Can something bring a smile to your heart...

...and a tear to your eye?

Watch this before you answer...


Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Have a loving, full and sparkly day..

me

I haven't embroidered in years...

..and I really never could get the whole "transfer pattern" thing..I know it's probably very easy..but I am "patternly-impaired it seems..

You should have seen some of the things I made in Home Ec..do they even teach Home Ec anymore?

Anyway..I decided to again use Viv from http://hensteethart.blogspot.com/  as an inspiration {read: I stole her design..} and came up with my own pattern..er...drawing on some coffee stained fabric and sort of embroidered again..

Think it needs a little somethin'-somethin' neat the top edge, then I will use a found branch from the park for the hanger-upper-on-ee-thingy  {that's the technical term for the curtain rod-like thing attach it to..}

Anyway, here's how I spent my Sunday..

Well, at least I have found a really portable fun craft to keep me in the same room with Mr. B for an evening ;-D

It's going to be Monday again..a chance for a great new week...AND, it's almost Friday!

Keep true to the dreams of thy youth. - Friedrich von Schiller, 1759-1805

-me

..about that bucket list....

..I can now cross off getting kissed & snuggled by 2 ......  uh......seals?

Yeppers...this one was totally a surprise to me, too. 

But here we are...me, Kim and Rose..

{I'm the one in the middle...}

Utah State Fair..today..

Seals in Salt Lake...who knew??

Have a fun Sunday..I'm going to  ;-D

-me

Where were you when the world stop turning..that September day? {originally run last year}

"A fire fighter from Brooklyn approached me since I was wearing a K-9-11 T-shirt provided by a neighbor and fire fighter buddy.


The Brooklyn fire fighter asked me if I was a fire fighter. I told him I was a volunteer K-9 handler with Hal Wilson on September 12th.

The guy broke down, telling me how much of a morale booster the dogs were on the pile.

"One came up and licked me, as if to say, I understand how you feel."


Then he walked away, teared up, couldn't talk any more. This guy was so big and strong he could lift a car." -Anonymous

please..

-me

Have you ever....

..had a day where you feel pretty good..happy..all sorts of healthy..

..and loving the fall-like weather..cool..crisp..

..and loving an early-out day because you have a "look-see" appointment with your hubby's chiropractor?

See Exhibit 1:

You go in..meet the young {like about 13 years old...}chiropractor..and she takes X-rays..

See Exhibit: 1-a

...and then you find out...

one shoulder is lower than the other one..

"Wha??"

See exhibit 2:

"OK..well that's not too bad..right?" says me..all curious and trusting..

"well..." says she..{insert nervous chuckle}."there's also.....that 'curve' in your spine..see this? It's pretty common as one .... um....ages.."

See Exhibit 3:

"EEK" I say...

"And then there's this..." says she.."uneven shoulder, crooked spine......and one hip is lower than the other.."

See Exhibit 4:

.."and...because of your uneven hip...one leg 'appears' to be longer.."

"Seriously...seriously? Well, isn't  that just ..awesome.."

See exhibit 5:

"Geesh..now I don't feel so good...all crooked and all."

And..there's this nursery rhyme that keeps running through my head...

" There was a Crooked Man  Woman"

There was a crooked man woman and She walked a crooked mile,

SHe found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.{what the heck is a "stile" ?}

SHe bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.

And they all lived together in a little crooked house

Getting old{er} is certainly not for wimps, huh?

*note to self: check the foundation on the house...
-me

My camera is my "comfort zone"...

..and I am trying...trying..to get out of my comfort zone..life's too short to be comfortable..all. the. time.

Don't get me wrong..I like to be 'comfortable'..as in..comfy-ugly shoes..comfy-biggie-clothes..comfy-LazyBoy recliner...

however..when we decided to go camping..I wanted to try to sketch ...I was getting too comfortable with a camera..and, being inspired by Jo from http://joreimer.blogspot.com/, I made a sketch book to take with us and sort of fashioned a "traveling-camping-hiking-sitting-by-the-lake-pretending-to-actually-fish-water coloring-kit"..

I made this  from one of those tote-bag-thingies from Barnes & Noble..I loved the look but never really used it, sooo..

Because of the plastic, I figured it would be sort of water proof {which is kinda weird because I am using water colors..hmmm }

So..one water-proof-water-color journal..

...oh, and I found this GiNorMous red button - I will make an elastic thingy to close the book with..added some water color paper pages..

Put it all in this great backpack my Mom-in-law let me use..

..and I had enough supplies{and a sun hat to shade my eyes} to try to..

..to attempt..to break through that zone..

And I painted.  I didn't listen to that nagging voice that said ..

"Seriously? You wanna paint? You kiddin' me? You can't paint.."

..and I painted.

..and I sketched..

and while they are not "museum" quality..

I remind myself that if that nagging voice was around when I was learning to walk..if I gave up because I fell down..

..or because I looked stupid with my diaper-waddle..

or if I tripped on the stairs then just "gave up"..said "Oh well..obviously I'm not very good at this...might as well throw myself down the rest of the stairs because I didn't do it right the first time..."

Well, you can see where I'd be..

So, be brave.  If you want to paint...paint.. If you want to sketch..sketch..

and tell that nagging voice to get lost..

and kick that comfort zone to the curb..

-me

We're home, we're grateful, we're happy..we're......pooped!

How do I get 435 photos..all my favorites..into a manageable post?

I don't know...do you??

nah...didn't think so..

So..this is the Reader Digest Condensed Tomato Soup version...

We're on our way...

... we found our campsite..

..soon, Mr. B built us a "home"...

..and he built us a bed..from a "Bed in a Box"..

Then...he discovered...FIRE!!

Which was really good...'cos we were fREeZinG!

..we did a LOT of this...

and we saw a lot of this...

..and we dreamed about having on of these..

..but were sooo impressed by all of these...

..and of course we did a little of this..

We drove and found some sWeeT small towns..

..and we were totally  aMaZEd by the sight of this..

..and enjoyed every minute with tHeM..

and we know we have HIM to thank...

..HE delivered all of us back safely to our little homes..tired, smelling like camp smoke, a little scratched and weary..but soo happy..

boy oh boy, I just ....

...cAMpINg...!!

-me