Why don't we seek Him first?

This past week - as you may know,
if you've followed this blog -
our microwave died.
dead.
kaput.
done.
finished.
the end.
may it rest in peace.

Randy and I spent TWO HOURS trying to install the new microwave.
For some reason, one of the two bolts that held it to the cabinet
above the stove just wouldn't screw in. The threads wouldn't catch.
Randy tried everything, including drilling a larger hole in the cabinet
to insure that the bolt had plenty of room to go in straight.

We took took it on and off the wall bracket twice. That bugger was heavy
and it was awkward trying to hold it in place while Randy attempted to
secure the bolt.

No matter what we did - we couldn't get the bolt attached.

Finally --after two hours of frustration, I said, "Lord, please help us get this microwave installed --I'm about at my wit's end."

Then I suggested to Randy that he take the bolt out that was already attached and try it in the other side - just so we could see if the threads in the hole on the microwave were defective or something. Or maybe it was the bolt itself? Who knows.
He took the other bolt out and put it in the place where we were having trouble --it went in. So now we know it's not the threads --it must be the bolt. I thought, well, that's okay, we can go to the hardware store and buy a new bolt. But before we do that...let's just see if it will go into the hole on the other side. Whala!
It worked! Microwave installed.

So...why didn't I ask the Lord in the first place to help us with the microwave installation? We could've saved a whole lot of aggravation.

We all could save a whole lot of frustration in this life if we would just put the Lord first. He deserves first place. Not second, or third. He desires that we seek Him - that we spend time with Him on a daily basis. ...not just when it's convenient or just when we "need" something.

Seek His face today. Not His hand.
Let Him do a work in your heart - so that you are changed for eternity.

A Typical Day

A typical day in our household.....

The microwave quit in the middle of cooking our lima beans for dinner. It's an above-the-stove wall mount. Randy took the whole thing down to look for the fuse - which he was convinced was in the top - under the cabinet. wrong. It was behind the front panel. I refrained from saying, "I told you so."

Later that evening --He and Olivia were playing --all of a sudden I hear this HORRIFIC yell from Randy and then Olivia started crying (screaming--because his HORRIFIC yell frightened her.) Apparently, she had kicked him or hit him or something. Needless to say, he was in a LOT of pain and rolled around on the floor for a few minutes trying not to puke. He then proceeded to tell me that I needed to go on the internet and find a photo of the male anatomy and explain to Olivia that she needs to be careful.
yeah. right.

Even later that evening....Randy goes downstairs to his office --I hear a huge yell and a big thud (not necessarily in that order) and then a lot of screaming at Chauncy, our dog. (Chauncy has been downstairs for the past few weeks as he recuperates from his accident - hit by a car - doing well.) I fed him a different brand of dog food yesterday. Big mistake. Chauncy had pooped all over the place --Randy stepped in it on his way down the steps - fell the rest of the way down the steps....and broke his big toe in the process. He's now on his way to the ER since he said that the pain is an 8.5 on a 1-10 scale.

So --typical day here at home.

Randy said I can't tell people that he skidded down the steps on a pile of dog poop --that I need to make up some other story. Here's my story: In honor of the upcoming start of the Winter Olympics, Randy was excited about practicing his poopboarding, I mean, snowboarding....

If he thinks that this story is staying off the blog --he is sadly mistaken.

Good thing he loves me, huh?

Illustration Friday -- Chair

Here are two illustrations for this week's Illustration Friday submission:
Come, Sit a Spell and The Old Wingback Chair. Both are 2.5"x3.5" - Artist Trading Card Size.

Look Mom! I'm BLUE!

After breakfast, Olivia insisted on eating a Blue Raspberry Ring Pop and then discovered that her tongue was blue!

Photo Friday -- Theme: Disguise

Here is this week's submission for Photo Friday.

Every day, Olivia and I try to do an art project together. On this day, she wanted to make masks. Here she is --Incognito as a Pig!

And Then There Was More Art

The colors are more vibrant in "real life" --here are some illustrations of my last few days. Olives for Olivia --black olives are one of her favorite food items. She would eat an entire can if I would let her. She wanted olives. She ate them. I turned them into an Artist Trading Card.

Randy brought me a single rose several days ago. It was such a nice surprise!

And the squiggles...that's pretty much what goes on in my brain at any given moment.

All of them up for trade. Any takers?

Ground Hog Day Tree

Since it's now February, I guess it's time to take down the Christmas tree.

Yep, our tree is still up.

It makes a nice nightlight.

I was thinking of leaving it up until July and throwing a big Christmas-in-July party....but if I did that, then when July rolled around, I would think, "well, it's only five more months until December, so we may as well just leave it up..."

okay. It's coming down.
soon. I think.

Here's one last photo:
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Feeling the Pressure

I'm feeling the pressure.
I want to apply to be a part of the Blogs Illustrated webring. That would mean that I need to start blogging my art.

Okay.

I'm blogging.

These are three pencil drawings --the originals are much larger than they appear here and they've lost a lot of the detail --but, you get the drift.

When I was in Junior High School, my art teacher, Mr. Harry Miller, gave us a weekly assignment which was to turn in three pencil drawings --realism. By the time we reached ninth grade, we had to turn in five drawings per week. That assignment instilled a lot of discipline in me - although, truthfully, as an artist, I already was pretty much a perfectionist. I wouldn't say that I'm a perfectionist in other areas of my life, (housekeeping, to name one), but with art - I'm a perfectionist. Which is one reason why I'm probably not submitting things professionally as much as I should --fear of failure that my art won't be good enough or perfect enough or whatever. Anyway...that's another subject...one for my psycho blog (which is yet to be created.)

Pencil will forever be my favorite medium.

Mr. Harry Miller from George Washington Junior High School - if you're out there - thank you.

MY FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME!

Yes...all of you SKEPTICS (and you KNOW who you ARE!)
....just take a look at the featured picks for this week's Self Portrait Tuesday:
Now, you're glad you know me, huh?

self portrait tuesday: Lauri's Next 3 Picks for Week #4

Photo Friday -- Theme: Vanity

vanity, originally uploaded by beyondhope.

Vanity.

Here's Olivia --"posing for Vanity Fair".

I don't recall exactly when this photo was taken. I'm guessing she was approximately 18 months old at the time.

I thought the photo worked as my first entry to Photo Friday.

View From our Bedroom Window

View from our bedroom window, originally uploaded by beyondhope.

In the early morning, we often awake to this site outside our bedroom window.

One of the largest Great Blue Heron rookeries in the state borders our land, making these birds frequent visitors to our pond.

This photo was taken from our bedroom window on a rainy day this past summer. How I long for those rainy summer days to return! I'm ready for winter to be over!

The TEMPLATE

I've been messing around with the blog template --trying to figure out how to make this blog look better. I did away with the standard green tile design that is one of blogger's choices for a header background and finally figured out how to put in a different background.

It's not the background I want...but it's a start.

I need to get rid of the double green line and move the mountain scene over to meet with the right margin as well. And the header text needs to be moved to the left. Eventually, I want to redesign and publish a whole new blog template.

I'm determined to figure out all this HTML stuff on my own and not hire someone to create a blog for me! I think I should buy a book. There's probably an "HTML for DUMMIES" book published. In fact....I think I remember buying a copy a couple of years ago. Who knows where it is?

If you could see my garage (warehouse) then you would understand.

Somewhere in the stacks of boxes and bins are my watercolors and the HTML book.

I'm seriously considering baking some cookies and calling Marilyn!

Illustration Friday -- Glamour

Who
is
more
Glamorous
than
Her
Majesty,
the
Queen?

Artist
Trading
Card
for Illustration Friday

more dollhouse art

Here's another tiny painting I sold on Ebay awhile back.
the size of a wallet-size photo - maybe slightly smaller.
I titled it THE EDGE.

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

YEAH! Thanks to Sultry Painter Woman for her help with placing the Illustration Friday Button on my sidebar. For weeks, I've been trying to use the HTML provided at the IF website...it just wouldn't work. I happened across her blog and asked for help. Ask and ye shall receive!

And Then There Was Art

For awhile
I was painting
these tiny paintings
and offering them
for sale.

Someone on Ebay
was buying them
and decorating
Dollhouses with my works.

Somewhere...in somebody's
Dollhouse...I'll be famous
when I die.


This one was approximately
3" in length. A Watercolor.
My watercolors are packed
in the garage - still - after living here in this new house
for almost two years. Half of my studio is still packed
in the garage. I'm thinking of asking Marilyn to come
over and help me unpack.....

smile.

Poetry by Deb

THE END (of LIFE as I KNOW IT)

The laptop fell on the floor
It fell on the power cord plug
The plug jammed inside the computer
Two hours of taking the computer apart
Fixing the plug with superglue (don't ask)
The computer now works.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!
"Should you wish to continue working
please connect to a power source."
oh no. The "fixed" connection didn't work
Another 30 minutes of trying to fix it
Broke the whole stupid thing off the motherboard
oops.

$200 to replace the motherboard.
Friend offers to try to solder the piece back in place.
Meanwhile....no laptop.
No files.
No recent backup because this wasn't supposed to happen.
Computer headache.
Argh.

I'm addicted to the laptop

How can I live without my laptop

Someone FIX MY LAPTOP!

The End

Self Portrait Tuesday - 1-24-06

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It's after midnight - so technically - it's Tuesday where I live.

Last week, I was behind.

This week, I'm ahead of the game.

Here is my submission for Self Portrait Tuesday - subject: Personal History.
What better way to keep track of your personal history other than keeping those dental records up-to-date?! (Hey, it could be worse...I could post the close-ups I took of my nostril....I'm thinking of turning that one into an Artist Trading Card...)

...just another wacky self portrait by moi!

Enjoy!

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COOKIES!

Olivia and I made cookies this afternoon. I found a recipe for Bisquick Pudding Cookies on somebody's blog last night...I can't remember which blog --I was blog surfing all evening....

ANYWAY....The cookies are really easy and fun for a three-year old! They're also quite tasty! We chose chocolate pudding for our recipe and added one cup of chocolate chips. Incidentally, the recipe specifically says to mix the dough with a wooden spoon. The dough won't stick and it mixes well.

After she added all the ingredients (even cracking the egg with minimal loss and no shell in the batter --YEAH!), she mixed the dough as best as she could and I finished it up. She had fun rolling the cookies into balls --and had even more fun eating her finished product! Although it was REALLY tough keeping her from eating all the raw dough! The cookies were a big hit with Dad too!

BON APPETIT!!

Self Portrait Tuesday --on Sunday - so, I'm a little behind...

So much for following the rules posted on the Self Portrait Tuesday website...we're supposed to post our self portraits on Tuesday --hence the name, duh. I was busy cleaning on Tuesday. Someone was coming on Friday. On Tuesday, I started cleaning. I hate cleaning. Anyway --that has nothing to do with my portrait. My portrait is an altered photo of my left foot. It isn't really this color --although those colors are kinda neat in a neon sort of way. But --the story is this....The topic for the portrait is supposed to be personal history. I remember (like it was yesterday) years ago asking my mother why her feet were so rough. She told me that she was old and once I had walked around on my feet for over 40 years that they'd look like that too. They do. I'm old. (and I think I'm getting a bunyon.) Enjoy the foot ---oh, and if you're Maria --don't look at the photo --because we all know that Maria can't tolerate anything to do with feet! (I sent Maria a free sample of foot fungus gunk in the mail once --complete with a huge photo of some feet with fungus. That grossed her out. It was my job. She freaked. I laughed.