New Year's Resolution

Okay. It's settled. I'm making a New Year's Resolution - starting today. The way I see it is if I make the resolution now then I won't feel as much pressure to follow through since it's technically not the New Year. However, something always clicks in my brain when Thanksgiving has passed - it feels like the end of the year is coming hurtling so quickly upon me and I can't possibly keep up with all that I want to accomplish. As a result, I find that I just choose to do nothing. I'm not planning to bake Christmas cookies, I'm not worried if I don't get the Christmas tree up until three days before Christmas. I won't be concerned if I don't get all the shopping done. In other words - whatever happens, happens. Whatever gets done, gets done. I'm taking the pressure off. ...which brings me back to why I'm making my New Year's Resolution now....no pressure. "What is my resolution," you ask? - Ha - now if I told you I'd have pressure to keep it! Not telling...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Olivia has stuffed the bird! It's in the oven....can't wait to eat!

I'm praying you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving as you reflect on all the blessings from God in your life! There truly is so much for which to be thankful. Have a blessed day everyone!

A Loooonnnnnggggggg Day!

Olivia was home today - sick with a stomach bug. And I spent way too much time listening to episode after episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. (ugh.) And I listened to Bentley barking. ALL DAY! Brillo Man had errands to run - so he left, but before he did, he took Bentley outside and let him roam around in the old fenced in area which used to hold the chickens. We have a new and improved chicken cube now (not coop, cube - more on that in a future blog...)

Bentley would have to bark - because neither Olivia nor myself was well enough to make the walk over to the area where Bentley was unhappily housed!

While Olivia was busy working away on a page of math facts....Her new mug arrived via UPS. She was so involved in her math that she never noticed me going to the door, retrieving the package, opening the package and pouring her something to drink....AND...since Bentley was outside - several acres away...all of his barking at the arrival of the intruder (UPS guy) didn't register with her since he had been barking ALL DAY anyway....

Here she is enjoying her new mug!





Olivia began to feel a little better and volunteered to go bring said barking dog back down to the house... because we were tired of hearing him bark. Of course, Brillo Man returned home a minute later!

Bentley is now exhausted - asleep on the floor and Olivia is sound asleep on the couch...and I'm about to be sound asleep in my bed...if I can just get that SpongeBob theme song out of my head....

We've Got Chickens....

...so now we get eggs!! Yahoo!
Olivia is so proud of her birds!!
(Bentley doesn't look quite as impressed!)

Pittsburgh...or BUST!

Pittsburgh - one of my favorite places to be...

...although not so much when the reason I must be there is for an appointment with my neurologist...way too much time spent today in his office and far too little time spent in Pittsburgh!!

BUT...I did manage to sneak in an hour of trompsing (is that a word?) through one of my favorite neighborhoods, the South Side. (if you're from Pittsburgh, you must pronouce it "SowSide" - the "th" is optional!)

I grabbed lunch for $1.75 at The Pretzel Shop on East Carson Street.



This looked much better before I ate most of it! ...a pretzel with cream cheese disquised as a healthy lunch...with veggies on top! (not nearly as healthy as it looks!)



I also brought home a bag of pretzels! (more carbs...gotta love those carbs!)
It isn't often that I get to Pittsburgh and since I can't buy these anywhere near my home...I splurged!



I then ventured across the street to the S&S Candy and Cigar shop (what those two things have in common, I'll never know) hoping to score some Abba Zabba and Big Hunk candy bars! While they had every other vintage candy on the planet - they had no Abba Zabbas or Big Hunks! In fact, the proprietor didn't have a clue. Oh well...so much for my plan to surprise Pat with a package of Big Hunks!



Walking back to my van, I noticed this on the sidewalk...




...of course, I had to take a picture! As I did so, a gentleman called to me from the nearby Mediterranean Market...he proceeded to tell me that he and a friend put those pieces of ceramic on the sidewalk, hoping to brighten up peoples' days! He also said that over the years, HUNDREDS of people have stopped to take a photo!! It certainly put a smile on my face!



Crossing over the 10th Street Bridge on my way home, I leave my beloved Pittsburgh behind...until next time!




If we were ever to have a Scarf Sister Reunion near my home...this is where I would take you! Trust me...it would be tons of FUN!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my dear husband, Brillo Man!!


Wherever would I be without you?
I love you with all my heart!

Idaho....part three...

Admittedly, I've been a little sad these past few days. I've been missing my scarf sister friends from the trip. I got to thinking this morning that I better get busy and post some more photos before so much time has passed that no one will be interested to see them anymore!

Here they are...taking pictures. I have more pictures of us taking pictures...I could start an album just of those (sorta like my coffee table water tower book - trust me - I have plenty of water tower pictures...ask me about them and some day I'll tell ya.)



This was outside the resort where we had a grand breakfast! Mrs. Mac's treat! She was so kind to treat us to several meals and an awesome boat ride while we were there! I had some super duper HUGE scrambler egg thing which was loaded with all kinds of stuff...including, but not limited to, Idaho Potatoes!



I made Mrs. Mac drive all over creation looking for this fence so that I could take a photo of it (I missed the photo op on the first drive-by!) I'm thinking that I'll ask Brillo Man to construct a similar fence somewhere along our property - perhaps surrounding the chicken coop - or as he calls it...the Chicken CUBE (more on that in a future post!)



Here's Mrs. Mac, Cheryl and Pat at The Greenbriar Inn - Sunday Brunch! Yum-O! Another treat by Mrs. Mac! She sure kept us well-fed! Brunch that morning was delicious!





At one point on our journey as I was tagging along behind (typical of me as I don't always move as quickly as I would like...) I spotted this dragonfly. Pat turned around and wondered what in the world I was doing...why, taking a picture of a bug, of course! (Pat did a great job at maintaining her patience the entire weekend! I'm sure it was difficult for her whenever it came to me and my lollygagging!)



We visited the Caltaldo Mission - a very interesting place indeed! I so enjoyed the architecture and the history of the place! Interesting fact - the ornate ceiling was stained blue with huckleberries!





Mrs. Mac humored us and drove us to Montana just so we could say we had been there. Along the way, I saw this Mountain --Look! It's marked with an "M" for Mountain! No, Deb...that's "M" for Montana!! Oh.




More Photos to follow...

Idaho!!! part two

I, like Mrs. Mac, did NOT take enough photos!!
Here are a few!

Welcome to Idaho!!



Sunset the first evening - turning Lake Coeur D'Alene into a pool of silver...



I believe this is the oldest building in Coeur D'Alene....Mrs. Mac, correct me if I'm wrong! A beautiful church - now used for weddings, I believe - but not for regular church services.



On Day Two, Mrs. Mac treated us to a lake cruise! What a wonderful time - and the scenery - stunning at every turn!



Cheryl, Cathy and Pat on the pier - heading to the boat...



The photo doesn't do it justice...the view was spectacular! God's beautiful creation - created just for us to enjoy at that moment in time!!



There were a couple of guys on jet skis showing off their skills! I'm thinking that the water was way too cold to be riding a jet ski!!



Stay tuned for more!!

Idaho!!!

I haven't looked through my photos yet from our fabulous, wonderful, fun Scarf Sister reunion in beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho....but I DO have this one of a water tower...taken using my phone from the front seat of Mrs. Mac's van...as she chauffered us all over God's lovely creation!



I will be sharing other photos soon (even ones with REAL PEOPLE in them!!)

For now, suffice to say that I had the most wonderful time! Oh! The blessings of friendship - hearts knit together in God's love! As Pat mentioned in her blog - there are no adequate words to describe the weekend. It was stupendous!! ...a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Mac for all she did to make the trip the best ever! Love you Mrs. Mac!!

Playing Catch Up

Looking back over the Summer, there are many things I could have posted had I been in "blogging mode." Many weeks ago - in the beginning of June, we spent a week in the mountains of Virginia at a Massanutten Resort. One of the things we did was take a trip through the Luray Caverns. Brillo Man and I had been there nine years ago during our Honeymoon trip. The caverns are even more dramatic than I remembered them! Perhaps because the first time we toured, I was too busy looking at my new husband and paid less attention to the stalagtites!

Here we are - some of my family. We had a great week together!



back row L-R: Brillo Man, Me, Sister-in-law Colleen, Mother-in-law Bonalee aka Bonnie, Father-in-law Chester, front row L-R: Daughter Olivia, Stepdaughter Kelly, Cousin Jessica

Notice how bright we were in our tie-dye shirts! Couldn't have lost us in that cavern had you tried! Although I think they tried....My father-in-law and I spent way more time than the rest of my family - in fact, they finished their tour an hour before we did! It was worth the extra time - got to enjoy Dad's company. I thoroughly enjoyed his great appreciation of God's creation deep in the depths of the mountains! In fact, as we were packing to go home from our week's trip, Dad commented that the whole trip was worth it because he got to see those caverns!

As for the brightness...I'm thinking that I will bring my entire wardrobe of brightly colored, tie-dye T-shirts to the Scarf Sister's Reunion! That way no one will be able to lose me along the way...just in case they try!

M R Ducks

M R Ducks
M R Not
M R 2, C M Big Wangs?...

Okay...so Olivia has raised these two Mallards. (Once upon a time, there were three, until the neighbor's dog intervened, but we're not talking about that...)

These Mallards have quacked their way into our hearts.

We love the Mallards.

Not so much.

Do you see where they are?
Right in front of my studio door.
And when they're not in front of my studio door,
they are in front of the FRONT DOOR!

Needless to say - stepping over the duck droppings as we enter the threshold of our home is not my idea of fun. For one thing, Bentley isn't quite as careful as we are and is quite incapable of wiping his feet.

As I type this, the Mallards are tapping on the storm door and quacking.
I know that if I opened the door, they would waddle right on inside!!



Oy Vey!

I suppose I should be appreciative of one thing. They do match the house.

Tuesday Tidbits...

Borrowed from Kell's Monday's Musings!

1. what is your current obsession?
can't tell you...yet...but it involves earning lots of money and being blessed beyond belief!

2. what are you wearing today?
currently jeans and a tie dye t-shirt (what else?)

3. what’s for dinner?
no idea. no plans just yet. got to go root around in the freezer.

4. what’s the last thing you bought?
pink glitter tennis shoes for Olivia.

5. what are you listening to right now?
Bentley shaking and scratching.

6. if you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
somewhere in the mountains, near a lake.

7. one thing you wanna change about yourself?
be less negative.

8. if you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
italy. (but I would have to stay longer than an hour!)

9. which language do you want to learn?
italian.

10. what’s your favourite quote?
"faith is the bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark."

11. would you cook for me?
um...no. who are you?

12. what is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?
just avoid them. and pray for them.

13. what are you afraid of the most?
dying before I see my daughter grow up.

14. who do you want to meet right now?
all my scarf sisters!

15. what is your favourite color?
i like all the colors. i can't possibly choose one.

16. give us 3 styling tips that work for you.
i don't even use a hairbrush...style? what's style?

17. what is your dream job?
artist.

18. what’s your favorite magazine?
Birds and Blooms.

19. if you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
i'd put it toward airfare to somewhere....

20. what do you consider a fashion faux pas?
sandals with knee socks.

21. who according to you is the most over-rated writer?
son't know.

22. what brings a smile on your face instantly?
my daughter.

23. a word that you say a lot?
pitiful.

24. what are you going to do after this?
eat lunch.

25. what do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
sleep.

26. what makes you go wild?
what's wild?

27. what are your favourite movies?
tootsie, the sound of music, lord of the rings

28. what inspires you?
good art. good music. good people.

29. what do your friends call you most commonly?
Deb

30. would you prefer coffee or tea?
tea. (preferably earl grey or peach chai latte) i don't like coffee.

31. which other blogs do you love visiting?
TNTC (too numerous to count)

32. favorite dessert/sweet?
it's a tie between chocolate cake with chocolate icing and peach pie - depends on my mood.

33. how many tabs are turned on in your browser right now?
i have no idea.

34. when you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
i slept long enough and STILL have dark circles under my eyes...perhaps it's true that they are brought on by allergies...

35. favorite season?
spring, without a doubt.

36. one wish that you really want to see it come true?
can't tell you - then it won't come true! ;)

37. what breaks your heart?
the state of our nation and where it seems to be headed.

38. what's one thing you really want to do in life?
leave a legacy for my daughter.

Blessed Beyond Belief

Okay - so you all want to know where I've been and what has been taking up so much of my time that I don't blog very often anymore....

...wish I could share it with you!...I will....someday!!

In the meantime, suffice to say that I have been blessed beyond belief! In a way that that I never thought I would!

And I'm still here...just doing a lot of lurking!

Bark

I picked up some bark today while walking through the woods.

I'm thinking it will soon become integrated into a work of art...

Once Again...

...sitting here looking at the blank space on my screen where I'm supposed to be typing great words of wisdom, or truths, or funny anecdotes. Blank. The page and my mind.

So...I defer to my reading list - Currently reading June Bug by Chris Fabry. It's an interesting story - one which has kept my attention - which is very good these days...

...about a girl traveling with her father in an RV. They are parked in a WalMart parking lot for several weeks as they wait for a part to come in for their vehicle. During the three weeks when they are parked there, June Bug sees her photo on the the missing persons wall and learns that she isn't really June Bug, but rather Natalie Edwards...and so the story goes. Her father, really isn't her father, although he loves her and treats her like a princess. ...as the story unfolds, little pieces of the puzzle are revealed. I won't give any of it away... just in case you may want to pick up a copy of the book. I have two chapters to go - and then I'll begin another of Chris Fabry's books which just arrived from my Paper Back Swap Club., Dogwood

And since I have downloaded June Bug into my Amazon Kindle and iPhone...I am just now noticing the cover of the book while retrieving it online to post here on my blog. There is a quote by Publisher's Weekly which states, "Fabry's retelling of Les Miserables is a stunning success"....hmmmm...now I may have to read Les Miserables...I've never read that one...nor have I seen the play or the movie...

Storm

Storm moving in over the Allegheny River...photo taken on the way to my in-laws house....

to blog or not to blog?

that is the question.


I just can't seem to get my act together these days to blog.

I would like to blog.

Really.

But just never seem to work up the motivation to do so.

Here's something...poor Bentley had a little accident - won't go into details - but just suffice to say that he had to have a few stitches....so now he's wearing what is humorously referred to as the "cone of shame" (reference the movie: UP)

Poor Bentley....

yesterday...the eggs...

today....a turtle!


Upon leaving the house this morning, I almost drove right over this snapping turtle as it crawled across the driveway. Quickly, I called Brillo Man on my cell phone - knowing that had I left the scene, the turtle would be gone! Brillo Man wrestled this guy (or more than likely a gal...as it was far, far from the pond - probably just laid eggs someplace!) into a bin. And there it sat until he and Olivia took it later this afternoon to Riverside Park - whereupon it will probably wind its way through the river waters...right back to our pond!

This was a small one - the shell only about 14" in length. Somewhere lurking the murky waters of the pond are the monster ninja turtles! Beware of those! They can snap your toes right off! Brillo Man put the handle of an ice scraper in the bucket and WHOA!! you should have seen this gal go crazy!! Snapping every which direction! I wouldn't want to encounter one of these in the pond...for sure!! Did you notice the claws?! Ugh!

Eggs

While Brillo Man was excavating a new "road" through our property today he unearthed several nests of snapping turtle eggs. While it breaks my heart that all these little turtles have come to the end of their life cycle, it makes to happy to know that we will not be hatching any more snappers into the pond! We have enough of them already!

There were approximately 25 eggs on the surface - many more underneath the dirt. Each slightly smaller than a ping pong ball and laid over 100 feet from the edge of the pond. They will make a nice dinner for the resident skunk or the raccoons or an o'possum...

Hempfield Elementary Annual Art Show 2010