Award!

I was recently given an award by Creative Rhapsoday as a blog that gives her inspiration and I am so honored! When she joined us doing the scrapblogs, I was thrilled to find out that we lived in the same state and only about an hour away from each other. I also found out that her daughter goes to the same university that I graduated from! It makes me realize what a small world we really live in and how we are all connected in some way or another. Thank you NiNi!

When My Birthday Comes Along...

Blog Prompt - How do you feel about celebrating your birthday?

Normally we don’t make a big deal about birthdays because I pretty much get whatever I want when I want it. We usually go out for dinner and that is nice. But this year, I am going to turn 50 and for some unknown reason, I’m excited. I know we won’t do anything special but I love the thought that I will be 50. I feel grown up (not grown old). I am in a wonderful stage of my life where I am doing what I want to do and feel financially secure that I don’t have to worry about the future (even during these tough economic times) because we were frugal and saved wisely. I feel content with my life too. So I’m really happy about celebrating my birthday because I’m still alive, happy, and healthy. I don’t want a party of any sort because I hate to be the center of attention but I will mention it if I’m in a group of people at the time. I hope you feel the same way when your birthday comes around.

PS: Think of me as I get interviewed this Sunday about my blogs!

Original image: 'Birthday Cake' http://www.flickr.com/photos/15594900@N00/384076624

Cleaning My House

Blog Prompt - What needs cleaning in your house?

Oh my gosh! Where do I begin? Since I like lists, I will give a list of things that need to be done:

1. Clean out dining room of all boxes and “stuff” from my classroom when I retired almost two years ago (see picture but keep in mind that is only one side of the dining room that you are seeing). But first I have to clean out the back shed, so I can put all the yard sale/flea market stuff we have. When I move all that stuff into the shed, I will have space in my storage building that can hold all my classroom stuff.
2. Dusting the house which for some reason is so easy, yet I keep putting it off.
3. Mopping the floors which I hate to do and put them off too.
4. Decluttering my office which needs to be done soon in case my parents come to visit this summer.
5. Clean out foyer of all flea market stuff (see #1)

Since I am so overwhelmed with all this housecleaning, I am going to go out and do some gardening and picking up some pecans!

Rest and Relaxation

Blog Prompt - How important is rest and relaxation to you?

Rest and relaxation is so important to me. I may have mentioned this before, but here it is again. About 20 years ago, I lost all of my hair due to stress. At the time, I didn’t know that I was under stress but I was. My husband had lost his job because he was willing to transfer out of state. My daughter was having many problems at school. My house caught on fire and we had to move in with my in-laws for about 2 months while we looked for another house.

My hair started to fall out by the handfuls so I went to the doctor. One doctor told me that I was having an allergic reaction to my hair which I thought was totally ridiculous so I went to another doctor. No one seemed to be able to tell me why my hair was falling out or how to stop it. They kept asking me if I was under stress and I kept telling them no. To me, being under stress meant that I was having a nervous breakdown and not able to work. Since I was teaching every day and spending time with my family, I didn’t consider myself being under stress. Finally after spending thousands of dollars trying to find out what was wrong with me, the doctors gave up. They said there was no other tests to run and nothing they could do for me. They told me that it would never grow back.

My husband and I decided that I would start exercising and taking multivitamins. He even signed me up for the gym which was close by so every evening for two hours, I would go to the gym. Amazingly, my hair started to grow back. I had hoped it would grow back red and curly but it didn’t. But that was okay because I was just glad it grew back.

So now, whenever I see a lot of hair in my hairbrush, I exercise a little more, which I find extremely relaxing. This exercise helps me to relax. So, as you can see, rest and relaxation is important to relieve stress, which could eventually kill you.

Original image: 'ooooooohm' http://www.flickr.com/photos/61779926@N00/303640733 by: Steve Wall

Online Time

Blog Prompt - I spend a lot of time online because...

1. I enjoy it.
2. I stay in touch with family and friends.
3. I like to connect with people I don’t know all around the world.
4. I like to talk to others on Plurk and Twitter.
5. I like to blog and share my thoughts and ideas with others.
6. I love to get comments on my blog.
7. I get lots of great advice from others about my digital scrapbooking, gardening, and knitting.
8. I like to know what is going on around the world. I like to stay current with the news, education, and entertainment.
9. I like to stay organized and share my Google Calendar to make sure my husband knows all the things I/we have scheduled.
10. I learn something new every day.

Original image: 'So that's where it is' http://www.flickr.com/photos/80424201@N00/461374156 by: Craig Morey

My 10 Favorite Movies

Blog Prompt - My 10 favorite movies

This was fun! Many of my favorite movies are old movies. I don’t think I have many that are pretty current but I guess I don’t feel like they make movies like they used to any more.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (with Gregory Peck)
2. Miracle on 34th Street (with Natalie Wood)
3. Pretty Woman (with Julia Roberts)
4. An Officer and a Gentleman (with Richard Gere)
5. Oklahoma (musical)
6. Sound of Music (musical)
7. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (musical)
8. Citizen Kane (1941)
9. Gone With the Wind (with Clark Gable)
10. It’s a Wonderful Life (with Jimmy Stewart)

Original image: 'Grand Lake Theater of Dreams' http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01/479848405 by: Thomas Hawk

Current Project

Blog Prompt - Describe a special project you may be working on right now.

I am knitting a new prayer shawl. I found a pattern for a baby blanket that I liked and thought I could adapt it to this prayer shawl. But I didn’t want to do as many rows for the pattern so I cut out a few rows. I also want to make this in three colors because I don’t have enough of one color to do it all in one color. I use a lot of yarn that was donated or that I have bought at the flea market. I seem to be ripping this out a lot because I keep forgetting where I am in the pattern and it ends up looking all wrong since I’m doing the wrong thing on the wrong side. I don’t know why I thought I could change an original pattern since I am still a new knitter but I didn’t want to do the same thing over and over for 60 inches. I hope after all this hard work that it looks okay. We shall see.

Original image: 'Thanks to global warming' http://www.flickr.com/photos/15732690@N00/416586514 by: Lucy

Things I Haven't Done Yet

Blog Prompt - List things You've always wanted to do that you haven't done (yet)

Here are things on my to-do list but they aren’t in any order of importance.
1. See Macchu Picchu in Peru
2. Visit Seattle, WA and all the National Parks in WA.
3. Visit Rocky Mtn. National Park, CO
4. Visit Glacier National Park, MT
5. See Mt. Rushmore
6. Visit Germany.
7. Visit Ireland.
8. Visit Scotland.
9. Knit a sweater.
10. Rollerblade.

Original image: 'Make a wish :~))' http://www.flickr.com/photos/88049907@N00/346629549 by: Joe

Blog Writing

Blog Prompt - Is writing in your blog a form of self therapy?

It depends on what mood I’m in. If I’m upset, sometimes it helps to write my thoughts down and to share it with my friends. I have such great friends that I can always count on them for support because they always say the best things to make me feel better. Sometimes I just like to use it to share with friends and family some of the adventures that we are experiencing at the time. My circle of friends has grown so much since I started blogging. At first when I started, it was really hard for me to write everything I wanted to say. Now it is easy for me because I feel like I’m having a conversation (or more like a monologue) with everybody out there who reads this. I look forward to reading the comments that people leave and usually they in turn make me feel really good about myself.

Original image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/19487674@N00/58499153

My Car Trunk

Blog Prompt - What is in your car trunk or the back of your family van?

I am thrilled to say that there is not much in our “trunk” area of our Toyota Prius. Other than the spare tire and tools that go with it, we have a first aid kit and a cloth bag (to hold treasures from the flea market). I refuse to let our car get as cluttered as our house is. This is really important especially since we love to travel and we need every bit of space we can find when it is time to pack the car. We will be leaving soon for our three month trip out west and the last thing I want to do is to clean out the car first.

Original image: 'junk in my trunk' http://www.flickr.com/photos/23835356@N00/2661070355

Donating to a Charity

Blog Prompt - If you had to donate one million dollars to any charity, which one would it be and why?

I would donate my money to the Lupus Foundation. My oldest sister was diagnosed with Lupus when I was 6 years old and she was 18. She died when she was 27. My mother had Lupus when she died of emphysema. My middle sister also has Lupus and has lived with it for years. She is on so much medicine and has so many complications from it that I worry about her a lot. I don’t know why I am the only one who has not gotten Lupus but I have given my blood to a research center so they can try to find a cure. I try to eat healthy and get a lot of exercise which I hope keeps the trigger for Lupus away.

Superstitions

Blog Prompt: Are You Superstitious?

No, I don’t think I am superstitious. I remember growing up hearing about different things I needed to do for good luck but I never really put much store in this. My mother used to say that things happened in threes and sometimes it does if we look hard enough. We eat turnip greens and pinto beans for New Years for good luck. I really don’t believe in that but why tempt fate if it really works. Plus my husband likes that food and I don’t have to worry about what to cook for dinner. I try to do things that I was told just because it is tradition but not because I worry about bad luck. I think I have too much faith in God to believe in superstitions.

Original image: 'Do You Feel Lucky?' http://www.flickr.com/photos/7423510@N06/2573539437 by: Archie McPhee

Party Food

Blog Prompt - You have to bring some food to a party. What's it going to be?

If I bring food to a party, it will be something simple. Thanks to my friend Cathy who gave me this recipe for a dip to bring along with Frito Scoops. I don’t know the name of the recipe so I will just call it Hot Dip.

Hot Dip

8oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 cup frozen corn (not cooked)
1 cup jalapeno pepper slices with a little liquid (can be adjusted depending how hot you want to make it)

I cook it in the microwave for 5 minute intervals, stirring at the end of each time until it is all melted together. Then I put it in a disposable plastic container which can be reheated at the party if necessary. I bring the chips and another disposable container to be filled at the party. Then nothing has to be washed or brought home at the end.

Original image: 'Fritos' http://www.flickr.com/photos/71165588@N00/203155799 by: Paul Martin

Grab 10 Things

Blog Prompt - 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)
Here are the 10 things but they are not in any special order, just how they came to mind.

1. Pocketbook with checkbook and credit card and license
2. Laptop
3. Suitcase full of clothes
4. Parents’ wedding pictures
5. Filebox full of important tax receipts, passports, marriage certificate
6. Box of Don’s most treasured stamps and postcards
7. Picture album with old photos
8. Ipod
9. Digital Camera
10. Cell phone

Original image: 'Katrina's Fury' http://www.flickr.com/photos/78493611@N00/38319522 by: Armistead Booker

A Skill I Wish I Had

Blog Prompt - What's one skill you've wanted but don't have?

Of course this changes as I go through different fads and phases of my life. Right now I wish I could knit like my mother could. Before she passed away, she would knit my whole family matching sweaters. She could do this without us trying anything on because she could just visualize them on us. We looked forward to our sweaters every Christmas. I just decided to learn to knit and watched how to knit on Youtube. I was so frustrated until I talked to my sister who told me that our mother knit the continental style and I was watching the other style. Once I saw the difference I was able to get my head around learning the way I watched my mother knit and it was easier. I think she tried to teach me when I was young but I was too impatient and I hated ripping things out. Now I hate ripping things out but I realize that is part of learning. I have really been practicing and found a knitting group that meets once a week at Starbucks so I feel like I have a support system now. Maybe one day, I will be able to knit a sweater.

Original image: 'Done!!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/79165057@N00/262302627 by: Jacqueline

Growing Old

Blog Prompt: Do you ever think about growing old?

I am feeling old, especially today. Since our tenant moved out of the rental house, we have been trying to fix it up so we can find a new tenant. This involves painting the whole inside of the house, which wasn’t bad until we started. When we turned the power and water on, we found a busted water pipe, which led to finding a busted bathtub faucet, which led to a busted bathroom sink faucet, which led to another busted water pipe. Now while all this plumbing work is being done, we have been busy painting. It has been a long time since I have done a lot of painting but my husband decided that rather than paying someone to do it for $1000, since we were retired, we would do it ourselves. The first day of painting wasn’t too bad and we got the living room done which looks great. Unfortunately the other three rooms needed lots of work before we really can do much painting but I did get a primer coat on those rooms on the second day. I also painted 2 closets. Today I am sore all over. My arms hurt from rolling paint on all the walls and my legs hurt from going up and down the ladder. This is going on for about 10 hours each day. I think I’m getting too old to do all of this hard work. Since I’ve been retired, I’ve gotten lazy. I spend a lot of time playing on my computer, knitting or crocheting, traveling, reading, walking in the park but not actually doing any hard work. So right now, I’m thinking that I’m growing old and it is happening really fast!

Original image: 'Elderly People sign' http://www.flickr.com/photos/98742393@N00/132429085 by: Benson Schliesser

Out of Sight Foods

Blog Prompt - What foods do you keep out of sight?

I have absolutely no willpower so if I shouldn’t eat it, I need to just not buy it. But my loving husband wants to get me food that I like in case I feel a need to eat it, even if I shouldn’t. So, lately it is salt and pepper potato chips. Since we are counting calories and keeping a diary of the food we eat, I really don’t like to see the numbers jump up when I eat the chips. But, it is like that quote in the movie Field of Dreams where Kevin Costner hears the voice that says, “If you build it, they will come.” In my house, the voice says, “If you buy it, they will eat it!” I can’t even hide the food because I know it is there. I have a sharp memory so I don’t buy things and forget about them plus I feel it is a waste of money if I let the food just sit there and get old. So that is my guilty secret and don’t tell anyone!

Original image: 'Closer!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/34828812@N00/6786043 by: Marcelo Alves

My College Training

Blog Prompt - Did you go to college or have vocational training - where and when?

I went to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina for my undergraduate and graduate degree in Special Education. Special education was still a new field and not many people had heard of it before. Back home, people thought I was going into Physical Education and were amazed because I was so klutzy and uncoordinated that they couldn’t figure out why I would do this. I used to volunteer with disabled students when I was in high school and knew that I wanted to work with them as a career. I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher too. The big thing for me was that I had to decide which disabilities I wanted to work with when I came to college. I used to read books by Tobey Haydn where she tells about her experiences working with autistic children and emotionally disabled so I wanted to be just like her. I did get certified to teach emotionally disabled and learning disabled students. Yet over the years, I have taught students with all disabilities and learned that a label is just a label and that I really just teach students with difficulty learning. (This picture is when my husband and I double-dated for the prom with 2 of my students. For dinner, we went to Travinia's fine Italian restaurant. We had a wonderful time! ) I never regretted for a minute that I was meant to do this. I think sometimes we forget that God has a plan for us and we just need to have faith and follow that plan.

Can I Survive Without Email?

Blog Prompt - Can you survive without e-mail? How has it changed your life?

The answer to this is NO! NO! Absolutely not! Can you tell that I’m addicted to my online life? I keep in touch with family who live out of the state as well as friends all around the world through email. I have reconnected with a cousin that I haven’t seen for over 30 years until last year when we were out in California and had dinner together. Without email, that would never have happened. I have reconnected with a friend who I used to teach with who now lives in France but will be moving back to the USA and near my house this year. I have made new friends and connections through email. So, no, I couldn’t survive without it and my husband knows this too. That is why he bought me an air card to use in my laptop when we are traveling. Isn’t love grand!

Original image: 'Email Hack' http://www.flickr.com/photos/35034347350@N01/17322008 by: Ross Mayfield

Sports and Today's Hoped Accomplishment

Blog Prompt: Since the Super Bowl is over, I would love to know what sports women really love to participate in or watch.

I like to watch women’s volleyball and softball because I don’t think women’s sports get enough attention. When I taught on the high school level we also supported the girl’s basketball team and the softball team. It always made me sad that the only supporters there were usually family members and not many teachers. We tended to support them for so many years that we became honorary parents and were invited to the annual awards banquet each year. I don’t watch a lot of sports on TV though because I get bored to easily but I like to watch these in real life.

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

I hope to get a lot knitted on my prayer shawl today. I’m really enjoying the motion of knitting and find it very relaxing. I also need to get a lot done because our Loving Threads group meets this Sunday and I would like to turn it in. I also have a granny square prayer shawl in the making that I will finish after this one but I need to get this one done as soon as possible.