Jazzy: An Artist's Thoughts

A Little Free Time...

2009-01-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

OK, so it has been a while since my last post. What can I say, I have been swamped. Now I know that is a crappy excuse, but it is true (cross my heart and all that jazz). With that said, I do have a few more posts already planned!

Anyway, I have had a little bit of extra time on my hands recently and also had a couple of presents that I wanted to finish up for my manager and regional manager. Here is what happens when I have a little bit of time on my hands.

Here is a pansy that I painted in Watercolor and is 5x7. The flower are shades of purple, and the background colors are Windsor yellow and ultramarine, which is a blue. I framed it in a simple black frame with a dark green and black mat. I painted this for my manager whose favorite flower is a pansy and favorite color is purple.

Here is a rose that I painted in Watercolor for my regional manager. The flower is shades of yellow. It was difficult to shade with the same color, so I not only used varying shades of yellow but also used a mix of ultramarine and brown madder. The leaves were a mix of sap green and Windsor yellow. I used varying shades of this mixture for the leaves. The shadow was made y first making the paper wet then placing a small amount of the Windsor yellow and allowing the color to spread only in the dampened area. While the area was still wet, I then placed a small amount of ultramarine and allowed it to spread in the same manner. By layering the colors rather than mixing them first, you are able to see just slightly the yellow, green, and blue colors rather than a solid green. I framed it without a mat in a simple 5x7 black frame. I painted this picture for my regional manager whose favorite flower is a yellow rose.

I hope these paintings and hope that they are the first of many pictures painted this year. I am not going to go so far as to say that this is one of my New Year's resolutions because I never seem to be able to carrying my resolutions through the whole year. I start out great but seem to falter at some point in time during the year.

A Piece of Cake!

2008-10-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

Well, how about this?! Two posts in one month! Stop the presses!!

As promised, here are a couple of photos of C's birthday cake from her 13th, yes 13th, birthday! I can't believe she is officially a teenager. Every year, I always decorate C and H's birthday cakes. They pick what they want, within reason, and I decorate the cake they pick out. I have some rules for the kids while they are contemplating what to pick to have on their cakes. The picture cannot have a lot of colors. It also has to be a clear picture that I can work from and not be too terribly detailed because we are talking frosting after all. (I am no "Ace of Cakes!") Well, the cake that my daughter chose was chocolate. The picture she wanted on it was from a cartoon that she watches on the Cartoon Network called Naruto. The character from that cartoon that she chose is named Sasuke. The first picture she showed me was nearly all black and dark blues and was not a very good picture to work from, so we looked and looked and finally found the one that I used for her cake. This cake was not an easy one, let me tell you. It took me over two hours to decorate, which does not include the time it took me to get the frosting colors right!

So, for better or worse, here is the cake. I really hope that you like it!

Balancing Act...

2008-10-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

I am still alive, just in case anyone was wondering. I have been super busy with a LOT going on lately. I am still selling lia sophia jewelry, but recently I got a very good job with U.S. Bank as a Project Manager. I LOVE my new job!! I am making more than I was when I left my last job. I get three weeks vacation next year. I am a salaried employee, okay that may not exactly be a plus since I don't get paid overtime. I started at a higher class/job level than I was at in my last job. I am in a satellite location. My boss is in Ohio. The BEST part of my new job is that I am able to work from home when I need to! If my kids are sick or I am sick, I can work from home! How cool is that?!!!

Last weekend my husband and I moved yet again! There was a moment this last summer when we were going to move back to Montana, but my new job changed those plans. We moved back into the school district that my kids have been in since moving to Oregon. YUCK! I hate moving, although this time we had help and my husband was actually here!! woo hoo!! We are now in an actual house again, not a townhouse, and have a yard for the kids to play in!

Well, hopefully as things settle down, I get all unpacked, and we get into a nice routine again, I will be able to post more often and maybe I will even have some new art or poetry to post!

I'm So Proud!!!

2008-06-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

My ten year old son plays baseball, and this year was his first year in minors league. He played third base. His last game was last Friday and closing ceremonies was on Sunday. They announced All-Stars at closing ceremonies, and my son made it on the All-Star team his first year out!!! He was so excited. His name was the first name that was called, and the members of his team at the closing ceremonies all cheered for him. The best part of it all was that his dad was there to see it! I am so proud of him. He really proved himself this year and definitely deserves to be an All-Star.

The tournament starts next weekend and will run for two weekends. If they win, they will move on, otherwise their season will be done. For us, our baseball season lives on, at least for now. I personally don't care whether or not they win or lose as long as they have fun!

Still Here....

2008-04-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

I am still here, but I have been extremely busy the last several weeks. I have been working very hard on getting my lia sophia business up and running. I am pleased to say that I have had a few shows with more booked!! I have also been doing some office work for a realtor friend of mine. Finally, I have been covering as Office Manager for a local bar and grille, which ended last week unless they call me back again.

Besides all the jobs that I have been doing, I have also been working on a picture for my Dad, which always seems to get put on the back burner when I get busy. Unfortunately, I am running out of time on this picture and have to get it done in the next couple of weeks. My son's baseball season has also started, so I have had more running around to do.

Calgon take me away!! Hopefully, as things settle down, I will be able to blog more. (There is just not enough time in a day!)

Ready, Set, GO!!!

2008-02-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

I want all of you to be among the first to know about my exciting new adventure!

I recently joined lia sophia as an Independent Jewelry Advisor. I am thrilled to be part of a company that offers beautiful, high-quality jewelry, an incredible lifetime replacement guarantee, and great prices.

In the month of February, lia sophia is running a super special! When you buy two or more items at regular price, you have the opportunity to purchase the same amount of items at HALF price. The BEST part is that your half-priced items can even be the most expensive items!

I had my Starter Show in January, and it was a complete success. I was worried that I would not have anyone at my party and would not get any orders, but I am happy to say that I was wrong.

Since my Starter Show, I have been busy getting organized and ready to begin holding my own shows. I had to get some jewelry displays, practice, practice, practice my presentation, gather the essential items like pens and calculators, and start up my own website!

lia sophia is so versatile! lia sophia can be worn anywhere from the PTA meeting, to the soccer or baseball game, to that romantic night out with the one you love, or even on your wedding day! There is something for everyone and every occasion! I love this jewelry, even before I started selling it. Every time I look at the catalog, my wish list grows! You should take a look and start your Wish List today! I invite you all to take a look at my website

http://www.liasophia.com/sites/jewelryuwilllove

and contact me to book a show. Yes, you read correctly, book a show! You can host an ALL ONLINE show! It is as easy as sending out an email because your guests can look through the catalog and place their orders right from their computers! How COOL is that?!

Come be surprised by the beauty and affordability of lia sophia!

My Earliest Memory - Talk Thursday

2008-01-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

My friend Cele invited me to participate in Talk Thursday. This week's topic is "My Earliest Memory." I have a couple of memories from when I was little, maybe three or four years old.

The first memory involves my brother. We were arguing in our front yard. I am not sure what about. He may have been picking on me. He dared me to say the "F" word, so I did but not before my Mom heard me say it. Well, I don't have to tell you that she was not very happy. When I told her that my brother made me do it, he got in big trouble. I think he ended up getting grounded. I distinctly remember him watching me play outside from the front window, and I remember waving to him. I know it was not nice, but hey, what are little sisters for!!

The other memory that I have is from my Mom and Dad's grocery store. My parents bought the store when I was three years old. I basically grew up in that store. I spent every weekend and every summer at that store. I remember when I was really little that my Mom used to let me ring up newspapers. Newspapers were the only things I was allowed to ring up because they cost 25 cents, and I knew what a quarter was. I had to kneel on the counter that the groceries would be set on after being taken from the carts and only then could I reach the till to ring up the newspapers. Thankfully, the customers were very nice and patient! At the time, I thought it was great fun, boy what the heck was I thinking!!

Home Sweet Home!!

2008-01-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, do I love this!! At times since moving to Oregon, I have felt like I was back home in Montana, and yesterday was no exception!!

Yesterday, it started raining but quickly turned to snow. The snow was beautiful!! The flakes were huge and fluffy!! It looked like great big, fluffy cotton balls falling quietly from the sky. It snowed all day and into the night! We had somewhere between 4 and 6 inches of snow. Of course, the kids got their wish to have a snow day today. It is suppose to start snowing tonight around midnight, and they are estimating that we should get another 2 to 4 inches of snow again. Oh joy, the kids could have another snow day tomorrow! My husband took a picture of my car to show the guys that he works with because they would have never believed how much snow fell here yesterday.

It looked like a Winter Wonderland outside today! I LOVED it!!

MEME in Randomness!!

2008-01-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Cele, so here it goes!!

Ten things about yourself:
1. Name: Jazzy
2. Birthday: May 6, the day before my brother-in-law’s and the day after my uncle’s
3. Where do you live: Oregon
4. Right or Left handed: I am left handed, although I have had to learn to write and do other things with my right hand out of necessity (been hurt too many times and not able to write with my left hand)
5. Favorite color: blues, purple, yellow, green, okay all colors
6. Favorite sport: watching my son play baseball, and my daughter play soccer
7. Biggest Fear: spiders, duh!
8. Status: married
9. Do you have a crush on someone? my husband (most days)

Your last....
1. Cigarette: many, many years ago
2. Beverage: coffee, this morning and tea last night
3. Kiss: my husband last night and my kids last night when they said “good night”
4. Hug: my husband last night and my kids last night when they said “good night”
5. Movie seen: Flags of Our Fathers, a stocking stuffer from Santa to my husband, and Mr. Brooks
6. CD played: Dixie Chicks and Mig
7. Song listened to: Landslide by the Dixie Chicks and Baby I Love Your Way by Mig Ayasa
8. Bubble bath: hmmm last? Over a year and a half ago before we moved to Oregon! I think I am way overdo!!!
9. Time you cried: I hate to admit it, but the last time I cried was the night before last. I was having a bad case of low self-esteem!

Eight Have-You-Ever's:
1. Dated one of your best friends or wanted to? No
2. Skinny dipped: Sadly, no
3. Kissed somebody and regretted it: Oh My GAWD, yes!!! Who hasn’t!!
4. Liked someone you knew you couldn't have: Oh My GAWD, yes!!! Who hasn’t!!
5. Been overseas: Sadly, very sadly, no
6. Dressed in costume: yes
7. Been drunk: yes, and I don’t recommend it! The recovery is not fun!!
8. Run away: No, but I have been tempted to run away, far away!!

Two Things That You Want To Be When You Grow Up:
1. Loved!
2. Financially Comfortable!

Check out this artist...

2008-01-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged about artists that inspire me yet, but there is a first time for everything. This last summer when my family and I were on vacation on the beautiful Oregon coast, we stayed the night in Salem on our way home. That night we ate at a restaurant called Alessandro's Ristorante and Galleria. I saw the art of Tina Palmer on the walls. It is so beautiful and inspiring! Looking at her artwork makes me want to draw and paint until I can't hold a brush or pencil any longer.

Here is link to some of Tina Palmer's art: http://www.andrewsgallery.net/tinapalmer.html.

Check out her artwork! I hope you like it half as much as I do.

Hope for the New Year!!

2007-12-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

As I begin this post, I am thinking back to my resolutions of 2007 and begin thinking of what could be in 2008. In 2006, I made three resolutions for 2007, which I plan on carrying on into 2008. (1) Write more poetry, (2) Draw more, and (3) Work out more and lose more weight. I modified my third resolution slightly because I now belong to a gym and will get in shape if I just work out more. I will continue my quest for success with my three resolutions and am sure that I will continue to see success in the New Year.

For 2008, I have quite a few "hopes" not resolutions because I already have those, but I have a few "hopes" for the New Year that I would love to see become a reality. First, I hope that we will be able to get closer to our home and family. I would love to be closer to our family so that we can hopefully make it home more than just once a year. Second, I hope that my husband sees success in business in 2008. He has had a good year this year and is turning all the right heads at the company's corporate headquarters. If he continues his success in business into the New Year, we will get to move closer to home. Third, I hope that I will see success in business. I am going to start selling Lia Sophia jewelry in January. I hope that I will be successful so that I will see a good return on my investment in this business. I am hoping that my school education will help me as I grow this business from the ground up. Fourth, I hope that I will see success in my family. I hope that we will continue to make each other happy and will continue to grow closer to one another. It is so easy to let it all slip away! I have another hope for my family that I have had for a while now that only a few people know that I have had. I am hoping that I will get to share it with everyone in 2008. Finally, I hope that my children will continue to see success in school. They both have been doing great in school and have both been getting super grades, even with missing a whole week of school to go back to Montana . I hope that they will continue their success in 2008 and will continue to make new friends and will continue to strengthen the friendships that they already have.

My hope for all of you in the New Year to to be happy and healthy in whatever you do.
Happy New Year to all of you!!!

New Year's Resolutions Revisited

2007-12-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

As the year comes to an end, I am looking back at the resolutions I set for myself at the beginning of the year in an attempt to assess how successful, if at all, I was with them. I had three rather simple resolutions. My resolutions were: (1) Write more poetry, (2) Draw more, and (3) Join a gym, work out, lose weight, and get in shape.

This year I wrote 4 poems! I would say that even writing one poem this year would have been a success. As for my second resolution of drawing more, I would consider this a success also. I did draw more even though I was in school for half of the year. I did a lot of practicing this year and am working on an important picture for my Dad as I am writing this post. (ok, maybe not this very second, but you get the point) My last resolution, join a gym, work out, lose weight, and get in shape. This resolution was a partial success. I did join a gym, success! I have lost 8 pounds this year and kept it off too, success number two! It would have been more weight lost, but my weight was much like a roller coaster for about the first half of the year. I would lose 3 pounds then gain 2 back then lose 2 pounds and gain 1 and so on and so on. I have lost 11 pounds since moving to Oregon. I work out occasionally. I was working out consistently 3 to 4 times per week until the person that I was working out with quit and gas prices became astronomically high. I would say that this part of the resolution is a partial success. I am not in shape yet, but I am getting there and am in better shape now than I was 1 year ago. I don't think that this part of the resolution is a success, but maybe it perhaps could be considered a partial success since I am in better shape now than I was.

I am definitely proud of myself for the success I had with my resolutions this year. Overall, I successful with my resolutions. I plan on keeping the same resolutions for next year in order to see if I am more successful with them next year. How did you do with your resolutions this year? Were you successful or did you crash and burn?

A New Experience

2007-11-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

When we were home in Montana, I bought a Wacom tablet. With this tablet, a person can paint, edit photos, draw, or design right on his or her computer. I am still just playing with the tablet, but I have to say that this tablet is so much fun! I am able to paint with watercolors, draw in pencil, or even paint with oils all in the same place and right on my computer. While I was playing with the tablet, I started playing with the oil painting features and effects. Here is the painting that came out...

I am super excited to continue experimenting and playing with my tablet. I can't wait to see what comes out next.

Are you neurotypical?

2007-11-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

I saw this on CV Rick's blog and Cele's blog, so I had to do it too just to see how my graph would look.

My results are:

Your Aspie score: 27 of 200

Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 183 of 200

You are very likely neurotypical

Now, I am not sure what this means exactly, but I sure hope that it is good! :)

Send in the Clowns...

2007-10-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Every year for Christmas, I have hand-painted a clown for my Dad. My Dad is a Shriner's clown, so years ago I started him a clown collection. This year's clown turned out pretty cute. Take a look...

This was the last present that I had to get ready for our big trip home. Every clown that I have painted for my dad has been truly unique and different from the next one. I used colors which are either a shade of blue or have a blue hue to them except for the couple of contrasting colors that I used to make certain elements "pop." I named him "Bluey." What do you think?

All Ready to Go...Are you?

2007-10-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

OK, I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but Christmas is just around the corner. Yep, it will be here before you know it. The hustling and bustling of the stores, the bitching and yelling of the customers... Are you planning for it yet? Are you dreading that busy season yet? Are you ready for it yet?

Every year, I make a list every year with everyone's name and what I am thinking about or am getting each of them. I usually shop online because I hate the crowds and the bad attitudes, and let's face it, it is way more convenient, easy, and fast. (Plus, I can shop in my pj's!) This year, I started way early and am DONE!!! OK, OK, OK, stop hating me... I have a perfectly good explanation as to "why" I am done Christmas shopping already. First, I want to take November and December off from working, so I wanted to get things done and bought while I have some income coming into the house. Second, I also have a few birthdays left to buy for this year, one of which is my son's, and had to plan finances to cover these gifts as well as the Christmas gifts. (By the way, I have all of these, including H's, done, bought, and wrapped!) Third, I have to be able to take all of the Christmas presents back when we go to Montana for hunting, which is soon and I am so excited. I have both the birthday and Christmas gifts wrapped and ready to go! The only people I have left to buy Christmas gifts for are my kids and husband, which yep you guessed it, I have already started buying for them. :) I am not done yet, but I will be done Christmas shopping for sure before Thanksgiving.

OK, I'm Bragging...

2007-10-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

OK, I have to take time out of my day to brag about my daughter. We just got her first trimester grades, which is like mid-terms. She did awesome!!! She started 6Th grade and middle school this year. Let me run down her super awesome grades!!!!!

PE - A+
Math - B+
Health - A
Homeroom - A+
Language Arts Skills - A
Computers - B+
Social Studies - A

For those of you who know my daughter know that she has struggled in school ever since she started school. School has always been a challenge for her, so to see her grades this good is so rewarding.

I credit the increase in her grades partly because I am now able to be at home with the both of my kids after they get out of school. Of course, the teachers and my daughter had something to do with the good grades too, but her grades immediately went up when I stopped working and began staying home with the kids. I know I made the right decision to stay home with the kids after seeing these grades. The bonus for me is that I can see how great she feels about herself with this success, plus I am seeing her self-confidence increase, which is great!

I know how hard she is working and how hard she is trying in school, so I am happy to see that all her hard work is paying off!!

GREAT JOB, C.!!!!
I Love You!

Ever Feel This Way?

2007-10-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so, I have felt like I am running on empty. I have had so much to do that I have not had any "me" time. I have been trying to get all my Christmas shopping done so that I can take it home with me. I have had a lot of birthdays to buy for too, including my daughter's. I have been working more since the kids went back to school AND, I have had to take my husband to and from work off and on for the last month. I have not had time to blog, paint, draw, and have had no energy to workout!!

I am getting things done, as you can see I am back to blogging, at least a little bit anyway. I have all but two Christmas presents ready to go back home the end of this month, if we get to go (more on that later). I have to finish my Dad's present and am waiting for my niece's to come in the mail. I have even started Christmas shopping for my kids and husband, but I am not done with them yet.

My daughter's birthday was small this year. We celebrated it with just us, so at least I didn't have a bunch of 12 year old girls running around. I do have all the other birthdays done, except my son's, which is coming up, and the presents are even wrapped and ready to go.

I increased my days at my temp job so that I am working 20 hours a week. OK, I know this does not sound like a lot of hours, but I run all the errands for the house while the kids are in school. Plus, I take them to school and pick them up after school everyday. I have to clean the house, pay the bills, and cook all the meals. It is a full-time job! My hat is off to all the housewives out there, truly! Currently, I am working as a temp in a company that makes various kinds of nut butters and peanut butter. (Yes Dartman, I have some "samples" for you and the rest of the family to try!) The HR Manager does NOT want to lose me, but I know that there will not be enough work to keep me busy after October 26Th. The HR Manager wants the company to bring me on permanently. She asked me to come up with my "Perfect Scenario" for her to review with the Director of Operations. After reviewing all my demands/wants, she said that everything on it seemed more than reasonable, even the salary I told her that I wanted to be paid and the hours that I wanted to work. I would have to accept the job if they met all of my demands/wants. It would mean that I would be getting paid what I was when I had to leave my last job right before we move to Oregon, and I would still get off in time to pick up the kids from school. I would truly have the best of both worlds.

My husband's truck has been in and out of the shop for a month! We have spent around $3000 in repairs so far, and they are not done yet. Yes, that's right, the darn thing is back in the shop, again! To top it off, the repair is another huge, very costly one. The transmission went out this time. Needlesstosay, I have been more than a little stressed out about money lately!! Now, our vacation is up in the air. My parents said they would try to help so that the kids are able to go home to see everyone, but I hate the thought of borrowing money from them. On the other hand, I know that my children would be devastated if we are unable to go home.

I am finally taking a few minutes to blog, which I have not done in a long time!!! I have missed it very much. I have a problem with my wrist, and the more I use my hand (which is the one I write with) the more my wrist and hand hurt. Sometimes, it hurts so bad that I can hardly move my fingers. :( When this happens, I can't paint, draw, type, or anything. I have to ice it down until it practically goes numb and then put on my brace. Yes, I should go to the doctor, but that costs money, which we have none of right now thanks to all the vehicle repair bills.

Hopefully, as I get more things done that I need to get done, I will find that I have more time to do the things that I love to do like paint, draw, and blog. This is always a crazy time of year for me, but this year is crazier than ever. (and I thought I would have MORE time after I graduated! HAHA, NOT!z0 I guess that is what I get for thinking, right?

The First Day of School...

2007-09-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today was my kids' first day of school. Today was more of an orientation day with them only going to school for a short time. My son started fourth grade and my daughter started sixth grade. My son is still in the elementary school, but my daughter began middle school this year. I realized today just how fast the time has gone since she went to her first day of kindergarten. (boy, seems like yesterday they were both heading off to school for the first time ever!) Last year was their most successful school year ever, and I believe that was due in part to the fact that I was at home with them after school. Not only did they both get the highest grades that they have ever gotten, but they also always stayed on task right after school. The best part was that it wasn't a fight to get them to get their homework done either. I will be home with them this year after school too and am already positive that it will be even more successful than last year.

To my kids: I hope that you have fun this year in school! Although I hate the fact that you are growing up and feel that you are growing up way too quickly, I know that you will have a blast this year in school. You will probably have even more fun this year in school than you did last year and you will learn so much! Study hard, be respectful and kind, and have fun!

I love you!

A Treat to Myself...

2007-08-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

The last time we were in Montana I had lunch with Sister Mary Lisa and T at our most favorite restaurant. We had salad, naughty sticks, and naughty sauce, and in the words of Rachel Ray, YUMMO!! OK, I am getting distracted here... I mentioned at the lunch or just afterwards that I was going to get a tattoo after I graduated. I decided to design the tattoo myself. Once I had the tattoo designed, I had to select a tattoo artist. Of course, I wanted the best since it would be with me for a while. Well, my honey settled this dilemma for me after talking to the guys with which he works. My man got me a gift certificate for the tattoo to the recommended tattoo artist for our anniversary. I went to the shop after my anniversary design in hand, after looking at the artist's portfolio on the web of course, a little nervous not knowing what to expect. After talking to the artist, I set an appointment to get the tattoo done, and I also had to modify my design (but only slightly). My original design was too small for what I wanted done, but the size that the artist said the tattoo would have to be was bigger than I wanted the tattoo to be. After I re-designed my tattoo, I took the new design back to the artist and was very happy to hear that it would work as I designed it, but unfortunately, I would have to wait a month before actually getting my tattoo because the artist was completely booked for a month. I thought that the day of my appointment would never come, but it finally did. Surprisingly, I was not nervous as I drove to the tattoo shop. It has now been two weeks since I got my tattoo, and it is healing nicely! I was surprised that it really did not hurt all that badly when I was getting it done. So now I want to know... what do you think of it?? I got it on my lower left calf by my ankle on the outside of my leg.

I LOVE it and yes, I would get another one.

10 Jobs I Do Not Want!

2007-08-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Cele to list 10 jobs that I do not want! I found this tag very interesting in part because I am not currently working full time and also because I left a company last December with which I had been employed for 16 and a half years. I find myself at a unique crossroads in that I am able to really search for the job of my dreams with hopefully a terrific company (with many perks of course). So...here it goes...

1) Exterminator - I don't do bugs, mice, rats, snakes, etc, etc, etc. YUCK! Creepy crawlies are not my forte!

2) Housekeeper/Maid - I would hate to clean all day at work and then have to come home and clean all night too. I take my hat off to those people who do this kind of work because I know that I could not do it. (at least I could not do it quietly!)

3) Sales - I am talking about all of the pushy salespeople out there. You know which ones I am talking about pushy and won't take "no" for an answer. Nope, I could not do that because I would feel too guilty after, not like the "guilty pleasure" guilt either.

4) Collection Agent - I have dealt with "dead beat" renters before and hated it. I like to give most people the benefit of the doubt, second chances (sometimes third and fourth chances). I eventually learned to distance myself to it, but I would not want to do this type of work on a daily basis at least again anytime soon. High stress, high guilt, little satisfaction ... no thank you.

5) Mortician - I am a HUGE sympathetic crier! I would have one of those crying headaches all day, every day if I were a mortician. Plus, my makeup would run... now that would be attractive.

6) Congresswoman/Senator - I would not be willing to compromise my morals and beliefs in order to do the job. I think it is a prerequisite.

7) Bee Keeper - love the honey, hate the bees!

8) ASPCA officer / worker in a shelter - too sad! I have a hard enough time watching shows like "Animal Precinct" on Animal Planet. I know that there is no way I could do that job in real life.

9) Daycare Provider - love kids, but running a daycare is a TOUGH job! I have helped in daycare facilities before imagine all noise all the time, a mountain of dirty diapers, never getting a break, running after other people's kids all day and your own at night. I could go on and on, but I really don't think that I have to, do you?

10) The person who removes roadkill from the side of the roads - need I say more!

Thank you Cele for tagging me. I am not tagging anyone, but if you would like to complete the list on your blog, I invite you to do so and leave the link in the comments on my blog!

A Beautiful Sight to See!!

2007-08-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took a short drive to Crater Lake. Crater Lake is a truly amazing sight to see. The water is so blue; it really is unbelievable. The lake was formed over 7,000 years ago after the Mt Mazama erupted. The lake filled with rain water and snow. It the deepest lake in the U.S., and one of the deepest in the world. It is also one of the purest lakes. It was completely worth the drive. Pictures do not do the lake's beauty justice, but I thought that I would share a few with you anyway.

The island is called Wizard Island and is a volcano that was formed during the eruptions of Mt Mazama.

There are many features in and around the lake. The great thing is that you can drive all the way around the lake and take a boat tour of the lake.

You can see many of the volcanoes of the Cascades from Crater Lake too. We even saw Mt Shasta which was about 100 miles away from where we were and two of the Three Sisters.

These are fumaroles called the Pinnacles. There were so many of them!

All of you should make it a point to visit this beautiful place!! It was amazing! I would definitely go back again!

A New Poem...

2007-08-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

You

You are a dream to me.
I’ve searched for you, where can you be?
I wonder if you I will see.
I wonder if you’ll ever be.

I imagine your smell.
A sweet smell that I know so well.
I want you in the place I dwell.
I will never tell you farewell.

I can see your dear smile.
Is my dream really so futile?
I don’t think I’m in denial.
I long to hold you for a while.

The sparkle in your eye.
My dream of you is slippin’ by.
I sit and wonder with a sigh,
If you will come or pass me by.

Your darling laugh brings glee.
The dream of you I cannot see.
Praying for you to be with me.
I wonder if you’ll ever be.

For All the Women in Banking!

2007-07-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

I worked in the banking industry for 16 years! For any woman who has ever worked in banking, this one is for you...

Last night as I lay sleeping
I died or so it seemed,
Then I went to heaven
But only in my dream...

Up there St Peter met me
Standing at the pearly gates,
He said 'I must check your record
Please stand here and wait.

He turned and said 'Your record
Is covered with terrible flaws,
On earth I see you rallied
For every losing cause.'

I see that you drank alcohol,
And smoked and partied too,
Fact is, you've done everything
A good person should never do.

We can't have people like you up here
Your life was full of sin,
then he paused as he read the last of my record,
Took my hand and said 'Come on in.'

He led me up to the big boss and said
'Take her in and treat her well.
She used to work in banking
So she's done her time in hell.'

I did not write this, but it sure did make me laugh. Thank you to my friend for sharing this with me!

Still Here!

2007-07-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I have not been too concerned about not posting in my blog for a while, because no one reads my boring blog anyway. For the two of you that do read my blog, I am still here just been really busy. I am playing "catch up" this week. I have a few posts that I want to do and will be doing this week.

Stay tuned!

Vacation - Day 5

2007-07-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

I did not think that anything could top the week of sights and experiences that we had, but B had a huge surprise in store for us. The last day we made a slight detour as we were heading for home. We stopped at a place called Wilderness Safari. It was exactly as the name describes, a safari!! Unfortunately, our dog was not allowed in with us, but they provide kennels for pets. The safari was incredible!! You drove through it and went from place to place looking at every kind of animal imaginable. I had to download pictures as we travelled through the safari because there were so many amazing animals there and we just had to get a picture of them. Take a look!

Here are hippos

Baby Yak

Camels

Cheetah

Monkeys

Bull Elk

(Not for hunting, sorry)

There were many, many other animals too, tigers, lions, and bears (oh my!). :) The brown bears were closed the day that we were there, meaning you could not drive through their enclosure, because the buffalo were right next to them and were having their babies! As you can probably imagine, the bears were pretty excited because of the smell of blood in the air. After we passed the brown bears, we saw a newborn baby buffalo. It had just been born, only minutes old. The baby was so cute, still wobbly! (not to gross you out, but the afterbirth was still coming out of mommy!)

I would definitely go back to the safari! The only animal that we did not see was the rhino. Most of the animals were free roaming. Only the lions, bears, tigers were in enclosures; all of the other animals were free roaming. It was so cool!!! I wish you all could have been there!!

Unfortunately, this was the end of our vacation. I truly did not want it to end. B and I loved the coast!!! We both said that we would love to live on the coast. (Cele, I truly envy you!) You live in a beautiful part of Oregon!!!! I wish I lived there too!

Vacation - Day 4

2007-07-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

After the Tillamook Cheese Factory, we did not stop until we got to Astoria, where we spent the night. By this time, our daughter pointed out that we had driven the whole coast of Oregon. We stayed right on the might Columbia River. It was fun to watch the big barges and other boats going down the last bit of the river to the ocean.

(this was the view from our room!)

Hey, wait a second, isn't that Washington over there?! If it looks chilly, well you would be correct. That night we ate at a wonderful restaurant and had seafood of course!! I had crab cakes. They were wonderful. They melted, literally, in your mouth. YUMMY!!! We found this really cool house called Flavel House, which I think is now a museum. We did not go through it or look into whether or not it was a museum, but I did take a picture of it. Compared to most of the other houses that we had seen, this house was huge! The house was so big that I could not even get it all in the frame! (Isn't it gorgeous?)

The next day was a little rainy. Go figure, we are in Oregon, what else did you expect!! We headed off to Portland and then down to Salem. Before getting to Salem, we detoured, just slightly to Silverton. Silverton is the home of the beautiful, Cooley's Gardens. Of course, I missed the darn irises blooming, but I did get their catalog!!!! (hmmm, how much money did B say that I could spend on irises??) I haven't forgotten that I still have my irises at by bro's house, but I have to add to them if I can. (there are too many new ones!!) I just can't resist. After stopping at Cooley's to get the catalog, we went to Silver Falls. Silver Falls is a state park which has many waterfalls in it. Most are just a short walk/hike off the road. Here are a few awesome pics from Silver Falls!

(North Falls)

(South Falls)

There was a trail all the way down to the base of South Falls, but we did not venture down there. We did not get to see all of the waterfalls. After spending a few minutes at South Falls, we headed into Salem (just a short drive actually) where we spent the night. We actually got to the hotel early enough that we were able to play in the pool. Barry stayed in the room (too tired), but the kids and I played for a while in the pool. It was pretty fun. Yes, I got into a suit. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the suit that I bought was a little bit too big (always a good thing!). That night we had dinner at a fabulous restaurant called Alessandro's Ristorante & Galleria. The diners are surrounded by some fabulous pieces of art! Can you think of a better way to spend your evening?? (Super food, and beautiful art!) I HIGHLY recommend it! The food was delicious!!

The only depressing part of this day was knowing that our vacation was soon to come to an end!

To Be Continued...

Vacation - Day 3

2007-07-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Day 3 was a blast!! After breakfast, we went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. The kids absolutely loved it!! I highly recommend it if you are ever on the coast! We made sure that we saw everything and took a lot of pictures! Here are some of the best...

The kids in the crab tank!

Here is one of their

starfish up close!

They had a tank

which allowed the

kids to touch many

of the animals!

Ok, this picture is not the best, but...I thought it was pretty cool. If you can't tell, it is a picture of jellyfish. (Anyone see Spongebob???) They were in a tank with a blue background. The lighting in the room that they were in was quite dark, so I am glad that it even kind of turned out.

The next picture is a picture of a sea lion that would go from window to window and rub up against it. It was the sweetest thing to watch.

At the aquarium, the coolest thing was a tube that you could walk through. It was amazing !! Ever seen the bottom of a sting ray???

Much to my daughters delight, they had sharks too! Of course, we made her wait until the very last thing that we looked at!!! (he, he, he) Aren't we evil!!

After the aquarium, it was off to Asortia. Along the way, we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. It was pretty neat to see the factory and try some cheese. I recommend it!! It is a great educational stop for the kids, and best of all...it was FREE!!

Good times, for sure!! We tried fresh curds, yep curds!! They were not too bad, actually. Tillamook had a black pepper cheese. It was really good! I could picture that cheese on a burger. As Rachael Ray would say, YUMMO!

Day 3 was a lot of driving, but it was fun!

To be continued...

Vacation - Day 2

2007-06-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of our vacation was GREAT! After a continental breakfast at the hotel, we packed up the truck and headed out towards beautiful Florence. We had a blast in Florence where we had the opportunity to meet my good friend, Cele. Prior to meeting Cele for yummy ice cream, we hit the beach. We had so much at the beach in Florence. We saw a ton of starfish and collected a bunch of sea shells.

After lunch, we met up with Cele for ice cream. We had so much fun!! After Florence, we went to the sea lion caves. The kids loved the caves. (but, boy were they stinky!) We even got to see two male sea lions fighting in the water. The elevator at the sea lion caves is the only elevator that I have ever been in that measured the distance one has gone in FEET and not stories. Thank GOD there was an elevator. Can you imagine that people used to actually walk all the way down to the caves prior to the elevator being installed??? (no thank you!) Next along the way was a lighthouse. We spent the night in Newport. We got to the hotel early enough to have time to play in the ocean before dinner. We had fun even though the water was a little chilly. The kids and B. were having a ball catching shrimp. As each wave would come in and go back out, hundreds of little shrimp would go out to sea. Some of the shrimp were pretty big compared to the others.

We ate seafood, of course, every night! We had a blast in both Florence and Newport. Thank you to Cele for the fun in Florence!!! We will definitely have to plan another get together some time!!!!

To be continued...

Vacation - Day 1

2007-06-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of our vacation was jam packed!! We wanted to see and do as much as we could and still make it to our hotel by a decent hour. We left our home and drove to Crescent City, California through the magnificent Redwoods! We did not leave quite as early as I would have liked, but we did get to see a small part of the amazing Redwood forest. The redwoods were absolutely incredible. We grabbed a quick bite to eat after visiting a the lighthouse and taking some photos and then it was off to beautiful Brookings, Oregon. We stopped at a wonderful beach near Brookings. (take a look!)

We stopped at several beaches before stopping for the night. We stopped at a beach called Whale's Head because there is a rock sticking up from the ocean that looks like a whale's head. It was pretty windy at this beach, and the sand whipped against our faces, legs, and necks. (boy did it sting) Here is a view of Whale's Head beach.

We also stopped and walked through a little strip mall on the pier in Brookings. We of course saw a lot of boats along the way, so I had to take a picture of some of them. These boats were in Brookings.

We spent the first night of our whirlwind vacation in Coos Bay. Coos Bay is a nice place. Of course, by the time we got to our hotel, checked in, and unloaded our stuff into the room, we had just enough time to clean up and go to dinner. We ate seafood for dinner the whole trip!! YUMMY!! We did not get done with dinner until after 9:00 pm. The poor kids did not even get to play in the pool because we did not get back to the hotel until almost 9:30! It was a long day, but it was well worth it!! We saw some amazing things in just one day! Every day of our trip was a different adventure with different sites to see. We obviously did not have enough time, but we did pretty much get to do everything that we intended to do.

To be continued...

Ever Wonder...?

2007-06-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

ONLY IN AMERICA:

Only in America.....do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in America......do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke. !

Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

Only in America......do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.

Only in America.....do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER ...

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin ?

Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed? !

Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?

Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dish washing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even a chuckle)...in other words, send it to everyone. We all need to smile every once in a while.

An Awesome Sight!

2007-06-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

We spent this last week exploring the beautiful Oregon coast. If any of you ever have the chance, I highly recommend it. On Tuesday night, we spent the night in a beach side hotel room.

It was glorious! This is a picture from our hotel

room at sunset! (jealous yet?)

That night we were witness to a truly amazing

sight! At around 10:30 pm, we witnessed the

Space Station and Space Shuttle as they were

orbiting the Earth. They looked liked two stars in

the sky, but they moved across it very quickly.

They seemed to appear out of nowhere and

were gone almost as fast as they had appeared. They appeared about 25 degrees above the horizon, which in our case was the Pacific Ocean.

They soared across the sky in just minutes and

were gone out of sight.

Our son was too tired to stay up to see it, but our

daughter was too excited to sleep. This will be an experience that she will hold will hold in her memory for the rest of her life. It was amazing to know that there were people on those two things and that those two things were actually in space orbiting the planet.

What an incredible sight to see!

On the Road Again!

2007-06-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we are headed to the beautiful Oregon coast for a long overdue family vacation. The last "vacation" that we took was a weekend trip to a town about 2 hours from our hometown. (that was 9 years ago!) We have a full itinerary planned. It is jammed packed with tons of sites to see and fun things to do. This trip is going to be a super fun time. I just can't wait to get going.

GOOD LUCK!!

2007-06-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a minute and wish my very talented (and handsome) nephew, son of Dartman and SML, good luck in his soccer tournament. His team won state again this year (but come on now, was there really ever any doubt?? ... NO). The tournament is in Las Vegas in a few days. I wish that I could be there to root you on! I have no doubt that they will do well!

Good Luck J! We are all rooting for you!!

Love you!

I've Been Tagged...

2007-06-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Cele to "quickly write 8 random facts/habits about myself, and then tag 8 people. If I tag you, I hope you play."

1) I play the saxophone. I have been playing the saxophone since I was a sophomore in high school. My specialty saxophones are the alto sax and baritone sax, although I have and can play the soprano and tenor saxophones too.

2) I have a Bachelors Degree in Paralegal studies. Most recently, I obtained a Masters in Business Administration.

3) Fears! I am deathly afraid on spiders. I HATE mice! I am also a little squeamish of snakes. I am claustrophobic, thanks in part to my brother! He used to hold pillows over my face. I think he thought it was funny. (He also blew pepper in my eyes, but that is a story for another time!) I am also afraid of heights. Boy, with all these fears/phobias, I should be in therapy! All in good time, I guess!! :)

4) I am in the habit of filing our household bills yearly by company and month paid! (No exceptions) Some may call this anal, but I call it overly organized! Everything has its place, and if those things are in their proper places, I can find them readily if needed.

5) I collect Precious Moments. I don't have many figures, but the figures I do have are precious to me and come with a story.

6) I am really pretty shy. I have a really hard time meeting new people. I am actually really quiet when I am around people that I either don't know and am meeting for the first time or around people that I don't know very well. I know, hard to believe, but it is true!

7) I don't like talking about myself. I don't want to come off like I am bragging, so I just shy away from talking about myself at all. Perhaps this is the reason that I have such a hard time and get so nervous in interviews.

8) I have only worked for 2 companies in my life. OK, I have actually worked for 3 companies if you count the 9 months that I worked at Hatch's Cards and Gifts in the mall just after high school.

Now I have to tag 8 people. Unfortunately, I don't know 8 people in "blogland." If you are tagged and can't participate not a problem. If you do blog about your eight random facts leave the link in the comments.

I tag - Dartman and Sister Mary Lisa. (Sorry, you are being tagged by default. I can't tag Cele because she tagged me.)

Workout Woes...

2007-05-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day in a few weeks, yes weeks, that I have gone into the gym and worked out. I stopped going during the last few weeks of school (too tired and busy). On the bright side, I have not gained any weight! Unfortunately, I found out Friday that my workout buddy will not be going to the gym until further notice. She is going through some major personal issues right now and will not be going to the gym and does not know when she will get back into the gym (if ever!). I decided, however, even before I heard from her on Friday that I would begin going to the gym on my own because I have to do what is right for me. What is right for me right now is getting into the gym and working out! I feel better physically and mentally everytime I finish a workout. The hard part is actually getting myself into the gym not the working out part. I love to work out, but I have a hard time getting to the gym. I have promised myself that I will go in after I get off work 3 to 4 times per week, rather than getting up at the butt-crack of dawn! I am obviously not a morning person, which my hubby can and would attest to! Now that I am done with school, I can get into the gym and do something for myself that will make me feel and look better. Going to the gym for me is my time to focus on myself (for a change)! It is good to have that little bit of alone time each week.

15 Things You Probably Never Knew or Thought About

2007-05-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

1. At least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone , even if they don't like you.

5. Every night , SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. If not for you , someone may not be living.

8. You are special and unique.

9. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

10. When you make the biggest mistake ever , something good comes from it.

11. When you think the world has turned its back on you , take a look: you most likely turned your back on the
world.

12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want , you probably won't get it , but if you believe in yourself ,probably , sooner or later , you will get it.

13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

14. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.

15. If you have a great friend , take the time to let them know that they are great.

A Minute: They say it takes a minute to find a special person , an hour to appreciate them , a day to love them , but then an entire life to forget them

Take the time .. to live and love.

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

CCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Glug, glug, glug, glug, glug!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

(Softly in the background you hear, the graduation processional!) Dum, da, da, da, daaaa, daaaaaa...Daaaa, da, da, da, daaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!

Yep, you heard it here first! I am finally done!! I can't believe that I am done. I worked so hard, and the hard work paid off! The final assignment has been turned in, and I am free at last! I did consider wearing my cap tomorrow to work, but I will probably only wear it at home.

I am off to do my happy dance now!!! YYYYYYYYYYYIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2007-05-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Dads out there who had to be Mom too!

The days are long, and the days are hard.

The reward, however, is huge!

The first time your child looks at you and smiles or says "mama" or "dada."

The first time your child hits a homerun or scores a goal and then says, "That one was for you "mom/dad."

The first time your child runs up and hugs you just because.

The first time your child falls asleep in your arms.

OR
The first time your child says "I love you."

Cherish every moment you have with your child because the time goes by all too quickly.

Happy Mother's Day!

A Treat from Home!

2007-05-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

It has been almost 7 months since I have been home! That is 7 months since I have seen my family and friends. I have to say that I have been feeling homesick lately, although I have tried not to think about it in order to focus on school.

Recently, my sister came to Oregon for work. She was only here over for two days. She flew in one day and flew out the next. She was suppose to fly into a town an hour and a half away from where I live. Because her flight out of Montana left late, she ended up missing her connecting flight once she got to Oregon, so she found a different flight which had her landing where I am. She got in around 6:00 PM, so it was early enough that we were able to have dinner together.

When I found out she was actually going to be here, I got really excited, not to mention how excited C and H got! We had a lot of fun at dinner. I just wish we could have had more time together. (maybe next time) She will be coming out here again for work, so maybe she will be able to arrange an extra day here, which will be a blast!

The Home Stretch!!!

2007-05-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

I know that my last few posts have been about school, but school is where my focus has been for the last few weeks. I am now on the home stretch with just ONE week to go!

My last day is May 14th and then the bottle of wine will be opened (and drank!) and the party will begin! :) I do have more than one bottle of wine, so it may be a big party. I will also have to finish designing my graduation present to myself, which is a story for another time.

I can't wait to finally be done with this program. I will have plenty of extra time once I am done with school to write, draw, read... OK, well, basically everything that I have had to put on hold while in school.

For those of you keeping track, I am now able to count down on my fingers!!! YAHOOOOOO!!!

A Huge Sigh of Relief Cont.!!

2007-05-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today I got the grade on my Master's Thesis. I got a 96%! I know it isn't a 100%, but I have to make my final grade in the class a little interesting now don't I!!

Two more weeks and two papers to go! Pretty soon I will be able to count the DAYS left on my hands!

A Huge Sigh of Relief!

2007-04-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Three down and Three to go!!

My HUGE 18-week master's project is finally done and has been turned in!! I am so happy that the project is done. The final paper ended up being 46 pages total. Now, I have to turn the 46 pages into a powerpoint presentation consisting of only 15 slides. (no problem!) I am on the downhill slide now. I can do anything after getting through that bear of a paper!

One week at a time... What is that?? Could it be?? Yes, I think it is... the light at the end of the tunnel! FINALLY!!!

It Should Be A Crime!

2007-04-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know about any of you, but I think that gas prices should be a crime!! Two days ago the gas price for regular unleaded where I live was $3.09/gallon, and two days or so before that it was $3.06/gallon. Today the gas price for regular unleaded ranges from $3.15 to $3.19/gallon. I heard a rumor the day before yesterday that prices in my area are estimated to get as high as $5.00/gallon by July. I seriously doubt that we will be able to take any kind of trip this summer.

Unfortunately, I believe that most of us are still at the mercy of gas companies and the subsequent prices of gas. I wish prices would get more reasonable rather than so darn unreasonable!!

I hope prices are better where you are!!!

The Rose

2007-04-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have been practicing my drawing, which was a part of my New Year's resolution. I drew my first ever rose. The rose is a really difficult flower to draw. I really want to master this flower because it is my Mom's favorite. If I can master drawing it, maybe I can paint it. This is only my first attempt, so be gentle!

I am really just practicing techniques such as shading. I am trying out different methods in order to "hone" my skill.

Remember to be gentle with me!! (contrary to popular belief, my ego is fragile!)

A New Look

2007-04-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

You may notice that my Blog has a new look. I have added links to my poems and some art doodles. I call them doodles, but they are not all drawings. I will be adding more doodles. I noticed as I was changing my Blog that I don't have as many art links as I do poetry links. Don't get me wrong, I love my poetry, but I love my art too. I love them equally, but I have to admit that I have not been spending as much time on my drawing as I could or should! This is not due to a lack of commitment to my art by any means. The problem is too much I want to do or need to do and not enough time in the day! (I am sure you all can relate to this!)

In any event, I hope that you all revisit my poems and doodles (if you dare!) and enjoy!

The Beginning of the End!

2007-04-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the start of my last class in the MBA program that I am in. Six weeks from tomorrow, I will finally be done with this program. I ordered my cap and gown today, although I am not sure that I will be going to commencement. You know the end is near when you order your cap and gown!

I started this journey a little over a year ago, and the end seemed like it was so far off I couldn't imagine how I was going to get there. This program has been stressful (to say the least), and I wanted to quit more than once. I stuck with it, however, and am finally near the end. I know that all the hard work I have done will be worth it in the end. When I began the program, I never thought I would make it through to the end, but I am almost there.

I just have to stay strong and focused for a little while longer and then I can relax.

Whisper Sweetly

2007-03-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Whisper Sweetly

I whisper sweetly soft and low,
playing music to and fro.
My face and eyes are all aglow.
I feel love, so much I can’t show.

To keep you safe, I say a prayer.
As you grow, the more I care.
Your life is felt, I can’t compare.
You are a gift, I can’t yet share.

From God above, you came to me.
You’re in me and soon will be,
to love and grow for all to see.
The precious gift He sent to me.

The time is near to have you here.
Day by day you are more clear.
The day draws close, I have no fear.
I’m so happy, I shed a tear.

Butterflies flutter here and there.
I feel you move and just stare.
I want to show you that I care.
Mother’s love nothing does compare.

©J.Stein

A New Addition...

2007-03-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to our family. Because I am asking for trouble and don't have enough to do around the house, I added to our happy little family on Saturday. We were at PetsMart and saw the cutest little parakeet. He is really cute. He is all yellow. The kids named him is Twister Tweety. We call him Twister.

The Results Are In!!

2007-03-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

The results are in... I am extremely happy to report that I received a 99.5% in my class!! I worked on the final week's assignments right up to 11:59 PM. (Of course, the assignments were due by 12:00 AM!) I have just one more class to go before I am finished.

The journey through this program has been stressful and difficult. I am better, however, for having gone through this program. I am definitely a much stronger writer and am much more confident in my abilities. At times, I wanted to pull my hair out and scream, but I made it through yet another class and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am ready to be done! Just one short break and 6 weeks to go!

Hard Work Pays Off!

2007-03-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

I don't feel bad about being too busy with school work to blog or allowing the house to get a little cluttered. All my hard work has paid off! Going into my last week of class I have a 99.3%! I will be back in force blogging to my heart's content as soon as my class ends. I have one last BIG paper to complete and then AHHHHHHH break time!!!

Yes, I am still here!

2007-03-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I blogged. Believe me, I have been going through withdrawals over it. I have no excuse except that I have been extremely busy with my new job, school, and the family (not necessarily in that order).

School has taken up much of my free-time and has left little time for anything else. Thankfully, my class only has one week left. My new job is not time consuming as much as because I am at work, I have little time to maintain the house the way that I like. My family always demands my time, even more so this week because my hubby is at business meetings in Tampa, Florida. He will not be home until LATE Friday night early Saturday morning.

Being the organized person that I am, the house being even a little messy is driving me insane! I am hoping that my class workload will be light enough this week that I will have time to pick up, vacuum, and dust on Friday, my day off, before Barry gets home. Thursday the kids and I are going to "camp out" in the living room because they don't have school on Friday. At least I will have help cleaning on Friday.

Well, I am out of time...I have to get to work.

Job Hunt Update

2007-02-20T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally found something. It is not much, but it is a paycheck anyway. I am working as a temp. I was placed at a position within the first week with the agency. I got the first job I interviewed for. It is with a company that makes all natural peanut butter and other nut butters. I have tried their peanut butter, and it is good.

I like the people. They are all really nice. Some of the work is really basic and kind of boring (but I will live through it). Some of the work is pretty fun. I find it really interesting to learn about a manufacturing company. I have never worked for a company like this before, and I am learning a lot.

The only frustrating thing is that there is one person in the office that tries to train me on every little thing. Today, she wanted to train me on how to use a paper cutter. She is well-meaning, and I, of course, did not say anything to her other than, "Oh yes, I know how to use this. I used one all the time at the bank."

I like working only part-time. The company let me set my own hours. I am working 5 hours a day, 4 days a week. The human resource manager is really excited to have me in the office. I think she wants me to stay on full-time after the assignment has ended. I am not sure that I will be doing that though because I am just NOT ready to go back to work full-time. Honestly, I am not sure that I will ever be ready for that!

Random Childhood Memory

2007-02-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what made me think of this today. Maybe it was the smells outside today or maybe it was my grandma's way of saying "hi" to me!

I was thinking of my childhood, and our Sunday trips to my grandmother's house. We usually went when my cousins were there on the same day. We ended up having a great family dinner. Those days were the best! If we weren't sitting in the apple orchard gorging ourselves on sour, green apples (which we always got in trouble for eating because we were always too full to eat dinner), we were playing hide and seek or some other game. The game we always ended up playing was hide and seek AT NIGHT! My bro and my cousin always volunteered to be it. My other two cousins and I were absolutely terrible at hiding. First, we ALWAYS hid together. (Yep, big mistake!) If that wasn't bad enough, we always whispered (loudly because kids have a hard time whispering!), "Do you see them? Do you hear them? SHHHHHH! QUIET! THEY WILL HEAR US!" (Yep, not too bright!) Just about the time that we were actually being quiet, my bro and cousin would come up behind us and scare the living daylights out of us! The game would always end with my younger cousin going inside crying because she got scared and then coming back outside informing all of us that we had to get ready to go home, which always meant that we had at least another hour to play (because that is always how long it took our parents to finish talking and actually get ready to go home).

This is the type of memory that always makes me smile!

My Love!

2007-02-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dear B.:

Happy Birthday! We have known each other for so long that I can't remember not knowing you. I remember going to K. & P.'s house when I was little and playing with you and K. I am so glad that I had you for a friend in Junior High and High School. I still have the senior picture that you gave me when we graduated.

You know just about everything there is to know about me. You know almost all my secrets. You are my heart and soul. I can't imagine my life without you. We came together so fast. I still remember the instant that it happened. It was November 30, 1994. We talked until dawn. You made me laugh and laugh. Being together just seemed so natural. You gave me a ring that Christmas, and we set our wedding date, September 23, 1995. Our plans would change when just a couple of months later we found out we were going to have our first child. Our due date was September 23, 1995. I knew right then that we were meant to be together.

Our wedding day, July 6 1996, was not without its glitches, but it was lovely just the same. Our beautiful daughter was there to share our day, although I don't think she remembers it. We had our closest family and friends there to help celebrate our love. It will be a day that I will always cherish!

Just a year and a few months later our handsome son was born on November 26, 1997. Just 30 minutes from Thanksgiving Day. You were so great that day. You had gotten so little sleep, and I felt so bad about that too. You were there to hold my hand and give me encouragement when I needed it.

You have always supported me and my dreams. You encouraged me to return to school (both times). You always know the right thing to say to ease my worries and stress. I am so proud of the person you have become and how you take care of your family. You have gone from working in a bar to managing a store. You are definitely the BEST thing that has ever happened to me. We have been through it all and have over come so much. I have always said that if we can make it through what we have been through then we can make it through anything.

You are my best friend and my best love.
I love you more than words can say,
always.

A Drawing A Day

2007-02-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

I believe that every artist should try to draw something every day. I would like to consider myself an artist; therefore, I an going to try to draw something every day. I will keep my drawings small maybe an apple, a flower, a tree, or something like that. I have the tools (sketch book, pencils, eraser, and so on), so now I just need to find the time. I also have plenty of magazines for further inspiration. Of course, if I work on my portrait drawing or the picture for my husband's father, I would count that towards drawing something every day.

Hey!, if I can work out every day (which I have been doing), I can draw every day. I just need to motivate myself to do it. Drawing is the only resolution that I feel I could be doing better at keeping. I know the more I draw the better I will get at it, and I want to get better at it. SO, I am going to do it! I am going to draw something, anything every single day. I want to try to do this for one month! If I can do it for one month, I will be very happy with myself.

Game Day

2007-02-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Today is the Big Game. The game that Bears fans everywhere have been waiting for since 1985!My husband has been floating on cloud 9 ever since the season started and whispers of a possible trip to the Super Bowl started. Every step of the way from the moment they clinched their way into the playoffs to the championship game was watched by Bears fans with excitement at the thought of another trip to the Big Game. You can just about imagine what my household has been like since the season started. I can hear it in my head, "Dah Bears!"

So...let the tailgating begin!
The beer is cold; the food is hot!
The fans are hungry; the players want their shot!
As game time approaches, excitement is rising.
The commercials are funny; the halftime show is surprising.
Bears and Colts the scene it set.
Who will win? It's anybodies bet.

Happy Tailgating Everybody!!

Unwanted Visitor Update

2007-02-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, it has been almost a week now since we had a mouse in any of the traps. Does this mean they are all gone?? Does it mean that they got the message and left?? Does it mean that we got all of the mice that we had in the house??

I still find myself looking with trepidation towards the areas that the first mouse was seen and wondering if I will see another mouse there again. Thankfully, I have not seen any more mice!! Yippee!!!

The traps are still out and set. I will not be removing those any time soon, just in case. If the mice know what is good for them then they will just stay away! mmmwwwwwaaaaaahhahahahaha!!! (She laughs an evil laugh!!)

One Day at a Time

2007-01-31T11:35:00.000-08:00

I realized today that it has been a little over three months since I have been home. Now, that may not seem like a very long time, but three months is the most time that I have gone without being able to go home. I have no idea when we will be able to get back home for a visit, so I am going to take everything one day at a time. I have had cousins move away and live in other states, but I have no idea how they do it. My closest friends are and have always been my family members. The only thing that I can think to do is take everything one day at a time.

I hate knowing how much I am missing at home. I really miss all the little things like going to my nephew's and niece's sporting events, playing games with my bro and sis-in-law, and just chilling at my mom and dad's house. I don't think that we will ever live in Billings again, but I hope that we get closer one day so that I can visit more often (and they can visit me).

I know to get through any feelings of homesickness that I will have to take it one day at a time.

How Are Your Resolutions Coming So Far?

2007-01-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

One month into the new year, and my resolutions are going good. I had three resolutions this year. (1) Write more poetry (2) Draw more (3) Join a gym, work out, lose weight, and get in shape

My first resolution to write more poetry is going better than I hoped. My goal was to write one poem a month. I wrote two poems in January. I also began attending my good friend's writing workshop every Friday night. I love the workshop and am finding my poetic voice again. It feels so good to feel inspiration again. I have not been inspired in a long time, so long actually that I thought I would never feel inspired again.

My second resolution to draw more is going pretty well. I am working on a drawing for my father-in-law. It is a difficult drawing. This drawing is difficult for me because it is a type of drawing that I have never done before. I will not give up on it and will keep working on it. I just hope that it turns out. I am also working on my portrait drawing. I am working on the mouth. It is going okay so far.

My third resolution to join a gym, work out, lose weight, and get in shape is going so well! I have lost about 6 pounds since beginning on the 9th of January. I have joined the gym. I try to do some exercise every day. I do cardio and weights 4 times a week. I do just cardio the other 3 days. I am on my way to my goal.

So, how are your resolutions going for you? Are you sticking to them?
I hope you are doing as well with your resolutions as I am.

Decide to Have A Good Day Today

2007-01-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

I believe that if you decide to have a good day then you will have a good day. Let the little things that usually get under your skin slide off your back. Remember to smile, no matter what! Laugh often throughout your day. Before you know it, you will be on your way to a good day.

After the week I had last week, I decided this morning that I am going to have a good week. My husband has to work all week, so I will only see him at night. Even through this little annoyance, I will have a good week.

Today will be a good day! I hope your day is good too!

Sweet Dreams

2007-01-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

I wrote this poem with my children in mind. They are the light of my life. I love them more than words can say. I hope you like it!

Sweet Dreams

Lay down your head

Go on to bed

Sweet dreams await

So don't be late

Lay down close your eyes

No tears or cries

Take your blanket and bear

To know I care

Lay down and sleep

The snow is deep

No school today

No time to play

Lay down and dream

Of strawberries and cream

Float of the waves

Or explore in the caves

Lay down little one

'Til you see the sun

Sweet dreams for you

'Til the night is through

What a Week!

2007-01-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

I have had a cruddy week this week. Let me re-cap my week.

First, my computer has been down until today! I have been going through major blogging withdrawals. Not having access to my computer has been so difficult. No Email, No Blogging!

Second, we had a mouse in the house! I am completely freaking out! I hate mice!! (First we had black widow spiders and now mice!) I want to click my heels and magically return home!!!! My son caught the first one. He is my little hero! He just informed me that he saw another mouse!! OK, I give up!!! I may have to check into a hotel! I knew that I would not luck out and have just one dang mouse in the house! My husband thinks I am nuts and made fun of me mercilessly last night! He started to snipe at me too, which made me feel about 2 inches tall! I did not even get one hour's worth of sleep last night and will now not get any tonight!!! Oh well...I slept last week!

Finally, my son came home early from school sick. Poor baby! He is feeling better, but he will be spending the day at home tomorrow just to make sure he is better.

Calgon take me away!...Darn it didn't work, I am still here...Well, I had to try!

Tough Times

2007-01-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Every relationship goes through good and bad times, easy and tough times. My marriage has been through it all. For the longest time, I thought that the only thing I wanted (or needed) to be happy was to be a stay-at-home mom. Well, I have that and am happy for the most part, but I thought that my stress would go away if I were at home every day. I have sacrificed some things for this new happiness of mine and often think that my husband does not appreciate exactly how much I did sacrifice. I left a company that I had been with for 16 and a half years for my husband, this marriage, and his career.

I now sometimes feel like my husband and I have taken 10 steps backwards financially. I feel like all the hard work that we have both done over the past several years is going down the drain because I am no longer working. All too often, I feel like packing up my kids and moving back to Montana without my husband. When I start to feel this way, I know that I have to take a step back and refocus at least some of my energy on my marriage. I know that my kids are happier when my marriage is happier, so I know that I have to put my marriage first. Of course, my kids are important to me, but my marriage is also important to me. I have to show "my marriage" how important it is to me (just as I have to show my kids how important they are to me), thereby showing my husband exactly what he means to me and how much I love him.

For a long time, I lived in my marriage waiting for him to leave me waiting for him to hurt me like everyone else had hurt me. I think that because every other guy I seriously dated had left me and hurt me, I went through a large portion of my marriage waiting for the other shoe to drop. Those feelings are my insecurities, and they show themselves every time I feel like leaving my husband. Well, I am don't want to wait for the other shoe to drop any more. I want to fight for my marriage.

Marriage is hard work. It has to be nurtured and loved or else it will die and fade away.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2007-01-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!

Today it is snowing, and I feel like I am back in Montana. I LOVE IT!! I did not realize how much I missed the snow until it snowed here. The only difference is that everything shuts down when it snows here. I mean everything. The mall closed early. Some schools closed early, and many businesses closed early today. All because of a little snow.

Don't get me wrong. I do not like driving in this mess, but I at least know how to drive in it. (unlike all the drivers I saw out on the roads today) I also don't want snow like this everyday, or the cold below zero temperatures that we would get in Montana.

To get snow every now and then for a short period of time really goes a long way to cure my home sickness. It looks like a Winter Wonderland outside. It is all frosty and white. I just love it! It is beautiful!!! So for today...I say, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!"

The Job Hunt

2007-01-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

We have been in Oregon now for just over 6 months. I have decided that in order to give us a little more financial wiggle room that I need to find a part time job. I have applied for more than a half dozen jobs and have yet to even be called for an interview. I get at least one email per week from recruiters except that the emails are for either full time or sales positions. I can't do sales and don't want to work full time. My kids are doing better than they ever have in school because I am at home with them after school. We are closer as a family because I am at home, and I don't want to change any of this. As for sales, I have never been good at sales. I would never be able to do sales well.

I would LOVE to find something that I can do from the house. I would even be willing to take on a full time job if I could telecommute from home. I would even take a part time job outside of the house, but I can't work weekends (because B works every weekend, and we would have no child care).

I have thought about trying to start my own business from the house. The problem with starting your own business is the marketing costs, specifically the cost of a classified ad. In my area, a classified ad running for 30 days costs $175.00. We just can't afford that kind of expense. There would be no point in running the ad for a fewer amount of days. I am making a flyer today to put up at my gym, who knows maybe I can drum up a client or two that way.

I am trying to stay positive, but it is getting harder and harder.

Set Small Goals

2007-01-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

I have found that if you set small goals for yourself you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment. I have done this not only in my everyday activities, but I have also done this with my three New Year's resolutions.

In my everyday activities, I set small goals throughout the day. Most days, I end up going above and beyond my goals which gives me an even greater sense of accomplishment. Yesterday, I did everything on my list. I accomplished so much, and I felt great at the end of the day. I felt like I really got a lot done. I worked out in the morning. I got my kids up, fed, ready, and off to school. I answered a dozen emails and blogged. I vacuumed, dusted, and picked up my living room, bedroom, and dining room. I made dinner and helped my daughter with her homework. I played with my son. We watched a great movie together. Finally, I made sure they showered and got them in bed on time. It was a full day, but I felt a sense of accomplishment that I don't always get to feel as a stay-at-home mom.

With my three New Year's resolutions, I have set small goals for myself so that I don't get frustrated and give up on my resolutions. I have a goal of one poem per month. If I write more than one poem in a month great!, but I would be happy with just one a month. I have set a goal to draw two or three times a week. I would love to draw or paint more than two or three times a week, but I don't want to be disappointed. As for my final resolution/deal, I have set the goal to work out four or five times a week. I started Monday and have worked out every single day since I started! I am more than happy with this accomplishment. I am over the moon! I plan on working out two more days this week which is not only great for my body but is also great for my soul!

If you start out with small goals, you will not only have a greater sense of accomplishment, but you will also find it easier to reach your bigger goals.

What would you give up?

2007-01-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

I saw this report on one of the morning shows this morning, and it started me thinking about what I would (or could) give up. In the report, a couple was asked to give up using their cell phones for one week. I thought to myself, "Ok, 7 days, how hard could that be?" This couple was completely addicted to their cell phones. They racked up over 4000 minutes per month. That number is huge! This couple goes so far as to call each other from different rooms in their house! (Now, that is a little extreme) I don't even use 4000 minutes in 4 months let alone in 1.

I pose this question to all two or three of you who read my blog. What would you give up for one week? And, could you do it without cheating? It would have to be something to which you are addicted like blogging or emails. I would be willing to try giving up the use of my computer for a week, but I have a feeling I would cheat! For me, I will admit that I am completely addicted to my computer. I go online multiple times a day to blog or to check emails. Giving up the use of my computer for a week would be cutting me off from the world outside my house! That statement is extreme and is not completely true, but... all you bloggaholics out there know exactly what I am talking about.

I can sympathize with the couple from the report because I know how hard it was for them. I know I would probably cheat at least once, and yes, the couple both cheated at least once during the week they gave up their cell phones. There should be a 12-step program for these addictions. OH WAIT! There is...we have bloggaholics anonymous, don't we! Oh, that makes me feel so much better, and I think maybe I could give up emails and blogging for a week after all. Oh no! I just remembered that we meet online.

I would be willing to try to give up my computer usage for a week, but I would also admit that if the computer were left in my house I would more than likely cheat.

How about you? What would you try to give up for a week? Could you do it without cheating?

You asked for it...

2007-01-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

Beginnings and Endings

Beginnings can never be without endings.
They are new and wondrous.
They are exciting and scary at the same time.
Beginnings are like that new pair of shoes not yet broken in.
They are change which can be hard.
Beginnings are anything but sublime.

Endings can never be without beginnings.
They are many and inevitable.
They are sad and scary at the same time.
Endings are like those old pair of jeans broken in just right.
They are change which can be hard.
Endings are anything but sublime.

To begin is to end. To end is to begin.

A New Year and A New Poem

2007-01-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

This year is off to a great start! I have written a poem (the first in a long time). I am not sure why I stopped writing. I guess I just wasn't inspired. For me, the best poems are the ones that flow out and onto the paper like water flowing out of a faucet. I don't feel that this poem is one of my best poems, but at least I am writing again. I will share the poem soon after I have put the final stamp of approval on it.

All In The Family

2007-01-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

My 11 year old painted her first picture. She got a paint-by-number picture of dolphins (her favorite animal) for Christmas from her Grandparents. She did an outstanding job, although I may be a little biased. I had so much fun watching her paint. She even inspired me to work on my first oil painting. We sat working on our paintings together while watching a chick flick. We really had a blast. Painting with C is one of my favorite things to do in the world.

C, I want you to know that I can't wait to do this with you again! You did a super job! Keep up the good work!!!

Love you! (Up to the Stars and Back!)

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Now is the time to start fresh and to make all those resolutions!

B and I made a deal last night. Rather than making a resolution that I will never keep, I made a deal with my hubby. (or rather he made the deal with me) He said that he would quit chewing (Coppenhagen) if I started working out with our neighbor, D. We went to their house last night for a New Years party which was too much fun. We ended up at another neighbors house just after midnight for a couple of drinks. D was trying to talk me into joining her all female gym and work out with her 3 or 4 times a week in the mornings. B knows that I really want to lose weight, so he said that he would quit chewing if I agreed to work out with D. This will be tough for him! He has been chewing most of his life. I absolutely hate it! I want him to be around in 20 years to see our kids get married and play with our grandkids. If he keeps chewing, he won't be. I was more than happy to make the deal with him. We will find a way to pay for the gym membership, somehow. Having someone to work out with and help motivate me will definitely help me lose the weight that I need to lose.

What do I get out of this deal?? I get a husband to grow old with. I get to feel good about myself for the first time since before my kids were born. I get to feel like a sexy woman again. I get to fit into my skinny clothes for the first time since before I had kids. AND, I get to teach my kids about how to live a healthy life!

One Week To Go!

2006-12-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

I have been in class for five weeks now. I only have one more week to go. I was really worried about my week five paper. This paper was the second part of an 18 week project required prior to graduating this M.B.A. program. I was worried about this most recent paper because I was not sure that I had read the syllabus correctly, and I was almost maxed out on my word count. I did not proof the paper myself either which I paid for in the grading. I got dinged a little bit for a couple minor grammar errors. The paper itself was worth 15 points, and I was able to pull out a 14.6. (Not bad considering I did not proof read the paper and finished writing it the day that it was due!). I ended up with a 96% overall in the class after week five. I only have one week left to go in this class. I have one more paper left to write and just a few days of participation left to do. I wish the week was over already. After this class, I have just two more classes (only 12 weeks) left in the program. I never imagined that I would ever make it this far!

I hope that my wrist holds out until after I graduate! I have a gangling cyst on the top of my left wrist. I have been holding off getting it taken care of for a year and a half - two years. I wanted to finish this program before I did anything with it in case I have to have surgery to get rid of it. The problem is that I am left handed, and I can't type very well with one hand. The more I use my hand the worse it feels. It sometimes hurts so bad and swells so much that I have a hard time bending my fingers. I am just scared that I will not be able to hold out until after graduation. I just have to take everything one week at a time.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

2006-12-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

As the last few days count down to Christmas, I just wanted to take a minute during the last big push to the end to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday Season filled with lots of love and peace. I hope everyone is done shopping, wrapping (although I am not done wrapping yet), and baking. I hope you all enjoy the time you have with your families. I hope that for those of you who are not able to spend the holidays with your loved ones that you are reunited with them soon. I hope you all take a little time and relax this Holiday season and have some fun.

Remember, to laugh often and love much!

Merry Christmas!!

All I Want For Christmas

2006-12-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

Every year, my husband asks me what I want for Christmas. You would think that because we have known each other since elementary school and been together for 12 years that he would know what to get me without asking me.

One year, he got me a comforter (blue on one side and green on the other) because I like those colors. He also got me an office chair that year (oooohhhh, how romantic!). The best thing that he got me that year was the perfume. The perfume was not bad (if you are 100 years old). He did not pick it out because he liked how it smelled. He picked it out because it came with a free watch! Let me just say that the watch was really cheesy, and I never wear it. (yes, cheesy, the gold is rubbing off!) Last year, I gave him a list. I told him to only get me the things on the list! I did not want to take any chances.

So, because it is our ritual now, he asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year. I have no clue, so I told him that I didn't want anything. I honestly think that I am asking for trouble here; you would think that I learned my lesson after the cheesy watch. My husband is one of those men you see on Christmas Eve shopping for their wives (my husband is really just wandering around the store because he has no idea what to get) at Walmart because it is the only store open. He informed me that he will be shopping on Saturday night for me. My thought was "Wow, you are really planning ahead this year aren't you!" At this point, I am seriously doubting that he has a romantic bone left in his body because he has done so many romantic things for me in the past. (ok, that was a little sarcastic) I think the romantic bone broke the second we got married! Oh well, I have gotten really good at faking that I like the presents that he gets me. Hey, maybe this is the year that he actually gets me something that I like (or want) without asking me or getting a list from me! Hey, a girl can dream!!

I'm Ready!

2006-12-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

I did not think that I was ever going to get done today, but I did it! It took me all day, but I am finally done! Check it out:

1. Clean my house (so that it is Party ready!) - DONE
2. Make the Peanut rolls (it is a two-day process) - DONE
3. Make the grebble (it is a two-day process) - DONE
4. Make the Holly cookies - DONE
5. Make the dipped pretzels - DONE
6. Make the peanut butter cups - DONE
7. Make the sugar cookies - DONE
8. Make the hot artichoke dip - TOMORROW
9. Make the crabby cocktail cream cheese dip - TOMORROW
10. Wrap the presents for my husband's employees - DONE
11. Fix my Dad's clown (no, I still haven't fixed the eyes that I wasn't happy with) - DONE
12. Spray my Dad's clown - DONE
13. Mail our Christmas cards - MONDAY
14. Wrap my Dad's clown - TOMORROW
15. Mail Christmas presents home - MONDAY or TUESDAY
16. Write the major paper that I have due this week - TOMORROW AND MONDAY

The dips are better fresh, so I will be making those tomorrow afternoon before the party. I will be mailing the Christmas cards out on Monday since tomorrow is Sunday. The clown has to dry over night to ensure that it is completely dry before I wrap it. The boxes with the Christmas presents are ready to go, but I can't mail until Monday (but it may be Tuesday so that I can get my paper done. I now have a couple of days to get my paper done (I am not stressed about it yet).

My feet and hands are killing me. They are so sore. My back hurts too. I did not sit down until after 9 PM tonight, and I still had to get back up and make the peanut rolls and frost the sugar cookies. I am just glad that I don't have much to do tomorrow, and I can concentrate on my paper. I will be glad when this week is over, and I am on winter break so a couple of weeks.

A Rare Skill!

2006-12-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

I have a skill that I have been able to master. Well, I had to master it in order to get my work done at my job. I have the rare skill of being able to multi-task. I should be a professional multi-tasker. I can juggle and complete many tasks at the same time. I have two days to get the following completed:

1. Clean my house (so that it is Party ready!)
2. Make the Peanut rolls (it is a two-day process)
3. Make the grebble (it is a two-day process)
4. Make the Holly cookies
5. Make the dipped pretzels
6. Make the peanut butter cups
7. Make the sugar cookies
8. Make the hot artichoke dip
9. Make the crabby cocktail cream cheese dip
10. Wrap the presents for my husband's employees
11. Fix my Dad's clown (no, I still haven't fixed the eyes that I wasn't happy with)
12. Spray my Dad's clown
13. Mail our Christmas cards
14. Wrap my Dad's clown
15. Mail Christmas presents home
16. Write the major paper that I have due this week

I think that is all that I have to do. The problem that I have is time! I am running out of time in which I have to get our presents home in time for Christmas. I can't send them until I get my Dad's clown fixed, which is the reason that those items are on the list. The dips will be done on Sunday, so they are super fresh for the party. I have until Monday at midnight to get my paper turned in, and yes, I have pushed the time deadline a few times. The rest of the list I want done by Sunday so that I have Sunday day for the last minute items such as tidying up the house, the dips, and of course my paper. I will be putting my multi-tasking skills to the test over the next couple of days. I hope they don't let me down!

My Greatest Gift

2006-12-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

C., Peanut, & H. (Christmas-2006)

You are God's greatest gift to me. I love you both more than you will ever know. You both amaze me everyday. I have truly been blessed with you. You are helpful (even with the chores), loving, and kind. You are understanding, even when I know you are disappointed. You are truly God's Greatest Gift.

God's Greatest Gift

You may think you know God's greatest gift. It isn't the trees, mountains, or rivers. It isn't the birds, deer, or bears. It isn't even the oceans or the life they hold.

God's greatest gift gives us happiness all the days of our lives. His gift gives us the most incredible unconditional love everfelt. His gift trusts us, loves us, and treasures us.

God entrusts His gift to our care, to love, and cherish, and keep from harm. He blesses His gift with a "uniqueness" onl He can give. He gives us love through His gift ten-fold.

God's greatest gift is the precious little lives He blesses us with. We should thank God everyday for the greatest gift He gives us.

I know I do.

I love you both...up to the stars and back!!

Two weeks to Go!

2006-12-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Only two weeks left of this class. (Except that it will be interrupted by a two week holiday break) I am not complaining at all! I need the time to get things done for Christmas.

I am just excited because I realized that I only have 14 weeks left in this program! Wow, I never thought I would make it this far.

On a side note:
Our grades came out for week three! At the end of week 3 just half way through the class, I have a 94% in the class.

Well, my team has a paper due tonight. Back to the grind I go!

Party it Up!

2006-12-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

My husband is in charge of the company Christmas party this year because he is the manager. We have decided to have everyone over to our house for a little get together. The store is small so space should not be a problem, and everyone can bring something for the party (which will help to reduce costs). We are making it a B.Y.O.B. party because I just don't want that expense on my bill. I am doing the cookies and goodies along with a couple of yummy dips. I think I am drawing on family power here because I will have enough to choke a horse! I am making the following tasty treats!

1. Peanut Rolls (Old Family Tradition)
2. Grebble (Old Family Tradition)
3. Holly Cookies
4. Frosted Sugar Cookies
5. Butter Cookies
6. Peanutbutter Cups
7. Dipped Pretzels
8. Hot Artichoke Dip
9. Crabby Cocktail Cream Cheese Dip

Yep, I will have my hands full all week long between juggling all the baking I am taking on and school work. I know that I can do it. I have taken on a lot more than this in the past. It just takes a little bit of creative time management and organization. I think I will be able to muster up enough ingenuity to get this all done. I think the party will be fun, and it is cheaper than taking everyone out to dinner.

A Story of Giving!!

2006-12-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

I love my son! He is SO generous! My son got $30.00 from his Grandma L. Instead of wanting to run to Toys 'R Us to buy himself a game or toy, he wanted to save his money. Little did I know what he wanted to do with that money. He has the biggest heart I have ever seen in a child of 9 years of age. His school had a Santa's Gift Shop at the school. The kids were able to buy small gifts there for Christmas. My wonderful son took $10.00 to the gift shop and bought a Christmas gift for his sister, his dad, me, his little cousin J., and his favorite soccer playing cousin J. His first thought was not of himself but rather of his family. He loves to give to others. His level of giving is rare in today's world, let alone of someone his age. I believe that H. will do some great things in his life! I know because he already is!

Talk about the true meaning of Christmas!

It's Back!!

2006-12-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

OK, I was feeling better for about a week, and yesterday the stupid cold I have been fighting now since Thanksgiving week is back. My nose is running, and I sneeze all dang day! I am sick of this crap! I have no idea how I caught the cold, since I never leave the house. All I want to do is lay around and do nothing, except sleep on occasion. Unfortunately, I have school work to do, which I better get done so that I can rest.

If I could give up one thing!

2006-12-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

If I could give up one thing, I would give up taking care of the checkbook and paying the bills! You have no idea what just the simple task of balancing the checkbook does to me. I do it ONLY because I have to, and my husband claims he doesn't know how. (I think he is full of SH--!) Anybody who can add and subtract can balance a stupid checkbook! I perservere and get through it some how, but I really just want to curl up in the fetile position in the corner and cry! It doesn't matter what the balance is, but I just hate doing it! (Go figure, I worked in a bank for 16 years. You would think that I would have a different outlook on the whole thing!) I don't mind balancing other people's checkbooks. Balancing someone else's checkbook doesn't stress me out at all.

The daunting task which comes after you balance your checkbook is paying the bills. (Come on, admit it, you love it as much as I do! I am amazed that I haven't ended up in a mental ward yet! (Well, it could still happen. There is hope for me yet!) Paying the bills is a job that I hate worse than balancing the checkbook! I think that my family has learned that when Mom pays the bills stay clear from her because she could blow higher than Mount Vesuvius on a bad day!

The world would be a much better place without having to pay bills and balancing a stupid checkbook!!

A Day In My Life

2006-12-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

My days are filled with tasks and chores. Some days are better than others, but I am still working on making my routine more efficient so that I have more free time.

A typical day is spent in the following way:
1. Get up and make breakfast for my kids.
2. Make sure they are ready for school and get them off to school on time.
3. Iron an outfit for my husband.
4. Blog (Gotta make time to blog!)
5. I finally get to eat a little breakfast myself!
6. Make my bed and pick up my room
7. Get dressed, finally out of my pj's
8. Do the dishes
9. Do the weekly chores (Sometime run errands, other times start school work)
10. Let my puppy out
11. I finally get started on school work
12. I work on school work until the kids get home from school
13. I help kids with their homework (Sometimes run errands)
14. Make dinner
15. Work on school work some more! (the fun never ends)
16. Go to bed, try to read but fall asleep immediately
17. Get up the next day and do it all over again!!

Fun Times! I know you are jealous, come on admit it! You wish you too could have my glamorous life. My dining room table is my desk, and I am usually at my desk most of the day. Like I said Fun Times!

Time Is Running Out!

2006-12-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Just 20 days left until Christmas! I have most of my shopping done. I just have my kids and husband left (everyone else is done, including those presents I wasn't planning on buying!) I already have some presents for the kids. I just need to fill in so that their presents are even.

Every Christmas, my family has traditions that we have carried on from my grandmother. I helped her make peanut rolls and grebble every year . I have carried on that tradition every year since the year she could no longer do it. It just would not be Christmas without peanut rolls and grebble.

This Christmas has been a little tough for me because it will only be the second Christmas that I will not be spending with my family. I need to make it super special for the kids (and myself and B). We put our Christmas tree last night (C and I did), but I am still not feeling the Christmas spirit yet. I will get there, but it is just going to take some time (maybe the peanut rolls and grebble would help).

Three Down; Three To Go!

2006-12-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today marks the half-way point in my class! I am still working on my paper. I have three sections left to write. Hopefully, I won't be too short on words when I go to edit the paper and add the direct quotes. I only got 4 hours sleep last night (I was up until 3 AM working on my paper) and do not write as well when I am tired. Three weeks, and three papers! This subject is more difficult that some of the others because it is an area that I am not as comfortable in as a few of my other classes. I will get through it, of that, I have no doubts. I just hope I can maintain my 'A.' A grade can change so quickly in this forum. One point on a paper could mean the difference between an 'A' and a 'B.' I know a 'B' is good too, but I would rather have an 'A.' (call it the perfectionist in me!) Some classes I am confident that I will get 'A,' and others I struggle and worry and only hope for an 'A.' When I struggle, I sometimes still end up with an 'A' but have ended up with a 'B' too.

When I am unsure of a subject, I sometimes have to fake the fact that I don't know a whole lot about what it is that I am writing about. (Yep, it is called BSing!) I can BS with the best of them. I have been in this program for a year and a half now and have not once read any of the assigned materials. I take that back I read the assigned reading materials the very first day of the first week of the program. That was enough for me to decide that I could research out any discussion question and answer the weekly questions that way, and I could BS my way through the rest. I pretty much know what teachers like to hear, and I know how to talk "business." I have BSed my way papers and received 100% on them. (I try not to do that anymore) I have written an entire paper the day that it is due and received 100% on it. (I have been known to push the midnight deadline a time or two)

I thought that this class ended on Christmas Day, but I forgot about winter break. Winter break starts in two weeks. It is a little silly to take a break so close to the end of class. I would rather just get the darn class over with and work straight through, but I am also looking forward to the break in order to finish getting ready for Christmas. My break starts on the 19th and ends on the 1st. My last week of class begins on the 2nd. At least I will be off school at the same time my kids are off from school. Their break begins on the 18th.

Well, I have a paper to finish! I better put on my BS hat (I think I may need it)! :)

Next Christmas Will Be Different!

2006-12-02T22:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am vowing right now to give more handmade gifts next Christmas. The key is to start earlier in the year (maybe January!). I love giving handmade gifts. I hope the people that I give those gifts to like receiving them as much as I like giving them.

The trick to giving a handmade gift is to find something the person who will be receiving the gift really likes, collects, or has an interest. For example, my Dad has a clown collection which I started for him years ago. I paint him a clown every year for Christmas. (I have also bought him clowns, but I enjoy painting him clowns more.) Below is the clown which I painted for him last Christmas.

I paint every clown different from year to year. Two years ago, I painted a red, white, and blue clown for him. (In other words, everything on the clown was either red, white, or blue.) This year I painted a hobo in a tuxedo. After the clown is painted, I spray it with a glossy clearcoat in order to preserve the paint. This year's clown still needs to be sprayed and the eyes need to be fixed (no telling or showing my Dad, shhhhh).

The only advice that I can give is make the gift from your heart and have fun!

Give Me A Break!

2006-12-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

I have been fighting a cold for two weeks now! I am sick of being sick! I have no idea how I got it either. Neither my husband nor my kids have been sick. I hardly leave the house. Yesterday, I sneezed all day long. I took a cold and sinus pill, which did not help at all. I feel a little better today, but that feeling could change by tonight.

Give me a break here! It never fails! I get sick every single December with a stupid cold. I remember three years ago. I was sick the entire month. I had to travel to Las Vegas for a business meeting too. I do NOT recommend flying if you have a head cold. It was 100 times worse when I got back, and I had a 3 to 4 hour drive after I got into town. Yuck!

I just hope that this feeling doesn't go away before I get my paper written today. I need to get it mostly drafted out today so that I can take tomorrow off.

Well, back to work while I can work!

A Good Weekend Project!

2006-12-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a good weekend project that is a "no brainer" kind of project? Take a look at this...

Here are two no-sew blankets that I made for my kids. The top was the blanket that I made for C, and the bottom was the blanket that I made for H. The blankets were not hard, a little time consuming, but pretty easy. If you know how to measure and tie a knot then you too can make this blanket.

These blankets are not only cute, but they are also pretty warm! They take a good two full days to make. To see the look on a child's face when they see their new blanket is well worth the time. As you can see from the picture, they are good sized blankets too. Just to give you a better idea of the size, the bed that H's blanket is laying on is a Queen sized bed.

If you are not up to the project, let me know, and I will make one for you (for a small price, of course!). If you are adventurous and decide to take on this project, good for you! Happy Tying!!

Happy Anniversary My Love!

2006-11-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

Today is the day that my husband and I started dating. It was 12 years ago today! We have celebrated this day every year since we started dating. Today, because my husband has to work, I am going to make him a special dinner and take it to him at work.

My husband and I have known each other since grade school. Yep, grade school! He was my cousin's best friend. We went to junior high, and high school together. We graduated from high school the same year. We lost touch for a few years after high school but reconnected after he moved back to Montana and I moved in with my cousin. One night we started talking and talked all night! After that night, I asked my cousin's sister to go with me to where he worked. (I just wasn't sure if he was just being nice or if he really like me) By Christmas, we knew we wanted to get married. By the January, I was pregnant. We planned on getting married on September 23rd, but as it turned out, September 23rd was our due date. I knew right then that we were meant to be together. So, as I celebrate another year with my husband, I will leave you with these words.

MY LOVE FOR YOU

I love you now...

more than I did...

not as much as I will.

I love you for your support,

tenderness, & good humor.

I love you for your sincerity,

generosity, & warmth.

I love you for your devotion,

honesty, & compassion.

I love you for your faults,

qualities, & all.

I love you for you...

Always.

I love you! Happy Anniversary!

I thought sports was expensive...

2006-11-29T11:25:00.000-08:00

My daughter has been practicing to tryout out for a jumprope team called Talented Feet. It cost us $30.00 JUST for the practices and to try out. IF she makes the team, it will cost another $100.00!!!!! ($75.00 in fees and $25.00 for the t-shirt and shorts) PLUS, there could possibly be other expenses too, but the information sheet C. brought home did not say what those other expenses were (I am assuming it is travel expenses!). If she does decide to tryout and makes the team, the committment is big. It is a committment from January to May (for those of you who are mathmatically challenged, it is a 5 month committment). The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday every week. In order to make the team, the kids have to perform each trick from the sheet they brought home 5 times in a row.

On the other hand, if she doesn't make the team, we just bought a $30.00 jumprope, and she is left with a broken heart and feeling like a failure. I am torn. On the one hand, I want her to feel the success of making the team. What a way to boost her self-esteem! On the other hand, it is a lot of money (a heck of a lot more than her soccer ever cost!). Then, there is the question of how much travel will be involved, and depending on how much and how far, it could run a lot too.

The cheap side of me says, don't let her tryout because that way she is saved from any potential feeling of failure, and you save all that money. She may get mad at you for a little while, but she will get over it quickly because Christmas is right around the corner. The mother in me that wants to see her succeed says to let her tryout and hope for the best because if she doesn't make the team, you will be there to comfort her, she won't be mad at you, and you still are not out any money. If she makes the team, then we will need to find a way to pay for it, but we could cross that bridge when we come to it.

I know there is the positive of it being good exercise, but I just don't know if all that money is worth it. The frugal side of me is just too strong!!

Be Creative!

2006-11-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have always liked preparing for my kids' birthdays. I love baking and decorating their cakes. I still remember the first birthday cake that I ever decorated. I cheated on the first one. I had a plastic bear that I put on top of the cake and then I put multi-colored sprinkles all over the top. It was pretty cute. The first cake that I ever ventured into real decorating was a Blues Clues cake for my daughter. Since that time, I have decorated multiple cakes for them. (I have bought some too, thanks to Dairy Queen) Sometimes I have cheated, but most of the time I have decorated their cakes. This year they both wanted me to decorate their cakes. C. wanted a dolphin and H. wanted the army battle of Omaha Beach (Army guy all the way! and no small feat by any means).

For C.'s cake, I found a picture of a dolphin coming out of the water on the internet. I tried to get the frosting color as close as possible to the picture, although it is impossible to get it exact. I tried to make the water look more realistic by dabbing white frosting into it. It kind of gave it the look of white caps on the water. I used a star point for the clouds, which really made them pop off the cake. I was pleased with the way this cake turned out. I would definitely make it again.

For H.'s cake, I used the Medal of Honor Playstation 2 game as inspiration to come up with my version of Omaha Beach. There is no hill (I only had one cake). There are no bunkers (too complicated). I am pretty sure that the tree is all wrong (it was either this tree or a palm tree). I like that I did the border in the same colors as those on the cake. I dabbed white frosting in the water again to make it look choppy and more realistic. My son was quite pleased with the cake, which is all that mattered. I think that it turned out pretty good (considering what he wanted).

When thinking of a birthday cake, be creative! Anything is possible! The more cakes one decorates; the easier decorating becomes. (I know, I know! just like drawing or anything else for that matter!) Practice makes perfect! Of course, you could always call me! I would be willing to decorate the cake for you! :)

Have fun and happy decorating!

I Can Finally See The Light!

2006-11-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

I got a graduation application notice in the mail the other day, and I was struck with the reality of how close I really am to being done, finally, with school. I am not freaked out, yet. I may freak out the closer that I get though. I can finally see a glimmer of light at the end of this long dark tunnel that I have been in for a year and a half now.

Tomorrow marks the start of the half-way point of the current class that I am in, and I know the stress of class, on top of the stress of the holidays, on top of the stress of only having one source of income in the house (which my husband hates to talk about or hear about) is going to turn me into a basket case by the end of the year. I am just taking everything one day at a time. I will be so happy when I am done with school, although I know that I will feel like I should be doing homework or checking into class for a while after it ends.

I know I will truly feel a sense of accomplishment after I have graduated. This has been a goal of mine since high school. I wish everyone could attain all of their goals and feel the way that I know I will be feeling next June!

To My Son:

2006-11-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday! Today you are turning 9 years old. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. You are such an incredible person. You are so kind and sensitive (don't ever lose that). You would do anything for a friend. You are smart and honest.

You are my little athlete. You are a natural. You have the ability to make me laugh even when I don't want to laugh (especially when you plug your nose in that special way of yours!).

We have always had a close relationship, and I am sure that will never change. You and your sister are close too. I love that you two get along so well. Your shy nature never seems to hinder you from making friends where ever you go. I love the fact that you put yourself to bed when you are tired, and you always are willing to help me around the house. I love playing the Playstation with you and seeing you master every game that you play. I love it when you want to paint with me.

You are my little monkey (ok, maybe sometimes a billy goat) and always will be. I love you more than you will ever know. I love that we tell each other "I love you up to the stars and back" ever single night. You are my little man and that will never change.

I will always love you........up to the stars and back.

Doubts!

2006-11-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am having some doubts. I am not sure if my doubts are stemming from a major PMS episode or whether they are really regarding my ability (or lack thereof!). I have been practicing parts of the face so that I can begin drawing portaits and hopefully finally get some commissions. I know that I am my harshest critic, but I am having some serious doubts right now. I am really trying not to, but I just can't help it.

This is a pencil drawing that I did of a nose. Granted, it was only the second nose that I ever did, but I wish it could have been a little more smooth looking, which could have made it a little more realistic looking.

The picture on the left with the grid is the picture I was trying to draw from the book. The picture on the right without the grid is my attempt.

I am not the type of person who gives up. I just want to be successful at portrait drawing. I would love to be able to draw my kids, and I would love to actually start selling some of my art.

I would like to consider myself an artist and be able to say this is my job.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

Just a few things I am thankful for:

I am thankful that my family is healthy and safe.

I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads and laughter in our hearts.

I am thankful that we have each other to lean on when things are tough and each other to celebrate with when things are going good.

I am thankful for the good friends in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope all of you have safe travels and a special day.

Conferences Abound...Cont...

2006-11-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

My daughters conference was yesterday. It went really well too! She is doing so well this year. I am so proud of her. She has tried so hard, and all that trying has really paid off. She got all S's(Satisfactory) too! First time ever that she did not have any N's(Needs Improvement), plus, she got an E (Excellent)!!!

To C.: I know how hard you have struggled and still struggle in school. I want you to know how very proud I am of you! All your extra, hard work is truly paying off. You are very special and so smart. You are finding your strengths at school and developing them. Keep up the hard work! I love you, up to the stars and back.

Conferences Abound

2006-11-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

My kids are off school all week this week. Yesterday and today are our parent/teacher conferences, actually they are student led conferences. The kids lead the conference with the teacher. We had our son's conference yesterday, and today's conference is C's.

I am so proud of him! He is in the third grade. His class is made up of both third graders and fourth graders. He really likes it, and he is doing great! He got all S's (Satisfactory) on his report card, which is great! His teacher said that she wished she had a 100 H's in her class. Every parent should hear that from his/her child's teacher.

To H.: I am so proud of you! You are so smart and try so hard. All your hard work is really paying off! Remember that special thing Dad promised you if you got a 100% on your spelling test? (yes, it is called bribery) Well, you did it, and your birthday is right around the corner. You may very well open up that special present on your birthday. Keep up the hard work!
I love you, up to the stars and back.

My New Goal!

2006-11-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, I may be digging a huge, gigantic hole for myself here, but I am going to set a goal for myself. I am going to challenge each of you who feels adventurous to join me in this challenge. I am challenging myself to try to lose up to 25 lbs by Christmas! I am going to start keeping a food journal. I found a menu in a magazine. Breakfast consists of any one of the following 1/2 cup slow-cook or steel-cut oatmeal and 1/2 cottage cheese with splenda and cinnamon or 2 slices whole-grain bread, 1/2 cup scrambled egg substitute, 1 slice 2% American cheese. For a snack, choose two daily. 1 bag lite microwave popcorn or 1 cup sliced veggies, 2 tbs. fat-free dip 1 oz. almonds or 1 apple, 1 part-skim mozzarella cheese stick or 1 white-chocolate banana-nut shake (1 cup water, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/2 banana, 1 tbs. natural peanut butter, 1 tbs. sugarfree white chocolate pudding mix, 3 ice cubes). Lunch is any one of the following 1 oz. turkey, 1 slice whole-grain bread, 1/2 slice swiss cheese, & 1 cup soup (up to 140 calories), or 3 oz. tuna, 1 tbs. lite mayo, 1 tbs. dijonaise, 2 cups mixed salad, & 2 tps. lite dressing, or 4 oz. lean burger, 1 whole-grain bun, 1 slice 2% American cheese, 2 cups steamed veggies, and 2 tps. lite dressing. For dinner choose any one daily (a sugarfree fudge bar or popsicle can be added for dessert) 4 oz. grilled chicken, 1 cup steamed broccoli, and 1 small sweet potato, or 5 oz. chicken breast or shrimp, 2 cups veggies stir-fried with 1 tbs. teriyaki sauce, & 1/2 cup whole-wheat angel hair pasta, or 5 oz. baked white fish, seasonings, 1 cup cooked spinach, and 2 cups fresh fruit. After dinner to beat the munchies drink 1 cup of hot herbal tea, any variety.

I probably won't be following this menu exact, but it does provide some great ideas. I plan on beginning right away, and I encourage whoever wants to join me to do so.

Good Luck in advance to anyone who is joining me in this challenge!

Practice, Practice, Practice!

2006-11-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

I have a new art book called How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photographs by Lee Hammond. What an amazing book! I am practicing the nose right now, and I can tell you that I have NEVER drawn a nose like this before in my life. I must get her book about animals. I was practicing last night, and I showed my husband what I drew when he got home from work. He said, "Wow, you drew that? That looks really good!" My specialty is not portraits. My specialty is drawing flowers and animals, so I was shocked when I drew a nose which looked so lifelike. I looked back on the first nose I drew (This one was only the second nose I have drawn) and decided that it was not too bad and did actually look like a nose after all. What a super feeling!

Recently, I sent the link to my portfolio to my professor because he jokingly said that he wanted a picture for Christmas. He complimented my work but did not place an order for a picture (unfortunately). I also found a local watercolor artist and sent her three of my portraits. She emailed me back and said I was doing well, which I took as a compliment. Up to this point, I have only received compliments from family and friends. It is nice to receive a compliment from someone you have never met. I have also been happy to see that my portfolio is getting some traffic in it.

Yes, I put my schoolwork aside to draw! I am sitting here right now writing this post and would rather be drawing. I know I have a paper to write, but I keep thinking to myself, "Maybe I could just draw for a while." BUT, the student in me knows that I MUST write my paper first.

I can't wait to get through this book and begin drawing portraits. (Maybe then I will be able to sell some pictures)