I need a racquet ball court

Last Sunday, Indy woke up in pain and with a lymph node the size of a small egg. I thought it probably had to do with his ears, Bomb thought it might be a tooth. Either way, I advised her if it was not gone by the following morning she would probably need to take him to the doctor.

After she left for work, he finally agreed to some Tylenol and was feeling better in no time at all. Bomb called that afternoon to say that she was leaving work and was going to take him to Sacred Heart emergency room for a look see. And it was a good thing she did.

According to the doctor he had a rare (but not unheard of nor untreatable) bacterial infection of the mastoid sinus and lymph nodes. They started with an aggressive regiment of antibiotics and predisone. He has to take the Septra twice a day for 10 days, the predisone twice a day for 5 and had to have daily injections of rocephin.

Between the injections and the predisone, he has been bouncing off the walls, literally. A non-stop whirlwind of trouble. At 4 years old and just a few inches shy of 4 foot (I just measured him and he is 3'10"), it is difficult, to say the least, to control him when he gets his gander up.

There have been many late nights for both Bomb and myself this week and early mornings. It has even taken a toll on me and I am use to late nights and early mornings.

The upside is he is feeling much, much better and the swelling is gone. Crossing our fingers that next week will settle down as he will be off the predisone and rocephin.

Guga's Brother (c)Dani Alencar; Adore wordart (c)One Memory At A Time; template by Galiscrap; Fonts: Century Gothic

Blog Prompt - How do you feel

about celebrating your birthday?

If we get to celebrate at my most favorite Japanese restaurant, then I am all for celebrating my birthday. If not, then it doesn't matter one way or the other to me. I don't care about receiving presents. Help around the house, yes... :)

Sweet Nothings (c)Dancing Princess Designs

An Award :)

From time to time there are some special people who come into your life. People you can relate to right from the beginning and feel like you have known them your entire life. That's how I feel about NiNi of Creative Rhapsody. So you can imagine how I felt when I received the above award from her. Thanks NiNi. (and for you cuisine connoisseurs, you must take a gander at her blog "Tasty Scraps")

The rules are that you have to link back to the person who nominated you & pass the award onto 7 other blogs that give you inspiration and link to them too. Now to pass it on to 7 people that inspire me...

VW Bug
Linda
Mrs. Who
Yin

I'll have to post some more in a little while. :)

Blog Prompt - What needs cleaning

in your house?

You mean besides the entire house? My bedroom could probably use a really good cleaning. The living room needs to have the tools put up and the dust vacuumed from when Pan redid the wiring; as well as the mantle needing to be painted. And he needs to go ahead and build the dvd/bookcase for me and paint it. The Princess will unload the dishwasher when she gets home from school and then I will reload it, but the kitchen floor should be scrubbed sometime soon. At least there are no toys scattered over the living room again. Apparently Indy and The Princess now believe I am serious when I tell them to pick up.

Rustic Fields (c)Doreen Stolz; Template by Andrea Gold; Font: Arial

Blog Prompt - How important

is rest and relaxation to you?

Very important, but I don't seem to get enough of it lately, LOL. Don't know if it is old age creeping up or that my internal body clock has gotten messed up. It has gotten more and more difficult to get to sleep before 1 or 2 in the morning. Then, most mornings, I have to be up, or am woken up, before 7 a.m.

I keep telling myself I will catch up on Wednesdays, Fridays or Sundays, but it just never seems to happen. I'm going to do it this weekend though, right? Right? :)

Dream It Be It (c)Doreen Stolz; My True Valentine alpha (c)Dani Alencar; Template by Andrea Gold; Font: Arial

Blog Prompt - I spend a lot

of time online because...

I don't spend that much time online anymore. I write on my blog, upload layouts to my galleries, read my favorite blogs and once a week I try to check for new templates and sketches. Other than templates, I don't download as many freebies as I once did. In fact, I'm culling through them now and trying to organize the ones I want to keep. Arrrgghhh... :)

NOTE to Linda: The blog prompts are for anyone who is interested and wants to participate. You are more than welcome to answer it in the comments or even make a post of it on your blog.

For those who are interested, the photos in the layout below are taken using my "studio light" (the $18 dollar halogen work light). Not professional but good enough for me.


Such a Girl (c)Veronica Hurly; template by Amber Reimer; Font: Arial

Blog Prompt - My 10 favorite movies

Oh, this is a hard one, because I have so many, but I will give it a go. These are not necessarily in order of preference.

1. Harry Potter movies (Daniel Radcliffe)
2. Tin Man (Neal McDonough)
3. Independence Day (Will Smith)
4. On the Beach (Gregory Peck)
5. 12 Angry Men (Henry Fonda)
6. Fail Safe (Henry Fonda)
7. The first two Mummy movies (Brendan Fraiser)
8. Horatio Hornblower (Gregory Peck)
9. The Librarian movies (Noah Wyle)
10. Hellfighters (John Wayne)

Adventurous Spirit (c)Amy Leighs; Patricia Komara (template); Fonts: Digs My Hart, Holyrose Sale

What is a grandparent?

(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.

A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don't have to be smart.

They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.

They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

A 6-year old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the airport."

Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart as him!

It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.

Template by M Originals; Qhapaq Nan by Fran; Font: Franklin Gothic Medium

It's the Oscars

You Would Win Best Director

You are a mastermind with a great plan. You can visualize what you want in life. You are good at leading people and helping them do what you want. You are an excellent coach and teacher. You are a hard worker, and you're willing to see a project to completion - no matter how difficult it gets. You have the both capacity and drive to be an amazing director. Most importantly, you have the vision that's needed.

What Would You Win an Oscar For?

Sorry Mother

For a change my layout below and my story seem to coincide. Poor Indy (poor me) had a rough haul last weekend.

It has been years since I really blew my stack and last Saturday I did. I had asked and asked for the kids to pick their toys up in the living room. We had planned on a movie night with pizza picnic on the living room floor. But after I ordered the pizza I walked out to see them both laying on the floor... doing nothing. Their excuse was they were too tired.

While I blew worse than Mount St. Helen. I sent them to bed. But then I thought about it more and made them come back out and sit at the end of the hall where they could watch me putting all their toys into garbage bags. The Princess did not say a word but the tears just kept rolling down her checks. Indy cried and howled about his toys and how he wanted them, but wasn't willing to stop crying to put them up.

After getting everything picked up and the living room vacuumed, I gave them another opportunity to put their toys up. The Princess quickly jumped on the chance (she was told that she could only put away her toys from the garbage bag) and within minutes everything was put away and she was cleaning up their bedroom to boot. She got kudos and to pick out the movie for movie night.

Indy was still in bed when the pizza arrived and I called him out to eat his while Pan and Zoe were trying to figure out if the black spot was from the movie or on the projector. He refused so in bed he got to stay. Fixing the Princess', Pan's and my plates, we started the movie and eating. From the bedroom, we could hear "help me," "help me". I went back to see what the problem was. He wanted to come out. "Not until you put up your toys." Back to crying. Back to the movie. Soon... "help me," "help me."

"What is the matter now?"

"I want you to sleep wit me."

"No way Hosea."

Leave room AND close the door.

At this point this has been going on for more than an hour. Constant crying, no stopping...

"Help me," "help me."

Back to the bedroom... "Come on out."

"Please hold me?"

Cradling him, I carried him back to the living room, sat him down and went to fix his dinner.

The next day when I told them to pick up, they were at it pronto. Indy singing "Clean, clean, clean, clean." Guess something got through.

But Sunday night proved to be as much a challenge for Indy as Saturday had been. His mommy got home early from work and had the evening to spend with him. They were playing on her computer when he started to jump up and down on the bed, breaking the prong to the power strip off in the wall.

I was getting up to get something to drink when I saw him in the kitchen repeating over and over again "Sorry Mother." Yep it sounded like he was capitalizing both words. Now at the time I did not know about the power strip. All I could see was him taking a pitcher of Koolaid out of the fridge that was nearly as big as he was. Rushing to help, he dropped it just as I got there. Koolaid all over the floor and in the fridge. Out comes mommy, chewing him out all over again. And the mantra starts again "Sorry Mother."

While she is cleaning up the pitcher (plastic, thank goodness), I'm cleaning up the floor and refrigerator. When I look up, Indy is trying to pass me when he slips on the mess. Legs fly in the air and he lands on his arm. His mother turns around and all she sees is him lying on the floor and starts in again. He gets up, runs to the back with me in pursuit asking to see his arm. My daughter is right behind me asking what had happened. When I told her that he had slipped and wasn't playing around this time, she scooped him up in her arms and forgave him all his transgressions that night.

And while the actual details of the night may one day dim in my memory, hearing him say "Sorry Mother, Sorry Mother," over and over again never will.

Template by ViVa Artistry; Saturday in the Park (c)Linda Walton; Font(s): Jefferson, Latha

Blog Prompt - Describe a special project

you may be working on right now.

Special project, huh? Well that probably would be the personal studio I putting together to take portraits of the grands from time to time. I have the lights, the sheets to diffuse the lights and, of course, the camera and tripod. Mom has gathered some fabric for me to use as backdrops (just as soon as I pick it up from her house). And I still need to get some dashboard savers for directing the light. A single work light would be a good investment, I think. They are less than $10 and I already have a hook in the ceiling to hang it from (before your minds start slipping too far, it is for the Christmas tree).

I have been having fun with what I have so far and even the photographer at the newspaper was pretty impressed. Speaking of photos, I just found the dvd with the Christmas pictures my sister took. I'll have to take a look at them in a moment or two. Um, after I finish this.

(Mom, thanks for the tip. I ran this through word and there was nary a mistake in it, spelling or otherwise.)

Amanda Carlson (template); Cherry Cheesecake (c)A work in Progress; Fonts: Digs My Hart, Broken 15

Blog Prompt - List things

You've always wanted to do that you haven't done (yet)

And at this point, probably will never try, LOL. Skydiving would top my list of something that I wanted to do, but haven't. I got to ride on the autobahn (my sister drove) which was another thing I wanted to do. And I learned they do have speed limits. Just about anything I have always wanted to do, I have. Oh, oh, oh. I know one. I would like to go back to Rapid City, SD, one day. I was born there and would like to see it. May be go to Rome, Ireland and back to Germany. Actually those are places I would like to see, not really something to do, huh? Oh well, I am sure I could find something to do while at each place... Museums, ruins, etc.

Brenda Miller (template);Be My Tweetheart 09/08 daily download (c)Sarah Meyer and Cherie Shields; Font: Filoex Girls

Blog Prompt: Is writing

in your blog a form of self therapy?

In one word... No. I don't really know why I do it, other than my sister was so excited about it when she got me started. I really like doing the blog prompts as it makes me think about things I normally would not think about. And it gives me a change to post my layouts for family and friends to see that I would not be able to share otherwise (okay, I guess I could email them, but at least here they aren't forced to look upon them, LOL).

Things I would need therapy even of the self-help type, I would never share on such an open forum. And as to if I even need therapy, do you think I would tell you? :)


Brenda Miller (template); Homemade Memories (c)DigiDiva; Font: Summertime

Blog Prompt: What is in your car trunk

or the back of your family van?

This should be easy. A towel, a beach chair and various beach related items. None of which belong to me. I went out one day and there they were. I guess I can claim them as my own since they have now been there for nearly 3 months and no one else has claimed them.

Actually I know who they belong to and if I ever get up the gumption (or just remember), I'll take them out and hide them. Bwahhh hahahahahaha.....

Tea Garden (c)Amy Sumrall; template by Meredith; Fonts: Clingy, Dreamed About You

Another Mrs. Who Quiz

I am a Canna "You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that." What Flower Are You?

If you had to donate

one million dollars to any charity, which one would it be and why?

CAC, the Children's Advocacy Center. If we are to make improvements in society we have to start with children. And those most in need are not necessarily those across an ocean from us, but here at home. The abused and neglected children. Those with parents who do not even care enough to see the children are feed and clothed properly. Who do not show any love or concern unless it is to their advantage.

The National Children's Advocacy Center (NCAC) is a non-profit organization that provides training, prevention, intervention and treatment services to fight child abuse and neglect. (NCAC website)

My Manly Valentine (c) Jennifer Barrette, Wendy Page, Connie Prince; Template by Andrea Gold

How Smart is Your Right Foot?

1. Without anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY......) and while sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction. I told you so!!! And there's nothing you can do about it! You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try it again, if you've not already done it.

Merlot at Midnight alpha (c)Michelle Swadling; Apple Orchard kit (c)Colie's Corner; Template by Michelle Filo - Pencil Lines

From the Mouths

of Children. About oceans:

This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly, age 6)

Oysters' balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)

If you are surrounded by ocean you are an island. If you don't have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (Wayne, age 7)

Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)

A dolphin breaths through an as-hole on the top of its head. (Billy, age 8)

My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6)

When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn't blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7)

Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)

I'm not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy, age 6)

Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves into chargers. (Christopher, age 7)

When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)

Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can't go down alone, so they have to go down on each other.(Becky, age 8)

On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water fired right up her big fat as-s. (Julie, age 7)

The Ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don't drown I don't know. (Bobby, age 6
)
My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn't know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)

Merlot at Midnight kit (c)Michelle Swadling; Font: JaneAusten

The Thinker

Odd how some things work out... I think this one has me pegged :)

Your Word is "Think"

You see life as an amazing mix of possibilities, ideas, and fascinations. And sometimes you feel like you don't have enough time to take it all in. You love learning. Whether you're in school or not, you're probably immersed in several subjects right now. When you're not learning, you're busy reflecting. You think a lot about the people you know and the things you've experienced.

What's Your Word?

Template by Michelle Filo; Cool Like That kit (c)Colie's Corner; Fonts: Holyrose Sale, Jane Austen

Are you superstitious?

Apparently not, according to the Princess who is all up in arms this morning because it's Friday the 13th and I wasn't overly concerned. But maybe I should have been. I just noticed that she left for school without her Valentine's cards which I will now have to take up to the school in a few minutes. Now is that bad luck for her or for me, since I am the one who has to make a trip to the school.

Template by kaledain, based on the layout "Alina" by Manuela; Sweetheart Cluster Pack (c)Connie Prince; Font: Porcelain

You have to bring some food

to a party. What's it going to be?

Chicken salad stuffed cherry tomatoes or celery stuffed with cream cheese. Both are pretty easy to make and look nice (especially if you do both of them on the same platter). Years ago I use to have a recipe for pickled cauliflower that was a big hit. But these days I go for easy but still homemade.

Lovey Buggies (c)Kristin Aagard; Template by Dawn Inskip; Fonts: all used up, Misproject

If I had 24 hours to evacuate

my home before it was to be destroyed by a hurricane, what 10 things would I grab (not including people or pets)

Guess I can tell what is on Tammy's mind, LOL. Yep, it is getting on to that time again. As for me the 10 items would be:

1. My purse
2. any medication that one of us may be on
3. cellphone
4. camera
5. as many pictures as I could fit in the truck
6. cpu & external hard drives
7. all the spare change/cash laying around
8. the televisions
9. pillows
10. my Tink blanket

I tried to put them in order as to what I would leave behind if I had (#10 being the first to be left behind, etc.) The first 4 are givens. They would go no matter what.

Color Revolution Ravishing in Red (c)Connie Prince; Template (c)Brenda Miller; Font: Selfish

A Mrs. Who Meme

The House of Zathras has come up with a dozy of a meme and here I am to try it out. Do be aware that some of the answers are, um, questionable.

Rules: Go to urbandictionary.com and type in your answers to the following questions. Post the first definition it gives you.

1. Your name: Wouldn't you like to know

A sweet beach

2. Your age: 52

A sexual position, which I won't describe here

3. One of your friends: Myrean

Not defined

4. What you should be doing: Sleeping

a mystical kind of magic which sends u to an alternate plane of existence in which the magical gremlins give u pro plus

5. Favorite color: Periwinkle

1. Any of several small, often edible marine snails, having thick, cone-shaped, whorled shells.
2. A pale purplish-blue color.

6. Birthplace: Rapid City

A pretty cool town on the Western side of South Dakota, and on the Eastern side of The Black Hills. Population is about 60,000 people. Most all of my friends live here and I'm really gonna miss the town when I leave

. 7. Your nickname: Tink

A bum, Hobo, Homeless person, Gypsies or someone who dresses scruffily.
1."Stay away from those Tinks"
2."Instead of throwing those clothes away, give them to the tinks"
3." Look at you, you look like a tink...go and get changed.

8. Your birth month: August

The idea of perfection. The 8th Month of the year in certain European and Asian cultures signifies greatness in achieving perfection, or something close to it.

Template (c)Andrea Gold; Bohemia (c)Veronica Hurley; Font: Mr. Wade

A new day, a new header

And the kids will be home sometime today. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss them. I did. Terribly. But it was nice to have a week to ourselves (sans the cat). To watch what we wanted to watch. To read what we wanted to read. Yep, it's been nice, but it will be nicer to have them home.

Template by Christy Skaggs; L'annee nouvelle d'hiver collab kit (c)GDS designers

What foods do you keep out of sight?

Avocados. And not for the reason you might think. I have to hide them to keep everyone else's hands off them. Same goes for lettuce and tomatoes. Bring any of these items into the house and they are usually gone within 15 minutes. Celery, oranges, bananas also top the list of items that don't last long. Yet we have boxes of single portion crackers and cookies that have been in the cabinet for nearly a month. There is a cauldron still have full of sealed candy from Halloween but when anyone gets hungry for an after school or work snack, it's to the refrigerator for a sandwich or fruit.


Brenda Miller (template); DigiDiva (Homemade Memories); Font: Summertime

New Toys

Like most scrapbookers, I really enjoy photography and learning new techniques. One of the things I wanted to do was to take near studio quality photos of the grandchildren for framing. But buying all the equipment was just beyond what I wanted to spend for something I would not be using very often.

Then I found this article, "Putting Together a Budget DIY Lighting System" and all of a sudden, maybe studio like photos would be in my purview. And maybe I can even afford to pick up Adobe's Lightroom making saving in RAW a viable option.

I picked up the twin lamp worklight for less than $20, but when you added in the bright white bulbs it pushed it up to nearly $30. Still a deal when you think about it. I still have to pick up some of the other items, but I'm checking for sales :)

To try out the lights, the Princess agreed to be my guinea pig. (She really looks like she's not enjoying it, huh?) We had so much fun together and all we really used was a step ladder. Anyway, you can see some of the results. I did have to do a little tweeking, but not much.

Blog Prompt - Did you go to college

or have vocational training - where and when?

I attended a couple of years of college in NW Florida, getting the prerequisites behind me, then I got married. I did finally go back for evening classes in accounting but ended as a legal assistant for nearly ten years getting my training on the go so to speak. After marrying Pan, I worked as a construction secretary for many a year. When they sold there business I went to work for a newspaper as a receptionist. Within a year I had learned the graphic portion of it so began their graphic artist and office manager.

So while I had some college, it really didn't play a role in my work. And the vocational training in accounting came in handy, but until recently was a relatively small portion of what I did.

Stitches (c)Lisa Carter; Rustic Fields (c)Doreen Stolz; Font: Porcelain

Blog Prompt: Can you survive without e-mail?

How has it changed your life?

Well, I think the last several months has proved that I can successfully live without email. I, even now, have a hard time remembering to check it consistantly.

As far as how it has changed my life... I think it has kept me more in touch with family members who live far away. I enjoy getting email telling me that Honey has uploaded more pictures of the Ballerina for me to download and see. Pictures that would have taken days even weeks to get, I see immediately.

But perhaps the better question should be... Could I survive without my cellphone. LOL

Template by Made By Mitzi; A Breath of Nature by Verena Karolyi; Fonts: Misproject; Baby Boston

Blog Prompt: One thing I want to accomplish TODAY is...

Well at this point I have pretty much accomplished it. But if I had written this earlier it would have been to go to work, get it done and come home.

I have gone to work, got it done, went to the bank and now I am at home. In a couple of hours I will go pick the Princess up from school and spend time helping her with her homework. See if her dad would like to stay for movie night when he gets her. Cook dinner (and since it is all frozen dinners tonight, that ought to be easy enough, right? LOL).

But the thing I would really like to accomplish TODAY is .... Go to bed earlier. We'll see how that goes.


Brenda Miller (template); DigiDiva (Homemade Memories); Font: Summertime

Speaker wires, backpacks and movies

Busy, busy weekend. First the grands all left to spend a week with their respective fathers. Pan decided to run the speaker wire for our surround sound through the wall instead of have it stapled in the corners of the ceiling. Last week he built a mantle (uhmmmm, he was suppose to paint it this weekend). Daughter's ex came by to pick up the Princess' backpack for school and ask me to pick her up after school this week. No real problem since I pick her up anyway. It will also give me and her some one on one time to work on her homework and to watch tv together. In fact, one night this week when her dad comes to pick her up, he may just stay so we can have a family movie night together. I hope that works out, the Princess would be thrilled.


Brenda Miller (template); DigiDiva (Homemade Memories); Font: Summertime

Boy friends vs. BOYfriends

Indy is such a treat to have around most times. Point in fact was yesterday. His mother was trying to get him ready to go spend the week with his father. As Indy bounced around, he jumped onto her lap wanting to know where her "guy" was. "What guy are you talking about?" she inquired. "You know, your BOYfriend." "Do you mean 'C'," she asked. "Yes, 'C', your BOYfriend." She replied, "He is just a friend, he is not my boyfriend." "YES HE IS YOUR BOYfriend." Guess she is lucky he is visiting his dad this week when 'J' comes to visit. :)


Brenda Miller (template); DigiDiva (Homemade Memories); Font: Summertime