Thoughts for the New Year

I found these thoughts in our newspaper this morning. They were printed along with a locally-owned grocery store's sale ad. Although they are not my thoughts, I did think they were something to think about and thought I'd share them here.
The Greatest Handicap.......................Fear
The Best Day................................Today
Easiest Thing to Do.........................Find a Fault
Most Useless Asset..........................Pride
The Greatest Mistake........................Giving Up
Greatest Stumbling Block....................Egotism
The Greatest Comfort........................Work Well Done
Most Disagreeable Person....................The Complainer
Worst Bankruptcy............................Loss Of Enthusiam
Greatest Need...............................Common Sense
Meanest Feeling.............................Regret at Another's Success
The Greatest Thing in the World.............Love
Greatest Knowledge..........................God
Best Gift...................................Forgiveness

Merry Christmas!

I've just pulled myself out of my kitchen (God, I think I've spent days in there) for a few minutes to wish all my friends a very Merry Christmas. I hope it's magical!

I've gone missing, again!

We've had a crazy couple of weeks here. Ds got sick and was running a high fever, 104.6 to be exact! I panicked & called the pediatrician right away. Come to find out, 104.6 is not dangerous in a 6 year old. Thank goodness for that, but it still was a long week of playing fever up, fever down, fever up... The pediatrician said it was definitely some kind of flu. Would someone please remind me to get flu shots for all next year? Ds ended up having to have a throat culture & chest xray, both negative, thankfully.
Then, you just know this "yuck" needed to get passed on to dd. (She has one of the strongest immune systems ever...she never gets sick!) Well, this flu got her and man, was she ever livid!! 9 years old and angry, angry, angry! She wanted no part of being sick for even one minute.
As luck would have it, somewhere in the middle of the 2 kids getting it, it was passed on to me. I was quick to catch it though and with a super homeopathic remedy, I kicked it nearly overnight. (Oscillococcinum is the stuff. Should you need it, and I hope you don't, it works!)
Mind you, dh never got sick. He's the lucky one. Of course, throw in the fact that he actually got the flu shot, I guess it's safe to assume he's also the smart one as well.
So now, after nearly 2 weeks, my eye starts turning red. I'm thinking it must be pink eye. I didn't go into work today figuring I would contaminate half the high school. I saw my doctor and it's not pink eye, although it is conjunctivitis, just not contagious. I apparently have a sinus infection and this baby wants to drain from me eye! Gross enough for you? I was given antibiotics and I hope I can kick this thing before Christmas. I'm so sick of all this sick! Even dh said, he's getting sick of this infirmary that we're running here.
See now, there is an update of why I've gone missing, again. I hope you are all feeling well and into the spirit of Christmas. Try to enjoy all those last minute details!

1984 Bandaid

I tend to get a little nostalgic now and then and this time of year is no exception. I had to visit Youtube and find one of my favorite Christmas videos from my high school days.
I can remember how my best friend and I would love to see this video on MTV (in the happy days of when MTV actually played videos) and we would always see if we could name all the singers..."Oh there's Boy George, there's George Michael, there's Simon LeBon and Sting!" I loved it then and I love it now, although I do get a laugh out of it now just seeing the hair & clothing styles. (Can you believe Bono's hair?) Here it is, so enjoy!

Off the radar

I don't know what it is, but I feel like I've disappeared from my online life. I think the last time I sat down at this computer was on Monday. Hello, it's now Sunday! How did this happen? I thought I couldn't live without this thing. Well, surprise! I guess I can. It's just this time of year. There is so much to do. I feel like I'm trying to go in 10 directions at once.
It was a busy weekend! Dh's Christmas party was on Friday night. That was fun! On Saturday, dh surprised the kids & I by having the day off. We did a little shopping, saw the movie Fred Claus and went out for a late lunch. Saturday night, I joined my sisters for some shopping. (I'm about 95% done with my Christmas shopping. I have a "1 gift for you, 1 gift for me" problem...lol....but that's a whole other story for another day!) Today, ds was running a fever so he slept for a good part of the day and dd spent her afternoon reading. What did I do? LAUNDRY! I swear you'd think there were 40 people living in this house! And, it's not like I don't wash a load or two every day. I swear the stuff multiplies.
I hope you have all had a great weekend. Here's to a great week ahead!

Snow day

The schools are closed today due to the snow, well, mainly the ice I believe. It's my very first snow day! The kids & I watched The Year Without A Santa Claus this morning. Remember that one? I love the Snow Miser & Heat Miser! They crack me up!


Stay warm!

Got snow?

We woke up this morning to a nice blanket of snow. I have to admit, I do love the snow, especially this time of year. It's so Christmas-y! It wasn't a beautiful snow, just your basic run-of-the-mill snow, so my picture is not that eye catching...at least not right now anyway. (It's supposed to snow all week so maybe then I'll have pretty snow pictures.)
I'm about 3/4 of the way done with my Christmas shopping. I really can't wait to finish the shopping. Then I can enjoy the season with all the stuff I find fun, like wrapping and baking and movies. I also look forward to eliminating at least 4 of the lists that I've been carrying around with me since last week!! Don't get me wrong--I'll still have more than a few lists to carry around, but at least the gift shopping ones will be gone. Am I the only one or do all of you have a zillion lists right now?
Wishing you a warm & cheerful week!

One of my favorite traditions

Tomorrow is my big Christmas shopping day! I can't wait! Every year, my mom, sisters & I take a whole day and go shopping. We've been doing this, maybe 5 years now. We start early in the morning by going out to breakfast and then it's all day shopping. We stop for a nice lunch and then, you guessed it, more shopping! We have a blast! We are pretty much assured of three things:

1. by day's end, the car is always stuffed full & we can't fit ourselves in it
2. it always ends up snowing
3. we usually end up laughing until we cry over the silliest stuff

This is one of my favorite traditions and I look forward to it every year. Now grant you, I'm lucky because I get to see my mom & sisters several times a week. However, this is pure fun--no men, no kids, just us! Oh how I love the holidays!

Thankful

With Thanksgiving upon us, I decided to compile a list of things that I am most thankful for this year. I'm also going to go for more than the obvious here.

1. I'm thankful for my dh, my children, my family.
2. I'm thankful that my mom comes over every morning at 7 am to get my kids ready for school so that I can go to work at 7:45 am.
3. I'm thankful for clean, running water.
4. I'm thankful for my new job that I love.
5. I'm thankful that dh is off from work the day after Thanksgiving. I put the tree up every year on Black Friday. He will handle all of the awful/annoying jobs associated with decorating (heehee) and do so graciously.
6. I'm thankful for fresh dough and mozzarella so that I can make a kickin' homemade pizza tonight.
7. I'm thankful that although I'm overweight & horribly out of shape,I'm still alive.
8. I'm thankful that dh's aunt makes the best sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. (loaded with butter & brown sugar, they practically float in all that goodness)
9. I'm thankful that I've found the itch to scrap again.
10. I'm thankful that I can watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow and get tears in my eyes when the Rockettes dance. (I've wanted to be one since I was a kid!)
11. I'm thankful that the very sweet Rebecca Sower emailed me to thank me for wishing her a Happy Thanksgiving and then wished me one as well.
12. I'm thankful that I have so many wonderful internet friends that I treasure, even though I haven't met them in person.
13. I'm thankful that my first paycheck arrived in the mail today! Yahoo!
14. I'm thankful for good music, good food and lots of laughter.
15. I'm thankful that my kids have left me alone long enough to compile this list! LOL

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

So creative!

I was perusing the Two Peas gallery and found something I just have to share. Is this not cool? I love it! Such creativity that Rhonna has. I might actually try to make one of these one day soon.

Retail therapy

I have come to the conclusion that I need some serious retail therapy. I need to shop 'til I drop! I feel as though I haven't had an all-out, no-holds-barred shopping trip in ages. I'll be getting my first paycheck next week and I think it's time....time to spread the money around and feel the joy that only shopping can bring me. You know, this whole "joy of shopping" thing really is true for me. The last time I had a big shopping extravaganza, if you will, I could literally feel the blood flowing and my heart beating rapidly. As a matter of fact, when dh came home from work that day and I babbled on & on about my wonderful purchases, he looked at me strangely (as he often does) and said, "It really is a high for you, isn't it? It's your version of crack!" I had to laugh, dh always cracks me up, but the sad thing was, it was so freakin' true! That's when I realized the blood was flowing & the heart was beating quicker than usual.
This all be said, I am now warning all retailers: WATCH OUT! I'M GOING TO BE SET LOOSE VERY SOON! :)
Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Slacking, friends and a crush

I sure have been slacking off when it comes to my blog. Is it that I don't have the time or that I don't have anything interesting to say? Hmmm.
My friends from my former job took me out to dinner last week. We had such a super time just laughing & talking! They gave me a card which I'll treasure and a nice big gift card...Macy's here I come! I love my new job but I have to say that I do miss these girls so much! (that's my mom on the left, in the blue sweater)

Want a good laugh? One of my morning students has a crush on me! I'm practically old enough to be his mother! OMG, it is so funny...and sweet...and just plain funny!
Have a great week friends!

A whole week

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's been a whole week since I last posted. I started my new job last week and I really do like it! It's alot slower paced than I'm used to (I'm accustomed to doing 5 things at once) but I'm sure I'll be in the slower groove soon enough. So, thank you for all of your good wishes! I appreciate it!
Not much to say today, but since I missed a Halloween post, here is the fisherman, er fisherwoman, and the construction worker. Have a good weekend (or what's left of it anyway!)

Unbelievable

It's a terrible, damp, rainy Saturday in CNY. All my scrapping friends are doing just that, scrapping. There's a virtual crop over at Susan's Scrapbook Shack. The We B girls are at an all day scrapping retreat. And here I sit. Doing nothing.

I have news! I'm starting a new job on Monday! I guess my days as a SAHM are officially over. I mean I've been working more since ds went to kindergarten, but I had Mondays until 4pm and all day Tuesdays to myself. Now, I'll be working Monday thru Friday. Some of my older blog readers (not older as in age, older as in reading my blog longer) may remember my dilemma a few years ago about being certified as a teacher's assistant and whether I should take a job with the school district or stay at my current job where the flexibility was key. Thursday one of the department heads from high school called me and offered me a job. He knows my brother really well. Anyway, I accepted. The only thing that caught me completely off guard was when he said he needs me so badly, he will get me started on Monday. I was practically speechless! When I hung up the phone, that's all I could say was, Oh shit! How am I going to go into work tomorrow and tell them this is my last day?

Well, I survived my last day at work on Friday. I gotta tell ya, it wasn't easy. I had to tell the story to my coworkers with tears in their eyes. I could hardly look at them because I was fighting back tears of my own. I guess it's kinda hard when you work with a small group where everyone gets along. They are like a little family, a second family, that I am leaving behind. My boss was very gracious I have to say. He told me if I didn't like it at the school, I was always welcome to come back. Gotta love that safety net.

So Monday, I am off to the high school (a "tough" high school) to be a teacher's assistant to special education students. I am happy, excited, worried, scared...you name it! I don't know what I'm in for, I've never done anything like this before! I haven't completely stressed out yet(which is my usual nature). I'm figuring the unbearable panic will set in sometime Sunday evening!

Maybe I'll go over & join the girls at the shack for some scrapping time. It'll help me relax, gotta keep that panic at bay! lol

Blindsided

Today is October 25th. Do you know what that means? 2 months til Christmas!! Can you believe it? Where does the time go? I think (at least around here anyway) that the unusually long summer we've had is going to do a number on us. I mean really, weather wise, most people are thinking that it's still oh early to mid September. But no. One week from today it will be November 1st! So brace yourself and prepare to be blindsided by the holidays!

Carving

Wanna hear a silly secret?

My kids & I have never carved pumpkins! My mom gets angry when I say this, she seems to think we carved pumpkins every year. I, on the other hand, have no recollection of this. I was the youngest child, my oldest sister being 12 years older than me. I think mom & dad carved pumpkins with her and my brother, maybe my other sister too. I think I was forgotten...or as I like to say to tease mom..."you were burned out by the time I came along." Boy, she really hates when I say that! LOL

So, I believe as a result of all this "pumpkin carving neglect", if you will, my poor children have never had the experience either. I simply never thought about it. (To make matters worse, would you believe dh never carved pumpkins with his family?) As my sister-in-law learned of this shocking fact over the weekend, mortified, she thought it necessary to remedy the situation immediately. (I'll save the I've-never-been-sledding issue for another day) So here are my children (along with my niece) carving pumpkins. I love the faces they're making! My only regret? That I didn't have my sister-in-law take a picture of me pulling all those yummy pumpkin guts out! I, personally, loved the squishy guts!

I was tagged by Nicole. http://nicolemartel.blogspot.com

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person (or in my case person(s) that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself (on your blog, we all want to know them).
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Let's see, what can I share that won't bore you all to death:

1. Dh & I were born 2 days apart. As a matter of fact, we were in the hospital together. (he was eyeballing me way back then! lol)
2. A few years ago I swore I would never fully embrace digital photography. Well, we've been huggin' quite a bit lately.
3. I'm shy, until I get to know you.
4. Going out on a limb with this one, you're all going to think I'm crazy. When I was a fashionista (pre children), I used to write down, on a calendar, the clothes that I wore each day. This way I could see what I wore and not wear the same thing again for several weeks. Sick, I know.
5. I have been a bridesmaid 5 times and maid of honor twice. (Oh God, I'm really scraping for random facts! lol)
6. I once went out to a club (when I was in college) with a mini skirt that was so tight, I couldn't sit in it. It had a zipper up the back from top to bottom so I literally had to unzip the skirt so I could sit & drive in the car. My girlfriends had to zip me back up in the parking lot! Ahhh, the 80s!
7. I often watch Christmas movies & listen to Christmas music in the middle of the summer!

Here is who I'm tagging:

1. JenCoen http://jencoen.blogspot.com
2. Holly http://itsallaboutholly.blogspot.com
3. Shelley http://scrappingoodness.blogspot.com
4. Leslye http://doyougiveascrap.blogspot.com
5. Ellen http://closeyourears.blogspot.com
6. Denise http://deniseg.blogspot.com
7. Tricia http://tricia-mycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com

Another year older

Today is my birthday. My last year of being in my 30s. Did I just admit that out loud to all of blogdom? Anyway, it wasn't a particularly exciting day, birthdays as I get older never are. I mean what's to be excited about, I'm getting older...old...ehhh!

So, to completely change the subject, I had a dentist appointment today, for a cleaning. Is it just me or is everyone in pain after having their teeth cleaned? Or am I the only one who has a crazy pain inflicting hygienist?? When I got home, my gums were throbbing to the point where I almost thought I'd have to take Tylenol to get me through the night at work. And now, some 10 hours later, I can still feel a sore aching pain. My dentist is an extremely exceptional practitioner, but the hygenist...I just don't know. What's the deal here? Do I need to change dentists?

The big 0-6!

It's hard to believe that 6 years ago today, this little guy was born...a 4 pound, 5 ounce preemie. I can remember so vividly that dd (3 years old at the time) decided, upon leaving my sister's house that night 6 years ago, that she needed to take my sister's box of marshmallow pumpkin peeps home with her because as she said, "just in case my baby comes tonight." I remember looking at my sister & saying "I hope she doesn't know something we don't." Sure enough, 3 hours later, my water broke, some 5 1/2 weeks early. Amazing, isn't it? 6 years since this one entered our lives and I can't imagine life without him. Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Something to think about

I saw this post yesterday on Two Peas and I just can't stop thinking about it.
Is scrapbooking losing its popularity? I have to admit (and I really hate to admit it) but so much of what the ladies posted has rang true with me. I was a die hard and now I feel like I'm losing my devotion to this hobby. I keep trying to tell myself that it's only because I've moved my scrapping room and can't get my wits about me yet, but I don't know. Maybe I'm just going through a phase or something? I used to eat, drink & sleep scrapping and now I don't feel that same "oomph" for it. The worst part--and this I really hate to admit--when I went to my not so local LSS on Saturday, I didn't get crazy excited over anything. There was a time I would nearly hyperventilate in a scrapbook store! So tell, what do you think about all of this and is there a cure for me?

October

October is here! Definitely my most favorite month of the year...so many birthdays & events for us every October...I'm looking forward to it.
And now, time for my public service announcement:

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I encourage each & every one of you from my legions of devoted blog readers (lol) to have a mammogram if you have not had one this year. I am happy to report that I survived the old pancake press of the "girls" this morning. (I don't know the results yet, so keep me in your good thoughts.)
Here's to a good week ahead for all!

Pick of the Patch-

Why is it that I get warm fuzzies just thinking of the pumpkin patch every fall? Cool temps, lots of apples & pumpkins, corn mazes, hay rides, cider...ahh, I love it all! Our favorite patch is no longer in operation, so we had to find a new one. I have to say that although my heart with always be with Sugarbush Farm, Critz Farm was an acceptable substitute. Hope you enjoy all that fall has to offer!

Vegetate

I have every intention of vegetating tonight for 3 full hours! It's premiere week and my favorites are back...Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy and then Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. I'm going to make sure the kids are taken care of, the house is spotless and then it's just me & TV. Can't wait!

Style maven

You know, I absolutely love Tim Gunn. There is just something about him. I really enjoy watching his new show, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style and I think his contribution to Project Runway is immeasurable. His whole manner (or do I want to say demeanor?) is so appealing. He's funny without knowing it. As a matter of fact, I once remarked to dh, "If I was single and Tim Gunn wasn't a gay man, I'd marry him." This, of course, caused my dh to raise one very puzzled eyebrow. Gotta love Tim (and the man who has the raised eyebrow as well!)

Never forget

I couldn't let this day go by without a post. Such a sad day and one that I know I'll never forget. I can remember every detail of what happened that morning like it was yesterday. This morning, when I was driving, listening to the radio in my car, they played a 9-11 montage of sorts. It was set to music and featured excerpts from news programs, 911 dispatch calls, phone calls to loved ones as well as the Presidential address. It gave me chills and before I knew it, I was crying. All those lives lost...it breaks my heart.
I'm posting this photo that I took, according to the back of it, on July 10, 1986. I didn't even remember I had taken this picture until I went searching for pics from NYC a few minutes ago. Is there anything more to say other than, GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!

(Sorry for the photo quality, I was in high school, the photo was taken 20 years ago & it was taken with one of those disk cameras. Remember those? )

Times a wasting

Today is my first official day of peace & quiet. The kids started school on Thursday, but I worked both Thursday & Friday, so no peace for me. I go in to work today at 4PM and tomorrow I am off, so I'm back to my regular schedule of Mondays & Tuesdays to myself. Aaahh the peace & quiet. I intended on scrapping like a madwoman today, but somehow, I fell into the trap of trying to scan & stitch a better LO in Photoshop. I have been monkeying around all morning with things that I just don't understand...why am I so Photoshop illiterate? I've wasted over 3 hours & I have just under 2 hours left to me before I pick the kids up from school. Eh! Time waster!
I did manage to get this LO finished though...I started it before I began the whole scrap room change (in August) & just finished it this morning. I think it's taken a month from start to completion. That's gotta be a record for me.

I think I'm going to see what I can accomplish in the time I have left today. Happy Monday!

Nicole's blog challenge

Nicole's blog challenge at SSS is to post some of your favorite scrappy items, old or new, and write about them. I had a hard time narrowing it down, but here are two things I absolutely love right now:

I love buttons! Yummy buttons...especially since I decided to toss all the original packaging from them & store them together in this big jar. So much fun! I think I'd love buttons even if I wasn't a scrapper.

American Crafts Thickers. What did I do before these were invented? I love the fonts, the colors, the different materials from foam to felt to chipboard. I can't get enough!
I also have a crazy fixation with Basic Grey's Phoebe line. I love it so much, I refuse to use it! And I did think about posting all those paper dolls and paper piecing patterns from my early scrapping days, way back when, but I decided to forego the photos on the grounds that it would incriminate me as a pack rat, of which I am not. (I just couldn't part with them during my big scrap purge...they were all so cute & such the rage back in the day and you never know...they might come back in style!)

Off to school

So here they are this morning...dd & ds, ready for school! I am anxiously awaiting them to come home (any minute now) and fill me in on all the details & excitement of the first day of school. I always loved the first day myself...it always seemed so..I don't know...magical? New clothes, new supplies...what fun!

"No one" & the Hermafix

I had to work today, but my kids don't start school until tomorrow so my mom had to watch the kids for me. I came home to find dd playing on the computer. Seated next to her, ds. Now as I looked around, I noticed several Hermafix tabs stuck to my scrap table. I also found my Hermafix dispenser opened with the tape spilling out. Amazingly, "no one" did this. It just happened on its own. Imagine that. How could I have been so silly as to suggest that "someone" had a hand in this when it was clearly "no one?" As I am sitting here at the computer typing this, I have taken a closer look and have now peeled Hermafix tabs from all surfaces...the scanner, the computer desk, assorted stray boxes, and the hardwood floor, just to name a few. Now I'm not sure who this "no one" is, but I would like to have a word with him...or her. Although I'm 99.9% sure---no, make that 100% sure---that "no one" is indeed a he. I can't help thinking of one of Steve Martin's funny lines from Cheaper by the Dozen 2...."eggs cost money!" (said rather agitatedly). Boy does it crack me up when he says that! So here I go: "Hermafix costs money!" Did someone say that school starts tomorrow???

Bitter thoughts

I have gotta tell ya....there is nothing like a full scale scrap room reorganization to help you gain perspective. My room is currently a wreck, I've got so much organizing to do in my new space. I hate to admit it but I was having very bitter thoughts towards scrapping today. As I sat on the floor of my new space, surrounded, no let me correct that, buried in my beloved scrap crap, I could literally feel myself getting angry with this whole hobby. Sitting amongst my possessions, I could only think, What a stinkin' waste! Thoughts of, "I wish I had all the money I spent on all of this now", "Why am I doing this anyway?", and "Who is their right mind would waste all this space on supplies & 30+ albums?" Sickening. Really sickening. Suffocating even. At one point I seriously thought of selling it all & just throwing in the towel. As the night has worn on, I have decided that maybe, just maybe, I will continue to scrap as long as I can reduce my supplies. My goal? To get rid of half my stash. I know, you're probably thinking "she can't be serious", but I am. Believe me, my original thought was to reduce by two thirds, so half is nothing! That's it. That's all I have to say. Major purge, here I come!!

My achin' bones

Just an update...the upstairs of my house is still in an absolute disaster area state. I'm stealing a few minutes away from "waiting for the primer to dry" to post to my blog. We were at an absolute stand still for a week because dh threw his back out while golfing (oh correct that, how dare I say it. It didn't happen from golfing, and he says it with a straight face!) Over the past 2 days, I have contorted my body into more configurations to sand, prime & paint than a carnival freak show act and now, I am starting to feel the pain. Whose big idea was all of this anyway??

On hiatus

It is official...I am on scrapping hiatus. It wasn't planned, it was just a spur of the moment type thing. And oh what a mess it is!!

A little background: Our house has 4 bedrooms, 2 upstairs, 2 downstairs. The master bedroom is downstairs. When ds was born, we thought instead of putting a baby upstairs, alone, we would let him share the other downstairs bedroom with dd. Ok, fine. This has been working out well for the past 5 years, 10 months. However, I, being the cleaning & neat freak, can no longer stand this arrangement! Do you have any idea the "stuff", the "junk", the "crap" that a 9 year old & almost 6 year old can accumumlate? It's just too much for one bedroom!
Soooo....I have decided that it's time they inhabit the 2 upstairs bedrooms. This has been a subject of interest to dd for about a year now, but she is a little scaredy cat so as appealing as the topic may have been, it never went anywhere. We did know that this would have to happen eventually. I mean how long will a girl want to share a bedroom with her little brother anyway? I mean really! So with that, dh & I decided it was time to push the issue, dangle some bait & they bit. (still keeping fingers crossed there are no future issues)
Now bear in mind, we are living in an old home, 74 years old to be exact. The one upstairs bedroom has not been touched by us. Meaning: it still has the original wallpaper. Black & white. Yes big time black wallpaper. This awful black wallpapered room? My scrap room. I decided to waste not a second of time however & began the tedious process of removing the wallpaper. Huge mess! I can proudly say though that after 2 days, the room has been removed of all offensive wallpaper. The mess it created has been virtualy colossal. Only those of you who have dealt with an old house truly know about the "can of worms" theory and can probably predict what I'm going to say next. The walls under this wallpaper? Not exactly the greatest. Translation: lots of skim coating, plastering, spackling, etc. before we can even think about painting. Lots of work ahead and...have I mentioned the mess?

Now you see why I am on hiatus. My scrap stuff is literally everywhere and it appears it will be everywhere for some time. But, I must keep in mind how happy I will be when this is all completed. I can see visions of Potter Barn-esque children's rooms and a lovely scrap room for me (downstairs) that looks nothing like the black wallpapered plastic bin warehouse of my former memory. Ahhhh. Amazing how I can still dare to dream through all this mess. Wish us luck.

NO.WAY.

No.way. Oh.my.God!!! Rebecca Sower, The Rebecca Sower just posted a comment on my blog! I am giddy with delight, I can't believe it!! How did she ever see my last post? It's not like I'm a scrapping celebrity or anything!

OK, I'm sure that one of you girls is responsible for this, you'd have to be...how else would she have seen it? So whoever the sneaky yet clever one is out there, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You have no idea how instrumental you have been in making my day!! Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Heart and soul

It’s strange sometimes how you can be influenced and inspired by a person you’ve never met. For me, that person is Rebecca Sower. I have adored her work since I laid eyes on it in the Creating Keepsakes 2000 Hall of Fame Idea Book. I remember being fascinated with her paper piecing patterns and so thrilled when I was able to purchase her Bumper Crops pattern book (which I still have to this day).

Sometimes when I am scrapping, I become overwhelmed. There have been times when I have rushed through layouts just to finish them and get them done and over with. This is just plain wrong. Why should I ever feel that scrapping is a chore? This is the hobby I enjoy, the hobby I love, the one that relaxes me and takes my mind off life’s little worries. This is not something I should be loathing and hurrying through. When I find this happening, I quickly become discouraged...bitter almost...at the whole scrapbooking world.

And then, like a beacon of light, I look up and see on my shelves, Rebecca’s two idea books and some of her art that I purchased from her Etsy shop. I grab the books and scan the pages, soaking up all that I can. I go through these books as much today as I did when I purchased them years ago. They are just pure eye candy and pure relaxation to me. I feel that she allows me to be non traditional, gives me permission not to have to match everything, allows me to let go and just enjoy the process for what it is. She encourages me to go ahead and tell a story (my favorite part of scrapping) and not just state the obvious about the pictures. And just like that, I am renewed.

The thing that I love the most about Rebecca’s work is that you can literally see her heart and soul through her art and that’s so inspiring to me. I’m sure if I can see it, others can see it to. Isn’t this something worth striving for? I don’t want albums full of pretty pages if there’s no substance to them, I want albums full of pages that show me, shining brightly through them. Now don’t misunderstand me, Rebecca’s pages are as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as any. She has uncomparable talent, and an enviable style that’s not easily duplicated, but she also has that whole soul thing going on and I simply adore it!

So Miss Rebecca, you will most likely never see this post on my blog (and maybe that’s a good thing, I don’t want to frighten you!) but I wanted to sing your praises today for you have blessed me and inspired me with your talent and I am most grateful!

Slow it down

I'm struggling with something here...dd actually. She is growing up way too fast. I'm not sure I can handle it. I'm not even sure I'm ready for it. I realized yesterday that she is at the halfway mark now. You know, halfway to 18 years old, when she'll be considered an adult and most likely go away to college. Ugh! Someone needs to slow this roller coaster ride down. I am so not ready for any of this!!

Tagged!

I was tagged by Gina, one of the girls from We B Scrappin', who hopefully I will meet in person one of these days.

Here are the rules:
1-post these rules
2-each person tagged must post 8 random(... hopefully interesting) facts about themselves
3-those tagged should write a blog post of these facts
4-at the end of the post, 8 more bloggers are tagged and named
5-go to their blog and leave a comment telling them they're tagged

Here goes:

1. I only gained 6 pounds when I was pregant for dd, 7 pounds with ds. (This fact always amazes people especially those who gained a ton)
2. I have met a few Food Network celebrity chefs--Sara Moulton, Giada DeLaurentiis & Paula Deen.
3. I had my first cavity when I was 24 years old.
4. My exteneded family comes over every Friday night & we all order take out together.
5. I just finished baking Cinnamon Sugar Butter cookies & the house smells wonderful!
6. One of my biggest achievements was when I lost 44 pounds a few years ago.
7. I love all things Harry Potter.
8. Journaling is one of my favorites parts of scrapbooking.

So, I'm not sure of who to tag....maybe I'll just leave it alone...I think all of my girls have been tagged 100 times by now!

The We B girls

Yesterday, I got to meet some of the girls from We B Scrappin...my not so local local scrapbook store. We went for pedicures at Miracle Nails and then to lunch at Panera. What a fun time we had! Of course, I made the mistake of taking pics with my film camera, instead of my digi, so I have none to post here yet. Holly put the whole thing together and what a sweet thing she is! She came bearing gifts--Heidi Swapp lip gloss and her own fabulous handmade buttons. She's a big believer in the "goodie bag" and who doesn't love that? I got to meet Nic, Marty, Jen and of course Holly. I'm so glad that I went ahead and did something against my shy nature and met up with these girls. I hope we can get together again soon!

A summer favorite

Janie's blog challenge for today at SSS was to post a favorite summer photo and journal about it. Easy enough, I thought to myself. However, once I realized just how many summer photos I have that I would consider favorites, suddenly that "easy enough" was no longer...well...easy enough. So, I decided to post this one from back in August 2003. I love this photo of dd & ds. It may not be the most PC (photographically correct) photo out there, but I do love it just the same. Dd was 5 years old at the time, ds was not quite 2. Seeing her spray him with the hose while he's fully clothed just epitomizes the fun & innocence of summer! There were (and still are) so many good times had in our backyard--you know, simple, seemingly insignificant times, ones that I hope to remember even when I'm a ripe old age.
I just have to say: funny how I can be so sentimental about a photo 4 years later, when at the time, I'm sure I wanted to scream because she soaked him & now I had to take him back into the house to change his clothes. It really is funny how time turns everything around and makes the unpleasantness of a moment vanish and only the fondness remain.

Have a good week...we are leaving for vacation to Maine tomorrow. Yahoo!

A firm grip

I guess it's no secret that I love Harry Potter. Dd started this whole "mania" thing with Harry. The mania then spread to ds and then came for me with a force to be reckoned with. It was no surprise really, I can get carried away easily.

I was not prepared, however, for this thing to spread to my 51 year old sister. I guess the virus runs strong in our family. My sister came to see the movie at midnight with dd & I. She started reading the books & watching the earlier movies on DVD. As we sat in the dining room Tuesday night, sipping tea, I heard words float through the air of which I could not believe ...my sister actually said, "I wish I was a wizard." I nearly died! Now I'm not sure if my shock was because I couldn't believe my sister actually said that. I mean she's 51 years old, she's always been the serious, older, wiser one. This statement was completely out of character for her. Maybe I was shocked because I had wished I was a wizard myself but never even dreamed of actually saying that fact out loud. Although I did add , "Me too" after my sister declared her thought aloud for all of us to hear. I mean why not? I may as well ride in on my sister's robes...er...coat tails. Her revelation shocked & amused me, but I guess the most amusing thing was the look on my other sister's face as the words rang into her ears. She shot my sister a look of which I could not help but laugh...it was undescribable really... stunned, puzzled, confused...you name it. I could just hear the "oh-my-God-they've-gone-too-far-and-lost-their-minds" thought that was swirling around in her head. Obviously, my other sister must have a real strong immune system, the virus has not yet taken her. I did notice my 73 year old mother sitting there smiling, saying nothing about any of this. She did borrow Book 1 from dd a few days prior....perhaps the virus is just beginning to fester in her. Anyway, I'm not sure how reasonable, grow adults are going to shake this thing, but it should be fun!

I found this on Youtube the other day & have to share:

Oh my! Harry Potter has grown up!

Cool Buttons

I just wanted to share the most fabulous buttons ever! These were just sent to me by Holly Terra, a friend from my not so local lss. (Well, I'm calling her a friend even though I haven't met her, yet!) Tell me these aren't the coolest buttons you've ever seen! She blings them up all by hand and was so absolutely generous to send me a complimentary set. I can't wait to use them on a LO. She makes all styles, all colors. Should you feel the incredible urge to own some of these babies, you can find them in her etsy shop at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5202608

She is the sweetest girl and believe me, a big deal too. :)

Time for me to start scrappin'!

Yucky day

Today is just an all around yucky day. The weather is terrible...been raining on & off all morning. I have to have an out patient procedure done at the hospital tomorrow which makes this yucky day my prep day. I can't eat any food, can only drink clear liquids. Can you say, "getting hungry now"? Then tonight I have to drink 64 oz of Gatorade with "stuff" mixed in it. Not looking forward to that at all. I'm going to try to scrap today to take my mind off my misery. That is if the kids let me!

Expecto Patronum!

You know darn well that I couldn't possible let this day go by without some sort of tribute to Harry Potter on my blog. We saw The Order of the Phoenix at midnight last night & it was absolutely awesome!!! They had 3 midnight showings, all sold out. I can't even give you a figure on how many people were there, hundreds I guess. Dd & I got a kick out of those that dressed the part...we saw Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Professor McGonagall and many, many people wearing Harry t-shirts and/or accessories (dd being one of them). Would you believe one girl was even wearing the time turner? One week from Saturday, the 7th book will released. I can't wait! I am so loving this very Harry July that we're having!

Yes!!!

Woohoo!  Woooooohoooo!!  We're in, we're in, we're in, we're in, we're in!!  In exactly 8 hours & 20 minutes, dd, my sister & I will be at the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.   We did panic a bit, since tickets were sold out yesterday, but apparently the theater decided to add another midnight showing and we're in.  Oh Harry, here we come!!!

Very simple

I have a very simple question today for whoever is responsible for this weather. If you have to make it 90 degrees, do you have to make it so ^*#%$#%$# humid??? I cannot stand humidity!

Non Committal

There's a running joke between dh & I that I am non committal. In all actuality, I am fiercely committed...to certain things anyway. I am not committed to lighting fixutres. Yes, you read that correctly, lighting fixtures. I swear if it weren't for the good sense of dh, I would change lighting fixtures yearly. No joke. I can't committ. We've had our dining room chandelier for 7 years, I have wanted to change it 6 times already. Anyway, now that you've come to realize the total weirdo that I am, I have discovered that I am non committal with my blog. I am feeling the need to mix things up, change the template, change the colors, etc. I'm sick of looking at the same old scenery. I am in no way, computer savvy with any of this, so it's taking me quite some time to figure things out. So if my blog shows up in various stages of disarray, I apologize. It's just non committal me, running amok! Have a good one!

Blog addiction?

Got this little quiz from JenCoen's blog...maybe I'm just a little addicted to blogging? Thanks Jen!


65%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Mingle² - Online Dating

Oh yeah, I'm a happily married old lady so I just ignore that "Mingle2-online dating" stuff. But, by all means, if you're single, go ahead & indulge yourself.

The will, the need, the urge

I have been going through some sort of scrap craziness. I have the will, the need, the urge to scrap. That's all I want to do, that's all I've been thinking about yet that's all I haven't been doing! It's hard with the kids home for the summer, I feel guilty to just go about my day, scrapping away & not spending time with them. Not to mention the cooler temps for the past few days that have made me a cleaning tornado! But that's a whole other story. Anyway, I did manage to crank something out yesterday. It was one of those just have fun & play LOs. I heard Stevie Wonder singing this one on the radio a few days ago & a light went on in my head. This may not be exactly my "thang", but man it was fun!

Singing in my head

Over the weekend, I saw this video on VH1. Ever since, I can't stop singing it in my head! "It's you, it's you..." So I had to go over to You tube so I could watch it again and of course, cement it further into my head. I don't know what it is. Maybe because it's so cheerful & uplifting? Anyway, I love the song and the lighthearted video and decided to post it to my blog so that you can now have it cemented in your head & be singing it all week, just like me.



"It's you, it's you...you make me sing..."

Pomp & Circumstance

It was an action packed day today. Ds graduated from kindergarten! What is it about seeing graduates, wearing caps & gowns and filing into an arena to the sounds of Pomp & Circumstance that gets me all teary eyed? We certainly are proud of our little guy. He had a ceremony at school at 10am, then afterwards we took him to lunch (his choice of restaurant) & even managed to get dd out of school so she could join us. Tonight, we threw a party with all the family to cap off his big day. Good times! Ds made sure to tell us in the car after the ceremony that he even looks like a 1st grader now! Heehee! Cute, or what? I am kicking myself for not taking pictures with my digi camera so that I can post some here. I took pictures will my film camera only. What a bad scrapper mom I am...I guess I'll have to share later then.

Bang, Bam, Crash!!

The day we have been dreading has finally arrived--the roofers are here as I type, putting on our new roof. There was an air of sickness here this morning as John & I watched the roofers drive up. We stood in the kitchen with very emotional looks on our faces, knowing that it was the end of an era. You see our house is old & loaded with charm. One of the greatest parts of the house is the slate roof. It lends so much character to the house and is often referred to rather lovingly by passerbys as "the beautiful house on the corner with the slate roof" and "how I've always admired your house with that slate roof".(no kidding) Well, as the house is 73 years old, the original slate roof has unfortunately come to the end of its life. We have some leaks in a few of the rooms and after getting several professional opinions, there was no way to salvage it...it has to come off. It's an expensive endeavor and one that we are not feeling wholeheartedly, but is necessary just the same. So as I sit here, listening to the banging & hearing the slates crash to the ground, with my heart broken, I decided to document this moment so that I could pay tribute to the "beautiful house on the corner with the slate roof".

Childhood summer day

Janie's blog challenge for today at Susan's Scrapbook Shack is to blog about a typical summer day in your childhood. I'll do my best, but I am going to have to stretch back quite a bit. I'm not as young as I used to be!

A typical summer day for me would be spent playing outside with the neighborhood kids, mainly my friend Debbie. We would do so many things in a day, like swimming, riding bikes, making "soup" from bowls of water, adding leaves & flowers, playing hide n' seek, jumping rope, playing school or pretending we were Charlie's Angels! (heehee, talk about imagination!) Many times, I'd eat dinner at her house or she at ours. I for some reason remember if we ate dinner at her house, we would eat in the living room on tv trays and watch Batman & Robin while we ate. Almost every night after dinner, I would go with my mom & dad to my brother's baseball games. I swear, sometimes I think I was born in a ballpark! Lots of game watching & often playground playing going on here. Thankfully some of the ball players had younger sisters to occupy me. I remember going out for ice cream after the ball games. Afterwards, we'd go home, I'd take a bath (with Rub a Dub dolly of course) & put my Carter's baby doll pajamas on. (Remember the jingle, "if they could just stay little til their Carter's wear out"?) I would usually watch tv before falling asleep. (I want to say around 10pm) Then I'd awake early the next morning & do it all again!

Oh such great, innocent times!

Subscription woes

I'm aggravated today. I subscribe to both Creating Keepsakes & BHG Scrapbooks Etc and have not received their latest issues yet! I've seen them in the store, but not in my mailbox. Isn't the point of subscribing so that you don't have to go to the store to get the magazines? Not to mention the added benefit that you have your issue before the newstands have them? But no, not me. I need my mags now!! My mailman better watch out today, because I'm going to tackle him at the curbside if he doesn't bring them today.

Oh well, fired up at 8:25 am! Happy Hump Day everyone!

One little word & the kitchen sink

I have always wanted to do one of those "everything but the kitchen sink" layouts. You know, the ones where there are so many embellies, so much eye candy, it makes your eyes water. The reason? Because sometimes you just need to take out all your supplies and play. Nothing more than that. just play. like a kid. no rules.

So here is said LO:


There is something to be said for being unihibited, especially being that I am one of those people bound by the "everything has to match" rule. Ahh release!

Oh yeah, this is for the challenge on the One Little Word blog. The word? Stop.

Go

I'm a little behind on the challenges, but have you see this cool blog?
http://onelittleword.blogspot.com/
The first word was GO. Here's my interpretation of it:



I think I'll try to play along as much as I can.

Idol rantings

Gotta say I loved American Idol tonight! I forgot that I always love the finale show, not because I finally get to see who won, but because I love all the performances. I missed the 1st 15 minutes of the show, but the remaining hour & 45 minutes were so freakin' enjoyable!
I nearly fell off the couch when Blake sang with Doug E Fresh!! It was freakin' Doug E Fresh! Talk about a blast from the past! Loved, loved, loved Doug E back in the day...made me wish for my old cassettes of him & the Get Fresh Crew! Guess I'll be stalking itunes tomorrow, gotta get some Doug E for the pod.
Thrilled to see Gladys! Man, is that woman ever going to age? Love Gladys.
The duet with Jordin & Rueben was awesome!! They sang perfectly together!
Green Day! Can you believe Green Day rocked the Idol? Loved it!
I nearly died when Bette Midler came out! I've been a Bette fan for ages. Love Bette...now there's an entertainer!
All in all, a fantastic night of entertainment for me. I didn't really care who won this year. I knew it'd be Jordin, but I was secretly hoping for Blake, just for something different. I will say this though: Jordin looked gorgeous in the orange-ish gown that she wore at the end of the show...what a fabulous color, one of my favs!

Oddly attached

I have decided that I am oddly attached to scrapbook supplies (who isn't, really?).

Since the beginning, I would become attached to a certain item in particular, seek it out, stalk websites for it, buy every possible color, etc. However, the clincher to all of this is that I would never use said item because I loved it too much.

What is this nonsense, you ask? If you love it and are attached to it, why would you not use it?? I wish I knew the answer. At first it was the decorative edged scissors, (every style), then those paper doll people (I still have tons & can't part with them), fibers (you name the color & texture), the Junkitz alphabet buttons (every color manufactured), buttons (I never met a button I didn't like) and now it's journaling spots and Basic Grey Phoebe! I've had BG Phoebe for months & I've only used one sheet, I just can't part with it. Journaling spots are building into quite a nice pile, I think I've used two. Why? Why must I hoard things like this? You'd think I lived through the Depression or something! You would think I'd be smart enough to figure out that eventually the items I covet, are the ones that never get used & end up collecting dust. Maybe there's a 12 step program out there to help crazies like me? I don't know.

I'm going to make a promise right here on my blog in front of all the hundreds of people who read this (ok, there's not really hundreds of you, maybe 3?) to use an item that I am oddly attached to, this week. Let's see if I can't help myself here.

Gotta love a good mail day!

Look what appeared on my doorstep on Saturday:



Jenni Bowlin's May kit! I am finally getting a chance to scrap today and cannot wait to use it!

The rocket is back!

I shall be eternally grateful for this little gem that I found on Youtube today. Gets me all teary eyed just watching it.



There could not have been a better way to announce his return. The rocket is going to rock the Bronx once again! Did I ever tell you I have a "thing" for Roger Clemens?

Pure Genius

I, like many others, am a 12 X 12 scrapper...always have been. There have been times (like when my scanner refuses to allow a perfect stitch because of bulkiness) that I have toyed with the idea of going 8 1/2 X 11. Really, the stress of stitching overwhelms me sometimes. Then I think of all the pros and cons of changing over and somehow the cons always win out.
In perusing the Two Peas Garden this week, I found the most fabulous idea by Lisa McGarvey. She has combined 12 X 12, 8 1/2 X 11 and even 8 X 8 pages into one album! Yes, one album!
Here is the link if you need to see this to believe it.

http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/cg_main.asp?cmd=display&seed_id=23747

When I was reading Lisa's opening details, I couldn't for the life of me envision how ridiculous having 3 sizes of pages in one album would look. I mean, really, who would even think of something so silly? But then I scrolled down to the photos and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. I couldn't believe how stinkin' cool this looks! What an amazing idea! Now Lisa claims this phenomenal idea is the brainchild of Tara Whitney & Emily Falconbridge, but anyway you look at it, these women are genius...pure genius!

I gave in

As I was out running errands this morning/afternoon, I could hear endless taunting in my ear no matter where I traveled in the city. Quiet at first, then increasing in intensity, the sound was unmistakable. I realized that this taunting could only be from those lovely rounded arches of gold...you know the ones that seem to shine like a beacon of light no matter where you go? I tried to ignore it but the sound was so sweet, so ethereal, and being that I am only human and the temptation so great, I succumbed to it. I couldn't help it. I am weak, I know this. So this is my little cardboard box of heaven. Happy lunching!

A discovery

Imagine this: 2 posts in one day!

I have been in lazy mode all day today. Gotta have a little lazy mode once in awhile, you know? Anyway, I've been tooling around on the computer, just wasting time, and what to my wondering eyes should appear? Cathy Zielske's blog!! I couldn't believe it. Some time in late 2006, Cathy took her blog down and I thought her blogging days were over, forever. Well apparently, in January 2007 she decided to start it up again, unbeknowst to me. Can you imagine that I have gone almost 4 months without CZ when she was right there under my nose all the time? I swear if they held a contest, she would win Blogger of the Year, heck of a Lifetime even! Lots of catching up to do, lots of good stuff to read. Aaah yes, Cathy is back!!

7 things

I was tagged by JenCoen so here's the deal:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names.

I'm not that interesting, so I'll really have to scrape here. LOL

1. I'm a cleaning/organizing freak. There's a place for everything & everything in its place. I want towels folded nicely & all facing the same way in the closet, pillows on the couch set just so, and no "stuff" hanging around the house!
2. I love to cook & bake. I read cookbooks diligently, like most would read a novel.
3. I have anxiety/panic attacks. I sometimes think I'm having a heart attack & have even had to go to the ER to be checked because I was certain it was a heart attack! Sick, I know.
4. I love to write. My scrapbook layouts are often heavily journaled. I sometimes feel that I missed my calling in life and that I should have been a writer.
5. I adore my ipod. How did I ever live without this thing?
6. I am always thinking about diets, eating healthier, and exercising. I need to shed some pounds and these things are constantly on my mind because of it. I really need to stop thinking about them and actually take action!
7. I married my high school sweetheart.

There you have it! 7 random facts about me! Now I have to list the 7 people that I'm going to tag: Susan, Janie, Nicole, Monica, Ash, Denise....HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!! I just realized that all my scrappy friends have already been tagged! Oh well, I guess I can't tag anyone.

Back into the swing of things

Today is the first day that I actually feel like I'm back into the swing of things, like I have some control over my life. Lately, I have felt like everything was just spinning out of control, always a million things to do, not feeling well, doctor's appointments, work, running here & there, etc. This morning, I was finally able to sit down and do what I really enjoy--scrapping! I definitely need to fulfill my creative urge to scrap more often than I have been, it's so relaxing & therapeutic for me. My physical & mental well being depend on it! Can I get a doctor's excuse to scrap all day? lol
The weather here absolutely rots! We gots lots of snow and it's cold...my poor blooming flowers. It seems as though spring just keeps slipping away from us. Oh well.

The return of the hives

Another day of hives, another morning of uncontrollable itching. I cannot believe that I've got hives again! This time they're mainly on my hands & wrists, one time behind my knee. A few years ago, I had hives that lasted almost a year. Of course, they were unexplainable, no doctor knew why, and I even went to 2 allergists. Thankfully at that time, Zyrtec helped me control them. (They were even on face then, yuck-o!) I've been taking Benadryl almost every day now and it looks like I'm going to eventually have to call the doctor. Amazing, the more I want to stay away from the doctor, the more I have to go to the doctor. Arrrgh!

The birthday girl!

Here she is, the birthday girl. Hard to believe she's 9 years old! Time goes by much too quickly. I can still remember several of the hospital nurses telling me, at the time of her birth, "Enjoy her now because before you know it, she'll be grown up." Of course, I said that I would, but I guess you don't really get the true meaning of that advice until you're experiencing it. I must try to savor every minute with my girl while she's young and still my girl. Actually, I hope she knows she'll always be my girl, no matter what her age.

The pod

I've decided today that I am going to tout my love for what I have affectionately named "the pod", my ipod. I cannot imagine how I lived without this little 3.5"X 1.5" piece of metal and...well...pure joy & heaven.

When I first got my little piece of heaven, I began downloading songs from the 80s like Kajagoogoo's Too Shy and Billy Idol's White Wedding. You know, songs from my high school days. I was taken back to the mid 80s, with my jelly shoes & rubber bracelets ala Madonna.

Then I got hooked on my early college days and downloaded songs like Nice & Wild's Diamond Girl and Alisha's All Night Passion. Amazing how in a matter of moments I was wearing that too short mini skirt with 3 inch heels, sporting big hair & dancing my ass off at the club (aka JJ's). Aaah, the memories.

Then I quickly transformed myself to today and downloaded songs like Gwen Stefani's Sweet Escape and The Fray's How to Save a Life. I've even ventured into downloading something from my childhood, Meatloaf's Two out of Three Ain't Bad. Now that's a really time traveller for me, sitting in the back seat of my godmother's car with my mom in the front seat as we were on our way to the mall. I was in grade school, maybe 8 or 9 years old at the time.

I am fascinated with the fact that this little thing has the ability to take me anywhere in my life through music. It's like having the memories of my life played back at me all set to music. I can be a kid, a teen or an adult all in a matter of minutes. In my mind, my ipod is one of the greatest inventions ever. It holds the sweetest of memories in the most unsuspecting place. What's not to love about that?

You give me fever

What is this mystery fever? Could it be the flu? Olivia missed 2 days of school last week because she had a fever. Then it went away. Then it came back the next day. Then it went away and here we are, Monday morning, fever is back & she's home from school! I guess it's time to call the pediatrician at least to see if this is normal. I find the whole thing kind of odd though. Truthfully, as a mom, I'm getting sick & tired of this fever & I'm not even feeling it. Enough already!

The Seavers

Has anyone noticed that they are airing Growing Pains reruns on Nick at Nite? I have to admit, I am really enjoying them. I didn't realize that the show began in 1985, I was in high school at the time. I'm kind of surprised that I remember so many of the episodes because I certainly don't remember watching the show as a high school teenager (wouldn't that have been uncool?) but somehow I must have. In watching now, I find that I miss the good old wholesome family sitcom. I'm hard pressed to think of anything like Growing Pains on TV right now...or Family Ties... or The Cosby Show. Thank goodness for reruns.

After all, who doesn't love the Seavers? Jason & Maggie, Mike, Carol & Ben, thanks for such fond, fond memories.

A bad day

Since the kids are on vacation from school this week and being that dh & I are not working today, we thought we might take a little day trip to Syracuse for some shopping & lunch, just to get the kids out for some fun. Unfortunately, that idea went out the window in a hurry.

I've been having this annoying back/leg pain on and off since last week and last night it got quite excruciating. It's a struggle to walk. So, I have to go to the doctor this afternoon. I'm figuring it's sciatica. You have no idea how much I hate to be immobile. It's driving me insane. I flip flop all over at night when I sleep and not being able to do so is driving crazy. I barely slept at all, I just couldn't move.

To continue on with this bad day, the kids were going to be sleeping at my brother & sister-in-laws tonight. Dh & I thought we'd go to dinner & the movies. I just don't see that happening now unless I suddenly make a miraculous recovery.

It's just a bad day. Ok Daniel Powter, cue the piano & start singing the bad day song now.

Awake

Last night, I saw Josh Groban in concert. It was the kickoff of his Awake tour. What can I say? He is so amazing. His voice is so smooth, so rich, it's like butter! What a blessing to have such a voice. I swear I was breathless at times just seeing & listening to him.

I also got to meet him and I got his autograph. You know, it's hard. What do you say to someone as talented as he? He was very gracious, very down to earth. You could literally feel the warmth of his personality just by talking to him for a few minutes.

His violin soloist, Lucia Micarelli, is an absolute marvel. Another amazingly talented spirit. Fantastic! This was, without doubt, a concert to remember!

A Marshmallow World

Several posts ago, I wished for snow. I do enjoy the cold, the snow, the winter, but what we are experiencing now is a bit much. This area has seen more snowfall in February alone than it has in an entire winter. It's almost suffocating. I believe we're looking at a total of 63.1 inches since February 2nd. The schools were closed for 3 days. Never in my entire life have I ever seen that happen before. The roads are just trashed. The DPW crews are working double shifts, but the stuff just keeps falling and falling. Two laned roads are reduced to one and quite slippery at that, the snow banks are so high making it virtually impossible to see around corners while driving, the wind is whipping and wind chill temperatures are in the negatives. This is definitely going to be a winter to remember! I found a quote today that holds a snowplow full of meaning right about now:

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.- Anne Bradstreet

I think it's going to be quite awhile before we see spring, but oh how sweet it will be!!

A fantastic find

I haven't blogged in quite some time. I don't know, I've just been so "out of it" lately.

Anyway, today I was just hanging out on the 'puter, waiting to pick my kids up from school and I came across something that I had never seen before....Rebecca Sower's blog! I have always, always been a fan of hers (after all, she was one of the first scrapping celebrities) and to find this treasure of a blog was just too much. To me, Rebecca's style never gets old. I still look through her idea books to this day for inspiration. Her books are so...well...inspiring, so full of thought and purpose. Every layout that she creates has meaning. Truly a scrapbook goddess that Rebecca is.

So, I hesitated, but later decided to link her blog to mine. (see under "blogs I read") I don't know, maybe it's hokey. I don't even know her, but I really do admire her and for me, that is reason enough.