Bailing out of 2008

My favorite way to ring in the New Year. . . Dave Barry style. Happy New Year!!



"How weird a year was it? Here's how weird:
► O.J. actually got convicted of something.
► Gasoline hit $4 a gallon - and those were the good times.
► On several occasions, "Saturday Night Live" was funny.
► There were a few days there in October when you could not completely rule out the possibility that the next Treasury Secretary would be Joe the Plumber.
► Finally, and most weirdly, for the first time in history, the voters elected a president who - despite the skeptics who said such a thing would never happen in the United States - was neither a Bush NOR a Clinton.
Of course, not all the events of 2008 were weird. Some were depressing. The only U.S. industries that had a good year were campaign consultants and foreclosure lawyers. Everybody else got financially whacked. Millions of people started out the year with enough money in their 401(k)s to think about retiring on, and ended up with maybe enough for a medium Slurpee.
So we can be grateful that 2008 is almost over. But before we leave it behind, let's take a few minutes to look back and see if we can find some small nuggets of amusement. Why not? We paid for it, starting with ...
JANUARY
... which begins, as it does every four years, with presidential contenders swarming into Iowa and expressing sincerely feigned interest in corn."

You can read the rest here.

Oops I Did it Again

[It's re-run time folks. I posted this story last year, but it's still a fun memory for me just the same. Merry Christmas! ~cn]

I was thinking of some of our fun family memories of Christmas pasts. Of course there's always the "Christmas Tree Fell Over, and Broke All My Favorite Radko Ornaments" story. You can probably guess who was responsible for that memorable moment. Yes, it was our infamous outside cat, Friendly (and no, he's not) who found his way into the house yet again and discovered a prime scratching post which happened to be our tree. (no poo this time; just broken glass, water, pine needles, and yellow and orange cat fur.) Apparently our tree stand was not designed to withstand 18 pound cat ornaments.
Another fun memory was what I call my "Norman Rockwell Meets Nurse Ratchet" story. One Christmas Eve several years ago, I was finishing up my last Christmas preparations. I'd ushered my husband off with the oldest 3 kids to deliver some home baked goodies to neighbors. My youngest, who was about 4 at the time, was quietly playing in our den with her newly acquired doctor kit which she'd received from a neighbor. And I was merrily baking a few last batches of Christmas cookies. (As a very astute and now experienced mom, I'd already warned my daughter that only the REAL vet can take the cat's temperature--a preemptive strike, so to speak, against any pre-schooler veterinary malpractice.) Anyway, as the radio softly played Christmas music in my snug, sweet-smelling kitchen, I put the last batch of cookies in to bake. "Ahhhh," I thought as I sat down to savor the moment. "All is right with the world--I feel just like June Cleaver--what a Norman Rockwell moment." Reality came crashing in along with flailing arms and a toy stethoscope, and I heard, "Get outa my hospital!" as my daughter's baby doll came flying through the door into the kitchen. Apparently, the doll was uninsured. This is probably one time Friendly was glad that he remembered that he is an outside cat.

It Depends on What the Meaning Of Is, Is

[Editors note: Someone sent this story to me in a email.]

"In an AP government class, they were discussing the qualifications to be President of the United States. They are pretty simple: The candidate must be a natural born citizen and at least 35 years of age. One girl in the class immediately started complaining about how unfair the requirement to be a natural born citizen was. In short, her opinion was that this requirement prevented many capable individuals from becoming president. KC and the class were just taking it in and letting her rant, but everyone's jaw hit the floor when she wrapped up her argument by stating, 'What makes a natural born citizen any more qualified to lead this country than one born by c-section?'"

[As a mother of four of those unnaturally born citizens, I wholeheartedly concur. ~cn]

Sneak Peek

Just popping in to show a preview of what's coming December 13 over at Spooky Time Jingles. Check here for my Spooky stuff. And here for my Jingly stuff. Now off to work again. :)

Ciao~

Addendum: Here's the full view:

Busy Week!

So much to do. . . so little time.
:)

[Update!]

P.S. I did find time to enter Jenni B's awesome giveaway. She is having a drawing on December 7 for some of her wonderful faux dessert ornaments. And the very best part is that Martha Stewart herself actually photographed these same pieces for an upcoming book. Jenni B explains that she will give "THREE lucky winners one of the EXACT (not a copy!) ornaments Martha took home with her and touched with her own Queen of Crafting hands! Isn't this going to be fun?"

It's a good thing.

This. . .

. . . is what I found in my mailbox when I came home after only a few days out of town. Nineteen pieces of political junk mail. . . count 'em, nineteen. And I threw away a ton more of these before I even left town last week. It's ridiculous. My favorite in the picture above is the card with the finger pointing which tells me to "Give up, or fight back." Give up? Fight back? Is that a message to the likely voter or to the mailman for having to deal with so many extra pieces of mail? Poor guy. All this wasted paper (not to mention the overworked mail carriers) simply because we Georgians couldn't decide along with the rest of the country just who we wanted as our senator -- hopefully we'll be deciding it tomorrow in a run-off election.

And then there's all of the robo-phone calls we received in the past week or so. I've never been so popular! So far I've heard from at least one of the candidates, the candidate's wife, Sara Palin, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Fred Thompson, the NRA, the NRTL, the governor, and a few others I've never even heard of. When we returned on Sunday there were no less than 8 messages on the answering machine urging me not to forget to vote this Tuesday; and I've had at least 5 more calls today. I don't think I could forget to vote if I wanted to. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving. :)

You Get What You Pay For

Just when we thought it was safe to turn on the TV again, last week it was confirmed that there will be a run-off for senator in Georgia. What?! Are you kidding me?! Apparently our voters can't make a decision or maybe we are just gluttons for punishment. Do you people enjoy being bombarded with dozens of robo-calls?! And what about being subjected to the onslaught of the "I'm-not-really-being-negative-but-just-stating-the-record-he-says-she-says" political doomsday commercials?! Not to mention having a mailbox crammed with political junk mail?! Please, wake me up when it's over. I'll be hiding in blog-land until December 2.

And in other news~

I was tagged last month. And completely forgot about it until I was going through old emails. Here are the rules:

1. Write about 5 specific ways blogging has affected you, either positively or negatively. 2. Link back to the person who tagged you The Charm House 3. Link back to this parent post 4. Tag a few friends or five, or none at all 5. Post these rules— or just have fun breaking them.

Yep, just the kind of tag I like, the kind with no rules. You know by now, I'll not be tagging anyone else. I'm busy avoiding life. . .er. . . selecting our next senator.

But I will oblige part of the tag and relate how blogging has affected me:

Until about a year or so ago, I really didn't know much about the whole blog-world thing; I was busy raising our children, washing a million loads of laundry, and quite frankly, couldn't imagine why anyone would spend valuable laundry time sharing bits of their personal lives with complete strangers. But when I launched my website, I was encouraged to start a blog as a means of augmenting the e-biz. I wasn't even sure if I was young enough for the FaceSpace and MyBook generation, but true to form, I jumped right in head first and started this little piece of blog-land. It was a little sketchy at first, but I managed to figure out the mechanics with relative ease. (And by "relative ease" I mean fear, intimidation, and panic -- I had no idea I would be asked to decipher strange-looking letters to participate in this new network. Have you guys felt as stressed as I did trying to figure out those verification letters before posting a comment?! I swear I thought my eyesight was failing.)

Anyway, in order to make this blog-venture entertaining (for me as well as for anyone crazy enough to stop in and read it) I started writing about our crazy family life. With four kids, a myriad of dogs, an errant vampire bat in my laundry room, a rabid skunk, text-message shenanigans, my sad sewing skills, Homeland Security issues, mammograms, winning a turkey raffle, interesting news articles, and one 18 pound cat named Friendly . . . it seems that I had lots of material. I have found great joy (or maybe cheap therapy) by writing about our adventures. And amazingly, Dear Reader(s?) here you are!

Double the Fun!

Come one, come all! Spooky Time Jingles is listing new items TWICE in December, so stop over on December 1 and 13 for all of your handmade Christmas needs. (And besides, it's way better than trudging through the malls.)

More of The New Kids on the Blog

Oh yes, it's Spooky Time Jingles update day. Check it out here for the Spooky stuff. And here for the Jingly stuff.

Running Around Like a Chicken With It's Head Cut Off

I recently received this award called the "Superior Scribbler." It's always nice to be noticed. :) Thanks Michelle!

Here's a list of the rules:

1. Post the award on your blog.
2. Link me for giving it to you.
3. Link the originating post here
4. Pass the award on to five more deserving people.
5. Post these rules for your recipients

Now the part about passing it on. Oh. . . I'm so not good at this part. I guess it's the middle-child in me that finds it hard to pass along these sorts of things. There are so many in the blog-world that are deserving and it's simply hard to choose. It seems to be my lot in life. "Decisive" is definitely not my middle name.

For the record, when I was a kid, I was always "It." Not that I didn't enjoy a good race or a fun game of tag; I just couldn't ever seem to catch anyone. Oh there was always the easy pickings of the deer-in-headlights-kid or the kid on crutches who was more slow and awkward than I was. But everyone seemed to tag them-- they were always the go-to kids, the slow pokes. And I often just didn't have the heart to tag them too. Besides, it was just easier to run around half-heartedly chasing the others, so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. So, in keeping with my middle-kid, people pleaser heritage, I've chosen to just give some links for you, dear Readers, and not the "tags."

I have laughed out loud over the past months at some of the posts offered at these sites. Have fun: Momo Fali, The Pioneer Woman, Barking Mad, A Bit Squirrelly, The Mental Pause

(P.S. Some of these may be rated PG.)

(P.P.S. Alias Liz Jones, I didn't get a chance to wish you well before your 3.00 ran out at Typepad. So sorry to see you float off into the blog-o-sphere. And please be sure to send my regards to your chicken. See ya around.)

Thank You

A special note of thanks to the brave men and women who have served our nation. Happy Veteran's Day.

The Circle of Life

Gas prices are around $2 a gallon in our area. Woo Hoo -- road trip!!!

My Homage to Seinfeld

Or, in other words. . . a post about nothing. When all else fails, post a gratuitous picture of a kid or an animal. My arch nemesis, Friendly.

Love in Action

I am continually amazed at the character of the coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, Mark Richt. He and his wife are an inspiration.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Finally a chance today to catch up on blog-land. Whew, it's been one busy fall. I think I know how Santa must feel from September through December-- it's probably his busy season too. At least he has "people" to help in his workshop. My "people" include teenagers and an 18 pound cat who thinks he owns our house. (Come to think of it, so do my teenagers.) I can bet Santa probably hasn't been enlisted to help fill out an 18 page college application, or to help plan a rehearsal dinner for his oldest kid, or to find milk for someone or clean underwear. I don't even think Santa has kids, which is probably how he's able to get it all done each year. For the record, my family is pretty tolerant of their distracted mother, and they all seem not to mind stepping over drying papier mache heads, or sweeping away glitter before dinner. All in all, it's a wonderful life. :)

Here are some of the things I've been working on instead of dinner. It looks like snowmen and candy canes have been my favorite motifs lately. All of these designs are available now at Glitter and Grunge.

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”

I have always loved fall, and these are exciting, busy days for our family! Not only are we gearing up for my son's wedding in January, but to add to the fun and busy-ness, we went on a quick road trip this week to visit prospective colleges for my middlest girl. (I call her the "middlest" because she's the 3rd of 4 kids, the middle of the middle-- sandwiched between her older and younger sisters.)

On the return trip I realized that 150 miles and a diet coke are not good traveling companions, so we (my bladder and I) decided to stop at a rest area. The premises were neat and clean, but on entering the facilties, we stumbled upon the strangest thing. . . a guest registry displayed prominently on a podium just inside the rest room area; not in a respectable place like the lobby as one might expect, with all of the travel brochures, but inside the actual rest room, where all of the stalls and porcelain thrones are located. Now, I have no problem sharing my personal information in all of the usual places: a wedding guest registry, signing in at a doctor's office, or even giving my name for a survey . . . but in a bathroom?? This was a new one for me. Somehow I'm just not interested in documenting for all of humanity my visit to the little girl's room, I don't care how much diet coke I've consumed. And you never know, one day I may be tapped to run for vice-president, and well, wouldn't the media just looovve to get that little tidbit of information. Besides, as a germ-a-phobe, no way I'm even thinking about touching that feathery pen attached to a bathroom guest registry. (Perhaps you remember my horrors with potty training our daughters and my urgent pleas in public restrooms, "Don't TOUCH ANYTHING!!")

Anyway, Middlest Daughter thought it was great fun, an adventure of sorts, and didn't have the slightest qualm about signing. (So much for my ominous, germs-are-everywhere-and-you-will-die-if-you-touch-anything-in-a-public-restroom-warnings all those years ago. Sigh.) When I looked at the book, there was her John Hancock . . . clearly and proudly etched for all of posterity: "I. P. Freely." Fine parenting, huh? Germs and a neurotic mother and a diet coke are no match for a sassy 17 year old. I'm not sure I will even let her go to college. Does anyone know if they sell Purell by the barrel?

(P.S. I promise that's not her real name. :)

My Lips Are Sealed :)

"Of those who say nothing, few are silent."~ Thomas Neill

************

From one who usually tends to rattle on aimlessly while talking. . . Have a great day! (Maybe I've learned a thing or two in this 40-something life. Or perhaps I just have 18 loads of laundry to do instead of blogging. Either way, hope you enjoy your day.)

You Want Fries With That?

Sugar and Spice. Sweet and Sour. Laurel and Hardy. No matter how you slice it, it appears that the things I've been creating lately seem to reflect a decidedly split personality. These days I can't seem to decide if I'm Laverne or Shirley or Felix or Oscar. The whimsical and bright colored, sharp lines of the Halloween noise maker rattles reflect my roots in graphic design, as well as my love for all things vintage. The pensive little angel, rendered in soft, dreamy tones, is made of papier mache, and looks like she just stepped out of a Hallmark commercial. The contrast couldn't be more dramatic, unless you've been watching the stock market over the past 2 weeks. Anyway, I'm not sure just what my recent work says about my psyche. :) Maybe the bull market vs. bear market or this crazy election cycle (and all the talk about McCain and McPalin vs. Obama and O'Biden, red states vs. blue states, Washington insiders vs. small town folk, "change we can believe in" vs. "change is coming," etc.) is spilling over into my "middle-child-get-along-at-all-costs-don't-even-think-about-offending-anyone-can't-decide-between-paper-or-plastic-because-both-choices-have-merit" subconscious. Whatever the reason, I'm having a blast exploring the varied facets of my work. And by the way, they are available now at Spooky Time Jingles.

Whatever Happened to a Good Old-fashioned Duel?

Man Wielding Hammer Loses Duel to Man With Letter Opener in Florida
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Hollywood police say a man wielding a hammer lost a fight to a man with a letter opener. Police say the men were fighting early Thursday morning when they both grabbed their weapon. The man with the letter opener stabbed the other man. Someone then called 911. When officers arrived, the victim refused to cooperate or say what the argument was about. He's being treated at Memorial Regional Hospital. His condition is not yet known. The men's identities have not been released. (The original story was here.)

[Editor's note: This is my latest effort to keep my readers fully apprised as to the latest oddball news in this crazy world. I can't imagine what started this altercation , or the combatant's odd choices of weaponry. In my mind, this just sounds like a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" gone horribly wrong. ~cn]

This Glue Gun's Loaded & I Know How to Use It

Busy days here! Tons of projects in the works, and as always, I'm playing catch up and planning ahead. (And by planning ahead, I mean planning catch-up. :)

And Now a Word From Our Sponsors

If you get a minute, check out Vintage Indie. Vintage Indie Magazine is an online source for, as the site describes, "living a Modern Life with a Vintage Perspective." The founder, Gabreial Wyatt, has a passion to support and promote indie small businesses and artists; and Glitter and Grunge is the featured sponsor of the month. You'll find a ton of do-it-yourself projects, lots of handmade stuff, news about cool events, and also great products which provide a feeling of nostalgia in this modern-day world. Hey, with the latest headlines, who doesn't need a little bit of the "good ole days," am I right?! And you can do your part to help the economy while supporting independent business owners. It's a win-win! (P.S. Today, Gabreial's featuring an article about little ole moi. :)

We Don't Take Her Temperature Here

Been there, done that. :)

This Just In. . .

New things at Glitter and Grunge . . .

. . . Film at 11.

Balancing Act

I've been nominated by Burp Cloth Babe for an award. Thanks! Fly over and check out her answers too if you get a chance. Here are the rules: I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others!

1. Where is your cell phone? Table

2. Where is your significant other? Work

3. Your hair color? Graying

4. Your mother? Perfect

5. Your father? Genius

6. Your favorite thing? Life

7. Your dream last night? Forgettable

8. Your dream/goal? Survival ["I'm tired of following my dreams. I'm just gonna ask where they're going and meet up later." ~ Mitch Hedberg]

9. The room you're in? Playroom [Not much playing going on here anymore, since this room has become more of a storage room.]

10. Your hobby? Laundry [Four kids--it's all I do.]

11. Your fear? Spiders [Thanks to the old movie, "The Fly," I saw on TV when I was 10 years old. . . "Help me, help me."]

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home [It's where the heart is. But not in the laundry room. ]

13. Where were you last night? Home [So, I'm boring.]

14. What you're not? Organized

15. One of your wish-list items? Closets [See answer to #9. It's like they say: "One can never be too thin, or have too many closets."]

16. Where you grew up? Anytown, USA [A wonderful, idyllic blend of Our Gang, Leave it to Beaver, Peanuts, and Little House on the Prairie.]

17. The last thing you did? Painted

18. What are you wearing? Sweats

19. Your TV? Off [I'm tired of politics. My suggestion, and perhaps there is a growing consensus for this: hold elections "Survival"-style, where each week one contestant-candidate is voted off the island until the season finale. Or make them all eat bugs and swim in muck like "Fear Factor." I think it might work.]

20. Your pet? Friendly [And, no, he's not. You can read about his antics here, here, here, and here.]

21. Your computer? Failing. [It's making weird groaning and creaking noises lately, and sometimes behaves badly.]

22. Your mood? Rebellious [I guess you can see that I haven't limited all my answers to one word. So sue me. :)

23. Missing someone? Nope [I'm pretty sure everyone's accounted for.]

24. Your car? Minivan [The day I became officially middle-aged.]

25. Something you're not wearing? Glasses [Not because I don't need them. But I already suffer the humiliation of driving a minivan.]

26. Favorite store? Thrift [But as a germ-a-phobe, I have to wash my hands immediately afterward, and sterilize the things I buy.]

27. Your summer? Short

28. Love someone? Children

29. Your favorite color? All

30. When is the last time you laughed? Today [My daughter sends the funniest text messages.]

31. Last time you cried? Unsure. [My other daughter says, "I'm not crying, I'm just vomiting from my eyes."]

And while we're at it, I was also nominated by Alias Liz Jones for an award. You may also know her as Liz Jones. She has such a wonderful sense of humor if you haven't had a chance to visit her. I also was nominated by Julie to write 6 random things about myself. See the above list. She's got a great blog too, btw. And I was nominated about a million years ago by Sam at Gollywobbles for an award that I'm just now getting around to mentioning. Thanks! If you like all things prim, go on over and check out her lovely creations. And a million and half years ago, I was tagged by Ginger to list 6 random things about myself. Again, I think the above list should fill the bill. And a billion years ago, Jann nominated me for an award. She has such a wonderful blog, filled with old movie clips and beautiful pics too.

Now I have to pick 7 or 14 or 21 or a million others to play. That's just too many, so I'll just nominate a few because that's the way I roll. Suzanne, Michelle, and Jann. Have fun!

Reality Check

We are barely back into the school routine, and my youngest is already looking forward to summer. She and school have a very tenuous relationship, and it's been this way since the very beginning. It had me thinking and remembering, so as part of my regularly random series "Blasts From the Past," here's how it all began about nine years ago.

As the baby of the family, Number Four has always tagged along after her older siblings, trying to keep up, afraid that she might miss something. She's always been ready to be on to the "next thing." She couldn't wait to be born, couldn't wait to walk, and absolutely couldn't wait to go to that magical, mysterious place which her siblings called, "School." At school were wonderful, delightful things called single file, and teachers, and lunchrooms, and line leaders, and recess, and quiet chairs, and principals. Life would be good if only she could be a part of this special club called "School."

So, when Little One turned 4, I enrolled her in a half-day preschool, and she was so excited she could barely contain herself. Finally her day had arrived. Finally she was a big girl. Finally she was part of the club. Off she went without hesitation on that first day, to join the ranks of all the other lucky ducks who were part of this elite club. In anticipation of all the wonders that awaited, she skipped innocently and excitedly into the classroom wearing her new little skirt and carrying her new little bookbag. The world was her oyster, she had the tiger by the tail, she was on easy street.

And she lived happily ever after.

Until the second day. When I asked her how she liked going to school, her face scrunched in exasperation as she replied incredulously, "Well. . . I like my teacher okay. . . but we ALWAYS have to do what SHE wants to do. " It's been downhill ever since.

Love This!

It's 16 seconds.

Oh Technology (Revisited)

[We've been dealing with internet woes again, and hopefully it is resolved. Hopefully. The following was posted about a year ago. Sorry for the rerun, but it fits and besides, I was a "virtual" unknown anyway. ~cn]

So, technology has finally come through. After years of achingly long wait times with dial-up, we finally were given access to DSL. I think our little family felt like our predecessors when electricity came. Wow--we are finally in the 21st century. Until nature decided to have the upper hand.

It's been over a month since our DSL, unbeknownst to us, was struck by lightning. Apparently, it didn't quite completely fry the cable, but just singed it enough to make us all slightly crazy. There was no rhyme nor reason to our internet connection. I'd be working on something online, just about ready to send my attachments along their merry little virtual way, when, as if some devious little gremlin flipped a switch, the connection would go down. After weeks of threatening, cajoling, and coaxing I'd had enough. Deadlines were fast approaching, so the phone tech was summoned, and I awaited anxiously for the ominous diagnosis. As it turned out, it was not a fatal wound, but open-cable surgery was required. Five hours and a trenched yard and driveway later, the ailing internet line was pronounced healed. I quickly sent out my images (and barely met my deadlines), and then leisurely caught up on some emails and blog surfing. Life was good again--until the next day. As I was checking emails, suddenly, it was as if the roto-rooter job had never occurred. I tried to convince myself that it would jumpstart soon enough. Finally after another week of dealing with the on-again, off-again misery, Dr. Phone Tech was summoned a second time. After several hours they found the real problem, which had been in the line up the street! And, as of today, it appears finally cured. I hope they took that little gremlin too.

BOO!

Spooky Time Jingles updates tomorrow.

Remembering

What Is This World Coming To?

[Here is another installment of the weird news in our local paper. I think that the headline below says it all. Never mind the loss of the wallet; what kind of society do we live in where even peoples' pants are no longer safe. ~cn]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thief snatches wallet, pant leg from victim

A man reportedly lost his wallet and the back of his pant leg on his way back from getting the mail Thursday evening, when a robber charged him and made a grab for his pocket, Athens-Clarke police said. The man said he had just reached the porch of his Clover Street home shortly after 5:45 p.m., when the robber, wearing a bandanna over his face and camouflage pants, ran toward him, police said. The robber knocked him down and tore off the back of his pants while grabbing for his wallet, police said. Officers checked around the man's house for the suspect, and found that someone had knocked down a section of fence in the backyard, according to police.

See the original article here.

Notice Anything Different?

Thanks to Aqua Poppy Designs, I have a new background. Her directions are very simple and it was really easy to do. And for me, easy is good. My brain likes easy. And the best part, it was free! Free and easy--it doesn't get much better, unless,of course, it's made of chocolate.

Spooky Time Jingles

Check out one of my new banners which Annette at Huckleberry Arts did for my page at Spooky Time Jingles. Annette is one talented gal, super-easy to work with, and she's even having a giveaway on her blog.

P.S. My pages for STJ will be up September 13. :)

Here's Looking at You

I hope you all enjoyed a great Labor Day. Ours was very relaxing, which is nice compared to the hectic schedule my crew keeps most of the time. The kids were here for a wonderful, long weekend and we stayed home most of the time, just hanging out and laughing, and laughing, and laughing. I just love those little guys, even if they're all taller than me now. Incidentally, many moons ago, I so wanted to deliver a kid on Labor Day just for the fun of being able to say I had labor on Labor Day; but not even one of the 4 would cooperate, the hard-heads.



At least I have some control over the "delivery" of my newest labors of love. These are two of the things I've been busy with over the past few weeks. You can see more over at Glitter and Grunge. Also I have a few new things listed at The Primitive Gathering for the month of September. And stay tuned for some exciting news coming soon, and a giveaway. Will keep you posted.

P.S. Thoughts and prayers for the people affected by Gustav, Hannah, et al.

Insightful

There is nothing so annoying as to have two people talking when you're busy interrupting.” Mark Twain

******
Have a great day! :)

Those Were the Days

While on a coffee break, I found this image of my sweet, sweet, oldest daughter, taken a millennium ago. Notice the frilly dress under the Ninja turtle costume? This photo speaks volumes about her personality-- in one hand she often carried a Barbie, and in the other, a GI Joe. And then I blinked and now she's in her second year of college -- in one hand she carries a cell phone, and in the other, an engineering textbook. Sigh. Someone should have warned me about blinking.

This and That

School is in full swing for my kids and I've been suffering some major mothering withdrawal these past days. But before I fell too far into a pit of despair, my college son (the one getting a new roommate in January) went out of town for a few days and donated his pup, Jude, to keep me company for the week. You probably remember what a fun-loving, furniture eating little bundle of college-prank fur that Jude is. He's still up to his college antics, and once while he was here he sneaked into my girls' room, snatched one of their "Victoria Secrets" and sprinted through the house like he was competing for an Olympic medal.

And as usual, I'm behind in all of my projects and deadlines are looming. Sometimes it feels like I'm treading water in a whirlpool. I've been swamped with playing catch-up, new projects, kids, laundry, chasing a puppy, blah, blah, blah. . . you know the drill. :) This has been one busy month. Maybe I'll have some sneak peeks soon of the projects I've been doing, but in the meantime here's a photo by my 13 year old daughter. She took this pic when we were in Tennessee last month. Puts her art-school trained mother to shame with a camera.

Breaking News -- Big Foot Update

Stop the presses! This just in:

An astute reader (thank you, Alias Liz Jones) has just informed me that the much-heralded Georgia Bigfoot discovery was, in fact, a not so cleverly devised hoax by two charlatans from my own (sob) state. Upon further investigation at FOXNews.com I also confirmed the sad news. It seems that the 2 Georgia boys at the center of the controversy concocted the entire story, created a frozen faux Sasquatch popsicle, and then sold their "find," (freezer and all) to a guy who no doubt believed the thing was real. As ominous evidence mounted against its authenticity and the frozen piece of folk-lore thawed, so did the purchaser's hopes; and dare I say, so did the hopes of the world. It seemed that, with this anthropological discovery, the world was on the verge of something great: something akin to 8 gold medals in the Olympics, the 8th great wonder, or maybe even world peace. However, it turns out that what was really in the freezer was actually a plastic Halloween costume. And now the home boys have fled with this poor man's money. Oh, the irony. I think this quote about the Georgia boys on the duped man's website pretty much sums up the entire ordeal: "On behalf of myself I can say with certainty Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer [are] not the best Bigfoot trackers in the world!"

Hey, it's not the end of the world. Apparently the freezer works great.

Big Foot?

Is it just me, or is this photo from Yahoo of a freezer containing what is supposedly the 500 pound carcass of "Big Foot" a little creepy? Never mind that the two guys who have it say that they found the corpse in the woods of northern Georgia in an area which is only about an hour from where I live. To me the somewhat grainy photo is a little suspect and looks more like it might have been taken in the prop room on the set of CSI. Anyway, the two Georgia men held a huge press conference yesterday in California to reveal photos of their findings and to produce definitive DNA samples which were to prove the legitimacy of their "discovery." (Did these guys really have to be from Georgia??? Please, don't we Southerners get enough flack as it is? Why is it that all of the alien abductions and Elvis sightings seem to be from people from our state?) Maybe I'm just a little skeptical because one of the dudes just so happens to own a business and run a website which caters to Big Foot mania; so in my mind their motivation for honesty and full disclosure is perhaps questionable at best. Really, what are the chances that these two men would accidentally stumble upon such an elusive and mysterious (and mythical) creature while on an afternoon hike? I've been on a hike a time or two in my life and I usually only come home with things like poison oak, chiggers, whiny kids, and blisters.
What may be even more disturbing is today’s news that the specimens they submitted for testing were shown to be actually DNA from a 'possum. Okay, so at least I can rest a bit easier now that I know that some Chewbaca-like creature isn't lurking in the woods behind my house, but now I have to worry that there may be 500 pound 'possums loose in our area. I may never go hiking again.
And if by some stroke of luck the Georgia boys really did discover the body of Sasquatch, I’ll be the first to admit I had my big foot in my mouth.

Free Stuff

If you like kid's books and free stuff, pop on over to The Burp Cloth Babe's blog, Shake, Rattle, and Read --she's hosting a give-away. (Plus, you'll find that Burp Cloth is really funny and she has great pics of her cute kid. . . but I'm pretty sure he's not included in the giveaway.)

Glitter and Grunge has a new blog! It will feature exciting news, tutorials, upcoming events, and information about the artists represented at G and G. This week's feature is Melissa Valeriote. For more information visit her blog.

Not His Day. Or, A Modern Day Tale of Billy Goat's Gruff

[Another article from our local paper, with my comments in italics.]

Man's beer taken at gunpoint - twice

A 51-year-old Branch Street man said he was robbed at gunpoint twice within an hour Wednesday night outside a store in East Athens, Athens-Clarke police said. The man bought a six-pack of beer at a store in the vicinity of Dublin and Branch streets at about 9:15 p.m., and as he was walking home, someone dressed all in black and wearing a black cap approached, threatening to shoot him in the foot if he didn't surrender his money, police said. [The foot??] When the victim said he didn't have money, the gunman took the beer and ran to a small dark car, possibly a Honda, according to police. About an hour later, the victim returned to the store and bought another six-pack, and at the same location ran into the gunman, who reportedly said, "I thought you said you had no money" and took the beer, firing two shots into the air before getting into his car, police said.

[Either the guy buying the beer is very determined or a very slow learner. And he's probably walking around with a "Hit Me" sign on his back too. ]

Original story is here.

“Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.” Jane Austen

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

Henry David Thoreau

*******

These are hectic, fun days as summer winds down. I love the "busy nothings" of life and motherhood. And if Thoreau is right, success should be right around my corner, or at the very least, 18 piles of dirty laundry.

The Newbies

Update August 3 : Glitter and Grunge has a new blog! It will feature exciting news, tutorials, upcoming events, and information about the artists represented at G and G.


Just a quick update post. Check out Glitter and Grunge for these new papier mache offerings.

And The Primitive Gathering where I'm showcasing a couple of new watercolor paintings. Here's one to get you in the mood for snow:

[P.S. He's sold. Thank you.]

And be sure to check out all of the other artists represented at these fine websites. Tons and tons of talent and great handmade stuff.

"Whistle While You Work" (Snow White)

Finally a chance to catch up on some housekeeping. Puh-lease, not the dusting and vacuuming kind of housekeeping (I never make time . . I mean. . . have any time to catch up on that. Although if you ask my kids, they say that my spring cleaning knows no seasonal boundaries.) Anyway, this is housekeeping of the blog kind. I've been so busy with kids and deadlines that I haven't had time to publicly acknowledge these fine blogs and their thoughtfulness in tagging me for an award. A week or so ago I was given an Artey Pico award by Jeannene at Love Conquers All. If you have a chance, swing by her lovely piece of blog-land--she always has something fun or inspirational to see. Thanks Jeannene.

[And here are the rules ...*Put the logo on your blog...*Add a link to the person who awarded you. *Nominate at least 7 other blogs *Add links to those blogs on yours and *leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.]

And two weeks ago (or more) I received another little award from Tammy over at The Olde Hollow Crowe. Cruise over to Tammy's blog for great blue grass music and prim wonders. Thanks Tammy, and so sorry it took me so long.

[Once an award is received, the rules are as follows:1. Put the logo on your blog.2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.3. Nominate at least seven other blogs.4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blogs. ]

And lastly, a tag from Alias Liz Jones. If you haven't discovered Alias Liz Jones, aka Liz Jones, you must go directly over to her blog right now. Do not pass "Go," do not collect $200. She is hilariously hilarious.

So, I'm supposed to answer the following questions.

1. What is Your Favorite Quotable Line From a Movie:

I wish I could say that my favorite line was from a classic movie or some trendy independent film (imagine that word "film" said with an ultra hip, Beverly Hills accent) or something from Casablanca, or Schindler's List, or even Gone With the Wind; but honestly my brain is so crammed full of years of watching kid movies that it seems that these are the only lines I can think of. "It's that Poppins woman!" and "Posts, everyone!" from Mary Poppins; and from Chicken Run, "It's a chicken farm, and we're the chickens!" This line from Bambi, "If ya can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all." And in recent years we've watched a lot of Napoleon Dynamite: "Do the chickens have large talons?" and "My lips hurt real bad." Wish I could come up with something else, but I'll think about that tomorrow. Tomorrow's another day.

2. Who is The Most Famous Person That You've Talked To:
I was on the Bozo show once when I was about 4 years old. It was terrifying. Have you seen that guy's hair?! I still harbor an irrational fear of clowns. And I spoke to Heisman trophy winner Hershel Walker once in college. He actually carried my suitcase in for me when I was moving into a dorm. I'm sure he remembers it as the highlight of his life.

3. How many Bags/Boxes of Potato Chips are consumed in your house per Month:

Three or four cans of Pringles probably.

4.What Foreign Food Dish Do You Prepare From Scratch and Serve:

From scratch? Um, tacos? I don't actually make the tortillas, or slaughter the cow for the filling, but I usually assemble all of the components for the kids. And I do grow our tomatoes.

5.What Is Your Favorite Section At The Super Market:

Definitely the coffee row. I love the smell. And speaking of super markets. Not long ago I was minding my own business in the dairy aisle, trying to find the latest expiration date on a $4 gallon of milk, when out of the blue some guy with a mullet asked me if I just slapped his rear end. I turned around in shock: 'What an impertinent thing to say," (quote from Mary Poppins, btw) I thought. I was taken off-guard by such an odd question, but managed a response, "Uh, no, I'm happily married, thank you very much." Turns out his lady friend (who was laughing hysterically several feet away) had done the deed and walked away so it looked like it was me.

"I don't get no respect I tell ya, no respect at all." (Rodney Dangerfield)

6. What Was Your High School Team's Mascot and What Were Your School Colors:

An eagle. Red, white, and blue.

Now I'm supposed to nominate some people for these awards. This is where it gets stressful for me, and I'm so terrible at doing this part. I love you all, and honestly I try to check in regularly on all of the sites listed on my blog roll. So in a middle-kid-people-pleaser kind of way, I would say that if you're reading this consider yourself nominated.