The Great Deluge of 2009

It has been raining here, non-stop, for the past 36 to 48 hours and to say the least it is starting to cause some major issues. The dear husband was actually sent home early today because of fears of flooding and in fact he just managed to make it home before they closed the roadway on which he commutes. Last night the wind was roaring, the rain was spattering against my windows, knocking things over, blowing things away, making things go bump in the night...I don't think the dogs or I slept for longer than 10 minute stretches at a time. We aren't supposed to have any respite from this drenching downpour, till at least tomorrow morning(if we're lucky). I confess I am a bit worried and here's why:

So if you have any thoughts and prayers to offer out there, we sure could use them! For now though, the dear husband and I will snuggle close to our puppies, be thankful we haven't yet lost electric power,

Munch our home-made scones,And enjoy our lovely tea.

Here's hoping our house is part houseboat!!!LOL!

A list of sweeps....

Inspired by today's post over at http://joannedemaio.blogspot.com/, I decided to make a visual list of some of the people and things that sweep me off my feet.....

Alright, I know it was pretty obvious but my husband can definitely make me swoon any day!It is so easy for me to be caught up in anything dealing with ancient history and humanityThere is so much beauty in the natural world that I honestly think it takes a hard-hearted person not to be able to be touched by it.Do I even need to say anything???I have been in love with the ballet since I was in the 4th grade and got to attend the Nutcracker. Such grace and beauty are hard not to become lost in...Let me just state that it is my personal opinion that Billie Holiday is one of the finest singers to ever open her mouth. That woman's voice knows how to creep down in your bones and send your head to spinning!And last but not least...that's right...I went there...chocolate! I mean come on...not to detract from anything....but seriously, sometimes the right piece of chocolate can be a near religious experience!

So what are some of the things that sweep you off your feet??

A simple Thank-you

I wish to say thank-you to all who have so bravely served our country and also to their families who have been there with all the love and support that they can provide for our troops!

Something to think about....

An acquaintance of mine recently made a facebook post that caught my attention and got me to thinking. The issue being discussed between said acquaintance and his friends was their" horror, fright, and disbelief" over the fact that Mr. Glenn Beck's newest book has become the #1 non-fiction-bestseller in the Country. Comments promptly headed into the territory of derogatory name calling and the belittlement of the intellectual capacity of anyone agreeing with him( I believe references were made along the lines of surprise that "those people" could actually read and of their being anti-intellectual). Now whether or not you agree with Mr. Beck is another matter all together, but what I find most bothering about this whole issue is the fact that the aforementioned author of the post and his friends have to stoop to disparaging the mental capacity of anyone that simply doesn't agree with their views. I thought a true sign of an intellectual being was one of tolerance and willingness to agree to disagree. I know it happens on both sides and I'm not trying to make it out as if their the only ones underrating other people, but it's wrong for anyone to clump a set of people together and stamp them with your overly-biased judgement. I know that I have been guilty of doing that in the past and believe me, I've had crow to eat over it, but really...are we a bunch of 8 year olds on the playground calling each other names simply because we don't agree on all the issues? Whatever happened to that thing so much called on but rarely enacted upon, known as intelligent debate? And guess what...just because someone doesn't view things the same way you do...doesn't make them any less capable or prone to idiocy. It just means their different and isn't difference something we're all supposed to celebrate?!

What, oh what, to say???

For the past couple of days, I have been wracking my brain trying to think up some interesting topic to share with you and yet, even now...everything seems so self-centered...so pointless. Do I talk to you about how I just found out that I can't run my microwave and coffee pot at the same time(my soup is only lukewarm, but at least I'll have my much needed mug of hot tea)? Do I tell you about how I've become obsessed with tea and all the comforts a cup of it tends to engender in me? Do I talk about how bleary the days seem here and that I have begun to wonder if the sun will ever show his head out from behind the clouds again? Do I opine about how my sedentary lifestyle is robbing me of my health and that I have been ill so much this year that I can count on one hand, the days that I've actually felt whole? Or do I mention that I'm so weary of my lack of day-to-day interaction with anyone other than my husband, that I'm sure that only my meds have kept me from losing my mind? No...no...I'm tired of hearing my own complaining and self-centered views. I want to hear more about you all...and that's partly why I've been trying to catch up on your blogs(some of you, I haven't been able to visit as I would like to, due to my silly lap-top being a near antique) instead of posting anything of my own. I like to hear about your day and your thoughts on whatever it is that interests you. I guess you could say, I'm becoming a better listener than a speaker. So, are you all looking forward to the holidays? Will you be seeing family, friends? Do you have any traditions that you look forward to each year? What about memories of holidays past? Anyone that you miss this time of year? I look forward to hearing about it all and I ask your indulgence if I don't speak up quite as much as I have in the past. I'm trying a little experiment of living outside myself and not focusing so much on my own concerns. Hope you all will have a great day!

Howdy!!

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Mine wasn't that bad at all...went out with the dear husband yesterday and spent most of today working on a new painting. I'm slowly but surely starting to make my way back to all you bloggy friends of mine, but I will show you part of what has been keeping me busy lately....Hope you enjoy!

I finally found what's left of our paints and decided to give it a go...This is a rough, fast sketch of one of my grandfathers. The point of the exercise was to get it as nicely done as possible without having to ever erase.This is what I was working on today...It's a picture of my sister Mary. I adapted it from a wedding photo of her's.Just a little close up of the face.

Anyways, I hope you all will have a wonderful week and I'll be seeing ya!

Just Something...

The past two days have been harder ones for me. I've not had major losses, but I've been dealing with an emotional roller coaster of half forgotten memories and repressed feelings. Last evening things finally came to a head and the dear husband and I had a great row. I think I cried the entire rest of the night and actually had to call off my much anticipated plans for today just because I'm so drained. I'm not very good company these days....I can't seem to drag myself out of the sweep of depression that threatens to drown me, and I'm even still on my meds. I'm not asking or seeking anyone's sympathy....I just need to talk. I feel trapped by circumstances that are beyond my control and seem to only be continuing to spiral out of reach. Life just.... isn't.... I miss my family, I miss the few friends I have, I miss the person I wanted to be. I miss it all.

Hello from me again!

Another sullen afternoon here and sometimes I think if it wasn't for a good book and a cup of hot peppermint tea, it'd be enough to drive a girl to drink! Took a little walk earlier and it was lovely to be out seeing all the trees that have begun to put on their fall color and having the feeling of a crisp breeze across my face. Lately I find myself staring out my windows for hours on end, watching all the birds and the little squirrels as they all scurry about in search of some kind of sustenance. I keep trying to snap a picture of one of the many little furry friends we have around here, but they tend to be too fast for my poor camera's shutter speed. Speaking of pictures though, I did promise some of the autumn color so I hope that you enjoy these:

I did also want to say that I am sorry that I haven't been around more often and that if I have somehow offended someone, I apologize. Hope you all have a lovely evening!

A Good morning to all...

Good morning and hello to all my friends out there! I hope you've been able to enjoy this wonderful month so far! I've just been trying to finish up a bit of settling in and have even had a guest already! My best friend came for a week, and as we hadn't seen each other in 2 years, it was a wonderful, but long overdue visit. Other than that, my dear husband and I have been trying to get onto some kind of workable schedule. Now that most of his squadron has finally moved to Norfolk, we are hoping that they will be able to settle on more definite work hours and such. I've been wanting to find a job and get enrolled in school, but as we only have one vehicle currently and haven't been sure of what hours the dear husband would be working, it's been nigh impossible to do such. The family all seems to be doing as well as usual, though an uncle of mine did have to go into surgery. He came through it fine and though he has a long recovery road ahead of him, we believe he'll make a full return to sound health. I have also been trying to keep up with my reading and just finished D.H. Lawrence's, " Lady Chatterley's Lover". I enjoyed it and am currently on to "Far from the Madding Crowd", by Thomas Hardy. Haven't yet made any friends here, but I've been looking at meetup.com for some interest groups, as a way to get out and meet people. I'm supposed to attend a knitting group on Wednesday and am looking forward to learning to knit and hopefully making some new friends. There is also a literary group, that I am interested in, but we shall wait and see how it all turns out. I must admit that when we first moved into this area, I was not fond of it at all; I have however grown to like it and even with all the little flaws and dings, I love our little home. I'll have to try to post some pictures I've taken of the fall color from around here! Unfortunately, I hear some dishes calling my name, so I will take my leave for now. Hope all is well with you and know you are all never far from my thoughts! If I don't write again before then....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My thoughts on this fall day

I have to start out by saying that today has been absolutely gorgeous here! There was a bit of cloud cover this morning, but it melted away early and left us with a vibrant blue sky. I've not been up to one darn thing today either...I needed a brake! Most the morning, I spent contemplating how wonderfully made this old world of ours is and admiring God's handiwork. This afternoon, when I haven't found myself staring out at the sun-dappled tree leaves, I've been catching up on face book and doing a spot of reading. A palpable sense of serenity has blanketed me all day and it leaves me feeling so very grateful. There are loads of trouble and care that we are often asked to carry and I think too often we forget to simply release them for awhile, stand up, shake ourselves off, and just admire the constant swirl and dance of life around us. Tomorrow, I may be neck deep in something I don't think I can take, but for now...in this moment, I am happy. Life is beautiful! I hope that whatever you have going on in your life right now, you are able to take a precious few moments to part the worries and see the beauty that is always waiting for us. Have a wonderful rest of the day and God bless!

Hey...don't I know you???!!

Hello from one who seems to have lost herself in the shuffle! It has been awhile since I've been around and though I don't have much time to catch up with you all right this minute, I am glad to say that I should be around a bit more often. It's been a rather"interesting" move but, I'm beginning to despair of ever truly getting everything settled and in place. I'm still surrounded by a sea of boxes and let me just add...if I ever have to see so much brown cardboard in one place again(and I know I will) I want it made very clear that I am not to be held responsible for what I may do afterwards! It hasn't helped matters that I've been sick practically from the moment we got here and even had to take a little trip to the hospital(more on that later), nor has it aided in the settlement cause, to have had my husband have to turn around and leave for two weeks about a week and a half after we arrived. Hopefully, things will be calmer the next few months and I won't have to end up running around bald-headed from having pulled my hair out! Well, I just wanted to pop in, say hello, and let you know that I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth(yet). I hope you all are doing well and I look forward with eager excitement to catching up with all our old familiar faces! Have a very blessed day!

Just a quick hello!

I'll apologize for not being around lately, but I have been under a lot of stress with trying to get ready for the move and trying to find a place to live. To top that all off, they moved up our moving date to the 1st of Sept....so we've been really having to scramble to get everything done. Got our pack-out dates today and I'm just ready to have all this over with! So please, keep us in your thoughts and prayers! Hopefully next time I get to write to you, I'll be in Virginia!!
Hope everyone is doing well!!

You go in for a couple strands of thread and walk out with a bargain...

You have to love walking into a store with the determination that you're only going to buy a couple of strands of embroidery floss and walking out with not only a really great deal on a metal shelf, but also some cute wall decor too! I bugged the dear husband earlier to come with me to the craft store to refill a couple colors of thread that I've been needing and while we were there, we browsed down the clearance isles. It was there we found this great piece:

It's normally priced at $50, but we were able to snag it for $17!!!! Believe me, I had to do a double take when I saw the price tag!The dear husband was really fond of this too and at 50% off, I couldn't say no!

I know that I probably shouldn't be buying more stuff right now, considering we've got the move coming up in about 5 weeks, but I just couldn't pass these up! Did I get some great bargains or what??

Congrats to the Winner!!

Well ladies and gents we have a winner!! Congratulations go out to Sandy @ http://newfie-girl.blogspot.com/ for being the winner of my giveaway contest.

Hope you'll really enjoy it Sandy and everyone else be on the look-out for another giveaway coming soon!

A quickie...

Just wanted to pop in for a quick little post to say hi and hello! Hope everyone out there is doing well. I actually had a good night tonight and am really looking forward to tomorrow afternoon. I've got a Dr. appt. then and I hope to be able to get back on my medication. I know for my dear husband's sake and heck, for my own sake...I need to stick with my meds and not allow myself to go off them. Speaking of the dear husband...poor guy came home feeling a bit under the weather, so at first I thought that any plans I'd had for going out would be nixed...however I sent him to bed to rest and decided that even if he couldn't go with me, there was no reason why I shouldn't still go alone. At the last minute though, I called up a friend of mine here and asked if she'd like to just go walking around Wal-Mart with me and when she agreed, I was glad I'd gone through with the impulse. It was so nice to be able to get out and have someone besides the dear husband to talk to. I haven't had a lot of that lately, so it was exactly like a breath of fresh air! It was even more productive too because she also happens to be the ombudsman for our squadron and she's going to help me get everything as organized for our move as possible! It's nice to have someone to help us that knows what she's doing!

Anyways, I hope you are all doing well and wanted to give you one last reminder about the giveaway on Saturday! Good luck to everyone!

Am I driving you crazy yet???

I know lately the only time I write is when I'm posting about some new thing that I've made, but honestly...it's just about the only thing I'm doing right now. It's been a lot of fun trying to make new things and seeing what I can come up with, but it's also been a way for me to kinda bury my head in the sand and not have to deal with some issues that aren't the most pleasant. Between the upcoming move(to which we haven't done enough towards), issues with my family, financial problems, and worrying about my pup's health...I just feel a need to escape. And I'll be honest, I'm working on trying to improve so that maybe I can use my needle crafting as a way to bring in a little extra income. So please, bear with me till I can get my head back on straight and once again start blogging about more than just the pillow I made or the embroidery I'm working on. With that being said, here's the two newest projects that I've completed:

Okay so I haven't exactly figured out just yet how I want to use this piece, but I've at least gotten this part of it done. I wanted a bit more of a challenge and it was fun to try and get all the little detailed lines in there.I made this mini-pillow with the idea in mind to start working on my blind stitch....which I'm terrible at! I'm just glad you can't see how badly I stitched the bottom of this poor pillow!

Well, that's it for now. I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend and please don't forget to put an entry in for my giveaway!

Finally another Giveaway!!!!

Well, I know that I've been talking about a giveaway for a couple of posts now and guess what...it's finally here! That's right ladies and gents this is the post where I ask that if you want to enter please send me one email only with " Hey I Want That" as the subject line and you'll be entered to win. The giveaway runs from today till August 1 and the winner will be chosen using a random number generator. Good luck !

Two New Completed Projects....

Just wanted to post these two new completed projects that I've been working on.

I've developed quite a little fascination with crows lately, so I made this as a throw pillow for my bed.

Getting a bit away from needle-crafting, I wanted to try to experiment with working on paint textures on wood and this is what I got with this piece. I think it's kinda fun:)

I also wanted to let you know to be on the lookout for a giveaway that I'll either be posting tonight or tomorrow. Hope ya'll have a great one!

Hello??? Whose may I ask is calling??

As I read through many of the blogs that I follow, I'm continually struck by how wonderfully unique and how clearly the person's personality comes through. I bring this up because I often question what my authentic voice is...am I being true to it...is it coming across as clearly as I would like? I know I'm not the cute, perky...so lucky to be -in-love-and-life kinda person...nor am I the serious dedicated writer or the witty, smart-mouthed hipster....so where oh where in this bloggy world of ours( and admittedly in the real world too) does that leave me?? It's so hard for me to find some type of semblance and say with surety that, " hey, this is me!" My interests can change as quickly as the breeze and something that I may be passionate about one minute, will be yesterday's news ,in the next. I swear sometimes that the only constant I've got in my life is the threat of sliding down into a depression that I can't drag myself out of.:( So ,I guess what I'm asking is how do I come across to you dear friends? I don't ask from any place in need of an ego trip...just wanting to try to bring some light of understanding to the dark caves of my ignorance. Maybe that really is a question better left unasked...but you know the old saying...A life left unexamined isn't worth living(or something along those lines....)

A place to go when you're feeling blue!

Living with bi-polarism isn't always easy and so often I have to face the downward slopes of depression that I can't seem to overcome. I get so wrapped up in the darkness that it's often hard to see any light at all and to be honest with you...I hate that! I hate how I focus only on the negative when there is so much that is positive in my life. I have to change that! I recently found a blog from a young woman that can only be described as refreshing, uplifting, and quite simply I love it. It's inspired me to do my best to not allow myself to wallow in all the things that I can't do, aren't going right, or that I don't have. So if you feel like you need a little shot of positive thinking please head on over and check out http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/ . You won't be disappointed!

So why has time stopped flying by???

It's funny how up until now, this year has flown by. I say funny, because now when I actually want it to hurry up and be September...it seems bound and determined to drag itself out. September is when we are scheduled to move to Virginia and surprisingly, I am actually beginning to really look forward to it. I suppose that stems somewhat from the fact that I know we HAVE to move and I'm looking forward to trying to find a new job, getting into school, and settling into someplace longer than 6 months. Everything is on hold right now too and the crazy thing is we still haven't even found a place to live! Oh I know there are certain things about Corpus Christi that I am going to miss, but for the past several weeks it's stopped feeling like home and that's left me feeling extremely antsy. Of course in the coming weeks, I'll probably look back on this post and end up kicking myself for wanting things to move faster, especially because everything tends to pile up one on top of the other! I just hope this move will go much more smoothly than the one down here did(here's hoping the movers won't break or lose anything else of mine!) So here's to counting down the days till September!!

A change in gifts....

So recently I posted a tote that I had originally planned to send to my mother-in-law and after giving it more thought, I decided that I didn't really think it was her. I talked to her some and after a post on facebook I finally came up with this:

Seeing as she has two sons in the Navy, I thought this was something that she would really appreciate. What do you guys think? I'm thinking of doing something similar for a give-away here...so your feedback would let me know if anyone would be interested. Hope you're all having a great weekend!

A rather bumbly post

Good morning my friends in blog world! Hope your week has been going great for you and that you've got a fun-filled weekend ahead of you. I've been having a blast lately, working on trying new crafts and browsing through several drool -worthy Etsy shops. At the risk of scaring you all off with using the dreaded "C" word in another post, I've decided that I'm going to try to make dolls for my nieces for Christmas. It'll be a fun challenge and I hope that they'll cherish the dolls as much as I cherish the one my great grandmother made for me. Speaking of dolls I want you to meet my first attempts at some funky Halloween buddies:

This is Max. He's one crazy black cat and I have to admit he's grown on me quite a bit since I made him.

This is Max and Edgar. Edgar was my first attempt and I thought he was going to turn out horribly, but surprisingly even with the bunching around the eyes(I need to get an embroidery hoop so that hopefully won't happen again) he ended up being pretty cute. What do you guys think?

Well I think that's all for today. I apologize for the rather bumbling post, but I'm too excited to sit here much longer and I'm ready to dive right back into working on new projects. Have a great one!

A Happy Birthday to my Mother-in-law...

I wanted to take a moment to wish my mother-in-law a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Okay so, she doesn't read my blog...some day she might and hey it'll be here! LOL! Anyways, even though it'll be late, I stayed up all night making her this tote:
It honestly looks better in person because my camera just can't capture the colors correctly. What do you think? I hope she'll like it.

Hello from a stranger!!

Hello my bloggy friends, I hope you all had great weekends and a nice start to this week!

I've been doing okay and I am praying that things will finally start to get some kind of order to them. We've been trying to convince my mother-in-law to come and live with us. She's become disabled and cannot work, drive a car, or really support herself. My poor husband has been really worried for her health and state of mind, but she wants to remain independent...and I can understand that. It's a delicate situation and we only want what is best for everyone involved.

I do ask that you all pray or send good thoughts to my little dog, Pepper. The other day my dear husband found a lump on her hindquarter's and so we are trying to get a vet appointment to see what it could be. We love our little pup as much as we would a child, so please keep her in your thoughts.

We've also begun our apartment search for our move to Virginia. It's coming up in the middle of Sept. and to tell you the truth, I am more than ready to just get it over with. I love it here in Corpus Christi, but since I know I can't stay...I've begun to detach myself some. So please send out your prayers and thoughts that we'll be able to find a new place that we can call home!

Thankfully, it hasn't been all doom and gloom here lately! I know some of you may not want to hear the "C" word just yet, but my dear husband and I decided that this year, we are going to make all our ornaments for our Christmas tree. I've even gotten a bit of a start and plan to do mittens, hearts, stars, and stockings. I think it's going to be fun and I might even make a few as Christmas presents this year. The great part about it is, they are inexpensive(I use felt) and easy to make. What do you think? I'm also working on a project for a giveaway...so stay tuned for that!

Well, I guess I'll close for today. If I don't get back before the rest of the week passes by, know I am thinking about you all and I hope you have a fantastic week!

An indulgence to be asked for and an afternoon visitor...

I know that I have promised to be around a bit more often and that I have not yet carried through with that promise, so I have to apologize for that. The dear husband and I have been having some difficulties that we are having to deal with and they have been enough to keep me away a good deal. I do miss all my bloggy friends and I hope to get back to regularly visiting with you all sooner rather than later. Now for my afternoon visitor:I let the pups out for a bathroom break and found that we had a lovely visitor for the afternoon. This pretty moth was nestled up on the beam of the patio's roof. Seeing him, I had to hurry to find my camera so that I could share him with you all. Fortunately my dear husband was able to make it home before he left, so he was able to visit with our new friend too.Our little visitor flew off sometime later in the evening and I am glad that he stopped in for awhile. Well my friends, I need to get busy with some things...just know that I cherish each and everyone of you and I will try to be back soon! Hope all is well with you!

Something for my niece....

So feeling inspired recently I headed to the craft store to snag some supplies for making my niece a tote where she can carry around all her little treasures and here it is:This is the front

I did her intials on the back.

What do you think???

Is She a Zombie???

No...I haven't died(though at times I felt like I wished I could)....I just haven't had internet access for a bit. I hope you all are doing well and I'll be back to share in your bloggy lives and get caught up, just as soon as I can. Right now though...sleepy time! Have a great one!

Some Poetry for you

I am not very inspired today so I thought I would leave you with two poems by one of my favorite poets, Edna St. Vincent Millay:

First Fig

by Edna St. Vincent Millay
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!

EXILED
Searching my heart for its true sorrow, This is the thing I find to be:That I am weary of words and people, Sick of the city, wanting the sea;
Wanting the sticky, salty sweetness Of the strong wind and shattered spray;Wanting the loud sound and the soft sound Of the big surf that breaks all day.
Always before about my dooryard, Marking the reach of the winter sea,Rooted in sand and dragging drift-wood, Straggled the purple wild sweet-pea;
Always I climbed the wave at morning, Shook the sand from my shoes at night,That now am caught beneath great buildings, Stricken with noise, confused with light.
If I could hear the green piles groaning Under the windy wooden piers,See once again the bobbing barrels, And the black sticks that fence the weirs,
If I could see the weedy mussels Crusting the wrecked and rotting hulls,Hear once again the hungry crying Overhead, of the wheeling gulls,
Feel once again the shanty straining Under the turning of the tide,Fear once again the rising freshet, Dread the bell in the fog outside,--
I should be happy,--that was happy All day long on the coast of Maine!I have a need to hold and handle Shells and anchors and ships again!
I should be happy, that am happy Never at all since I came here.I am too long away from water. I have a need of water near.

Some food for thought!

If you watch the news at all ,or read the paper, or get your 411 over the web...then I am sure that you have heard about the situation brewing in Iran. I don't know how you feel, but I have not been able to get the Iranian people out of my head and have been glued to my T.V. watching for any new developments. A flood of mixed emotions is flowing through me and my feelings run the gamut of hope, fear, and helplessness. It makes me feel humbled and proud of the people who are risking their very lives to stand up and say..." NO! This is not right...we are tired of your harshness, your oppression, your ignoring our basic rights. We will be heard!" I am even more proud of seeing the great numbers of women that are right there marching with the men. I fear for them too though and wish that a corrupt regime was not resorting to violence to try and crush these brave people. I suppose though, that's one of the very reasons these men and women are marching in the first place! I also hope and pray that this won't have all been in vain and that some positive outcome can be produced. I feel helpless though because all I know to do right now and sit and watch and pray. It really has touched me because here in America each and everyone of us has been given the freedom to claim our basic human rights, and it angers and saddens me to know that there are people out there suffering under the cruel thumbs of dictators. What I believe I will take away from this moment in time is, a desire and a determination to in some way reach out to those that are oppressed, down-trodden, and stripped of their rights to life. I hope too that in even some small way, you'll join with me in a movement to show those who are suffering under the cruel hand of oppression that there are those out here that want to help...that care about each and everyone of them!

I've got a million and one things to tell you...okay maybe just 5!

I'll go ahead and ask your forgiveness for the yo-yoing I will probably be doing with this post. I feel as if I have a million and one things that I want to tell you all about, but I'll try to keep it into some kind of cohesive whole.

1.) My mom and I have been discussing the possibility of she and my niece coming down for a week. I would enjoy this beyond measure and hope that we'll find a way to make it happen. My niece has been telling my mom that she really wants to come see me and you can probably tell how much that gets to a big ole' softy like me. The dear husband and I have been so inspired by the idea that they might come see us, that we have decided to write and illustrate a fairytale with my niece as the heroine. I'll keep you up to date on how that turns out.

2.)I've decided to do my own little summer reading project and, as silly as this may sound, I'm hoping to be able to have read 100 books by the 14th of Sept. I've got 5 down so far and I just started on the 14th of this month. So wish me luck! It maybe over-stretching just a bit, but hey ya gotta have a goal...right?!

3.)A few of the books I've been reading have really begun a process of self-reflection, culminating in a moment of clarity this morning. I've been trying to figure out why I allowed myself to gain back almost all of the 100+ lbs that I had lost a year or two ago and why I still haven't gotten my sorry self back into school. I realized they both have a common problem at their roots...namely that I'm afraid. Now I know that may sound strange to you, but I've never really been one to take chances, rock the boat, or done well with big changes and I realize now, that I have allowed certain things to happen as a way of letting me off of what I really want. As crazy as it may sound, I think secretly the idea of actually achieving the life- long dream I've had of being a healthy weight sent me reeling and scrambling for the other direction. It's also allowed me to criticize myself, as I've always done, for failing myself. I think it's so ironic that the very thing I seem to want the most...a chance to really live...is the thing I'm running from the fastest. I'm tired of running though and I'm tired of allowing every single thing I do to be controlled by fear...fear of the unknown, fear of what could and should be. So, I've decided to do my best to pick myself back up, shake myself off, and go for it! It's gonna be baby steps I'm sure, but I know I can do it. And to show you how serious I am about this, when the dear husband gets home, I'm gonna have him take some pictures of me so that I can have some before and after and even as much as it may kill me to post them, I'm gonna. I think of it as a way of helping to hold me responsible to myself and to you for going through with something that I really need to! Besides...who doesn't want to be eye candy on their husband's arm?? LOL!

4.)As I go about trying to make the physical changes that I need to, I also have to take care of my mental health as well. I am bi-polar and I know this and I also know that I need to be on medication to control it and help me not to hit those ups and downs that would cause me to fail. So, in order to have an over-all sense of well being, I am determined to start making sure that I regularly take my medication. I want to set myself up to succeed, not leave an open door for failure to slip in.

5.) Which brings me to my final point and I'll try to be as brief as possible. I have decided to start up a new love affair...that's right...I said a NEW love affair. I've decided that it's time that I actually start courting myself a little bit....take a chance to get to know who I am and what I want from life...what I truly enjoy and what I can do without. So, I'm not only going to be going on dates with my husband, but starting this weekend(probably tomorrow night) I'm gonna take myself out on a date with myself. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do just yet, maybe I'll just get myself a nice bottle of wine and have a sunset picnic...who knows...but I'm sure it'll be fun! Oh and flowers...I'll have to get flowers...I know I love em! LOL!

Well, I hope that hasn't been too silly or rambly for ya. I hope each and everyone of you have a fantastic weekend and don't forget to take a little time to pamper yourself! Oh and I'll post those pictures as soon as I can take em!

Unexpected blessings....

I've been having a hard time trying to figure out exactly how I want to start this, so I think the best way will be just to say Thank-you! Thank-you to my 4 year-old niece Elena, for sending me these really cute pictures that she drew just for her Uncle Paul and me. They're gonna hang right next to my inspiration board and I know that every time I look at them, I'll have a big, goofy grin spreading all over my face. I hope that you'll enjoy the mermaid picture your Uncle Paul and I are working on for you. I love you so much baby girl!

Thank you Shauna over at http://trying2staycalm.blogspot.com/ for the book I won. It came in the mail today and I'm really looking forward to diving right into the middle of it. Thank-you hun for having such great giveaways! May you be truly blessed!

And finally, Thank-you Angie at http://angie-ledbetter.blogspot.com/ for picking my caption as one of the winners! I am truly honored and very thankful for being allowed that privilege. It means a lot to me and I look up to you as a writing mentor. Thank-you again!

I hope you all will be blessed this week with unexpected blessings!

Adventures in the backyard!

I want to first wish each and everyone of you a good morning! I hope that your weekends have been filled with all the wonderful bits that make life worth living!

The dear husband and I have had quite a lot of fun around here. Yesterday afternoon we(okay so mostly him) set up the tent in our backyard for the first of what will hopefully become our summer-monthly outdoor movie/camp-out night.

I have to confess that I absolutely love our little tent. The roof is a sheer screen and it allows you to lay back and stare straight up at all the stars(which we did with utter delight!) And oh yeah, it does have a covering you can put over to keep the rain out...so put your worries to rest...we shouldn't drown....I hope!

I had to take the cutesy picture of me and our tent... it wouldn't be me without trying to fit in some kind of cutesy picture! Oh and um yeah, we let the grass grow so high to give us that jungle feeling...yeah that's it...jungle atmosphere!

For any respectable outdoor movie/camp out, you have to have cracker jacks(or the equivalent). Did I mention that you will have to watch out for wild puppies though? Somehow they can sense when caramel-covered popcorn is in the vicinity and they come right out of the wood work!

And just because you need a morning after shot here it is...

We had a really great time and even if we weren't off camping in the great wild somewhere, we still got to sleep beneath the stars! What makes it worthwhile is being with someone you love and the new memories that you make. Plus, who wouldn't love waking up to a sunrise like this???

Some pictures of the pier

Some of you asked that I post pictures of the pier where I like to walk to in the evenings. So tonight ,I took along the camera and here are the results. The wind was really whipping out there and my poor ole camera isn't the best, so the shots aren't going to be of the highest quality. Hope you enjoy them anyway!

This is the pier, obviously! LOL!

See...Gold and silver!!

I've loved this boat and I'm going to have to go around sometime during the day to get better shots of it!

A friendly little visitor that I took about a million pictures of and only this one turned out! LOL!