, but I just keep adding more and more directions, instructions, screen shots because I want to make sure I am being clear. Which means I'm probably muddying the waters instead! I just didn't want you to think I had forgotten about it.

I hope to finish the tutorial sometime tonight or tomorrow if I have time. Right now, I have to pick Sarah up from school as she had a make-up test today and the older girls will be home shortly. We're going to meet their dad for dinner tonight and I need to get ready for that. Tomorrow, I will head back home sometime after they get off to school as they will spend the weekend with their dad. So time is short until I get settled back home but I will do my best to get it finished and posted.

I just want to add that I am feeling the love from the super nice comments about the photo I posted for Wordless Wednesday. You guys rock and it makes an ~~middle-aged~~ old lady feel pretty good to hear such nice words.

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset Silhouette

2009-01-14T00:01:00.005-06:00

Sunset On Hernando Beach, Spring Hill, Florida
you can view a larger version of this file by clicking on the photo and accessing it through my flickr account

I took this picture on the beach at sunset on Sunday, December 28, 2008, the day after we arrived at my daughter's house in Florida. We barely made it there in time to get pictures before the sun disappeared completely. The photo was edited in Paint Shop Pro to enhance the color and create the silhouette effect. I love silhouettes.

We saw several dolphins near the shore shortly after this picture was taken but I wasn't able to get through the throng of people in time to get a clear photo of them.

Check out Wordless Wednesday to see a list of all participants in this weekly meme.

Another Photo Booth Post

2009-01-11T13:03:00.005-06:00

Here is another photo booth strip I made from pictures taken at my daughter's house in Florida this past week. The bottom two were taken in "Kayla's Photo Booth" that we made at the end of their hallway by hanging a blanket to create the background. The other two pictures were taken elsewhere or at different times during my visit and I included them in this strip because I thought Kayla would like them.

The top photo in the strip is Kayla with her older sister Anna on Kayla's birthday. The next one is of Luger, their 'puppy'. Kayla loves Luger! Once we started taking pictures for her photo booth strips, Kayla decided she wanted to take a picture of me. I helped her a little but she had to make sure I was in the frame before she clicked the button. She did a pretty darn good job! The tripod helped both of us as I used the optic zoom to make sure we got closeups. Don't ya just love my hair... I didn't expect to be in the pictures and didn't think to run a comb through my hair before I turned the camera over to her! I had fun hamming it up though! I also tried using the timer and I got one really good picture of her alone using the timer when I experimented with it but I managed to change the setting when I tried to get into the picture with her and only had two seconds to get in. I only caught part of one of my arms and part of my chin... too funny! It will be good for out-takes if I ever put together an album of these pictures though! I love the pose Kayla struck in the last picture. She is a natural and we had a great time together doing this. Our photo booth session will be a special memory for me from this trip!

I wanted to see how the black and white would look against the color version. I'm not very happy with the noise I added to make it look more like an old photo strip. I didn't get the effect I was after with that but was too tired of messing with it to change it. I still need to do a final version of the strips to print out and send to her so I'll make corrections then. I will probably do both color and black and white to send her.

I will do my best this week to write up instructions on placing the pictures in the strip for those who asked.

The template I used for the photo strip was downloaded from the web. I failed to give credit for it in the last post but here is where you can get the strip if you decide you want to do this project someday.

Nicole Seitler
www.SugarplumPaperie.com

The zip file has both a black and a white strip available and is a free download.

Wordless Wednesday - Photobooth

2009-01-07T00:21:00.001-06:00

We set up the camera and played photo booth Tuesday night. I only had time to make one example strip so Kayla could see at least one set before I leave in the morning.

I have so many more pictures to put into strips when I get home and will probably try to create a new strip or find a better template online. When they are finished I will print them out and send the finished photo booth strips to Kayla. Playing photo booth was fun. You don't have to be a good photographer to do this either so there are no real excuses for not trying this activity!

I had so much fun with Kayla this trip and really enjoyed visiting with her and Anna and Jamie and Shawn and even Luger. I am going to miss them as soon as I pull out of the driveway!

The Youngest, The Oldest, It's All About Wheels Baby!

2009-01-03T05:35:00.003-06:00

This past week brought new wheel experiences to my oldest granddaughter and my youngest granddaughter.

Erin, my oldest granddaughter, who turned 16 in October, rode down to Florida with me a week ago, along with her mother and two sisters, to pick up the car she (her parents actually) bought from her Aunt Jamie. Erin helped drive part of the way down and eased the burden of that 13-14 hour task that her mom and I were sharing. I felt safe and comfortable with her at the wheel but have to admit to having some concern about seeing her turned loose on her own with a 2,000 pound ~~weapon~~ vehicle.

We all know that this car is not the dream vehicle of most 16 year old girls but it is in good shape, was purchased at a bargain price and certainly beats feet (as I used to tell my girls about the company vehicle I was able to pick up when they were that age for a great price).

Here's a shot of Erin sitting in her vehicle after we finally made it to my daughter's home in Florida.

Kayla, my youngest granddaughter, also found freedom with wheels this past week as she gave up the training wheels on her bicycle. I really enjoyed watching the expression on her face as she realized she was doing it all on her own. For a six year old (who will officially turn seven today), this is as much freedom as her older cousin has with her new car.

Here are a couple of shots of Kayla feeling the need for speed while riding her bike in the church parking lot down the road from their home. There's also a video of her making an Evel Kneivel jump over a curb that I will upload and post later.

(oh, please don't tell her momma that I forgot her headgear and pads)

I am just wondering what happened to the Barbie Jeeps, tricycles and wagons? For that matter, we were pushing both of these girls around in strollers not that long ago. Time is flying by and I can't seem to keep up with how fast they are growing up. No wonder I am feeling old!

Wordless Wednesday - Happy New Year

2008-12-31T00:01:00.000-06:00

Made from a photo of my daughter's Christmas tree taken on Christmas Day, 2008.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T09:33:00.001-06:00

So much going on with all the busyness of the holiday season. While I have a couple of free moments, I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. May you have a safe, happy and peaceful time with those who are most dear to you.

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."

Agnes M. Pharo

This sticky post will be up from Tuesday until the day after Christmas! New posts may be available below this one.

Jacob's Stocking

2008-12-24T16:00:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for a good cause to help out with this season, please check out Jacob's Stocking. You will be gifted yourself by visiting this site.

This sticky post will stay on top until Christmas Eve.

Time Marches On

2008-12-20T19:23:00.003-06:00

This has been a difficult week for me. It started with my coming down with either a cold or possibly the flu. I had the typical head congestion, scratchy sore throat, ears itching, hacking cough, lots of yucky drainage, headache, achy body and slight fever off and on. It goes without saying that this is the worse possible time to get sick as you can imagine.

One thing that I did get to do was to spend time to really look over and read the Christmas cards I had received and continue to bring in daily. Some contained pictures, some had notes and all contained warm wishes for the Christmas season and for the coming year. Three of them were particularly touching in some way.

One of those three was from my oldest daughter, who recently remarried. The card was made from a photograph taken by a friend right after the ceremony. The picture is not all that great but greatly appreciated since I was not there for the wedding. After I scanned the photo portion of the card, I did my best to enhance it as much as possible.

Shawn and Jamie with Anna and Kayla

click to enlarge
I have met Shawn and will see him, Jamie and the girls in a few days. I'm headed down after Christmas for a couple of weeks. Shawn will get his fill of his new mother-in-law. Kayla, I get to celebrate your birthday with you again!

The other two cards that affected me came from family members of my friend Margaret, who passed away in June 2007. Margaret's husband remarried several months ago to a woman from the Philippines. He is currently there with her but they plan to come back to the states in a few months. According to the letter he enclosed with the card, their plan is to return here, sell the house he and Margaret lived in and move to the Dallas area where both of his children are currently living. He and his new wife Eloisa will also return to the Philippines from time to time where her family remains. She appears to be a lovely lady and I will most likely meet her in April next year when they get back.

I also got a card from Margaret's daughter Tracy that included a picture of her three year old son. Gage was Margaret's pride and joy. She had about a year with him before her health began to fail and the results of cancer, if not cancer itself, ravaged her body for months before giving out completely. It meant a lot to me to receive that picture along with the card.

I still miss Margaret tremendously. You don't lose your best friend, your touchstone and not feel it on some level the rest of your life. It is also good to be reminded that life goes on and that is the way it is supposed to be.

I am happy for my daughter and her new husband. I am also happy for Glynn and Eloisa. I wish both couples all the happiness in the world. As for Gage, I hope to get pictures of him for many years to come. It does me good to see that crooked little smile. I know exactly where it came from.

It Finally Happened To Me!

2008-12-16T11:24:00.003-06:00

I have just deleted two comments from the same poster, profile unavailable of course that is simply pure spam. The comments were made in two separate posts, not even current ones, one post was made last April. Both comments contained the exact same message about Cialis and both have been removed. I sure hope there won't be anymore.

I just don't understand why anyone would do something as stupid as this. I mean, what's the point? I've been mildly inconvenienced -- big deal.

I saw this quote in the Old Farmer's Almanac newsletter this morning. It's much nicer than comments about erectile dysfunction problems.

Life is mostly froth and bubble;
Two things stand like stone:
KINDNESS in another’s trouble,
COURAGE in your own.
–Adam Lindsay Gordon (1833–70)

My Pets Are Worse Than Children

2008-12-16T00:25:00.004-06:00

I started coming down with some kind of bug during the day yesterday. Could be a cold, could be a flu or just my allergies / sinuses acting up. The weather has been so crazy here the past week it's a small wonder that everyone here isn't in the hospital.

I assume that was the reason I fell asleep on the couch much earlier in the evening and woke up about an hour ago with a scratchy itchy throat and itchy ears, probably caused by the massive amount of drainage in the back of my throat. When I woke up, the cat and dog were on the sofa with me. The cat was curled up next to me, like he does whenever he decides he wants attention and Ginger was at my feet, where she often sleeps or will lay while I am watching television. Unless there's a thunderstorm, then she's up in my face and won't get but a few inches away from me.

Right now our weather is on the wintry side... after a week of yo-yo-ing temperatures with one day in the 70s the next in the 40s... one day rain, the next sunny, with strong gusty winds during most of that time. Right now it's in the low 30's (feels like temps are listed as low 20s) with a good possibility of freezing precipitation. As a matter of fact, I thought I heard sleet or freezing rain when Mr. Woody K. Nibs, the cat, decided he just had to go outside to investigate and check out potential prey... as if anything would be out in this weather but a stupid cat!

Of course Ginger decided she wanted to go out as well once she saw Woody head that way. At least the cat will stay on the porch when the weather is bad so maybe he's not so dumb after all. Ginger, who hates wet grass and often refuses to go outside when it's raining, took off as soon as the door opened and ran straight into some icy cold water that's standing in the low spots of my yard because our ground is totally saturated from the big rainfall we got last week. Normally, if it's misty or a light rainfall, and I can get her to go out, she will do her business and come right back in but not tonight. She splashed in every bit of standing water she could find. I had to make her come in this time and she was soaked. All that wet fur will not be smelling too good as it starts to dry. She was so energized (I assume by the cold air) that when she finally responded to me and decided to come in, she flew by me before I could get the towel around her to dry her off. My carpet looked better when all three of my children were still at home!

All I had to do was call Woody and he came right back in behind Ginger... only to start ~~whining~~ meowing at the other set of doors five minutes later. I swear my kids weren't as bad as these two. At least by the time they were the age of these animals I could go to the bathroom by myself. The one good thing is that I don't have to worry about boots... and mittens... and coats... and hats!

All I am dealing with now is smelly wet fur!

Ginger's Misery

2008-12-12T12:44:00.004-06:00

This was not a good week for Ginger. She cowered most of the day on Tuesday when we had thunderstorms, a tornado watch and mid-seventy degree weather. Rain poured down on us all day long with strong gusts of wind whipping the still falling leaves from one neighbor's yard to another. She didn't get less than inches away from me all day.

The next day brought continuing rainfall and much cooler temperatures, plummeting to near freezing levels during the night with a winter storm advisory. The ground was saturated and we had water standing everywhere. I was certainly ready for the rain to end. I knew however, that even if it did snow or sleet that the likelihood of it sticking was slim. As it turned out, there was no need for us to be concerned as the winter precipitation never materialized in our area.

The soggy ground stuck with us through yesterday as the sun finally began to peek out and the temperatures rose little by little which made three days in a row that Ginger was miserable about going outside.

Here are a couple of pictures I took of her as she tried to find ways to entertain herself inside.

Poor Ginger was so bored during our inclement weather this week as she was forced to stay inside most of the day. She doesn't go out much unless someone goes with her on the best days but she still misses her outside time when its rainy. She really hates wet grass.

She played with one of her favorite toys most of the day yesterday and of course that meant that I played with it too! I hate slobbery dog toys as much as she hates wet grass!

Wishing Ginger and all of you all perfect weather.

Count That Day Lost

2008-12-11T12:33:00.001-06:00

Count That Day Lost
by George Elliot, (Mary Ann Evans)

If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done, and counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind
That fell like sunshine where it went - -
Then you may count that day well spent.
But if, through all the livelong day,
You’ve cheered no heart, by yea or nay - -
If through it all
You’ve nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face - -
No act most small
That helped some soul and nothing cost - -
Then count that day as worse than lost.

A short note in email cheered me the other day. It was from someone that I am not particularly close to but correspond with through email on a regular basis. Mostly, I send email that might be considered encouraging or inspirational to a group of people that she is part of and apparently the things that I sent helped her through a difficult time.

She indicated to me that she felt that someone cared, that someone was thinking of her, was perhaps praying for her and walking with her, gently pulling her back to the path she needed to be on. She had drifted away and my emails were a reminder of a shared experience several years ago where we both, along with many others, experienced the incomparable, unmerited, unconditional love of Christ in our lives. Unknown to her, I too have found myself drifting and feeling apart. Her brief note lifted me on that day and made me feel that I need not count that day as lost... that perhaps no day is truly lost unless we give up on it.

Thank you Mary C.

Listening

2008-12-10T18:55:00.002-06:00

I wish I were a better listener. I often pray that God will help me be a better listener.

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.
--Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

How do geese know when to fly to the sun? Who tells them the seasons? How do we, humans, know when it is time to move on? As with migrant birds, so surely with us, there is a voice within, if only we would listen to it, that tells us so certainly when to go forth into the unknown.
--Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

When a group of professional people asked a group of 4-to-8-year olds, 'What does love mean?' one replied, 'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.'
--Warren McLaren

The purpose of life is to listen - to yourself, to your neighbor, to your world and to God and, when the time comes, to respond in as helpful a way as you can find... from within and without.
--Fred Rogers

Listen to the Mustn'ts,child,
Listen to the Don'ts
Listen to the Shouldn'ts
The Impossibles, the Won'ts
Listen to the Never Haves,
Then listen close to me --
Anything can happen, child,
Anything can be.
--Shel Silverstein

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
--Leo Buscaglia

Do It - Done It

2008-12-10T13:00:00.002-06:00

Do it, done it.

Put the items you've done in bold. I've italicized things I want to do.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (Disney World)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (once in high school when we saw friends driving down the road)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (not in a foreign country though)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (does Pig Latin count... okay never mind)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (thought so, looking back I realize we actually had very little but I was very happy at the time so I guess it seemed like enough)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (just a home movie so I won't count it)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (prepared one someone else killed)
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

***forgot to add that anyone who wishes to complete this meme is welcome to copy it and replace my answers with your own... just let me know so I can come read your list!

About Me and Getting Back to Graphics

2008-12-09T15:01:00.003-06:00

I've been in a low place for some time and unable to make myself do many of the things that I enjoy, which only serves to contribute to the problem. It is a diagnosed condition and has a name. It's called dysthymia, which is simply a mild, long lasting form of depression. Sometimes I can get the best of it, but often as not, it gets the best of me. Most of this past year has been a win for dysthymia. I hate it. I seldom use medication, but have seriously considered it this time around. I think I may be on the verge of overcoming it so I am going to hold off for a while to see what happens. I wish I had not let it get this far along and have made a promise to myself that I won't let it go this long again without getting a script for a mild anti-depressant.

My point here is that when I start getting more active with the things I enjoy, I know that I am on the mend. I've done a few things in my favorite graphics program recently and thought I would post one of my little projects here. Since I've also let my interest in photography drift, I went back to my interview with Sarah stash of photos to do a little project that I came up with from viewing the works of others.

Here is the SOOC photo that I started with. It is okay, but nothing earth shattering beyond the fact that any picture of Sarah is terrific in her Mimi's opinion.

I cropped out the portion of the photo that I wanted to display and used Paint Shop's internal one step photo fix on the new image. Instant improvement without having to go through a lot of individual steps to get pretty much the same results. After that, I added a contrast adjustment layer to boost the contrast and merged down. I then used the dodge tool to brighten the whites of her eyes (on a duplicate layer) then flattened the image and burned the outside edges with the burn tool to add interest to the photo. The last step, before saving the cropped image, was to sharpen the image with the unsharp mask. I did resize both versions before uploading to keep the size and load time down. Here's the finished product.

I think this version really pops and lets others see the bright and beautiful Sarah that I see in person. My camera and my photo skills just can't seem to do that without help. The adjustments were minor with dramatic results in my opinion. I hope you like it!

My granddaughter's birth has made me want to create things she will love. ~Billy Crystal

The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy. ~Sam Levenson

Crazy Weather

2008-12-09T11:32:00.003-06:00

Would you believe that we are under a tornado watch. Here it is, almost mid-December, with high temps expected to be in the mid 70s and we are supposed to be on the lookout for funnel clouds. Poor Ginger went running under the computer desk when we heard thunder earlier this morning. The cat goes out one set of french doors and comes right back in the other. They don't know what to do today!

Tomorrow it will not make it out of the 40s. No wonder people are sick all of the time.

One

2008-12-04T14:09:00.000-06:00

You
Can
Only
Type
One
Word
Answers
For
Each
Question

Not as easy as you might think. Copy this questionnaire and paste as a new post. Then change the answers to suit you and tag others or encourage others to try this One Word Answer meme themselves.

Remember: one word answers only!

1. Where is your mobile phone? table

2.Your significant other? none

3. Your hair? ashy

4. Your mother? Juanita

5. Your father? David

6. Your favorite thing? family

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your favorite drink? water

9. Your dream goal? contentment

10. The room you’re in? office

11. Your ex? lost

12. Your fear? dependency

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

14. Where were you last night? home

15. What you’re not? perfect

16. Muffins? yummy

17. One of your wish list items? remodel

18. Where you grew up? Indiana

19. The last thing you did? lunch

20. What are you wearing? clothes

21. Your favorite TV Show? dancing

22. Your pets? two

23. Your computer? contrary

24. Your life? quiet

25. Your mood? down

26. Missing someone? always

27. Your car? garage

28. Something you’re not wearing? shoes

29. Favorite store? expensive

30. Your summer? hot

31. Like someone? yes

32. Your favorite color? blue

33. When is the last time you laughed? today

34. Last time you cried? yesterday

35. Who will post this? some

36. Were you able to answer ALL of the questions with ONE word answers? yes

I am not tagging anyone to do this meme as I am usually among the last to get around to doing these things and most people I know probably have done this one already. If you choose to copy it and post it to your blog, please let me know in the comments section of this post. I would love to see your answers.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

2008-12-04T11:20:00.003-06:00

Tale of Two Brains

2008-12-04T11:18:00.002-06:00

HP Magic Giveaway at Gear Live

2008-12-02T06:15:00.004-06:00

**Edit to add a note about commenting at the Gear Live site to enter this contest. I had to break my entry into three separate comments to get the site to accept them. I was not able to include all three (Blog, Twitter and Facebook links) on one entry as the site gives error messages if you do that. I found the solution the hard way and thought I would share here before sending people to the site.

An unbelievable giveaway: HP Magic Giveaway at Gear Live

Seriously, they are giving away over $6,000 worth of computers and electronics at their site. Be sure to check it out!

Thankful!

2008-11-27T12:59:00.002-06:00

Since today is a day of thanksgiving, I would like to start by saying I'm most thankful that my family and friends are all safe and healthy today.

My oldest daughter is in Florida, preparing a thanksgiving meal for her family and her new in-laws and some friends. My middle child is making dinner for her girls and their father before she has to go to work later today (bad part about being an RN in a hospital) on the other side of state from where I live. My son drove all night, after getting off work at after midnight last night and made it home safely around ten this morning. I made dinner for the two of us here. If any of you know where Cox's Army is, please send them here because I'm pretty sure I have enough leftover to feed them all.

Poor John was not just tired when he got here, he is also quite sick. He stayed awake long enough to eat a meal he could barely taste and then went to bed after canceling plans to meet friends later today to ride four wheelers. I am thankful that although he is not feeling well, that he has a safe place to lay his head and that he is smart enough to know he needs to sleep and rest if he wants to get over this flu or cold or whatever he has. I am hopeful that I will not be on the receiving end of whatever he brought home with him. I am happy that he thanked me for what he was sure was probably a very good meal before he went to bed. I am thankful that he learned to express appreciation somewhere, anywhere, whether from me or someone else along the way.

As for me, I am tired. My back hurts, my feet hurt and I am exhausted. I am thankful for the opportunity to get this tired and achy. I am thankful that our dinner is over and cleanup is mostly done. I am thankful that I can finally lay down, on the couch in front of the tv with my laptop... not to mention how grateful I am for the Alleve and the heating pad.

I am very thankful that my mother is having dinner in her own home with my two brothers and part of their families. She is 85 years old and still in the middle of all of the preparation, even if she is huffing and puffing a bit as she works. She likes being needed and loves taking care of those she cares about... it is good for her (within reason)!

I am thankful that my sister is safe and well in her home in North Carolina, with her husband and youngest daughter. I'm thankful that her oldest daughter is celebrating with her husbands family as the two of them prepare to welcome their first child next year. We are all waiting on baby boy Miller to make his way into the world and to settle in our hearts once we finally get a name. I love that Melanie and I have the same last name... just thought I would throw that in there. I also love her husband Michael. I think they will be terrific parents.

My prayers go out to those who may be hurting and suffering in some way today, whether it is health issues, financial woes or other concerns or losses, such as my friend Gill whose mother passed away this week. In the midst of our thanksgiving, life (and death) marches on.

God help us to put one foot in front of the other and face what comes our way on this Thanksgiving Day and every day. Help us to be a thankful people.

What American Accent Do You Have

2008-11-25T21:49:00.003-06:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Northeast
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I don't think people from southern Indiana sound anything like people from Missouri. Their southern Indiana accent is most like Kentucky and Tennessee to me. I'm from central Indiana and we sound nothing like people from southern Indiana. Oh well!

Tagged for Six Random Things

2008-11-22T13:40:00.005-06:00

I've been tagged by Linda at this and that to do this meme that reveals a few random things about me.

Here are the rules of this meme:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

So here are my six very random things about me:

#1 I used to smoke but finally gave it up almost 13 years ago.

#2 I love to play word games.

#3 I drive a silver Nissan X-Terra.

#4 I struggle with depression from time to time.

#5 I used to be an avid reader but read much less often (at least comparatively) these days.

#6 I got a new son-in-law yesterday afternoon! (Watch for a post on this subject at a later date. I'm waiting for pictures!)

Now it's my turn to tag 6 other people. I'm not tagging anyone specifically since I'm certain most of the bloggers I know have done this one. If you read this post and would like to participate in this meme, then please do so and leave me a comment so I can read your post.

For Gill

2008-11-22T13:36:00.002-06:00

Please add my blogging friend Gill and her family to your prayers. Her mother passed away last night. If you get a chance, please go by and let her know that you are thinking of her.

Gills's Jottings

Plain Ole' Joe

2008-11-14T14:15:00.000-06:00

You Are a Plain Ole Cup of Joe

But don't think plain - instead think, uncomplicated

You're a low maintenance kind of girl... who can hang with the guys

Down to earth, easy going, and fun! Yup, that's you: the friend everyone invites.

And your dependable too. Both for a laugh and a sympathetic ear.

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

Kayla

2008-11-14T13:51:00.003-06:00

Just because I seldom mention her, doesn't mean that this little cutie pie isn't on my mind all of the time. Kayla is my youngest granddaughter. She is six years old and in the first grade in Florida.

Kayla is taking piano lessons and just started voice lessons as well. She has her first recital next Wednesday. I wish I could be there but I am just too far away to be there for every occasion. I plan on being there towards the end of the year so two trips with that quick of a turnaround just isn't going to happen.

I don't know if she will be singing at this recital since she just got started on the vocals. My oldest granddaughter, Erin, has a nice voice too. I'm glad. My own voice is terrible as I had damage to my chords from surgery as a child and I always sound hoarse or weak.

Anyway, I hope Jamie will take some pictures and send them to me after the program next week. I will post them for sure if she does.

Break a leg Kayla!

Help Me Remember!

2008-11-14T10:45:00.001-06:00

I must try and cultivate an eye for life's mercies... And life, while it has its ugly swamps, its vile weeds, and its sharp thorns, has always its fair flowers to charm the eye with their beauty, or to fill the air with their fragrance...

--Rev. John Flowers Serjeant, 1878

Sometimes I go about pitying myself, and all the time I am being carried on great winds across the sky.

--Chippewa, translated by Robert Bly

Happy Birthday Anna!

2008-11-12T08:49:00.004-06:00

'I feel that the real drama of life is never center stage, it's always in the wings. It's never with the spotlight on, it's usually something that you don't expect at all.'
- Fred Rogers

'something that you don't expect at all'... that's you Anna. What an unexpected addition you have been to my life. You taught our entire family just how important life is for the mere sake of life itself and for no other reason. No child, no young woman has ever been more loved than you. You are not often center stage but you are always at the center of this family's being. We are truly better for having you in our lives.

I love you Anna... Happy 14th Birthday!

Playing Bridge - On A Houseboat

2008-11-11T22:11:00.004-06:00

I spent a good part of the day Monday, playing bridge with some friends. It's been a long time, over 5 years at least, since I last enjoyed that activity. I was surprised at how readily the bidding and play came back to me. It helped that the cards were kind and that I was with old friends who are no more serious about bridge than I am. The four of us, along with several others, learned to play bridge many, many years ago when we were all young corporate wives to husbands who transferred here with GM.

Many changes have taken place in our lives over the past thirty-some years; our children are all grown, we have grandchildren, some marriages didn't survive, some people transferred, some died. Over the years we've been homemakers and later we had careers, some moved away and then came back and now we are all retired... and playing bridge again!

It was fun to get back together especially on the houseboat, which belongs to my friend Diane's son, Danny and his wife Pat. Not only are they generous enough to allow us to use the boat, Pat, who was working from home that day, kept us in coffee. And that was much appreciated on a chilly fall day.

Here's a few pictures from our day.

A picture looking out over the front of the houseboat... the colors were gorgeous along the river.

This is Vickie.

This is Diane.

This is Janan, who was smart enough to bring ear muffs!

Vickie is mulling over her next play.

Diane is thinking about her next bid.

Janan is eating, which may be our ulterior motive for playing bridge... we munched all day.

This is Danny and Pat's Irish Setter, Abby. She's a beautiful dog who spent the day tripping the latch on the gate to break out and chase a cat that was teasing her from the nearby grounds.

She totally wore herself out chasing that cat! We bridge players weren't the only ones who had fun on Monday!

Giveaway @ Simple Mom

2008-11-08T19:18:00.004-06:00

I'm hoping to win this printer from Simple Mom. Just click the link and you can enter the contest as well. She gives you three ways to get your name in the hopper for this terrific gift.

You can get the 411 on the printer here: Epson Artisan

Unbelievably Proud

2008-11-08T04:21:00.003-06:00

I know. I just posted that I try to avoid political posts, but this one is more about my granddaughters taking a stance and expressing their points of view than it is about politics. It is about the character they show by the statements they made that I am proud of.

The first statement was made by my oldest granddaughter, Erin, who just turned 16 a week ago. I think it took guts for her to stand up and make this statement on her MySpace page.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

If you don’t have anything nice to say...
Current mood: annoyed

Alright, look. I'm really tired of hearing about this election.
It's Over. Obama Won.

I'm disappointed about the outcome of the election, but some of yall are being ridiculous. I wasn't an Obama supporter because I don't agree with his view on things like abortion, the economy, and the border control between America and Mexico. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with his race or his religion.

I'm a Christian. I believe very strongly in Jesus Christ and in God's word, and I take what the Bible says to heart. But to all of you out there saying that the world is going to end, the Rapture is going to happen, Obama is the anti-christ... You've obviously never paid attention in Sunday School. You see, God says that we will not be able to predict when the Rapture will happen. We're not gonna see it coming. If you say that the Rapture is coming in the next few years and you know it, you are basically arguing with God's word. Only He knows when the time is right, and it'll take us by complete surprise.

Yes, Obama is different. He's young and he's fairly inexperienced, but who knows? He may do this country some good. We're already screwed at the moment; how much worse could it get? I don't agree with the man's politics but that doesn't mean that I'm going to disrespect the leader of this country. If anything, he needs our support.

Everyone's talking about how horrible he is. He hasn't even taken office yet, so how do you know, exactly? How do YOU know that Obama is so horrible, and that he's going to kill us all and destroy the earth and reveal himself as Satan during the 7 years of Trials & Tribulations? You don't. Most of you are just repeating what you've heard your friends, family, and the TV say anyways. You don't even know enough about McCain or Obama to form your own original opinion on the matter that you're so ignorantly debating. I didn't want him to be president one bit but I'm not going to sit here and bash him, either. Because I don't know what good, or bad, he can do to our country.

I say suck it up. He won, and there's nothing your whining can do to change it. In four years the world will still be here, America will be bored with Mr. Barack, and we can all move on with our lives.

Agree or Disagree. Doesn't bother me one bit.

The post below was made by my granddaughter Emily, who put this on her MySpace site the day before the election. I'm not certain, but I doubt that she will have a career in politics... what a shame... a little more blunt honesty might be just what the political arena needs.

Date: Nov 3, 2008 9:39 PM
Subject: oh my bama
Body: obama isnt even black!!!!!!!!!

my gosh if your gonna tell me im not voting for someone because they're black, make sure they actually ARE.

he's half black..he's also half white!
if a black person said they werent voting for obama, i could say "your racist, your just against him because he's white"

but everyone would think i was crazy.

and why? i dont have a clue.
but he is just as much white as he is black so DROP THE WHOLE RACE ISSUE!

i dont like obama or mccain . mccain is better, but i dont like him. theyll both mess up our country so it doesnt really matter who wins.

so get over it! it doesnt matter who gets elected. america is screwed.

Their political views do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog's management but I can say this, I am definitely proud of them for having the courage to take the high road where character and doing the right thing matters. Oh and that I am a little concerned about Emily's grammar... honors student huh? must be a myspace thing!

Privilege

2008-11-04T17:38:00.004-06:00

I hope each and everyone of you took the time today to exercise your privilege to vote for the candidate of your choice. I made a conscious decision when I started this blog to avoid politics and political statements and for me, that was an appropriate choice. It isn't always easy for me to keep my thoughts and opinions to myself as I can be as opinionated and passionate as the next guy or gal. All I want to say here is that regardless of who wins this election, we will have change. It will be different than it has been for the past eight years and I am not sure we ought to expect anything more than that.

So if you have not voted and your polling place is still open, please go get in line and vote. At one point in this election season, I found myself quite tempted to not vote in the presidential election this year but I know in my heart that to not appreciate the privilege of voting and to deny my personal responsibility as a citizen to participate in the only way I can would be a mistake.

All that I have left to say is that I am praying for all of America and for her new leaders regardless of who wins the various elections.

God Bless America!

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

2008-11-01T03:35:00.004-05:00

I am so frustrated. I literally hate AOL right now. I kept an AOL account for years because I travel to places, like to my mother's home and a few other locations, where I had no way to access the internet except by using AOL access numbers. I have DSL at home so I haven't needed that access here for several years, but continued to pay to have the access available to me wherever I went. AOL also offered it's paid members lots and lots of online storage for pictures and other types of files. I took advantage of that storage for many of the pictures, music and videos that I posted on this blog because it gave me more control. I justified the expense for the access coupled with the massive storage I had.

Long story short, AOL is changing how they do business and decided to do away with their ftp storage. Users had a one month notice to get all of their files to a new online location or downloaded if needed. Needless to say, the AOL ftp gateway was not accessible most of that time due to the sheer volume of files to be moved and because their clunky ftp software would only allow people to download one file at a time. Not a problem for me since I already have most of those files stored somewhere on my hard drive anyway. The real problem for me and lots of other people, including many ebay users, is that we coded the location of those files to reference the AOL storage site.

I contacted AOL several times about this matter and was assured as late as yesterday that even though I would not have ftp access (meaning I would not be able to upload / download files anymore), the files would still be there. I asked the question three times yet the tech helping me didn't understand what I was asking or deliberately misinformed me. I'm more angry at myself because I was fairly certain what was going to happen but let someone assure me of something that I suspected wasn't true. The point is, I now have holes all over my blog pages because of this. I just fixed the header but still have many files that I need to get to flickr or some other site and then I will still have to re-code every instance of the files that are affected or just remove the coding referencing those files completely. So if you see blank spaces or the dreaded red x on my pages, that's why.

If you see flames and smoke coming from this site in the next few days or weeks, well that will be coming from me!

EDIT: I decided to simply remove the coding referencing any files stored at AOL until I can get them moved to a new location. I've been thinking about re-doing the site anyway, but haven't found a look that I am satisfied with yet. Obviously, with the lack of updates, I've struggled a bit with what to post or what direction to take this blog in or if I even want to keep it going. hmmmm... seems like this blog truly is a reflection of my life.

AHS Homecoming 2008 - Friday Night

2008-10-16T18:57:00.001-05:00

I'm a little upset with myself as I missed getting photos that I would like to have taken, specifically some special poses of Emily, since this was her first homecoming dance. Unfortunately, time was at a premium and we were rushed most of the day. I am glad that I got to share this time with girls, even though it was hectic.

Erin and Nick left Dee's early to go to his parents for photos there and Dee and I got pictures of Dustin and Emily at her home before we left to meet up with Erin and Nick again at a friends house. Several couples met for photos before they all headed out to whatever restaurants they chose to go to before the dance.

Here's Emily and Dustin at Dee's before their first homecoming dance. After seeing them mostly in t-shirts and baggy pants or shorts most of the time, it's a real pleasure to see how well they clean up! Curls and pedicures were the order of the day. Poor Dustin worried so much about the hot pink tie not matching right that he decided to go with the white shirt and black tie to make sure he looked okay. I think when he saw the other guys later on he wanted to change back but it was too late. If he had brought them with him he might have had time to change but we just didn't have time to take him home. He is such a good looking young man, I don't think it matters. Of course when you're 14 or 15, everything matters.

I like this picture of the two girls together. I loved the dresses they chose. Their dad took them shopping to get them and I think they did a great job choosing colors and styles that suited them well.

A group photo of the couples who met at Amy's house before the dance.

The guys checking out the girls...

checking out the guys!

Erin and Nick

Emily and Dustin

and one last photo before they left to go eat before the dance.

Dee had chauffeur duty this year with Emily and Dustin. Sarah and I followed her to Ralph and Kakoo's, a local seafood restaurant, where they chose to eat and met up with another couple. I liked this picture of the two of them walking in together.

Dee, Sarah and I went to eat Mexican food where we waited for them to call and tell us they were ready to go on to the dance. My ex son-in-law Will, picked them up after the dance as the girls were spending the weekend with him. I did get to see them briefly on Saturday as their dad was kind enough to come over to Dee's and change my tire, which had gone flat. Thankfully it happened before I got on the road to drive back home.

I think it is safe to say, they all had a good time and they made me happy by letting me be a part of it all.

AHS Homecoming 2008 - Thursday Night

2008-10-16T18:30:00.004-05:00

These photos were taken at the football game Thursday night. School was out for fall break so everything moved up a day this year. I didn't get any pictures of Emily this night. I'm not sure why but I didn't. She chose not to join the band as she wanted to be in the pep squad (or whatever it's currently called), then dropped out of that and plans to rejoin the band next year. I understand that she is quite talented on the clarinet so I hope she does.

This is a picture of Erin sitting in the flute section before the game. She's the one looking back up at me with the please don't embarass me look on her face. She is a sophomore this year and plans to go to LSU and wants to be in the band there. Her new boyfriend is a senior and captain of the drum line. This is the first time I met him. He seems like a really nice young man and they seem well suited.

This is Nick, aka the new boyfriend. We sat near the band, right next to the drum section and were able to watch him perform while we were there. He seems to be quite talented and respected.

This is Dustin. He is Emily's boyfriend. He is so sweet and just like one of the family. He plays the french horn and I got a kick out of watching him perform in the stands as he sat just a row or two above Nick.

The Airline Band is really good and has an outstanding reputation. They performed a show this year called Urban Pulse which was written specifically for them and I loved the music. They move so much on the field that it is almost impossible to follow individuals.

I have a lot more pictures of the band, both in the stands and from their performance on the field during the pre-game show. I may try to post more of those later but just wanted to get some pics of the kids out here for now. I'll put the pictures taken before they left for the homecoming dance on Friday in a separate post.

A Lazy, Rainy Day

2008-10-16T17:07:00.003-05:00

This has been a lazy, rainy day here in Monroe, Louisiana. I've used the time in part to get some of the homecoming photos of Erin and Emily and their boyfriends ready to upload and hopefully I will have a post of them up later this evening.

****************

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of politics. I'm tired of debates. I'm tired of rhetoric and I am tired of the news media.

I am also getting more and more cynical by the moment.

****************

For dinner I plan to finish off the rest of the shrimp bisque that I made yesterday along with the homemade croutons and maybe a small side salad... those croutons are so easy to make and so good. Maybe I'll do a recipe post in the future.

****************

Wishing everyone a lazy, rainy day somewhere in your future.

Quotes and Stuff

2008-10-09T10:32:00.004-05:00

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." -- Mark Twain

Mark Twain was a pretty smart fellow. It seems to me that I've gotten into the worse spots of my life when I was the most certain that I knew what I was doing or when I didn't bother to listen to that nagging little voice in the back of my mind telling me to stop and take more time before acting. The only thing I seem to know for sure today is that the older I get the less I seem to know for sure.

***********************

Today, I am headed to my daughter's home and will be going to Erin and Emily's high school homecoming game tonight to watch the band perform their pre-game show. I'll be with them tomorrow as they both get ready for the homecoming dance. It's Emily's first year in high school and her first homecoming dance and I'm excited for her. Erin has a new boyfriend that I am anxious to meet and of course Sarah Grace is always a real joy in my life. I am taking Ginger but Woody will be on his own until I return home either late tomorrow night or early Saturday morning. He will have everything he needs in place before we head out the door in just a few hours.

I hope to get back to blogging soon and with this little mini-trip and the pictures I will take while I am there I should have material to post at least an entry or two.

I wanted to thank those of you who have corresponded in some way to ask about my well-being... your concern is appreciated.

***********************

"No one knows the story of tomorrow's dawn." -- African Proverb

I'm trying hard as an old dog to learn to take one day at time and to enjoy what life places in front of me each day instead of lamenting what didn't happen that I expected or anticipated. Why is that so hard?

Enjoy this day everyone!

Inspire Me Thursday - Yellow

2008-09-18T17:09:00.003-05:00

There is a blog called Inspire Me Thursday that I go to almost every week and I just keep thinking that I will try to use the prompt from that site to spur my creativity. So far, I've done nothing! This week, I at least found a quote that I like about the subject of the prompt. Although I didn't actually create anything, except for this post, it's a start at least.

Inspire Me Thursday

Yellow

This week’s creative prompt is the color Yellow. Be inspired by the delicious hues of lemon, honey, mustard, butter, corn, custard or whatever shade of yellow you may fancy.

“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun.”

Pablo Picasso

I was so embarrassed by my lack of effort that I didn't even add my link to the comments of the post at the site that hosts this. At least my quote is by someone creative! Maybe next week!

Music - Leela James

2008-09-18T13:54:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite performers is Leela James. I'm sure her style is not suited to everyone but I love to listen to her. Here are three videos of Leela singing some of her songs that I most enjoy listening to. If you like bluesy, soulful sounds, you should certainly enjoy listening to her as well. All of these songs are on her album A Change Gonna Come. There are 18 or 19 songs on that album and I could listen to all of them (and have) all day long.

Music

Don't Speak

Prayer

Tom Bowen - Grieving Father and Everyday Hero

2008-09-16T12:14:00.005-05:00

I cannot tell you how much I was affected by following the story of Ben Bowen, a young boy who lived most of his short life battling a horrific form of brain cancer. His life was ultimately lost on this earth in a most painful and difficult manner. His parents remained resolute and strong in their faith and their desire to honor their second son. You can read about Ben's cancer journey here. More than three years after Ben's death, the site still maintains a regular following despite the fact that it is seldom updated. Ben and his family continue to be everyday heroes in my mind.

Tom, Ben's father, was a West Virginia fire fighter, who became known around the world after the September 11 attack on the twin towers in NYC. Tom was a member of one of several rescue teams that searched for and recovered the bodies of those lost that day from the collapsed buildings. He was the fireman in the photo seen praying over one of the bodies that they had located and brought out of the rubble. Later, when Tom's son Ben was battling for his life against the monster called cancer, the son of the man in the picture that Tom was praying for, left a comment on Ben's site, letting Tom and his family know that he was praying for their son, just as Tom had prayed for his father.

Tom has only minimally kept up with the site that chronicled Ben's battle but every once in a while, I will return and be surprised by an update. After they lost Ben, the Bowens have added two more sons and are now expecting a daughter in December, all joining older brother Elijah, who lives with the loss of a brother he adored. If you visit Ben's site, I am sure you will be touched by Tom's open and honest expression of the pain he experienced, of his clear and determined love for his family and his desire to respect and honor Ben's memory.

On my visit to Ben's site today, my first in months, I found a link to a blog that Tom started that tells of his experiences as a volunteer rescuer at the tower locations. It is also heartfelt and a true memorial to the lives lost on that fateful day as written by someone with first-hand experience at the tower site. Tom's blog is called Live Life Different. I urge you to go there and read what Tom had to say. There are only two entries, both relating to his memories and experiences surrounding the 911 tragedy. It's well worth the time.

An Award - Proximidade!

2008-09-13T20:42:00.004-05:00

Linda, from this and that has gifted me with this award.

To translate the gift from Portuguese to English, it means:

This blog invests and believes, the proximity. [meaning, that blogging makes us 'close' -being close through proxy] They all are charmed with the blogs, where in the majority of its aims are to show the marvels and to do friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize, and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut, or that they propagate?

Then let's try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to 8 bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text.

I simply choose to pass this award on to Mercedes, who I believe to be a blogger who fits the meaning of the award.

Thank you Linda!

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day

2008-09-13T09:46:00.005-05:00

On May 13th of this year, U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) and U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) introduced a National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day resolution in the U.S. Senate. The resolution designates September 13, 2008, as “National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.” The bill was later passed.

"Never before in history has the dream of eliminating childhood cancer been so attainable, yet seemed so elusive. We live in a nation where the effectiveness of treatments and technology offer hope to children who dream of a bright future. Each case of childhood cancer is a very personal tragedy that can strike any family with children, at anytime, anywhere. In setting aside September 13th to recognize this battle on cancer, we continue of our efforts to draw attention to the victims of childhood cancer and the great work of the families and organizations who continue the fight.” Senator Allard from Colorado

"We have made tremendous strides in the fight against childhood cancer, but far too many children still suffer and lose their lives to this illness. The more we know as a nation the better able we will be to prevent and treat the disease and help those who are battling and surviving pediatric cancers. National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day is an opportunity to reach out to all Americans with the facts about childhood cancer, and this day will be an important symbol of our commitment on all days to find a cure." Senator Clinton from New York

Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer and the second overall leading cause of death of children in the United States. More than 10,000 children under the age of 15 in the United States are diagnosed with cancer annually.

Childhood Cancer Facts

Please pray for all children who are fighting this monster disease. Pray for a cure and for strength and healing and for peace, not only for the those who suffer with childhood cancer, but for their families and friends as well.

I (don't) Like Ike!

2008-09-12T12:07:00.005-05:00

Ike, the hurricane headed for the east Texas coastline, is huge. Unlike the popular Republican candidate for President in the 50's, whose campaign issued buttons that read I Like Ike, this Ike is not liked. He is dreaded. Although I am not under hurricane or tropical storm warnings, the area I live in is facing severe weather for the next two days as a result of Ike's presence in our area. My daughter Dee and her family live in Bossier City, near Shreveport where tropical storm warnings are in effect later today. They could face some serious winds, lots of rainfall and possible tornadoes there. Needless to say, I am concerned not only for them but for all those who may be affected by this storm.

Ike is already making his power known in the gulf as the Galveston, Texas is experiencing flooding as is the Lake Charles area in southwestern Louisiana. Lake Charles does not sit directly on the coastline like Galveston does but is near enough that water from the gulf is being forced by the sheer power of Ike into the lake south of the town and creating some serious conditions for those fine people who live south of me.

Let's keep all those who may be in harm's way in our prayers for their safety and that the damage to homes and other property will be minimal.

Wordless Wednesday - September 10, 2008

2008-09-10T15:31:00.004-05:00

Duotones

I took this photo while I was in Indiana at my mothers. It is a picture from a nearby farm that I came across and I simply liked the color of the truck. I cropped a portion of the bottom as it was just a lot of soy beans and didn't add much to (probably distracted from) the photo. I used the result to make a couple of duotones (two toned) from it. I just thought it was fun and decided to share here today.

This one is a blue-gray with black duotone. The blue-gray color was taken from the barn. It turned out to be a lot more gray than blue and rather plain looking in my opinion.

The red in this duotone was taken from the truck. I like this one best.

I enjoy doing this type of thing in Paint Shop Pro. The instructions for this one were written for Photoshop but as with most tutorials you can readily adapt them to work in most comprehensive graphic programs. You can read about this process here: Duotones

I guess this is one more not so Wordless Wednesday!

What Time Of Day Are You?

2008-09-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary.

You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward.

Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts.

All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

We Have A Weiner!

2008-09-09T11:53:00.003-05:00

I got a call from my sister earlier this morning telling me that her daughter, my niece Melanie, had her ultrasound this morning and that they will be having a boy on or around January 21st. The title of this post were my sister's words to me when I answered the phone.

The baby is Mike and Melanie's first and will be the first grandchild for my sister and her husband Bob and will make their other daughter, Morgan, a first time auntie!

Congratulations to all.

I'm just waiting on a copy of the ultrasound to show up in my email!

Quick Sticky Note and Gustav's Effect

2008-09-05T23:16:00.001-05:00

If you are here for Wordless Wednesday, check the entry below this one!

Just a quick note to my kids if they happen to read this and if I haven't talked to you by phone, I am planning to head home on Thursday barring any last minute change in plans. I'll try to talk to you all later. Mom

As for the hurricane, I just happened to be away when Gustav hit the Louisiana coast and as the remnants of the storm moved to the northern part of the state where I live. I understand that power was lost in some parts of the twin cities and that there was some flash flooding of streets in the Monroe / West Monroe area, which is not uncommon occurrence there. I am thankful that the storm was not as serious as it might have been in any part of the state and I am also glad that we learned something and were better prepared this time around. I have to admit that I feel guilty about being away from Woody, even though he is being well cared for while Ginger and I are gone. To the best of my knowledge, everything at my home is fine and the only thing I expect to find is that there will be some debris in the yard and that I'll have grass 2 feet high when I get there from all the rain.

Wordless Wednesday - September 03, 2008

2008-09-03T00:01:00.004-05:00

*** update *** just a quick note to let you know that I'm having trouble getting the comments pages to load with the dial-up connection I'm on here at my mom's. If I can't get by to comment while I'm still here, I'll be sure to drop by your site later this week when I get back home.

Indiana Sunrise

Both these photos were taken Sunday morning at different locations about a mile or so apart and each are a mile or less from my mom's home in east-central Indiana where I've been for the past week or so. The second one was taken about 15-20 minutes after the first picture. Ginger and I have had a nice visit and enjoyed lots of wonderful Indiana corn and tomatoes and will head back (probably Thursday) with nearly 2 dozen quarts of green beans that we canned while I was here. My brother has a good sized garden and thankfully had enough beans left that I was able to pick and can what I wanted. We're talking about making salsa tomorrow. I hope I can find enough sweet corn to take home with me to freeze. We just don't get corn as tender and sweet as what they grow here in my home state. But then my adoptive state, Louisiana has hurricanes named Katrina, Rita and Gustav that Indiana will never have! And fresh (never been frozen) shrimp... and crawfish... and okra... well, okay, so maybe I'm not a big okra fan but it's there if I want it!

Happy Wordless Wednesday to all! Be sure to visit Wordless Wednesday to find a listing of today's participants.

Never Lacking Excitement!

2008-08-24T15:47:00.002-05:00

After I finished running my errands today and had a late lunch, A came down to the house so that I could show her where to find Woody K.'s food and the plants that need to be watered and what to do with the mail. She brought a friend with her, well two friends actually. A and her friend C had a little cat with them that looked something like Woody. He was of similar coloring only this cat was a much softer orange where Woody's color is brighter. He looked to be about six months old or so. Just a neighborhood cat that follows them around.

When we were finished discussing business and how much she thought the job was worth (I think I surprised her on a higher note than she was thinking), the girls left via the front door but were back before I could get it shut behind them. It seems that Woody had chased the cat that they brought with them and he ran up a big 'ol pine tree next to my house. Unfortunately, the lowest limb on the tree is much higher than my ladder.

For the next half hour or so, one of my neighbors, the two girls and two little boys who just wanted to join in on the fun, tried our best to get the cat down. I got out my ladder and we tried to coax the cat to the lower end of the branch which in part hangs over the roof of my garage. My neighbor insisted on climbing the ladder but she never went up high enough so the cat could trust that he could get to her by coming a little farther. We finally gave up, as none of the other neighbors were home or they didn't have a ladder any larger than mine. She went home, the girls went home and I went inside. The young boys decided to stand watch.

About 5 minutes later, they were ringing my front door bell (actually, they must have been pressing it continuously as it never quit dinging), hollering excitedly that the cat was going to fall and die. I went back out and he had gotten way down low on a very small limb and looked near enough that I thought I might be able to coax him on over to the garage roof.

I opened the garage door again and pulled out the ladder and climbed as high as this scared of heights 60ish lady could go (one rung down from the very top actually) and grabbed hold of the branches and started trying to get him to come towards me and on to the roof. Nearly five minutes of this and I was ready to give up again and started down the ladder. Just as I was folding it back up, the boys hollered and when I looked up the cat was hanging by a thread as close to where I might be able to reach him as he had been throughout the ordeal.

So I put the ladder back up, climbed up one more time and started shaking the branch. The poor cat was scared to death and focused on me completely. I felt so sorry for him but still couldn't quite nab him. I inched out a little further than my comfort zone, while on a ladder with two small boys running around underneath, and pulled with all I had in me and the cat finally made the leap onto the roof. I had my reading glasses perched on the top of my head as usual and they were falling onto my face so off they came while I tried to grab the cat and bring him down. It took several tries and I think he left a couple of his claws on the edge of the roof as he really, really didn't want to let go. I finally wrangled both hands around him and yanked him off of the roof and down the ladder. The boys were ecstatic and I noticed that there was now three of them as the younger brother of one of them had joined the crowd.

We spent a couple of moments loving and hugging on the sweet little guy before I put everything away and came back into the house where I promptly sat down at the computer to blog about this event.

That's when I realized my reading glasses were still on the roof!

From The Library

2008-08-23T21:12:00.003-05:00

These are the books I'm taking with me to Indiana when I go to visit mom. I'm not sure if I'll have time to read or not but I'm planning on it. 'scuse mefor a secnd!!!!!

*%@#$*%@#$*%@#$*%@#$*%@#$

Please disrgard that blue streak folk... my key board is acting upnd haf of what I'm typing eiher doen't show up orit is wrog. Batterymybe? I'll be ~~righ~~ right bac.

Okay, I'm back and it seems to be working better now so I guess it was the batteries. I'm not sure I've ever changed them in this keyboard... the mouse, many times but the keyboard? hmmmm What's funny is that when I turned my keyboard over, it automatically posted my incomplete entry. lol oh well, back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

The first book is The Shack by William P. Young. It came highly recommended to me by a friend. The book deals with faith but is a mainstream bestseller, having been on the New York Times bestseller list for ages.

The second should be somewhat familiar to me although I've never read this one. It is Fates Worse Than Death by Kurt Vonnegut.
It's been ages since I've read anything by him, so long I can't remember how long ago! I just keep running into quotes by KV or about KV and decided it was time to reacquaint myself with his wit. This one is autobiographical and I'm looking forward to the read.

I have the animal situation under control, or as well as it is going to be controlled. Ginger is going with me and Woody K. will be staying here under the care and loving guidance of the daughter of a friend. I think Miss A. will do a fantastic job. She's coming to the house tomorrow so I can show her where she can find everything for his majesty. I will also warn her about the fun little presents he will be likely to have waiting at the door when she gets here to feed him. She may not be too happy about seeing dead birds, mice, frogs and whatever else he comes up with. But it's all in the name of the hunt and he's so proud of himself. A. will also be watering my little boxes of herbs and the late tomato plants that just might actually produce.

Busy day coming up tomorrow. Church is out as there is too much to do. Guess I'll get off of here and do a few things tonight and save some time tomorrow.

Good night all!

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-22T11:11:00.003-05:00

To my mother, who is 85 years young today and to my granddaughter, Sarah Grace who turns 12 today, I wish you both the most wonderful day.

I had hoped to find a photo of the two of them together on Sarah's first birthday that I dearly love somewhere in my collection of photographs, whether a print copy or a digital copy but alas, it has proven to be illusive.

I know I have it somewhere but it wasn't with the other photos from their joint birthday celebration here at my house from 11 years ago. I'm sure I did something with it or intended to do something with it and it's in the nether world of all those things in this house that I have had great plans for. :::sigh:::

I'm hoping to leave for mom's on Sunday and I know she has a copy there that I can scan. I will have to wait until I can get that done to post the picture.

I love you both and wish only the best for you today and always!

Happy Birthday mom and Sarah!

Wordless Wednesday - August 20, 2008

2008-08-20T12:56:00.003-05:00

Before and After

My daughter Dee took this photo on her first trip to Scotland three years ago (at least I think it was three years ago). The copies I have of those pictures are compressed but are good enough for display on the web. I play with them in PSP to this day. On this edit, I cloned out the power line and the time stamp before brightening and pulling out the contrast in the photo. The process removed the color cast, which I think lent a sort of old world tone to the building but I was pleased enough with the results to save this one as is. At least for the time being!

Visit Wordless Wednesday to find out what it's all about and to see a listing of all of today's participants.

Rain's A Comin'

2008-08-19T15:13:00.004-05:00

Poor Ginger is headed towards panic mode, trying to hide under the computer desk or get to my lap, whichever she makes it to first. She is like many dogs, afraid of the noise of thunder, which means that today will be an unpleasant one for her.

Dark skies and ominous lightening with big claps of thunder are here along with much cooler temperatures. For this area, we have been in the midst of a cool down, with temps hovering around the mid 80s the past few days. Trust me, in late August, in the delta area of Louisiana and Mississippi, those temps are like a cold snap. This comes just a week or two after record setting temps and heat indexes of around 120°. We've had a few days with enough rainfall and cloud cover to resurrect the lawns in the area. Many of us, me included, were out mowing last night before the anticipated storms come upon us over the next few days. It was the first time I had mowed in about three weeks.

It seems we will be in for a possible deluge of rain from the same storms which have hit the Oklahoma City area and caused flooding there. Even though we were experiencing very dry conditions, this area has had plenty of rainfall the past couple of years so we really don't need a lot of rain to fall, just enough to keep us comfortable and to lower the *@#&$@*# electric bill that's running so high from trying to cool off our homes.

Me and Ginger, signing off, hoping to stay dry and keep power and cable on.

Southern Culture

2008-08-16T19:30:00.000-05:00

Aaron Wilburn manages to nail southern culture from Krispy Kreme to Wal Mart to the differences between men and women... oh, and he's completely G rated so it's all good, clean humor.

Monkey Business

2008-08-16T12:12:00.004-05:00

This little guy is having a blast with two tiger cubs! I'm betting that in just a few months he will keep his distance.

Simon's Cat

2008-08-16T12:00:00.002-05:00

This cartoon cat is true to life! Don't dare want to do something other than what a cat wants you to do!

Wordless Wednesday - August 13, 2008

2008-08-13T13:13:00.005-05:00

The Neighbors Swing

This swing looks peaceful and inviting and I sometimes long to go over and sit in it, particularly later in the day... when the weather is cooler... and when the mosquitoes aren't biting. If it belonged to the neighbors on the other side of me, I would feel free to do that. The couple who have the swing are not really all that friendly and I wouldn't be comfortable even asking. They are pleasant enough but have remained distant so I tend to be hesitant in pursuing a neighborly relationship with them. They do have a sweet little boy that I enjoy talking to and I love to watch him and his friends at play. I wish I had half of his energy!

Visit Wordless Wednesday to find out what it's all about and to see a listing of all of today's participants.

Blogs I Read

2008-08-09T15:43:00.005-05:00

Below is a group of links that you will find on the sidebar of my blog. Most of them have been there from very early days. They are all current and I visit most of them nearly every day that I am online.

I thought it might make a good post to explain why these blogs continue to be my usual reads. If you come here often and do not see your blog listed it doesn't mean that I don't visit your site on a regular basis. I just made a determination some time ago to limit the number of links I displayed as I know my reaction to seeing a list of links a mile long.

There may come a day when I replace one or more of these links but I tend to be a pretty loyal reader. If you will note, there are other links on my sidebar but these are the personal blogs I return to time and again. The others pertain to interests or hobbies but these are the ones that touch me personally for one reason or another.

Not Quite What I Had Planned

-- this is Kristie's blog. I've followed Kristie since the old Caringbridge days when I followed several young children with cancer on a regular basis. Her daughter, Kendrie, had cancer and is now, thankfully, in remission. Her husband Blaine, who is in the military and sounds like a candidate for husband of the year to me, has also stared down cancer and is still undergoing reconstructive surgery to repair damage caused by the treatment. Besides cancer, their lives have been filled with infertility issues, adoption, natural parenthood, surrogacy, and multiple moves that go along with being an Air Force family. Kristie is hilarious, straight forward and just downright lovable.

Don't Get Me Started

-- this is Linda Sharp's blog. My daughter Dee turned me onto this site. Linda is down to earth, plain speaking and you will never leave her blog without knowing exactly where she stands. She rales against injustice, particularly on behalf of children and her blog is filled with satire, politics, social commentary and just plain fun. Linda and her husband seem devoted to one another, which is good as they struggle with a marriage that requires them to live in separate locations. There is no doubt as to Linda's devotion to her own three girls. I don't always agree with her but I daggone love to read her blog, which she often updates several times a day.

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman

-- ohmigosh, who doesn't know Ree? I see links to her blog everywhere I go. I love this read. Daily life on a cattle ranch, homeschooling, a full blown section for cooking and recipes, another section for photography and photoshop and continuing sagas about her romance with her husband, Marlboro Man. Think calf nuts and go enjoy this one. Besides, she has great giveaways with fantastic prizes just out of the blue. You won't be sorry! Humor abounds on Ree's site and as she says, she likes to keep things real.

Miz Booshay

-- Donna Boucher's blog. I'm not sure exactly where, when or how I first came across Miz Booshay's blog. I was reading her long before she started doing tutorials in the photography section of the Pioneer Woman's blog and boy is she ever talented. She is another deeply family oriented blogger. Y'all seeing a theme here so far?

Pensieve

-- Robin is the Pensieve one. Her blog led me into a brief spell of poetry writing and such and I would like to get back into that. Robin has a large readership, as do each of the blogs I've previously listed. Robin is another blogger with a great sense of humor and never hesitates to let you know that her family comes first.

Life Is Like A Lunchbox

-- Nan is one of my younger reads. I found her probably though Friday's Feast or something like that. She is a preacher's wife and together they are raising their four small sons. Nan is into photography and photoshop too.

2nd Cup Of Coffee

--this is 'Lidna' (actually Linda but she has a post about being Lidna). I found Linda through Friday's Feast and realized that she was born and raised and still lives in my hometown of Muncie, Indiana. She writes an inspirational column for the local paper there and is involved in with the youth group at her church. Linda is another blogger who writes with wit and humor and yes, you guessed it, her family is her number one priority.

Faith In Community

-- this is Diane. She is a Lutheran minister somewhere around the twin city area in Minnesota. We connected when we discovered that we both collected bookmarks. Diane is very intelligent and is devoted to her church, her husband and step-sons and her dog, Scout. She often posts copies of her sermons online and is an avid reader. Like many ministers, she is a fantastic communicator. What I like most about Diane is that she is able to keep God out of the box and looks at life and speaks of life with the understanding and intelligence that God gave her. She has a lot of great reading suggestions!

Faithful Froggers

-- this is Heather's site. Heather's family is another hold over from Caringbridge. She and Donny lost their son Jacob, who was one of a set of triplets, a little over two years ago. They have since adopted a beautiful little girl from South America who has the most beautiful smile ever. Along with their older son, the two remaining triplets, this family is just a real blessing to read about. She seldom updates on a daily basis, as you can imagine, but what a powerful message she leaves you with. Family important here? Oh yeah!

Gill's Jottings

-- I really enjoy Gill's site. Gill is from South Africa and was my first international read. I'm sure we met through Friday's Feast as well and something about her connected. I'm pretty sure that it has to do with her strong sense of family. Am I boring or what?

Linda at This and That

-- another Linda here. This Linda is in West Virginia and I felt a connection to her because I know we are both divorced. She has remarried but I know we've experienced similar situations and that even in the midst of family problems, we both care deeply about our families.

Mercedes' World

-- Mercedes is another younger read for me. She intrigued me with a comment she left on a post and we connected through a request she made about my doing some tags for Memes she hosts in Paint Shop Pro. I had never done that and was pleased that I was able to make a few that she uses for her Memes. It didn't hurt that she is a dog lover, and even though she hasn't started a family yet, you can tell from the love she had for her beloved Patches, (who passed away a few months ago) that she has the caring and devoted nature of a family oriented person. She also moved up this year from teaching kindergarten to fifth grade so 'teach' got a promotion.

So these are my normal daily reads, even if I don't always comment when I stop by. This was a good exercise for me as truthfully, I wasn't sure what it is about all of them that drew me in and now I know. They are all intelligent, funny, talented and most are as family oriented as I am.

I happened to realize while doing this that the majority of them are around my daughter's ages, late 30s - early 40s. I'm not surprised by that. I guess I can relate to what they are saying as I hear so much of the same things from my own girls and of course, I've been where these gals are at. A couple of them are much younger than I am and two or three are around my age. I am surprised to realize that I have no male bloggers listed here as I generally enjoy men's point of view.

Thank you ladies, one and all for entertaining me each and every day!

Oh, I'm wondering if you know what drew you to the blogs you read each day and what keeps you going back. Have you thought about it or do you just read?

As Miz Booshay would say -- 'Encourage one another'! (my favorite thing about her blog... that and her photography)

Baggage

2008-08-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

I love Nicole Johnson's vignettes. I've been a fan of her dramas since the first time I saw her at a Women of Faith tour years ago. This one is about a young girl struggling to carry all of her 'bags'.

Nicole Johnson wrote, directed and cast this original sketch for the Revolve Tour. Shared with permission by Nicole Johnson and Fresh Brewed Life, Inc.

Wordless Wednesday - August 6, 2008

2008-08-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

Cats and Dogs
(what it's like dealing with Ginger and Woody K. on a daily basis)

Really? Does he have to put his butt in my face?

So maybe he isn't quite as bad from this point of view!

Just don't tell anybody, okay?

Visit Wordless Wednesday to find out what it's all about and to see a listing of all of today's participants.

Just Some Thoughts

Six Months

Big Picture Scrapbooking

I'm A Winner and Didn't Know It!

Mother's Day Giveaway - Wild Olive Tees

Six Word Saturday - March 26, 2011

Letter to Harper Lee

MCP Actions Kelly Moore Camera Bag Giveaway!

Another Giveaway at Wild Olive Tees

Giveaway at The Vintage Pear

Six Word Saturday

I hate to do this but...

Another Giveaway at Wild Olive Tees

Random Dozen - October 7, 2009

While I Was Away - part 1

While I Was Away

Random Dozen - September 30, 2009

A quick update, The Women's Colony and a sad note

Wild Olive Tees Giveaway!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Timing and a Prayer Request

The Second Forty

Mother's Day 2009

Dreams

Friday's Fave Five #31

April

Guess Who I Found?

First Day of Spring

Five in a Row

The Photographic Dictionary

ZZZ-Mailing

Where Have All the Posters Gone?

Friday Fill-Ins #110

Wordless Wednesday - February 4, 2009

Blog This - and where is my cell phone?

Creating Photo Booth Strips

Wordless Wednesday - January 28, 2009

The Tutorial Will Post Tomorrow!

My Ugly Mug

The Ugly Mug Off

Working On The Tutorial and Other Things

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset Silhouette

Another Photo Booth Post

Wordless Wednesday - Photobooth

The Youngest, The Oldest, It's All About Wheels Baby!

Wordless Wednesday - Happy New Year

Merry Christmas!

Jacob's Stocking

Time Marches On

It Finally Happened To Me!

My Pets Are Worse Than Children

Ginger's Misery

Count That Day Lost

Count That Day Lostby George Elliot, (Mary Ann Evans)

Listening

Do It - Done It

Do it, done it.

About Me and Getting Back to Graphics

Crazy Weather

One

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Tale of Two Brains

HP Magic Giveaway at Gear Live

Thankful!

What American Accent Do You Have

Tagged for Six Random Things

For Gill

Plain Ole' Joe

Kayla

Help Me Remember!

Happy Birthday Anna!

Playing Bridge - On A Houseboat

Giveaway @ Simple Mom

Unbelievably Proud

Privilege

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

AHS Homecoming 2008 - Friday Night

AHS Homecoming 2008 - Thursday Night

A Lazy, Rainy Day

Quotes and Stuff

Count That Day Lost
by George Elliot, (Mary Ann Evans)