interesting scientific news...

all blue eyed people are related click on the link and it'll take you over to the article at Fox News and read the story...it's an interesting read for science geeks and people into science trivia.

Blogs, Bloggers and comments

This morning I've gone through and read posts from all of my girlfriends blogs (see side listing) and have left comments. Too many times I just read and don't leave a comment- I'm going to make an effort to leave comments on a more regular basis...now if only some of them would just post on a more regular basis, LOL!

My friend Cindy posted a lovely picture on her blog of her husband Allen and herself at the Awards banquet last week, please click on the highlighted link to see it....they are such a beautiful couple (and the nicest people you could ever make friends with).

Susan surprised me by posting to her blog today.... I love her satirical wit as it always makes me smile. I found her post today quite funny and I certainly got a kick out reading it. Susan, if you're reading this...people live there because hundreds of years ago the land was FREE and they didn't have the common sense to leave when it got so darn cold.

I started using feedjit so I could see where everyone is from- I see that some only list their country and not their hometown or state. Much like Kate (scrap and knit) I too wish that folks who visit my blog would leave comments (preferably not negative ones) about what brought you to my blog and where you're from.

Quote of the Day

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.
~Helen Keller

our new Travel Journal

Here it is, my 2008 family travel journal. Some Bazzill cardstock and a piece of tropical print paper that I've had hanging around for a while, rub on some distressing ink from Tim Holtz, some foam stamps from Making Memories and an exclusive stamp from 3 Scrappy Boys (The "these moments" stamp). I used one of those composition books and there it is.

My intention is that all 4 of us will write in this book daily about our views on the vacation. But if it's anything like our last family vacation...it'll be just me writing in this travel journal, LOL!

It's Chick Day

Here I am, home with a sick child. Picked her up from school yesterday with a temperature of 103º and we've been battling the fever ever since. This head-cold of hers is making her much like a crabby little grizzly bear. She's been growling at the fact that she feels crummy, well maybe if she's take the medicine she would start to feel better.


So what will I be doing today? Once I get Hannah's fever and horrifically running nose under control we'll be doing some crafts, baking the obligatory feel good brownies , creating fruit smoothies and just hanging out doing "chick stuff".

Here's something we just worked on, go to http://www.mms.com/ (click on the link) and make your own m&m person- it's a laugh riot! The pink one is myself and the blue one is my daughter's.

Quote of the Day

Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.
~Jeff Valdez

This quote really had me laughing this morning...can you picture it? Eight cats pulling a sled?

Flowering plants in winter

I have no clue as to what kind of plant this is (something I brought back from Hawaii in 2005). Then all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago it started blooming. Today I noticed a couple more little blossoms on it. Anyone out there have any idea what the name of this plant is?

It's nice to have flowering plants when it's so bitterly cold outside. I like to deem it as a peek into Spring. Even my Geraniums and Azaleas are blooming!

How to make your own stationary

One of the things I love to do is to make my own stationary. You can purchase the paper at any stationary store (we have Office Depot and Office Max here in Rapid City), I personally like to use the paper that has a linen like finish to it, but what ever kind you buy will be fine, just make sure that it's a heavier weight paper that can handle heat embossing (24 lb writing paper), lighter weight papers will scorch or worse yet catch on fire (trust me I know, LOL). For this project I've purchased Wausau Paper -Royal Linen (it has an embossed linen finish) in the 100 sheet box. Since I couldn't make up my mind, I bought both white and ivory. I make stationary as gifts and when paired with a nice ink pen and some envelopes, it makes both a terrific and thoughful gift. I like to tie the stationary and envelopes together with a wide piece of ribbon or raffia and have the pen clipped onto the ribbon/raffia.

Start with an 8½x11 piece of paper and cut it to 5½x4¼ when folded in half this stationary paper will fit into an A2 envelope (you can even find these envelopes at your Wal-Mart).

I like to use a larger sized stamp,but any stamp will do as long as it's not too detailed. I like to go with nature type stamps but use the kind that suits your own personal tastes. One way is to use Versamark water mark ink and another is heat embossed. See my examples of a flower and the other of cattails. Now that you've seen my examples, go off and make some of your own personalized stationary! Click on the images to see them closer.

Emergency Closure

We had a little emergency at the Thrift Shop which forced us to close our doors. The ceramic tile flooring near the front door started cracking and rising. Needless to say we ushered our customers out through our back door and called C. E. (civil engineering) and informed them of our "problem". We're still unsure if it's frozen pipes or some other structural problem. But the flooring is swelling/rising and when I left it was about 12 to 15 feet in length and at least 5 feet in width and still spreading. Ceramic tiles are broken in half and were shattering while we were there, talk about freaky. I hope to hear back from CE and see what the problem is and when it will be fixed.

It's just COLD!

Experiencing winter in South Dakota is much different from the years I spent in Maine or even California and the winters in those places. Yesterday a cold front came in and within 3 hours time the temperatures had dropped from 54º with a slight breeze to 5º with winds steady NNW at 50 MPH and gusts to 65 MPH knocking the temperature to feeling like it was -25º. My patio furniture (which I should call deck furniture since it's on a deck) was flying about. A stack of 4 chairs came flying at me and struck the sliding glass door with such force that I thought it was going to break the glass. Our gas grill which is chained to the railing of our deck (to keep it from falling over in such winds) had indeed fallen over. The sturdy metal hooks used to keep it tied to the railings had stretched out and were no longer hooks but a bent and now loosely open thing that resembled the letter "C". Empty clay flower pots were strewn across our backyard as if they weighed no more than a dried leaf. The children helped me to gather the chairs to our outdoor table and bring them inside. Then they suited up in heavy winter gear and chained the grill to the railing once again but this time using heavy duty locks and not the hooks that once held my pot rack to the ceiling. Those hooks can withstand a great deal of weight but apparently not 50 MPH winds tugging on a heavy gas grill. There does not need to be snow on the ground for it to be horribly cold outside. The winds here are unlike anywhere else I have ever lived. Nor have I experienced the huge drops in temperature that seem to occur out here.

The temperature monitor is at the High School and it's currently -5º and with the windchill it's -27º, now that IS cold indeed! But winter wear has made some serious advances...the technology involved in making insulation for jackets, gloves and hats warmer but keeping the weight and the bulk down to a minimum is amazing! My poor children (especially my daughter who is now coming down with a head cold) will be dressed much like Ralphie's little brother from the movie "A Christmas Story" 2 hats, a big ole scarf wrapped around her face and neck and a very fluffy jacket, she'll be lucky is she can put her arms down. Andrew (who seems to be made from sturdier stock than his delicate sister) braves the cold without much complaining...he dons many layers of cold weather clothing suited for the area, where as his sister prefers to have the "Ski Bunny" look, LOL!

Now as for myself, I've got to figure out what I'm going to wear to keep myself warm today as I have promised to work at the base thrift shop today...have I mentioned that I really hate being cold? That place is going to be like a meat locker today!

So where is my happiness today? It's in knowing that I'm bringing in a picnic lunch for me and a couple of girlfriends. That's I'm in the company of good friends, making the best of a situation (the freezing temperatures). I made my "momma sauce" yesterday and it's going to make a fantastic lunch for Heidi, Kim and myself!

Quote of the Day

And for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of that country know them to be sharp and violent, and subject to cruel and fierce storms.
William Bradford (1590 - 1657), Of Plymouth Plantation

the going out of business sale

Yesterday afternoon I called up my girlfriend Kim and asked her if she'd like to go to see what is left at the scrapbooking store in the mall that's going out of business. So we went...I was able to get some patterned papers and some other little odds and ends. A couple of storage items, a feather boa (that's just for fun) and of course some Prima and Bazzill flowers. Kim was able to get oodles of great papers and embellishments too! I think that we spent as much at this going out of business sale as we did at the one last year, LOL!


Kim and I are both rather bummed at the idea that we've only got Hobby Lobby and one other store that has individual pieces of cardstock for sale. I don't see this as a good thing what so ever! These are places that have employees who stock shelves and nothing more. There's no one to help you pick out colors or patterns of papers to help you make a "good purchase" so you can go home happy with knowing you're going to be able to put together a great layout. There's no one who knows the scrapbooking stock off the top of their head, nor can they tell you about the different companies, what they're coming out with and so forth. Scrapbookers here are left to their own devices. Thank the Lord for some of the BEST on-line sources for inspiration and help...places like 3 Scrappy Boys , 2 Peas and Blueprint Sketches. I hope that you will check out all 3 places/links as I have found them all to be great sources of inspiration and I feel that they can be for you as well.

Other scrapbooking news...it's going to be March 2009 until our Archivers opens up...be still my heart!

PBS Masterpiece Theater

I made the sad discovery earlier this week that our DVR had skipped over recording Northanger Abbey (I'm seriously bummed at not getting to watch it). So I made sure to have the DVR programed to record Mansfield Park. As if was, I also watched it (for fear that the DVR would hiccup again). Oh was it ever good! The next movie I really look forward to seeing is the remake of Sense and Sensibility. I adored the one directed by Ang Lee with two of my most favorite actresses (Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet).

Last night's movie was superb! The best part is when Edmund realizes that he's in love with/has loved Fanny all along. Meanwhile Fanny knows her own heart and is waiting for Edmund to find his heart.

Check out www.pbs.org for the Masterpiece Classic schedule, you will be pleasantly delighted!

Quote of the Day

It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, 1999

My One Word for 2008

I've been meaning to do this ever since January 1st, to find the One Word that will sum up my goals for 2008. There's a lot to be said about the word I've chosen and why I chose it. For me the word is "Happiness". My goal is to find happiness in everything.... from the people I'm with to the daily tasks that I do to maintain my home. To find the happiness in my heart every day.

You see, a situation had occurred that had left me feeling very unsettled last November and ever since then I have not had the same feeling about the person or myself. The situation that had occurred between myself and my friend left me with a feeling of resentment and profound sadness. It had hurt me deeply and left me unable to be happy for quite a while. I found myself being cynical and feeling resentful- two traits that truly are not me at all! I have a lot of unhappy events to tend to this year... my husband will in all likelihood be going away on a very long deployment, most of my girlfriends (the ones I'm closest to) are moving far away and I'm living in a part of the country that's not close to anything. So for me the word "Happiness" is about getting back on track to find the joy in everything and everyone. To bloom where I am planted.

What's your ONE WORD??? If you've found it and put it on your blog please let me know so I can read it :-)

Quote of the Day

All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney (1901 - 1966)

Another Scrapbook Store closing it's doors

Our last remaining bonafide scrapbook store in the Rapid City area is now closing it's doors for good. That's rather sad when you consider that they've been in business for over 6 years. So in the past year, all 3 of the scrapbooking stores in the Rapid City area have gone out of business. When you have places like the Dollar Store, Target, Wal-Mart and K-Mart all trying their hand at selling scrapbooking supplies at a discount, its no wonder why home grown scrapbooking stores are going out of business. When we buy all of our papers, embellishments and adhesives from the discount department stores but come to the little guy for help putting it all together- well that's just wrong. These little stores pride themselves on the latest products and excellent customer service not to mention product knowledge...those other stores have employees that stock shelves and nothing more.

It's much like a needlework store I used to frequent when we lived in Abilene, Texas...there were some who would buy their product (Aida cloth, cross stitch patterns and floss) at the discount chain stores like Wal-Mart , K-Mart and Hobby Lobby but came to the little needlework store (Yarns and Threads was it's name) for help and advice...and expect it for free even though the original purchase was not made in that store. I loved going into that store, their help and product knowledge was invaluable! I would never think of going into a needlework with expectations of being shown how to use products I bought at a "box store" - much less expecting it for FREE. When my mom or mother in law came for a visit, that was always the first place they would want to visit...the selection of fine yard was amazing! Both my mom and m-i-l brought back enough specialty yarns and patterns to make a dozen different projects :-)

The other kind of store that we are seeing less and less of are fabric stores. Again with stores like Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart carrying a small selection of fabrics at a discount it's harder for stores dedicated to selling fabrics to get people to come in and check out what they have to offer. I'll admit it, I go into our local fabric store on a quarterly basis. But when I do go in I am there on a mission looking for a specific type of fabric and never leave empty handed. While conversing with a friend about sewing machines the subject of fabric stores came up. She informed me that there are no longer any fabric stores in the city where she lives. The sad part is that she lives in a major coastal city in California. You can't tell me that no one sews out there, I just wouldn't believe it! We have 2 stores here in our area dedicated to quilting. I admit it, I've not been in either one only because I'm afraid to get hooked on yet another crafting hobby. But that's about to change :-)

So when you can, shop at a Mom and Pop owned store!

Annual Awards Banquet

My husband and I attended the 28th Bomb Wing Annual Awards Banquet last evening. I'm very proud to say that my dear sweet friend Kim (whom I've talked about here on my blog) won Civilian Volunteer of the Year- what a true honor. And our dear friend Allen (husband of my friend Cindy whom I also speak highly of) won in his category. I can not be more proud of my friends being recognized for all that they do in our military community.

Another friend of ours was the guest speaker General Tony P. known to us first as "Col. P" when we were stationed at Loring AFB, Maine. It's a small world when your old squadron commander now a 2 start General.

Quote of the Day

And so, my fellow americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963), Inaugural address, January 20, 1961

What to do while on vacation...

I don't know about you but reading is something that I like to do while on vacation. No television or no movies for me, just reading a novel and kicking back in the warm sunshine is what works to get me relaxed. I also take along a counted cross stitching project, something to work on that isn't too complicated, that I can pick up and put down and pick up again. As I'm going through my check list of items that we will need to bring with us on vacation I'm looking at my books...Hm mm what shall I read on this trip? I think that a good mystery will be in order for our vacation. I'll have to search for a couple of paper back novels as they are much lighter and easily tucked into a backpack than a hard cover novel. I have a few Agatha Christie Novels in paper back, now for me to make some choices of which two to bring with me. I like to limit myself to two, I usually get to finish 1½ books while on vacation sometimes I even get to the end of the 2nd book before we get back home.

As for the needlework project, I need to figure out which one I'm bringing with me. I need something to do with my hands while on vacation. I'll have to go through my charts and see if anything in particular peeks my interests. Only a few short weeks until our cruise :-)

OSC January Function

I was worried that my "Handy Man" program for OSC wasn't going to be going over well...but apparently that was not the case. The food was excellent, the service top notch and the program made it an over the top success. Two of our male OSC members Joe and Gary put on the program for me and one word sums it up...FUN! We made wooden planter boxes and I have to say that I LOVE mine! I received many compliments on this program throughout the evening... from the great food to the wood working project. And here I was so worried that everyone was going to think it was weenie.

Quote of the Day

I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.
Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Pride and Prejudice, 1811

Common Sense...

Now you would tend to think that it would be something that everyone has, but that's really not the case. When the kids gather in front of my house to wait for the school bus I just shake my head. Keep in mind it's like MINUS 15º or worse at that time in the morning. There's one girl that's around my daughter Hannah's age (12 or 13) I see her every morning-no coat, no hat, no gloves, not even a scarf. She's out there with a thin spring/summer type sweater and wet hair and to top it off...flip flops. I am so tempted to knock on her parents door and ask them "do you not have a coat for this child? Are you aware of how cold it is outside this morning?" I'm constantly seeing people inadequately dressed for the weather out here. I suppose it's those same people that are walking around sporting a serious sunburn you've seen them, they're a bright boiled lobster red in the summer - those are the ones that never use sunscreen. My next HOA newsletter will have something about dressing properly for the weather. Some days I just feel like a mother hen.

Quote of the Day

[Common sense] is the best sense I know of.
Lord Chesterfield (1694 - 1773)

My Cookbook Nook: Soup warms the Soul on a cold winter day

Come check out My Cook Book Nook for oodles of YUMMY soup and chowder recipes that will warm you (and your family) up on a cold winter day.

Snow Drifts

With my quote of the day setting the pace for how the rest of my day will be...here I am making phone calls about getting the roads plowed in our subdivision. As 2 of our neighbors got stuck in the snow drifts in front of our home, my gallant husband without hesitation went and helped to dig them both out. I've not yet had my phone calls returned and I'll be calling again if I don't hear back soon.

I had planned to go to lunch with some girlfriends today but that just might not happen since there are 3 rather large snow drifts on my street that I can see from the front room window up the the corner. I am not in the mood to be out in the freezing cold weather digging myself out of a snow drift. It was bad enough digging out the front porch from that rather large snow drift, I have no intentions of making myself miserable by being knee high in a snow drift with a shovel. It's -15º with the wind-chill, brrr!

When it's this bitterly cold only one thing hits the spot and it's... home made SOUP! And with my Winter 2008 issue of Cooks Illustrated in hand and what's this issue all about? "Soups & Stews", how perfect! I'm going to be making something super yummy for dinner tonight!

Quote of the Day

Engineering is the art of organizing and directing men and controlling the forces and materials of nature for the benefit of the human race.
~Henry G. Stott, 1907

My Cookbook Nook: Le Creuset vs Tramontina Cookware

Come see the latest on
Le Creuset vs Tramontina Cookware

just another day in my life...

After spending a long weekend trapped inside with my family- I'm glad to have them all back to work and school. I feel as if I've gotten nothing done beyond getting them up in the morning and fed. I was unable to get anything done that I had wanted to do. Okay so I did manager to get the embroidery done on Hannah's pants (forgot to take a picture of it though). My main goal was to get to try out my Cricut Design Studio CD ROM, did I get to play on the computer? No, not even close, LOL! Maybe I'll be able to squeeze it in this week.

I've let Heidi (our Thrift Shop manager) know that I wont be in this week- that I have a great deal of things going on this week. Between doctor appointments, dental appointments and a dozen other things plus the OSC function to pull off for Thursday...well I'm only 1 person and can only be spread so thin. So now for me to get things done around here that I've not been able to motivate my family into helping me with.

Quote of the Day

A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold.
Ogden Nash (1902 - 1971)

Crafting...

Through my daughter I'm reliving parts of my own childhood (the good parts). She has me on a "crafting" project that she designed...what it is you wonder? I'm embroidering on her jeans. I bought her a fabric marker a couple of weeks ago and she's had this "idea" for at least a week longer than she had the pen. So she drew on her pants and said that she wanted to "stitch" on her pants. Well me being her Mom and knowing fully that her talents at stitchery are not as developed as my own (she can do cross stitch & back stitch and that's about it), well I know that this was her attempt to sucker me in to doing it for her, LOL! I'm going to buy her a pair of pants that are a size larger than what she is currently wearing, working on those pants of hers with those skinny legs was murder! I need to run out to Hobby Lobby this morning to get more more embroidery floss and some other crafting items. The weather is the only thing holding me back...with the wind chill it's something insane like -23º. But I am determined and my kid mobile is parked in a garage sheltering it from the bitter cold (not to mention we have heated seats for all 4 of us).

I've got other crafting ideas going on in my head right now too! I want to play with my newest crafting toy- The Cricut Design Studio. I'll have to see if I can nudge my husband off of the computer so I can play on it :-) When all 4 of us are home, I'm the one who gets the boot from the computer - hence there being no post here on my blog yesterday.

I try to do some sort of crafting every week and it might not always be scrapbooking, stamping or card making. My first passion was sewing and quilting...that started when I was in the 3rd grade. You see my Mom could design skirts and blouses out of thin air and my Grammy Lola made these quaint little lap quilts from scraps of fabric. My first sewing projects were not clothing projects but rather crafting projects. I made stuffed animals- I remember making an Owl, Mouse and a Teddy Bear that are still at my parents house in a box in my old bedroom. My first quilting project is in the closet of my old bedroom too. I want to help Hannah with her crafting and for her to get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. I've decided that I want to get myself a serger. I do a lot more "craft" type sewing than I do of clothing type sewing and a serger would be great for making table clothes, table runners, place mats and of course my favorite - cloth napkins. One of my passions is making window treatments. I have made them for the various seasons. Although I do not have one made for Valentines Day (never was able to find the right fabric). With my sewing machine on it's way to it's new home (I just checked on the U{S tracking site and it's currently in Illinois) it's making me anxious to get started on sewing projects galore!

Now for me to get my husband and children up and ready to go out into the cold...to get out of this house and off to the mall!

Quote of the Day

Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.
~Brian Adams

Memorabilia Overload

My scrapbook nook looks as if a tornado swept through it! I started gutting out some drawers this morning...and you know how it goes- empty it out and reorganize it all. I have saved a ton of memorabilia that I know that I will never use in a million years. What is with that? Am I the only one who does that? Surely I can't be the only one who saves brochures from our vacations, can I? I find it amazing how I've managed to acquire so much unnecessary stuff these past few years. So out to the rubbish bin/recycle bin it went! I'm trying to streamline my scrapbook nook and keep only those things that I use on a regular basis. I've been good about NOT buying things from Hobby Lobby, especially when they have sales on scrapbooking items. Lets face it, they don't have anything new and with the CHA right around the corner, then only place I want to order/buy anything from is 3 Scrappy Boys.

If I even look at or contemplate buying another Christmas Stamp someone please stop me and poke me in the eye! I am in awe at how many Christmas Stamps I have amassed since moving here - it's positively unreal! I'd rather spend my money on consumable supplies or more versatile tools such as the Cricut Design Studio and the new Crop-a-dile.

Quote of the Day

The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.
~Harold B. Lee(1899 - 1973)

It's called Winter

Holy Catfish Batman, it is C-O-L-D outside! There's something to be said about sending your children off to school when it's 9º and the wind-chill factor makes it -9º (yes that is what you think it is...minus nine degrees). I remember one day in particular while living in Maine... I couldn't take being cooped up in the house any more...I bundled up and bundled up our baby boy and we went out for a drive in the car it was -57º with the wind-chill. Snow was piled high every where (up to roof tops in some places) but the roads were plowed and clear of any snow and ice build up. The roads there in Limestone, Caribou and Presque Isle were safer to drive on that they are here in Box Elder and Rapid City - go figure. Part of me misses days like that and other parts are glad that they are behind me, LOL!

The winds just howl through this part if the country, making it feel even colder outside than the thermometer says it is. It's the perfect weather to get crafty and have fun. I sent an invitation to my friend Kim...if she's not busy to come over and make a craft together and have lunch.

Quote of the Day

Every mile is two in winter.
George Herbert(1593 - 1633), Jacula Prudentum

This quote is perfect for today as it is currently -9º

I did it! I bought a new sewing machine today!

I am very excited about my sewing machine purchase! Isn't it cute? It's a Janome "Heart Truth 2008", I am so very happy I can hardly contain myself! Here's a link to the Janome web site so you can it go check it out Janome Heart Truth 2008. It's a special edition for The Heart Truth- a campaign for womens health and heart disease - this link is for the Heart Truth program and what it's all about...please check it out!

My search for a new sewing machine begins...

As today's quote is about "Chance"- it really is by chance that I am looking on the internet for price comparisons on sewing machines. My own modest little sewing machine a White 1510 quietly died the day before Thanksgiving after 17 years of dedicated service. I've been meaning to replace it but have not made myself actively go out looking at sewing machines. I already know that I don't want to go to places like Wal-Mart, Target or Sears...like the sales help really knows anything about sewing at either place- seriously! I went to a local sewing machine store and got some information on a couple of different brands. I felt as if the sales person was trying to pressure me into buying something other than I was looking for, she acted more like a used car salesman...I went in for "a" and they're trying to sell me "b", hmmmm. So I started searching for more information on the internet on each of the machines. Then I called my mother in law- you see my sister in law just bought herself and the m-i-l new machines for Christmas (women after my own heart). I bought the m-i-l a blender (hey, it was Kitchen-Aid)...thinking of her making margaritas in her old blender was the catalyst in my getting her a new high powered one, LOL! Any way I digress...so my s-i-l has not gotten back to me and my BFF Barbara in CA (next to my Mom, Barbara IS the Sewing Guru) hasn't gotten back to me yet (different time zones ET all). So I did an internet search and ended up talking to someone on the East Coast. The gentleman I spoke with was extremely helpful and gave me oodles on information about where the 17 different sewing machines his place of business sells , where the machines are made, who makes what -just like Kenmore appliances- just because they say Kenmore doesn't mean that they're made by Kenmore, they're made by other manufacturers. Same goes for the Pfaff model I was inquiring about. I'm looking into these 3 brands Pfaff, Bernina and Jenome. My last sewing machine lasted for a long time, and I know that sewing machines are more advanced and not really all that much more (price wise) than what we paid for my little sewing machine 17½ years ago. I have a feeling that I'm buying a sewing machine today :-)

Quote of the Day

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.
Ovid(43 BC - 17 AD)

Politics

If there's one thing that I can't stand is politics. I know that "hate" is such a strong word and should be used with caution and discretion, but man oh man do I hate politics! I try very hard not to let my political views on certain issues or candidates have an influence on my children. It's for them to decide what political party and what candidates represent their views best. It's my personal belief that religion should not hold any bearing on what is right for you as a person, only you can decide what is right for you. At this point in time I can't make myself read about on line or in the news paper and heaven forbid that I ever have to watch it on television. I can't stand the constant bickering that goes on with folks of the same political parties and the way that they just go at one another the way they do- ugh! Makes me want to spray them all down with ice water and tell them all to play nice together or go home.

Quote of the Day

It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs.
~Albert Einstein(1879 - 1955), 'Treasury for the Free World,' 1946

Happy News!

Have you ever had news that made you happy? I mean genuinely happy??? This news is not even my own but I want to shout it from the rooftop! My best-est friend out here is pregnant. But the best news is that her baby is fine! No downs or other neurological issues and it's 100% that the sex of the baby is a GIRL!!! I let Kim know that I am having a baby shower for her...and it's Pink CITY! Oh yeah, this is something to celebrate! All of her worries were for naught, her baby is fine!!! She and her husband Tom have 2 sons and this daughter is just a little miracle!

My other news is that our son Andrew became an officer today, he's pinned on 2nd Lieutenant! WooHoo, way to go Andrew! I'm so proud of him! He takes his JAFROTC program very seriously. This boy of mine knows what he wants to be when he graduates from college...heck he even knows what college he wants to attend ...it's the Air Force Academy for him!

So even though the wind is howling and the snow is blowing and the weather isn't fit for man nor beast - I'm happy! I'm surrounded by lovely thoughts, lovely friends and the wonderful blessings of the Lord are certainly being sprinkled all around!

The Old Man and the Dog

 My girlfriend René sent me this story (she sends me the best stuff- stuff that touches your heart).  I found it uplifting and relevent to things/situations in my own life, I hope that you do too.

 

 

 

The Old Man and the Dog

by Catherine Moore

 

"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me.
"Can't you do anything right?"

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.

"I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving." My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil.

What could I do about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it.  He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived.

But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue. Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind. But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered. In vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article." I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons: too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed. Years had etched his fac e and muzzle with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement.

"He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"

"Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said.

I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch.

"Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples.

"You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!" Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate.

We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.

Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw.  Confusion replaced the anger in his eye s. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dea d beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life. And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers."

"I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said.

For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article...

Cheyenne's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter. . .his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father. . and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.

Life is too short for drama & petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly.

Live While You Are Alive.
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.  Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

Just another day

...here in the neighborhood. It's going to be a WINDY day. I've got 1001 things to get done this week and of course I'll try to get them all done today leaving me free to spend the rest of my week doing whatever. Hopefully my time will be spent scrapbooking and doing fun things.
Here at Ellsworth were gearing up for another deployment of our troops. Please keep the men, women and families in your prayers as they will be separated by thousands of miles for a very long period of time.

Quote of the day

"If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying?"
~Shantideva

PBS Masterpiece Theater

As my children kept going on and on about there being NO School today...well I didn't really believe them at first. But alas it's true, school is not in session today. I have some things that I want to do and hey it's perfect...because I'm dragging my daughter with me. So errands here and there will go rather quickly with a companion to keep me company.

Any one watch PBS Masterpiece Theater? Anyone who really knows me knows that I adore everything and anything written by my favorite author Jane Austen (2nd favorite is Agatha Christie). So when I learned that Masterpiece Theater will be debuting some NEW Jane Austen books made into movies (done by the BBC) of course I'm all over it! Last night was the debut of "Persuasion". WOW was it good! I look forward to seeing the rest of Jane Austen's classic novels made into movies. The BBC always does an excellent job at putting the classics into film. I saw the last half of Jane Eyre (novel by Charlotte Brontë) and LOVED IT!!! This has to be the BEST remake of this movie to date (okay so that;s my personal opinion on the matter). One of my habits- is that I like to have either funny or romantic movies playing while I'm scrapbooking. These movies totally fit my scene of adding to a sense of suspense and happiness at that same time.

Quote of the day

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter"
~E E Cummings(1894 - 1962)




for this and other great quotes please check out www.quotationspage.com

Sunday

The quiet stillness in the air in the early morning...it really is something I enjoy. So here it is Sunday morning. Just me and kitty along with my morning cup of coffee. When the weather is warmer I like to sit out on the deck in the morning having my coffee while enjoying nature. But alas, it's too nippy for me to be outside in my jammies, heck it's too nippy for me to be outside without suiting up for a winter snow storm.



One more week until our final mass with our priest as he is being transferred to a base down in Texas. I"m sad for us as a congregation because he will be missed, but happy for him since he will be now be stationed near his family. And of course there's that being stationed where the weather is "warm" thing too :-) I personally will miss him. He was the one person that I could try new recipes on and he never complained. I loved bringing him various foods that I have made, having him try my different cheesecakes and so forth. My girlfriend Christine has told me (on more than one occasion) that there is a special place in Heaven for those that feed Priests. Well I don't know about that, but what I do know is that it fills me with this warmth and love deep inside of me- just being able to do something nice for someone- especially when they don't expect it. That in some small immeasurable way that I am able to improve someones outlook on life.



As for my adventures in scrapbooking...I need to get the doll house out of my scrapbook nook! It's hard to function in there with this huge thing looming over- as cute as it is, it still needs to be somewhere else. I've got layouts that I want to finish up and I need more working space! Yes I'm one who likes to s-p-r-e-a-d o-u-t when she works :-) Stay tuned for pictures! I'll also be posting my layouts to the gallery over at http://3scrappyboys.com

Quote of the Day

"Only the curious will learn and only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient."
~Eugene S. Wilson

Finding Inspiration

I love early mornings, the stillness in the air (on non-windy days of course) not a sound being made other than my kitty walking around meowing for me to feed her. To look into the bedrooms and seeing my children blissfully asleep. It's true contentment :-)

I've found my inspiration... now to take a few quick pictures, print them up and make some scrapbook layouts. Children look so angelic when they are asleep. So I suppose that you've guessed it...I've gone and snapped some pictures of my children while they are asleep and I will make some layouts today with those pictures.

Quote of the Day

Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever.
~Margaret Cho

TGIF

I'm so glad that Friday is here. My husband got into Boston - is none worse for wear and is staying with one of his brothers. The wake is today and the funeral is tomorrow. My sister-in-law Lori is a gem, she's taken care of the floral arrangements, it's hard to get something decent being this far away. She's taken care of the little details such as making sure that the arrangement will go to the funeral home and not our Aunts home.

So back here at the fort...it's life as usual; kids getting ready for school, complaining about there being nothing to eat- just spent $200 at Sam's club on food and they say there's nothing to eat at home- hmmm. If only I was able to view the pantry with the eyes of my teenagers, maybe I too would see that there was nothing to eat. But alas, it's full of things that can be put together in various combinations to make all sorts of yummy things. Maybe I can tempt them with some yummy chocolate brownies after school.

On another note...today is my Mother's 73rd Birthday- Happy Birthday Mom!

Quote of the Day

Joy is not in things; it is in us
~Richard Wagner

My Cookbook Nook: The new coffee pot

Come see my new coffee pot over on my cooking blog.

So here it is, another day in my life

...today is a little more chaotic than usual. The husband is packed and ready to fly out today (he's going to the wake and funeral for his Uncle) but first he has to go to work as he has some commitments there that need to be completed before he leaves. The kids are out the door and on their way to school but not without my help of scraping windshields and windows...Andrew tends to forget about setting the defroster to ON when he turns off his car. You see, we put one of those remote starters on his car for those wintry days when it needs to warm up and you don't want to go outside. Of course the kids tell me that they need lunch money on their way out the door... you've just got to love that last minute stuff. As I'm getting the kids out the door, the spouse calls and he needs me to do something for him...there is a reason why I don't have a paying job- My Family, need I say more?

I've got 1001 things to get done today (or so it seems). I'm torn between going into the Thrift Shop today and just getting everything done here and going in on Friday. I finally got my Christmas Newsletter written up and sent out *yesterday* (hey better late than never), but not without a few "odd" words in it. Millstones instead of milestones- my only explanation for that one is that I must have been thinking about coffee when I was writing about what happened in May. I laugh at the thought of it :-D

Quote of the Day

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
~Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)


Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)


Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favor; for even death is one of the things that Nature wills.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121 AD - 180 AD), Meditations

Death in the family

For quite a while now (years) my husbands uncle Tom has been suffering from various heart ailments; from blocked arteries to a couple of heart by-pass surgeries and so forth. He had been in the hospital since before Christmas and he requested that a DNR order to be in place. He's been in a coma for the past couple of days and frankly we've just been waiting for "the call". I just received a call from my mother-in-law that Uncle Tom has passed away this morning. Please say a prayer for his wife Marie and their 2 grown children that they may find peace. That they may may find comfort in the memories of joyous times that they all spent with him over the years. That death is a part of life and that love never ends.

Quote of the Day

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
~Dorothy Bernard

Quote of the Day

"That consciousness is everything and that all things begin with a thought. That we are responsible for our own fate, we reap what we sow, we get what we give, we pull in what we put out. I know these things for sure".
~Madonna, O Magazine, January 2004

My Cookbook Nook: When good appliances go bad...

The search for a new coffee maker...

Quote of the Day

"Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip".
~Will Rogers(1879 - 1935)

I feel that this quote is perfect for how I am feeling today

Just grin and bear it...

Lets face it, we all know someone who tends to be overly dramatic...that what ever is going on in their life is oh so much "more" than what anyone else could possibly have going on in their own lives. Lucky me, I know a handful of such people. My wish is that these people will wake up and realize that they lead real every day kind of lives - not day time dramas.

One woman in particular just grates on my last nerve...if she isn't hinting to me at how much more Christian she is than I am then she's bad mouthing her husband. Not once have I ever heard a nice word come from her mouth how she is thankful for the life she has, for the fact that she and her family want for nothing. What she does do is to announce to anyone within earshot at our after mass gathering in the church annex is how disappointed she is in her family, neighbors or the squadron spouses group. Each week it's something else....something dramatic that's happened (or at least in her mind it's dramatic).

So, are you wondering why I mentioned this today? Well, we all have someone like this in our lives and there's no getting past people like this. And how does one deal with such a person? It's simple, just smile and bear it. It's one of those things that are just unavoidable so while you're listening to the person's diatribe about what ever that dramatic event of the week is... just be sure to give thanks the Lord that you lead a good life, that you are you and not this person that is obviously unhappy.

New Years Resolution...no clutter!

Why is it that my reorganization projects take on a life of their own? I started going through the Armoiré "again", pulling out items that I want to store away. I've done this 3 times in the past week- pulled things out, rearranged them and am doing it all over again. If you're wondering why I do this, it's because I like to have things that I use within an arms reach. My darling husband built the Armoiré (while we were stationed in Virginia) to house my crafting and scrapbooking supplies. With our move to South Dakota and living in the little cottage on the prairie (aka base housing) the Armoiré also had to house "other" every day items, such as table linens, school supplies, dishes and bake-ware. My husband was an angel and built me many little storage nooks and a display area in the dining room of our base house (which we did not have to take down when we left). But that display area held all of my Fiesta-ware tea cups & saucers and all of my China teapots. Here at this house I have no such display area so it's been stored inside of the armoiré. I'm going to pack them up and store them until I can properly display them. I'm very lucky to have a craft room and that the armoiré is not needed to house my crafting items. I would like another place to store my finished scrapbook albums, but that's an issue that can be addressed later.

For now I need storage space inside of the armoiré for items that we use for entertaining; such as my extra bake-ware, cake plates and platters, various kinds of bowls, wine glasses and of course our formal dinnerware. Maybe if I didn't have such a hang up about serving our guests frozen prepared foods from Sam's Club on paper plates bought in bulk I wouldn't have this problem. But alas that's not me, I like to make things from scratch and serve our guests on real plates. So I need to figure out a better storage solution. Basically it's packing up all of the items that I am currently unable to display and putting them into storage. I'm going to get a couple of those heavy duty dish pack boxes along with some packing paper this week and start on that project. If I don't do that then It will start to make me crazy as I hate to open up a cabinet and have a mess looking back at me. So I suppose in a way I do have a New Years Resolution, it's to have No Clutter! Okay just the house, it's doesn't mean my scrapbook nook has to be clutter free all of the time- just free of stuff I don't use:-) To have a clean streamlined home, with a place for everything and everything in it's place...that's my goal for 2008!

Quote of the Day

"There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."
~Pablo Picasso

Quote of the day

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't".
~Anatole France(1844 - 1924)

Military Retirement Ceremonies and such...

Last evening my husband and I attended a dinner honoring a man who after spending 30 years in the Air Force is now retiring. His friends made a terrific tribute to honor his career, and it was obvious how well thought of this man is to his peers- officers and enlisted alike. I became teary eyed when his daughter presented him with a picture of the two of them. She spoke about only letting her Dad brush her hair (must have been when it had a lot of knots in it) then she gave her Dad a beautiful framed and matted photo of him brushing her hair, she couldn't have been any older than 9 in the picture...it brought tears to my eyes. I could easily see the 2 people in that photo being Lucien and Hannah.

Today there are two retirement ceremonies - one for the Sergeant whose dinner we attended last night and the other for a Colonel. I'll be able to attend the one for the Colonel but an orthodontic appointment with our son prevents me from attending the latter. If you've ever attended a military retirement ceremony, you'll know that they are full of giving tribute to those that have helped you along the way. I make sure to have tissues with me because they always make me cry.

Quote of the Day

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world
J.R.R. Tolkien(1892 - 1973)

Do you have a webshots account?

Each week I get an e-mail from web-shots letting me know how many people have looked at my various albums of pictures I have stored there. I'm continually amazed that people even look at my stuff, then it's what they are looking at that really wows me (this week it was nearly 2000 views). Pictures of my scrapbook nook seem to be fairly popular. I think that it has to do with people needing ideas as to what to do for storage of items such as paper, ribbon and so forth. Everyone needs a starting point. They want to see what works for others in various kinds of spaces. My most efficient scrapbook nook had to be the one I had in base housing. Everything was streamlined, cramped as all get out but streamlined. Now I have this much larger space (which I love), but I've been getting lazy in putting things away. Most times my space is rather messy because I leave things out all over the place. Hmmm could this be creative chaos at it's finest? Oh stop making me laugh! I should go in there right now and snap some pictures...there's"stuff" all over the extended work area, there's my needlework cart (it's a 2 drawer cart that's on wheels stuffed to the gills with needlework projects) that shouldn't be in there and my daughters' doll house (that my husband and I built from a kit a few years ago) that shouldn't be in there, there's all sorts of things that got stuffed into that room during December. Oh yeah, it's a wee bit messy in there right now :-)

If you want to see what's in my webshots pages...the link is the 2nd one under Places to Check Out over on the right hand side of this screen or better yet... here's a link. Sandie's webshots page

Quote of the Day

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved".
Franklin D. Roosevelt(1882 - 1945), Speech, September 22, 1936

Ringing in the New Year with HGTV

It's the last day of winter break, a sad day for school aged children in our area to be sure. With this thought in mind I better wake my son - the days of sleeping in until 12 noon are now officially over.

The last few remnants of Christmas are being put away. Even my Christmas dishes and table linens are being packed up and put away for another year of hibernation. We'll soon be moving on to the next holiday... Valentines Day.

Yesterday Hannah and I watched some great programs on HGTV. I love to watch kitchen and bathroom remodels, they give me such great ideas as to what to do with my own house. Some bathrooms have obvious flaws that can be remedied with little cosmetic fixes such as a new shower curtain, some pretty hand towels, a nice bath rug and a fresh coat of paint. Others new a major overhaul and have to get all of that PLUS - new faucets for the sink and tub, a new shower head, new bathroom mirror and even things like a new toilet and sink with counter top. After watching those shows, I want to paint our upstairs guest bathroom. Okay so I've been wanting to paint it for quite some time but now I'm really itching to paint it! There's a list of things that I want to do to the kids bathroom that's down stairs...add in a mirrored bathroom cabinet and a cupboard over the commode. I plan on getting these done before my husband leaves on a deployment. I want us to do the work because it'll be s small fortune if I have to hire a contractor. We're more than capable to getting this kind of work done- Lucien added in a mirrored cabinet in our master bathroom and we put in the cabinets in the laundry room and scrapbook nook. So getting the kids bathroom done up should be small potatoes as compared to what we've already done in this house. I'm also going to paint the master bathroom- it'll be the same color that we painted the master bedroom. I know that my husband isn't to thrilled at painting small spaces, but I'm ready to get it done!

From watching HGTV I've gotten some terrific ideas with what I want to do for a back splash in the kitchen. The kitchen remodels I saw were phenomenal! Changing out cabinets, light fixtures, knobs and updating the appliances...little things that added up to a huge resale price. I'm so glad that I went with stainless appliances in this house! Then factor in the upgrades we've done to just the kitchen area...and I know that when it comes time for us to sell the house that we're not going to have any problems what so ever! I'm also VERY glad that I didn't go with wood flooring in the kitchen- apparently it's exactly what I thought it was...too much wood in a confined space. Hopefully I can have real tile in my next kitchen and not vinyl flooring that looks like tile.

Quote of the Day

"I see America, not in the setting sun of a black night of despair ahead of us, I see America in the crimson light of a rising sun fresh from the burning, creative hand of God. I see great days ahead, great days possible to men and women of will and vision".
~Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

First day of 2008

With the wind blowing at 32mph and wind gusts steady in the 40mph range - baby it's cold outside! It's 14º currently and with the windchill it's a rather nippy -3º-brr! It's going to be a blustery day, so be sure to bundle up warmly when you do go out of doors!

The coming new year brings with it; new hopes, new dreams, new joys and new adventures. I openly welcome all of these things. January marks that there are only 5 more months of school for my kids until they are out for summer break. June and summer vacation is only a heart beat away.

I am about to get started on another big scrapbooking project. I know that sometime during the course of this year my husband will be going on a rather long deployment. So I want to capture as many pictures of him doing every day stuff and not so every day kinds of things. To make many layouts about the man I love so I can look at these layouts and smile and hopefully they will help me and our children to not miss him so much while he is away.

Now for me to get to the tasks at hand...first to get another refill of my oh so yummy coffee.

Quote of the Day

Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind,
As man's ingratitude.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)


with the wind howling and blowing the way it is right now and being just so darn cold...this quote if perfect!