Things That Are On My Mind

First knitting lesson

2009-12-28T12:15:00.003-06:00

Well, this weekend I had my first knitting lesson. Apparently you don't become an expert knitter on your first go-around. I wanted to become a pro immediately and was quickly frustrated by my fingers lack of cooperation. I couldn't believe how quickly my hands lost feeling in them as well. At one point I actually threw the would-be scarf on the floor, needles and all, and would have gotten up and stomped on them like a four-year old if they hadn't been rescued by my fine friend and teacher when she said "Ack! Give me that!" She surely has the patience of a saint. I one the other hand, have spent the past several days visualizing what my knitting should look like - how my hands should look like like, what the yarn should do while in my hand. I then got the courage to pick up my project today and managed to complete three rows correctly. PROGRESS!!! I then put it back down - happy - content - that I am now considering myself a skilled knitter and can quit and move on to another project.

picture credit

Just kidding. I will keep practicing, but in small steps so as not to frustrate myself too much.

Been a while...

2009-12-20T22:21:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted since August 7 - an update to say I would be taking some time off due to a fire we had in our condo. Four months to the day, we were able to get back into our home. We have our bedroom set, and in the basement - a TV, couch, and recliner. No other furniture upstairs. If anything survived, it's in boxes. Boxes and boxes and boxes. At this point it's almost like - "I don't miss it, might as well pitch it..."

You spend your life thinking - "I want this, I need to get that," until one day it's all gone. And then you spend 4 months of your life living with the clothes you have in a hotel room thinking how lucky you are to have what you do. We spend so much of our life putting value on the things we own. Especially this time of year - Christmas is the worst time of year for possessions. You think the things you own make you happy, make you a better person - but when it comes down to it, what are you without those things? What are you without your "stuff?" What if your home were empty today except for the basics? Could you function? What do you need to function on a day to day basis? You would be surprised if you were forced to find out.

Look around and determine what is really important in your life - because the "things" aren't what makes you happy. Living your life, making memories, being with friends and family - that's the important "stuff." You can try and document it all, but even then, you can't fireproof it - so make sure those memories are embedded deep in your heart, because the fire can't reach the images you have there.

Taking Stock of What is Important

2009-08-07T14:21:00.003-05:00

I only have a moment to update, but I wanted to share what has gone on in the past couple days. On Tuesday evening, our condo suffered a fire. The kitchen is destroyed and there is smoke damage throughout the remainder. We are staying with my sister for the meantime, but eventually will be placed in an extended - stay hotel. We are all safe and no one suffered any injury (besides emotional) and that is the most important thing. Stuff can be replaced - people and pets cannot.

I just want to tell everyone to take stock of what is important and to remember that the divine works to grant your wishes in the strangest ways. I have been saying for months now that I need to simplify my home and life, but I didn't plan on doing it this way. The old adage goes - "be careful what you wish for as it just might come true." But the Lord does not give you that which you cannot handle, and we will pull through this just fine.

Hug your loved ones close! (and make sure you have enough insurance!!!!)

Angie

Back to School

2009-08-03T21:52:00.005-05:00

How to Torture Your Teacher
by Bruce Lansky

Only raise your hand when you want to sharpen your pencil or go to the bathroom.
Repeat every ten minutes.
Never raise your hand when you want to answer a question; instead, yell, "Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!"
and then, when the teacher calls on you, say,

"I forgot what I was going to say."

Lean your chair back, take off your shoes, and put your feet up on your desk.
Act surprised when the teacher puts

all four legs of your chair back on the floor.

Drop the eraser end of your pencil on your desk.
See how high it will bounce.

Drop your books on the floor. See how loud a noise you can make.

Hum.
Get all your friends to join in.

Hold your nose, make a face, and say, "P.U.!"
Fan the air away from your face, and point to the kid in front of you.

On the last day of school, lead your classmates in chanting:
"No more pencils!
No more books!
No more teachers'
dirty looks!"

Then, on your way out the door, tell the teacher,

"Bet you're looking forward to summer vacation this year.

But I'll sure miss you.

You're the best teacher I've ever had."

Just so everyone who is not in education knows - this is what it is like on a daily basis in the teaching world :) And these are the GOOD days! But I must love it or I wouldn't be going into my 16th year, now would I?

The Affair is Over

2009-08-02T15:44:00.004-05:00

Oh, but I have had a sweet love affair this summer,

a fling if you may,

but it is coming to an end today.

I will miss my beloved,

but it is for the best.

My sweet was no good for me.

Only causing undo guilt and heart ache.

When my husband found out about it,

you can imagine he was upset.

He wanted to know why -

WHY?

I wasn't including him in on it!?!

He said he would have done the same for me -

that's just how much he loves me!

But I didn't want to have to put him

through the heartbreak of good-bye,

because I knew that once school started back up,

the affair would be over...

So good-bye my love,

parting is such sweet sorrow...photo credit

So it is back to Weight Watcher points and Biggest Loser Contests at work

Yee haw!

Premium Meme Award

2009-08-01T22:14:00.002-05:00

I have my first award!!! It is the Premium Meme 2009 Award! I received this award from My Husband's Watching TV. You rock girlfriend!

"To accept this award, the recipient must list 7 traits about themselves and then pass the award onto 7 other bloggers who deserve recognition for the personality they share through their blog."
Geez - don't know that I personally know 7 other bloggers, and the one other that I do know already received this award from MHWTV, but that's okay, one day I will have a gazillion followers (ha!) and then they will be sorry :)

1. Intelligent - I consider myself a smart person. I graduated high school, college and grad school all with honors. I love to learn new stuff, but if you told me I had to go back to school again right now, I would cry! I am not one for formal education (says the teacher) - I like to learn by doing, and college was hard for me a lot because there wasn't much "doing" just a lot of listening and testing. I also love me a puzzle - I live for logic puzzles, riddles, etc. You know the little tests that get passed on in emails, I 'heart' those as well. Needless to say, I have a mathematical brain.

2. Creative - There is a creative side in me that is dying to get out, and I have been trying to fuel it's fire through writing (hello, blog!) and photography. My sister, Diana, is the creative genius in the family and I strive to be like her. Someday I know that it's all going to explode from me and I will know what it is I'm supposed to do with it all, but for now, I'm still trying to figure it out. So go figure - my left brain and right brain are at odds with each other - math or art? math or art???? It's quite a fight up there!

3. Procrastinator - Oh, if it can be done tomorrow, I will do it the day after! It's bad. Is there a 12 step program for people like me?

4. Obsessive - There are just some things I cannot get my mind to unwrap from. I get an idea in my head and the train is full speed ahead, regardless if there is a solution to my problem or not. My husband has been helpful in getting me to calm down about some of my obsessive thoughts - "it will still be there tomorrow, don't worry about it, there is nothing you can do about it today" - but other times the idea just rots and festers in my head. Watching the show Obsessed, however, has made me realize I really don't have a problem compared to the people on that show.

5. Funny - I tend to think I have a good sense of humor and I easily make my friends laugh. Wait, are they laughing 'with me' or 'at me?' Hmmm?!

6. Nosy - I gotta know it all. I want to be in everyone's biznis and know all about their deep dark secrets. Not that I'm going to spread rumors, I just like to know what's going on around me. Too many times being left in the dark makes one, well, without light...

7. Unpretentious - I'm not the type of person that has to keep up with the Joneses. I don't buy designer (unless it's on sale at Marshalls - $15 for a Liz purse is a steal!) I don't have to have my hair all done and make-up on or all the latest fashions in my closet. I'm happiest in sweats and my Colts hoodie with my hair in a pony under a baseball cap. I have lived in a condo for 11 years and will be moving back into the house I grew up in, gasp, in North County of all places. I do love the look of Pottery Barn, but I'm not going to go into debt just because of what society thinks. I'll go into debt doing things my way, thank you very much!

So now I tag people - here goes -

Anyone who reads this, consider yourself TAGGED!

Things I'm happy for today

2009-07-31T14:41:00.006-05:00

1. Getting into my classroom and getting things situated to where I feel I won't be too overwhelmed come Monday when work starts.

2. Finding the right length Ethernet cord for the computer in my classroom so I can move it to my desk and not have to keep it on the other side of the room.

3. Getting to listen to my Sugarland CD (now on my Ipod) which I haven't heard in ages. I made more heart soar! It's their first CD and I just lurve their songs.

4. Having lunch for the last time this summer with my girl, Jen, at Pasta House. Me lovey love their salad and spaghetti pomodoro!

5. Coming home to my doggy and his wiggle butt (no tail) and his deep throated growl of happiness upon seeing me. Watching him practice his roll-over for a cookie - he almost has it but he's so fixated on the cookie that he starts rolling over, gets there, then rolls back because he is just too excited and wants to goodness that smells like sausage!

6. Getting tagged by My Husband's Watching TV with the "Premium Meme Award!" Will have to work on that one later!

7. Finding one of my favorite bottles of wine among my many and excitedly having a glass early this Friday. Hey, it's 5 o'clock somewhere! Plus, I'm home and I ain't going anywhere anytime soon!

8. Finding out I have a new follower! I'm up to three now! Hi to Cheryl! Thanks for following me!

9. Getting ready to take my last weekday nap of the summer! Sigh, I'll miss them, but I'm happy to be getting back to a schedule.

These things happen in threes...

2009-07-30T09:48:00.004-05:00

They say bad things always happen in threes. My sister-in-law had to put her 3 year old Aussie to sleep the other day because of a severe case of IBD. It was so bad there was nothing they could find that the pup could eat and keep down. The did everything they could for her, but in the end, the Rainbow Bridge called for her.

Now I find out our good friends' German Shepherd had a case of gastric torsion and had to be rushed into surgery in the middle of the night. Basically, the stomach of certain dogs is free hanging and when it is full, if the dog gets too active, the stomach can rotate, blocking the entrance and exit, causing gas to build up. Luckily, mom was up in the middle of the night feeding the baby and immediately noticed something wrong with the dog. If torsion isn't corrected within a couple hours, it is deadly.

Let's just hope the rule of three doesn't apply here, because I do not need anything happening to my precious pooch or anyone elses!

My crazy bubba Vegas.

Un-burned Bridges

2009-07-27T21:15:00.006-05:00

There are some things in my past that I am not too proud of. One of which is how I treated my very first roommate. I was in a crappy situation at home and desperately needed to get out, so I asked this girl to move out with me. We had worked together at a daycare, gone to the same high school and church. She was a ton of fun and I thought it would be great. Plus, there was no way I could move out on my own. I was way too much of a scaredy-cat at 22. I hadn't even gone away to college, so I couldn't imagine being on my own in an apartment, even if it was just 4 streets from my parents house.

Well, we got along great for the first 6 months. Then she started spending more time with her boyfriend, who had moved out of town. When she couldn't spend time with him, she was on the phone with him, and the bill was out of control (mind you, this was prior to the phenom that is cell phones and unlimited minutes and free long distance - we are talking 1994/95!) We started arguing more, and she started staying away more.

Eventually my best friend moved back from college and moved into the apartment since roommate had basically bailed. I had gone ballistic one day trying to find her at a friends house to see when she was going to pay for the phone bill and got a good stern lecture from the mom of that house - telling me to grow up. Me? I didn't think I was in the wrong, it was her!

Years later, reassessing the whole situation, I can't imagine what she must have been going through. Her boyfriend is enlisting in the Army, she is afraid she won't ever see him again. Her roommate's best friend is making the moves on your room and basically plans to kick you out. I hadn't even bothered to tell her that when the lease was up, me and BFF were going to get an apartment together somewhere else. I just assumed she would go with her boyfriend. I was a major bitch...

Hindsight is 20/20. BFF and I don't even talk anymore - she got married and that was the end of our friendship. I have always felt like crap about how things ended with roomie and wanted to make amends. Well, Facebook can be good for some things. She 'friended' me and we chatted - and the first thing I did was tell her how sorry I was for everything, and that I learned over the years who my real friends were, and that I was sorry for treating her the way I did. She was like, "Girl, please!"

Well today, driving over the house to replace some motion lights, I saw her and her husband outside of their house, just 2 blocks from our future home. I stopped and she hopped in my car and we chatted for about 5 minutes. It was so good to see her and I am so glad that people have this amazing gift for forgiveness. It's nice to know that we are going to be neighbors in the near future, and I can work on rebuilding that bridge I once burned to the ground. Time sometimes does heal all wounds!

photo credit

The New Baby!

2009-07-26T17:56:00.007-05:00

I'm a proud new mamma!

Yesterday we put to rest Bessie. It was bittersweet, as I really hated that bitch for a good part of her existence but really wanted to treat her well the other part because, well, she was paid for and I liked not having a car payment. But she must have sensed my underlying resentment and did what all cars do faced with that situation, she hit me where it hurt - my pocketbook.

Let me tell you, a true test of a marriage is dealing with each other during the purchase of a car. If you can make it through the suckage-of-life that is the games the dealership plays, than you can just about make it through any marital crisis.

So yesterday we spent over 4 hours at the dealership waiting to put Bessie to rest. The question was, what was she worth? Luckily we got for her just about what it would have cost to repair her, so I'm happy. She really was an old cow, down in her years, ready to be put to pasture, as the saying goes...

And after signing our life away, this is what the proud parents drove home in...

photo credit

We even had time to drive to the forest and park it along a river just to get a beautiful picture of her! Ha! That's the color, too, Glacier Blue. Basically I have owned blue or silver cars, so why break the pattern now?

Hubby had only one request. He said, please do not name her after a cow.

Now what am I going to do? Any suggestions?

It's a woman's prerogative

2009-07-24T21:36:00.003-05:00

I have been fussing for week's trying to figure out what to do with my layout. I want something cute, no I want something fancy, not I want something bigger, no I want something versatile. Heck, I don't even know where to go to get most of these things. So I'm going with the KISS philosophy -

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Next time anyone sees me change my blogger, smack me!

Could my luck be changing?

2009-07-24T13:09:00.012-05:00

I'm a big time knock-on-wood type of person, but I think my run of bad luck just might be changing (knock knock knock - now you do it too...) Yesterday I had lunch with a girlfriend who was in desperate need of a shoulder to sob on. Her luck is about as bad as mine. The rental she's living in is infested with mites, and try as she may, the exterminators can't see to do anything about it. They spray, clean vents, etc. etc. and she still ends up with bites when she wakes up in the morning. Yowzer! That's a problem I wouldn't want to swap out with her, but I feel for her because she's at her wits end right now and she thinks not too far into the future she's going to end up in a padded cell.

Ewww... gross here's the photo credit!

Well, while we were leaving the little Mexican restaurant we dined at, I happened to look down and noticed a bill on the ground, bent down and picked it up and, voila! TWENTY BUCKS! Paid for our meal!

photo cred

Now this morning, my husband was watching Fox2 news while getting ready for work and he woke me up to say they were having a contest right up my alley - win tickets before you can buy them to So You Think You Can Dance. So I got online and entered, and at exactly 9:25 this morning Jill from Channel 2 called to tell me I had won 2 tickets! Yea me! Now I have to decide which of my two girls that watch the show with me is the other lucky winner with me... maybe I will make them do a dance off to decide a winner :)

SYTYCD photo credit

Now I just need to learn how to post videos from YouTube, so if anyone wants to give me some pointers, I would be most grateful!

A Mother's Love

2009-07-23T14:09:00.008-05:00

I'm cleaning out our office today and I came across a piece of paper. Looking at today's date makes the paper even more significant. In exactly one month it will be the two year anniversary of my mother's passing. You see, on the paper was a poem I had found that I had planned to read at her funeral but that I just couldn't do because I was too emotional. Considering how emotional I have been lately, I feel the need to share it now.

A Mother's Love

Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something

that no one can explain,

It is made of deep devotion

and of sacrifice and pain,

It is endless and unselfish

and enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it

or take that love away. . .

It is patient and forgiving

when all others are forsaking,

And it never fails or falters

even though the heard is breaking. . .

It believes beyond believing

when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty

of the rarest, brightest gems. . .

It is far beyond defining,

it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret

like the mysteries of creation. . .

A many splendoured miracle

man cannot understand

And another wondrous evidence

of God's tender guiding hand.

A picture of my mom and me (in our previous life.) photo cred

I heart giraffes.

When it rains, it pours...

2009-07-21T15:33:00.006-05:00

And it's MONSOON season around here...

Along with my blahs the past two weeks, I have been saying for this entire summer that I want my car (payment free) to last as long as possible. Why? Well, buying and remodeling a home costs money, and a new car and it's payment would be the last thing I would want on my plate at this time. Well, Saturday while sitting in DQ's drive-through, my sweet little Bessie decided to send me a message, "Hey fattie - too much ice-cream lately, I can't take it!" and begins to chug her way out of the lot. So I carefully maneuver her fragile frame to our local shop with fingers and toes crossed that it's just a loose wire or the simple equivalent. An hour later the CarX guy tells me that Bessie is having a mid-life crisis, what with the thought of rolling over to 100,000 miles, and she needs some cosmetic surgery - new plugs, wires, filters, and some flushing should do it, all to the tune of about $700. GULP. OK - whatever it takes to keep my sweet baby running.

Flash forward to Monday morning, me thinking Bessie will be just fine and dandy. Haven't heard anything by noon, starting to panic. Nothing by 1:30, the sweat is beginning to roll. Finally, 3:00 rolls around and the phone rings. Dave from CarX tells me the worst possible news - TWO, count them TWO head gaskets are cracked!!! I have no idea what that means other than the last time that happened to damn Bessie, it cost over a thousand dollars to have her big ass fixed! For the love of all that is good and holy, Dave, how much would this set me back? Well, I faint (good thing I was sitting in bed when he told me) because he believes it could be well over $2,500 to get everything worked out that is wrong with my stupid Bessie.

My Sweet Bessie's photo cred

Whoa is me! The love of my life, my vehicle, my relationship with Pontiac is coming to an end. Not that my relationship hasn't been bittersweet, but there is no way on this earth I am shelling out thousands of dollars to fix a problem on a car that I have already fixed once before. Especially since it boils down to being a manufacturer defect that they don't want to take responsibility for. You see, Bessie's "moisturizer" is called Dexcool (evil evil evil), and it basically corrodes her from the inside out even though it is supposed to keep her cool when the going gets tough. I have had my share of curse words with the big dealership that she comes from. I refuse to ever do business with them again. I tell everyone I meet my whoas and hardships when it comes to their refusal to help me out when my warranty was up by less than one month and they refused to fix what was essentially their problem.

So now I'm here with a broken car, a broken heart, and a broken spirit because I hate car shopping. I have to work a new car into my budget, along with find a way to pay for these astronomical housing repairs. And to top it off, my doctor calls and tells me a test result came back positive so I have to go back in 6 months for a second test! WAH! And these things happen in threes, don't they? So what's going to happen next?

photo credit

I think I could puke from the thought of it all!

Busy busy busy

2009-07-20T10:39:00.010-05:00

This past week was very hectic and hard. We have been getting my dad's house ready to be renovated so hubby and I can move in. But before all that, Dad's old stuff needed to be moved out. He basically has everything he wanted in his small apartment at the retirement village, so it was a matter of having an estate sale and then trying to get rid of the rest through Craigslist. Let me tell you, people on Craigslist can be I-di-ots! I did manage to get two big pieces sold, but not without my share of headaches. Finally this past Tuesday, the Salvation Army came and took the rest away. I stood there and cried my eyes out watching my childhood furniture being hauled off piece by piece. I was there all alone - my sisters weren't there, my dad didn't need to be there for his own emotional well-being, and my husband was at work. I texted him at one point saying 'this is harder than I expected' and when he called back immediately, I just cried! He felt so bad, and it wasn't his fault, but it's hard watching your childhood get loaded up into a van. It wasn't anything I wanted to keep, but it was a part of me that I had to let go, and it was more difficult than I had imagined.

credit

The next day I met hubby for lunch by his work. After dropping him back off, I started driving and ended up at Mom's graveside in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Again, I cried, telling her I was sorry it had been so long since I had last visited, and even more sorry I gave all her stuff away. (She forgave me.) It was nice to visit with her alone, because usually it's a group visit of my sisters and my dad. This time I had a chance to sit and chat alone with mom, which I hadn't ever been able to do before. I felt much better after my visit with her and decided I was at peace with all that I had been at odds over the past several days.

The long road out of the cemetery.

After leaving the cemetery I ended up driving towards the city and ended up at the new Citygarden. Very cool. Unfortunately, I didn't have my good camera, just my point and shoot, so I didn't take near the amount of pictures that I wanted to. I have fiddled around with Eros Bendato and made it into a design I like and will share here. I'm always leery about doing this because I'm afraid people might steal this and make it their own - so please, don't steal my work!!!

Thursday was dinner out for a friend's daughter's 13th birthday! I remember her when she was just turning 2! Nothing ages you quicker than a teenager being around, that's for sure.

Friday night was girl's night out for my sister's birthday. We had so much fun laughing and giggling. We went to Grappa Grill for dinner and had a little room all to ourselves, which was a good thing since we were a bit obnoxious with our giggling. We couldn't help it we were having so much fun!

Kathy, Laura, my sister Debbie, and the birthday girl (and my other sister), Diana.

Diana, my friend Jen, and me.

Saturday night I went with my sister in law and two of her friends for our annual visit to the Stages Theater in Kirkwood. This year we have season tickets, which has been fun. This past weekend we saw The Drowsy Chaperone. Check that off my list of never having to see again. Not a fave. Oh well. Afterwords, we always go out someplace fun for dinner, and this time we hit Stoney River out in Chesterfield. OMG! To die for. Expensive!!! but delish! I had salmon and we split a bottle of zinfandel that I have to find a wine store somewhere because it was the best bottle of wine I ever had. I enjoyed my dinner, was stuffed to the gills, and was glad I experienced it, but feel I don't ever need to pay that amount again on a dinner just for me. If you would like to see my meal, go to this site, let the pictures cycle through, and when you see the salmon meal, that was mine, and yes, it looked exactly like that - YUM...

Stoney River

Is there a doctor in the house?!?

2009-07-11T20:18:00.007-05:00

I have been having a bit of writers block the past couple days. When I first started blogging I was coming up with a ton of ideas of things I wanted to write about, but of course, I didn't take the time to jot them down, and now I can't remember a single one of them. That may also be because my mind has been preoccupied with trying to figure out why my pinky finger on my left hand has had a tingling feeling in it for over the past week. Am I dying? That's what I have been thinking, which could explain the block in creativity on my part and the constant need to peruse the Internet for searches on WebMD for a self-diagnosis.

"Hello bloggersphere, my name is Angie, and among many things, I'm a hypochondriac."

"Hello Angie..."

It's been going on most of my life. Probably because I spent the better part of my years living with a condition that didn't get diagnosed properly until I had lived with it for 15 years. Nothing like reading every textbook on the subject, knowing what you have and having doctors dismiss you for one reason or another until you find the right one to finally say - "Why yes, of course you have Problem X - you have had it since you were 6! What do you mean no doctor has ever diagnosed you? Are they daft? Why it is as plain as the nose on your face that you have Problem X!" No Duh! was what I had been saying for most of those years. So now when something comes up, I take it upon myself to figure it out, thinking of course, what do the doctors know? I have diagnosed myself with Lupus, Deep Leg Thrombosis, Breast Cancer, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - all of which were deemed false diagnoses on my part - of course...

picture credit

But now I have had a faint if not utterly annoying tingle in my pinky and all I can think is MS. I am going to have a debilitating degenerative muscle condition to live with for the rest of my life. I'm going to eventually lose the ability to swallow (hey - it may help me lose some weight - bright side ???) I know - not funny, and I know I'm over-reacting, but the way I see it, if I stop over-reacting now, then all my false alarms will have been for naught. The day I stop over-reacting will be the day my splinter turns into gangrene and I lose my leg or arm. It's my nature to worry. And it's my husband's nature to drag me away from the computer kicking and screaming saying, "There is nothing wrong with you! Quick making mountains out of mole-hills. I promise you that you are going to be fine." And with a quick kiss on the forehead, he makes everything all better.

(But I still have an appointment to see my doctor on the 22nd. I am not taking any chances...)

101 in 1001, 2001, whatever it takes

2009-07-07T13:20:00.006-05:00

OK - so I have seen this on other blogs and decided to try and come up with 101 of my own areas to try and improve on or things I want to accomplish. I have a feeling it is going to be very hard to come up with 101 because while on vacation in Nebraska, I tried to write down what I could think of and only came up with 20 something... I did steal one idea from another blogger, so thanks to Angie at Damask is Divine for number 1.

1. Complete the 100 snapshots challenge, which is a list of 100 words that you need to photograph. Here's the list:

1. Safety
2. Stale
3. Feathered
4. Hot
5. Open
6. Forever
7. Love
8. Touch
9. Colorless
10. Blue
11. Smell
12. Growth
13. Irony
14. Wrong
15. More
16. Feel
17. Muse
18. Child
19. Within
20. Pale
21. Earth
22. Torn
23. Scars
24. Stray
25. Drops
26. Against
27. Dry
28. Fresh
29. Covered
30. Bold
31. High
32. Shadow
33. Concrete
34. Vein
35. Rush
36. Yellow 6/17/09
37. Empty
38. Cliché
39. Central
40. Loss
41. Wonder
42. Sweet 7/4/09
43. Poetry
44. Heavy
45. Fall
46. Chair
47. Statue
48. Kool-Aid
49. Dark
50. Breath
51. Garbage
52. Silk
53. Teacher
54. Cream
55. Wash
56. Corner
57. Rose
58. Field
59. Two
60. Red
61. Music
62. Rope
63. Decrepit 6/17/09
64. Chase
65. Dream
66. Dance
67. Smile
68. Smirk
69. Reflection - this is the only picture I didn't currently take, but stole from a previous group I had taken last fall (October 2008)
70. Soul
71. Lock
72. Key
73. Rust 6/15/09
74. Find
75. Lose
76. Drag
77. Wind 6/15/09
78. Rest
79. Swing
80. Meeting
81. Vacant
82. Hazy
83. Release
84. Gather
85. Swarm
86. Road 6/15/09
87. Wait
88. Stand
89. Distance
90. Trapped
91. Desk
92. Detach
93. Shatter
94. Home
95. Shy
96. Tackle
97. Begin
98. End
99. Time
100. Life

2. Work out 3 times a week

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables

4. Eat out less and fix more meals at home

5. Take my vitamins regularly

6. Learn to meditate and do so on a regular basis to reduce stress

7. Restart my 403b when school resumes

8. Avoid the gossip at work

9. Try to remain positive at work even when things are falling down around me

10. Spend less time on Facebook

11. Get out to the Holocaust Museum for a tour

12. Visit more Missouri/Illinois landmarks, esp. in St. Louis and name them here when I visit them: (saw Citygarden on 7/15/09)

13. Go to Soulard's Farmer's Market since I have never been there

14. Get a friend (Melinda?) to spend the night at Lemp Mansion with me

15. Get to the Botanical Garden to photograph

16. Go to the Cathedral Basilica for photographs and to see the mosaics

17. Find a Jane Austin book and read it - figure out what all the fuss is about :)

18. Start recycling magazines, junk mail, and newspapers regularly

19. Keep up with the laundry, including ironing my clothes the night before work

20. Walk the dog at least 3 times a week if not more

21. Take the pooch to the dog park at least once a week when the weather permits - for his sanity and mine

22. Keep active with Dockdogs even if Kevin is out of town

23. Find a pottery class to take

24. Find a beginner's water-color class to take

25. Find a beginner's drawing class to take

26. Try the new restaurants listed in StL Magazine or Sauce by starting a supper club with my girls

27. Journal more/blog if it's not too personal

28. Remember to pray

29. Go 1 week without TV (except when I fall asleep - the TV has to be on for the noise and the light affects - don't ask me why - it's a bad habit)

30. Drink more of the wine that I keep buying - quit saving it for special occasions - life is a special occasion! (Dormfelder 7/30 - 7/31)

31. Visit mom at the cemetery with Dad at least once a year (went by self July 15/09)

32. Purge - get rid of all the un-necessary stuff around the house

33. Organize our paper files

34. Reduce if not completely eliminate my artificial sweetener intake

35. Study up on the natural sweetener Stevia to learn if it is any good

36. Check our credit report

37. See about closing out some old credit cards from stores I no longer shop

38. Organize all the photos in my large basket

39. Take the digital camera for a sensor cleaning before the warranty is expired

40. Stay organized at work and be less of a procrastinator

41. Spend more time with my sisters other than our monthly Friday night get-together

42. Plant some plants in the pots that have dead plants in them at the current time

43. Work hard on keeping the elephant ear and palm to stay alive, as they are the only plants you have left

44. Remember that my health is the most important thing and it should always come first

45. Take care of the Aztek so it can live a long and healthy car-existence well past her 6 years :) (Aztek died a horrible death as of 7/20/09 and will be traded in on 7/25/09, problems were beyond my control, more of a manufacturer defect than due to lack of maintenance, love and care by yours truly)

updated 7/11/09

46. Control my foul language - learn not to cuss. Do not replace cuss words with cutesy words, just stop cussing - period. Learn to live without your favorite word - the "F" word. It can be done

47. Make an eye doctor appointment - find an eye doctor to make an appointment with :)

48. Give blood, since the Red Cross keeps harassing you and you have such an important commodity, Ms. Universal Donor

49. Complete the shadow box for the Sammy Hagar concerts

OK - so I'm stuck. I will have to add more as they come to me, but I'm just not going to put meaningless things on here, as I tend to get overwhelmed with the everyday necessities as it is. As I accomplish things or make notes about them, I will add the notes in color along with the date.

Quotable Quotes

2009-07-05T23:30:00.001-05:00

I love quotes. If I find one that I like and it moves me, I will write it down. I have been known to pull out my favorite and use them in a pinch to make my point during a discussion with someone. Mind you, I can't remember my name on certain days, but Useless Information and I are on a first name basis here - have been for a very, very long time.

Favorite Quote #1: Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall - Confucius. Now I have heard this quote attributed to some other guy, but I prefer the moral philosopher's version. As a teacher, I cannot tell you how many times I have whipped this puppy out with the older students who hate to try because they may not succeed. Sometimes the best thing you can do is learn from your mistake, get up, brush yourself off, and keep trucking. It's a tough concept to swallow at times, but it is so very important to learn.

Favorite Quote #2: If we hold resentments towards the people who let us down, we will be exhausted - Page-A-Day-Calendar. I found this quote on my calendar, at the most important time and when I needed it most. I had been harboring some deep resentment towards my sister about things that were completely my issue, and it had been affecting our once close relationship. I finally sat with her at dinner one evening and told her everything that had been bothering me over the past couple years, letting all my thoughts out - rational or not - explaining to her that this was how I was viewing the situation even though it may not have been that way for her. When I was finished, I told her that I was sorry for having kept it bottled in for so long instead of just talking to her about it and promised in the future to bring my issues to her instead of letting them fester. I cannot explain to you the relief and happiness I felt after unloading that evening. Simply by telling her my feelings, being able to let them go, all my hurt and anger just disappeared. It was one of the biggest life-lessons I learned that day. I did not once expect her to apologize for anything and she didn't have to because the problem had been me - not her. Letting go of that freed me. I just wish more people would learn to let go of their burdens that load them down, that tie them to the past. Those things can't be undone - but you can learn from them and move forward. It's always your choice.

Favorite Quote #3: No man is worth your tears, but the one who is, won't make you cry - anonymous. I have heard this one many times too, but Lordy, Lordy, it's so true. And let me tell you, I wasted a lot of tears. But as many a good country song say, you have to bless the broken road, dance the dance, and just live like you were dying - because when you do get there, Mr. Right will be waiting.

Now for a question about a quote...

If a rolling stone gathers no moss, then please explain to me why my ceiling fan can be running non-stop for a week, but when I turn it off, it is covered in dust???

Isn't that gross? Not my fan, but you get the idea of where I'm coming from...

Fireworks lit up the Sky!

2009-07-04T10:10:00.010-05:00

I took these pictures on the Third of July at my sister's subdivision showing. It was a beautiful night, and the rain held off until the show was over - how nice of Mother Nature! I remember last year saying it was one of the mildest Fourths I could remember, but this one was down-right chilly! (OK, so it was the third - close enough!) Took these pictures with my hand-held camera and was pleased with the outcome. I guess I better be if the camera comes with a "fireworks" setting on it - I better get something for my money :)

The first three are my favorite of the bunch!

Dockdogs

2009-07-02T21:16:00.008-05:00

A boy and his dog...

We have had our dog, Vegas, involved in dockdogs for over a year now. He really enjoys it, as do we. We have met a lot of really nice people who are involved in this sport who adore their dogs as much as we do. It's nice to know that there are other people out there that view their pet as more than just an animal, but as a member of the family.

We had tried other activities with our Australian Shepherd - agility (expensive and a lot lot lot of practice) and frisbee (cheap but if you have a stingy dog, well, just imagine trying to get the frisbee back...) We found dockdogs almost accidentally. We had gone to the end of the season Pool Paws for Humane Laws in Maryland Heights for a second try - the first year Vegas hated the water. Well, weren't we just tickled pink when he went bounding in the water like he hadn't a care in the world! He wasn't afraid of it at all, jumping off the side of the pool like an old pro!

So the following spring my hubby found a group in StL that gets together out in Wentzville for practice and we tried our hand at it. Vegas jumped right in for his toy the first time and couldn't wait to try it again. Mind you, he doesn't fly like the labs do (the best can easily reach over 20 feet). Our baby's best is just over 8 feet - but he's still learning. He has a problem with hesitating at the end of the dock before jumping off instead of going full force. Eventually with enough practice and when he builds up his confidence, he will figure it out and break 10 feet. And you can bet I will be standing on the sidelines crying like a fool because my puppy dog accomplished something huge!

Waiting our turn - and giving lovin' in the meantime.

Ultimate Air Dog Competition
at Purina Farms

First jump was better, second jump we seemed to skid a bit and lose our footing. All in all it was good practice at a fantastic facility.

Croc Virgin

2009-07-01T12:59:00.005-05:00

I have a confession to make...I was a Croc virgin until this past weekend. I know! I can't believe it either. I kept thinking - they are a fad, they are going to go away, my husband can't stand them and he will kill me if I buy them. But all my friends were doing it, and I caved under the pressure and bought two pair at the outlet mall at the lake - a pair of chocolate and pink Cleos - LOVE them, and a pair of $1.99 bright red clearance crocs to wear around the yard when the dog needs to do his business.

My first pair of Crocs photo credit...

Now I have found on Common Sense with Money that they are having a Fun Giveaway Crocs Gift Certificate and all I can say is Wheee!!!!! Check it out here. I would love to buy another pair of Cleo slip on sandals in black and charcoal that would go with everything I own. Plus, it would be much easier to get away with wearing them to work without a frown being produced by my boss for my choice in footwear. Now, finding my size - 10 - is usually the biggest challenge there is... and hiding them from my husband :) yikes!!!

R.I.P.

2009-06-30T20:04:00.018-05:00

With the current headlines blaring out at me reminding me how fragile life is, I can't help but think of my mom these past couple weeks. Just two summers ago our family thought my mother was having severe intestinal issues that required a colonoscopy. She had been suffering from diverticulitis for a couple years and we figured it had finally flared up to the severe stage. After being in and out for testing, she was finally admitted to the hospital the beginning of June. From there a roller-coaster of testing would begin, along with a surgery that would end with a colostomy and the finding of a tumor on the outside of her colon.

Mom, me, Diana, Debbie
photo credit - Jill Watson Photography - Studio 101 Photography

While waiting for the results, my two sisters and I would take shifts at the hospital to be with mom. One of us in the morning, another in the afternoon, and another in the evening. Dad would wander in and out, but being in the hospital wasn't his thing. I'm pretty sure he was in denial that there could really be anything wrong with Mom.

Then the results. The tiny tumor was cancer - sarcomatoid carcinoma - stage 4. Apparently even the healthiest of individuals who came down with this type of cancer weren't expected to last long, let alone a 75 year old woman who had complications from surgery, developed an infection, and was having renal failure. It was quite the blow to us all.

Every day I would go to the hospital and would take notes when the doctors came in to see Mom, so that when my sister's came to visit, they would know what the prognosis was. Also, so I could keep busy when the doctor was there and not forget or space out from the news. Mom couldn't begin to remember everything that was going on. She couldn't even take care of her bag by herself, eat solid foods, walk around her bed. June was a very rough month.

By July Mom was able to be admitted into a rehab facility. There they worked on putting weight on her, getting her walking and moving independently, and being able to handle her colostomy bag on her own - not just emptying it, but replacing it on the stoma as well. Let me tell you - as a grown woman without any children, that is the grossest I have ever seen in my life - but you deal because you love and care about the person you are taking care of.

Mom came home after a couple weeks in rehab, but was in a lot of pain soon after returning. She couldn't eat - didn't want to eat, had constant pain in her back, and just looked haggard all the time. My nephew and his wife came to visit with their little one. Mom perked up for that visit - she must have known she was saying good-bye.

Eventually, Mom had to go back to her oncologist and when we all went, he said that her white count was once again elevated, which indicated infection, and thought it would be best to get her admitted again. We all went out for one last lunch at Red Lobster, where she tried to be upbeat and cheerful, but she just wasn't her usual self. After admittance on the cancer wing, we all talked and decided that she might need to have exploratory surgery to determine if she was septic or if there was more cancer. It was a lose/lose operation, but we knew it had to be done. Mom called for her priest and asked for us to leave the room so she could confess her sins. She didn't want to go into surgery with the possibility of not making it not having cleansed her soul.

After all of us said our well wishes to her in pre-op, we went to the waiting room. It was late afternoon, early evening, and you could view the status of the surgery on a computer monitor. In no time at all, it said that her surgery was over, which we knew was not good news. Her surgeon came into the room and told us the news. Her small tumor that was found in mid June, in one month, has spread and metastasized to every organ in her body - it was literally eating her from the inside. He could do nothing but close her back up. He said he had never seen something so aggressive. We cried for our mother and our wife.

It was eventually decided that Mom would come home. The hospital could do no more for her and we wanted her to be home. Funny, you always hear about hospice and what a wonderful thing it is, but until you go through it, you really have no idea what it is all about. You are in it alone! They come by once every couple days until the time is getting closer, then they come by every day. For about an hour. Otherwise, you are shown how to administer meds, how to move the patient and try to keep bedsores from occurring, how to sleep in a chair so that you can monitor her ragged breathing for fear you might miss her needing you. All this while you are still needing to be at work. Waiting for the moment she passes - praying that it comes soon but hoping it doesn't so you have more time to whisper to her how much you love her and how all those moments she held you when you were sick meant to you. Wandering around her house, what used to be your childhood home, wondering how it will ever feel like home again once she is gone, will there ever be light in the dark room that she is sleeping in? Worried how your father will cope with being alone - crying more for his loss than for yours, because while you have loved her for your 35 years, he has loved her for over 55, and can't imagine his life without her.

And then it is there, that moment you are sitting by her and hear that sharp intake and realize that nothing follows. As you call for your family, you rush to your mommy, your mom, your mother, your momma, your friend, and you hold her hand and tell her you are there for her and you love her and are so sorry for all her pain, but that you know she is with her family now. And eventually, the grimace of pain that was on her face with that last breath turns into her glorious smile that she is known for. And it is amazing. And you are thankful that you were there to witness it all - no matter how difficult it was, you are feeling more blessed than ever to have been there for her passing. And as my father said at the time, "an Angel entered Heaven" and she continues to watch over me and the rest of her family today.

Paula

2/16/32 - 8/23/07

Jill Watson - Studio 101 Photography

Song by Josh Grobin that was Mom's favorite

Gag Reflex

2009-06-24T22:33:00.012-05:00

Is it me, or is there an abundance of blogs out there of girls describing themselves as "newlyweds" and married to "the love of their life" and can't wait to "spend every waking moment with their soulmate?" I am all for a happy marriage because I have one, but must we gush all over our blogs about it? I have been checking out the bloggers in my hometown and a good majority who have a following have at least one of those descriptions in their profile. Hey, if you have been married for under 2 years, then sure, by all means, describe yourself as a newlywed. But must you also include that you married the love of your life and your soul mate? Wouldn't that be assumed? I would hope you didn't settle for some schlub who happened to ask you and you decided "Eh, I'm not getting any younger, what the hell!" Usually people tend to marry that special someone, not just the next best thing. At least that's what I have learned in my 37 years. We don't have arranged marriages here in the states, do we? Then I could see the confusion about being married to the love of your life or the man your parents picked out for you. I guess my five year anniversary just a week ago has definitely kicked me out of the newlywed category, and I don't need to gush for all the world about how wonderful my husband is - he knows because he puts up with me on a daily basis. I guess I'm just a jaded oldywed...

photo credit

Make Me Laugh

2009-06-23T17:00:00.028-05:00

credit

The reason for the Nebraska trip was two-fold - Hubby was in a comedy contest finals and it was our five year anniversary! Back in April he had tried out for the Great American Comedy Festival and made it to the finals as an amateur comedian. As part of the festival, the amateurs performed on Tuesday night, and then the professionals performed on Wednesday and Thursday with the selected winners of their groups going to the finals on Friday. There were 24 professional "up and comers" as there were tagged, but out of them, Kevin has worked with several and we have had the opportunity to get to know them over the years.

It was really funny because in his set on Tuesday night, Kevin mentioned that our 5 year anniversary would be on Friday, and I cannot begin to tell you how many people remembered! Strangers came up to us and would wish us a happy anniversary! That's how small towns are, I guess! It was a bit shocking, but nice at the same time. Heck, I have family members that don't even remember my anniversary, but the whole town of Norfolk, NE seemed to!

Of the comedians that performed, it was great to see some old favorites:

Keith Alberstadt

Tommy Johnagin

Pat Dixon

If you ever get a chance to go to a comedy show and see any of these guys, don't hesitate, it will be well worth the money.

More on Nebraska when I get some more time - I am off to dinner with a girlfriend - sushi here I come!

Finally Back...

2009-06-22T17:00:00.004-05:00

We are finally back from Nebraska - what a long but beautiful trip. I'm still beat! I don't think I ever want to be in a car again - EVER! It's funny how people tend to bash certain states, I can think of Arkansas and Nebraska as some, but let me tell you -- the drive from Omaha to Norfolk was stunning - rolling, lush green hills. You could see for miles! Very different than Iowa and Kansas and OMG - Missouri's hwy 70 is a boring nightmare compared to this drive.

I will blog more when I get my stamina back. I'm just about finished with my book, The Host, which I finally got back into reading while riding back home. Oh, and I'm so glad to be back for this heat - NOT!

To be clutter free

2009-06-11T15:51:00.006-05:00

I have a few friends that upon walking into their house, you notice their few pieces of furniture, well placed pictures on the wall, an occasional vase or candle on a table, and basically nothing else. Their house could be an example page from a Pottery Barn catalog. It's simple but lived in and refreshingly uncluttered.

photo credit

My house, by comparison, looks like a yard sale blew up in it. (Note - neither are my home, but I wouldn't mind the top one being mine.)

photo credit

I am so tired of clutter. If I could have that show Clean House come to me and get rid of everything, I would let them. By no means is my house the utter disaster those homes are. We aren't collapsing under the weight of piles of rubbish (wow - did I just say rubbish? When did I become English?) Anyway, myself and my husband included are notable pack-rats, and basically lazy on top of it -- primo-procrastinators. If there is a tomorrow, by golly, it will get done then! But because of that, I have bills that have piled up since 2002, books that I have read for the past 10 years that are causing the shelves to buckle under the weight of them, and boxes of photos that haven't been organized into the scrapbooks I have been saying for years I'm going to make.

So right now I'm undertaking the task of cleaning up our office, which has taken the brunt of our madness for the past several years. As we clean up the other parts of the house, the things that don't fit in the small rooms out "there" got squeezed into "here" where I'm currently sitting typing this blog instead of cleaning. See, I told you, mistress of procrastination!

Dog park etiquette

2009-06-06T22:41:00.006-05:00

Tonight was a trip to our local dog park. We have been many times in the past 2 years with our new pooch. He loves to socialize with other animals and be chased by the other dogs, which is ironic since he is a herding breed, it should be the other way around -- our dog has never been normal. But that's neither here nor there and not what this post is about. This is about the etiquette that needs to be followed by the two-legged individuals who bring their 4-legged friends out to play. Some simple guidelines to adhere to, and we should all get along fine in this pooch-friendly environment.

1. Adults greet each other by shaking hands and saying hello. Dogs do not have hands and lack vocal cords. The way they get to know each other is to sniff the crotch of the other dog. It's not bad manners, it's canine instinct. You do not need to scold your dog for sniffing another dog's butt. Scold him when he starts sniffing human butt, that's embarrassing for all parties involved.

2. Keep a baggie on your person at all times. When Fido decides it's time to do a two, you realize you don't have a baggie on you and others are watching. So you go to the baggie box located on the fence for our 'convenience' but by the time you get back to Fido's spot, you really aren't sure where that particular area was. Now you look like the idiot who can't find your dog's doo, and everyone knows it. Yes, we all know exactly where your dog dumped and we are amazed that you can't seem to find that steaming pile of s....

3. If the rules of the park say no one under the age of 'X' please adhere to these rules. Some people have dogs that don't do well with children. Others have big dogs that run fast. My dog thinks anything small is his own personal chew toy, and if it makes a high pitched noise, he is sure to try and find a way to get the squeaker out. No - my dog isn't aggressive - he hasn't met a person or other dog he hasn't loved immediately. However, if you are going to bring a baby to nurse to the dog park and sit on the bench to do so, don't be alarmed when my dog jumps up on the bench to smell that strange, small creature you are holding. You see, my dog has never been around a baby before and he's just curious. Also, my dog runs - FAST - and when he's being chased for a long time by other dogs and needs a rest, I become "base." Ollie ollie oxen free! He's great at running full speed right at me, sticking a turn and coming to a stop right in front of me - not so for the Great Dane and Shepherd mix that were chasing him and took out my left leg and just about knocked me on my fanny. And I'm a big girl (look at my pic, if you haven't already.) Imagine if that happened to an unsuspecting 6 year old. I could just see it now - children dressed in Garanimal overalls flying in the air, dogs off and running, parents all pissed off because the dogs weren't watching where they were going... whah??? Dogs weren't watching where they were going? It's THEIR park... why must they watch?

4. The dog park is not a place for you to sit your butt on a chair and ignore your dog. If the park is big enough that you cannot see your dog from where you are, go and find your animal. I don't need to be constantly chasing off the over-excited dominatrix who likes to hump my dog. It's not my responsibility to correct your dog's dominant behavior - that is your job. My dog has learned his name and the word 'come' so that the second he is out of sight I can call him back to me. It's called training and obedience... try it.

5. Please do not wear clean, neat clothes to the dog park. You will be mad when my dog jumps up to give you a kiss when you comment to him what a pretty boy he is. That's just what he does. I know, I know, training, try it, I just said that...I have been training for 3 years! What can I say, my dog loves people and will kiss them to let them know it. And if that means muddy paw prints on your blazer, too bad, you should't have made eye contact with my dog!

6. Don't be mad when you bring a ball/Frisbee/toy to the park to play with your dog and another dog gets in on the game. It's going to happen. It's called sharing. If you don't like it, go back to kindergarten and learn that lesson again. Besides, what did you expect? All the other dogs to ignore the cool toy? Sha - like that's going to happen...

7. Be sure to provide a bowl of water for your dog. With all the running, dogs are sure to get parched, and I'm tired of constantly having to be the community provider of water for everyone's canines just because I remembered water for mine. I don't care if other dogs drink out of my dog's bowl as long as I see that there are plenty of other bowls to go around. I just think it's pretty rude when I put down a bowl for my dog and he can't even get a drink because your dehydrated mutt is hogging the juice. Unfair! Go talk to your two-legged human about their lack of concern for your well-being and leave my baby's elixir alone!

8. Don't be a doggy racist! Just because a pit bull has come into the park does not mean it's going to be a problem. I have seen some of the sweetest, kindest, friendliest pit bulls at the dog park. Just tonight I saw a beautiful Old English Sheepdog coming in, and I thought "beautiful dog" until it bullied my dog so badly that mine wouldn't leave my side. Every time my dog tried to run, the sheepdog would jump on his back and try to bite him on the neck. It was ridiculous! The owner kept saying - 'she's so hyper, look how hyper she is!' More like "What a big BULLY!" The look my dog gave me clearly said - 'make it stop, Mom...' It broke my heart.

9. Know the number for the park ranger. Regardless of how well you follow the rules, there will always be someone who doesn't and makes the park unsafe for others. Take your cell phone with you and keep the number stored in it and make the call if you feel you need to. Better to be safe than sorry.

The King of the Castle

2009-06-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

How can you not love this face?

School's Out for Summer

2009-06-02T19:03:00.003-05:00

Summer vacation has finally arrived! What to do with my time - or should I say, my two months, since we go back on August 3? What ever happened to summer vacation being June, July and August? Before we know it, children will be going to school year-round. Hopefully I will be up for retirement by then.

I will have a huge list of things to accomplish this summer. Number one being getting this place packed and getting the new house remodeled. I cannot WAIT to be out of a condo and into a house with a yard my dog to run around in. I just feel that there are so many things I am missing by not owning a house, one of which is not having to hear my neighbor's three year old boy play superman off the sofa and feel the adjoining wall shake and rattle every time he lands. Another thing that I am looking forward to is having a yard to take care of, flowers and shrubs to tend to; a back yard to grill in, since we can't grill on our deck at our condo due to insurance regulation BS. The best part of this house --- it was the one I grew up in! My dad is selling it to us for a steal, and we are going to fix it up the way we want it so it's more 'ours' and less 'my childhood home' before we move in.

I have a lot on my plate for this summer, but along with getting both of these homes ready, I'm still itching to be creative. I want to take pictures, I want to paint - which I don't do at all, I want to make jewelry, I want to scrapbook, you name it - I want to do it. I wish there was a Creative St. Louis Club where you could come out once a week and try something new and meet new people. That would be so cool!

The Photo Album

2009-05-29T18:03:00.000-05:00

I was creative today. Actually, I have been creative for several weeks now, working on a photo book for my friend. Her in-laws will be celebrating their 50th anniversary and she asked that I help redo their wedding album with my sister, who is a huge scrapbooker (even had her own store at one time.) Well, after thinking about it for some time, I thought that doing a book on Shutterfly would be a better idea. That way all of their kids (9 of them) and the gazillion grandchildren they have could then get a copy of the wedding pictures if they chose to. There would be a copy of every single picture from Grandma and Grandpa's wedding album in it and it would be bound just like a regular book. My sister made one for our family of my mother's recipes and pictures after my mom passed away. It is absolutely beautiful and amazing to have the copies of Mom's recipes and pictures of her right next to them all bound in one place. So the idea was the same for my friend and her family - along with, of course, putting the original pictures in a photo-archival book for preservation. This way there won't be daughters fighting down the road over who gets to have 'mom and dad's wedding album' when they pass because they basically all can have a copy if they should chose to buy it. I'm actually surprised by how reasonably priced it is as well.

I am happy to see the final product and to know that my friend and her sisters-in-law really like the looks of it. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something in the creative world, (all by myself) and that's what I've been itching to do lately.

Beautiful Art

2009-05-28T14:32:00.001-05:00

I was flipping through other people's blogs this morning and came across another Angela's blog - she is an artist that seems to base her work on pointillism - creating pictures using nothing but dots. Her work was beautiful. It touched my soul and I really wanted to purchase some of her pieces.

her art here

This is the type of things that I see that I wish I had thought of to do - this is what I find inspiring! This is beauty to me - what I want to be able to create. I can still do it, but I just don't ever find the 'umph' to get off my tooshie to get it done. My mojo is lowjo...

When I grow up I want to be...

2009-05-27T21:02:00.001-05:00

I am 37 years old and I have been a teacher for 15 of those years. I am still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up! See, I still feel that I'm not a grown up - in my head I view myself to still be a kid; well, maybe a teenager or in my very early 20s. But by no means am I just 3 years away from turning 40! That's preposterous! Ridiculous! Absurd! When did all this maturing and growing up happen? When did my dream jobs escape me? Was it when I was busy starting my career, earning a living, finding my first home, my true love, and so on? Does life get in the way so much that we forget to live it the way we always wanted? I guess in my case, it may have. I always have dreams of being a famous artist or photographer and I dabble in this at times, but nothing that would ever let me replace my current career with my dream career?

I wonder - what's stopping me?

More to explore at a later date.