Snow Day, Scrapped

I know you didn't think I'd let a snow day go by without taking pictures and scrapping at least two pages about it! (You did know that, right?) So what if I'm four months late? :)

The Pastor's Ass

I lifted this from a friend:

The Pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The Pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again and it won again.

The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the Pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.

The next day the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the Bishop so he ordered the Pastor to get rid of the donkey. The Pastor decided to give it to a Nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The Bishop fainted. He informed the Nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the Bishop so he ordered the Nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.

The next day the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The Bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is this: Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery -- even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!

Nostalgia

A long time ago I observed that people who did not go to college had a tendency to drag out the styles of their high school years a little too long. In the  late nineties, I saw it in the form of bangs teased six inches above the head and jeans that were pegged tight enough at the ankles to cut off circulation. Yes, I am willing to admit that I once did the same thing, but I also had enough sense to quit. (Though some part of me still wishes for big hair to come back in vogue - it looked good on me. I don't miss the amount of time it took to accomplish the look, though.)

I will also admit that I don't have much of a sense of style today, either. I mostly wear solid-colored short-sleeve shirts and jeans or capris. Boring, I know - but I digress. I'm not sure why college seemed to be the defining factor, but it seems that inevitably those who are holding on to long-buried fashion trends didn't make the journey into the hallowed halls of higher education.

Why do we tend to live in the past? It seems that lately I've been stuck in the nineties; reminiscing about high school and college days, thinking of old friends, big mistakes, and fun times. I've spent a few hours lately updating my playlist with songs that flood my head with random memories, and I'm not ashamed to admit I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

It seems that every song has its own memory attached; One Headlight reminds me of a particularly bad date during my college years. Shine brings back Friday and Saturday nights cruising the strip with the radio cranked up as loud as it would go. When I hear Whomp, There It Is, I inevitably remember a rainy day riding back from a band trip to Indianapolis (was it the state football championships?) with the entire band hollering along. Informer takes me back to the physics class spent outside shooting off model rockets; the teacher used mine for a demo, shot it straight into a power line, and I wound up losing points because it didn't go far enough. Some kid in a blue Iroc-Z drove by about that time, thumping out Informer from speakers that he obviously felt the need to show off.

I loved Color Me Badd, but didn't dare buy a CD because I knew my parents would throw it out since every other song title had the word "sex" in it. My college roommie and I would clean our dorm to Alanis Morisette's Jagged Little Pill, cranked up loud enough to motivate us to actually do the work. I used to laugh hysterically to the line "pissing the night away" in Tubthumping, because at first I didn't know that "pissing" could mean also mean drinking. More Than Words was the anthem of my first summer at Bible camp. I think they must have played Brown-Eyed Girl at least a dozen times at our senior banquet.

Funny how music can take you back. Over the last few years, I've quit listening to the new stuff. It doesn't hold the same appeal that it used to. I'm just not a fan of the hip-hop, synthesized, unoriginal stuff. Granted, not all of my nineties stuff was much better, but today's music just doesn't do it for me anymore. I am much more likely to listen to talk radio, or the nineties station that I can only pick up for about ten minutes when I cross the Georgia state line on I-24.

Maybe it's because life was simpler then... or was it? I suppose I've really just traded one set of complications for another, and even though retrospect tells me that the problems of yesterday are far less serious than the ones I have today, it never seemed so at the time, not in my limited experience. Even so, when I find myself buried in bills and work and death and sorrow, I wish, just for a moment, I could backtrack to the days when homework and boyfriends were the biggest concern, and Def Leppard and Sheryl Crow strained from the radio.

Last Day of the First Grade

I blinked and it had passed. One day he was trotting proudly into school, showing off his cool new "pack-pack" and clutching a box of Kleenex, the next he was loading up in my car, a sticky, sweaty mess from playing all, sans one front tooth.

He made such incredible strides this year - from not reading much of anything to starting his first chapter book tonight, from counting to adding two-digit numbers, and from not spelling anything to not missing a single word - ever. I somewhat wish his confidence level had gone up a bit more than it did, but I'm still quite proud of how much he's been able to do.

It's been a tough year. The first semester all three of us were in school and money was really tight. Between lack of time and lack of funds, I felt like a rotten mama. Then when Jeff graduated and I shifted into second semester with its tougher classes and my workload at my job suddenly pushed me into fifty-hour workweeks, I thought I'd lose my mind. At one point Braeden asked why I didn't have time to play with him anymore. It broke my heart.

I got out of school two weeks ago, only to get very, very sick - sick enough to finally spend most of Thursday night in the emergency room with a ridiculously fast heartbeat, high blood pressure, and complete inability to catch my breath. Two breathing treatments, a shot of an antibiotic, a couple of pills, and goodness knows how many dollar later, I went home. Oh, and my car's been broken down since I got out of school - just got it back Friday. So between being sick enough to be unable to walk across the house without gasping for air and not having a car to go anywhere, it's been a miserable two weeks. Not how I wanted to spend my first two weeks out of school.

Thankfully, today I felt a little better. And since Jeff was working, I decided (rather spontaneously) when I picked up Braeden that we would have a night out together. We went home for a quick potty break, then headed out to Chattanooga to see Shrek Ever After and get dinner. I figured I could handle walking through the parking lot if I got to sit down for an hour and a half to rest. :) The movie was pretty good, and I tolerated the 3D glasses without a monstrous headache. Then I took Braeden to Kanpai, where he oohed and aahed and clapped with delight at the show our very good chef put on for us. I figured since I was two-for-oh, we might as well go to the bookstore. I picked up 1984, Atlas Shrugged, Wicked, and a couple of books for Braeden, then plopped myself in one of the leather chairs to rest (again) while Bebo played at the train table.

It was a good day. I'm feeling better, even though it'll be a few more days before I'm totally back to normal. School is out for all of us, at least for a couple of months. And I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with my little man, watching him giggle at the movie, cheer on our waiter, and read the first two chapters out of his new book on the way home.

Yup. Life is pretty good.

R.I.P.

A couple of months ago I posted about the sweet Husky mix who adopted us. Sadly, we came home from a trip to Mom's to find that she had died. I miss her terribly. She wrapped us around her little paw so quickly. Thankfully, Jeff found her around the back of the house, so Braeden didn't have to see her swollen body. I can't get the image out of my head, and I'm so grateful that he doesn't have to worry about it.

It was all confusing to Bebo. He'd been exposed to death, but not the death of someone close. Every day he used to tell me "I love you and Daddy and Spazz and Fritz and Sizz and Buddy and Lucy more than anything else in this world." Now my sweet girl - the only other female DNA in our household - has left us.

I still halfway expect her to run up to me when I come home. Maybe, as Bebo asked, our pets really will go to heaven with us. I think I'd like that.

Q&A

Yay! I scrapped! I've been trying for several days, but I guess it's been so long that I nearly forgot how. Hopefully this is a good start...

And for the story behind the pictureless page - ever answer those silly surveys that meander through Facebook, Myspace, or email? I thought it would make for a fun random snapshot of me today, and since I rather enjoy doing pages without pictures, it seemed like a good idea. :)

Bucket List

After seeing two posts on Facebook regarding wish lists/bucket lists, it occurred to me that I don't really have one. I need to fix that, but I also need to give it some thought. Stay tuned...

Summer... finally. :)

Nope. It's not the heat I'm excited about - not even remotely. What's got me all excited is simply this:

School is out. I am done with mandatory studying for a while. Yes, I have some review to do, but no more assignments to turn in, no more projects to, er, create, no more late night classes, and no more nights with barely four hours of sleep.

I can scrapbook, I can clean my house, I can do whatever I want. Mostly.

Yeah... I haven't looked forward to summertime this much since I was a senior in high school!

One more thing - admittedly, it was by the skin of my teeth, but I managed to hold that 4.0 again. :)

Kitties in Action

For your viewing pleasure... please ignore the messy house.

New Kids in Town

I've already introduced you to Lucy, the husky-mix who mysteriously appeared a few weeks ago. She's completely endeared herself to all of us.

But apparently my little household is trying to expand into a zoo, because we've added two more members to the family. I haven't picked names yet, but I couldn't stand to wait to share the pics with you. :)

Note: I would have preferred not to use the flash, but the rambunctious little critters simply won't hold still long enough!

The Newest Member of the Family (I think)

A week ago Monday, I took Braeden to school and came home to find this pretty little lady in my driveway. It startled me, because Buddy is quite territorial and I was shocked that he had let her get so close to the house. But then he came bounding around the house and the two of them took off the yard like they been the best of friends since birth!

I really thought she wouldn't stay for long, and that maybe one of the neighbors had a new pet. A week later, I've finally come to the conclusion that someone dropped her off here. Jeff has refused to let me feed her, but something tells me she's getting plenty to eat anyway (and he's warmed up to her quite a bit, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a vet trip in her future). She never lets Buddy get out of her sight, and she is really good with Braeden. It's obvious she's got Husky in her - which is cool, because I've always thought Huskies were sweet, lovely dogs. She's very playful, but also slightly cautious around us. Thankfully, she's never so much as growled or snapped at anyone, and now that I think about it, I don't believe I've heard her bark a single time.

I decided she needed a name, so I picked Lucy. Jeff said that entirely too overused, but Braeden really liked it, so Lucy it is. :) We have no idea how old she is, but I would guess she's still got a bit of puppy left in her. Buddy's getting old, and I think she'll be good for him.

Lucy isn't the only new addition, though. In a few weeks, we'll also be adding a gray-and-white kitten! Sizz is a great cat, but because he's indoor/outdoor, I can't pet him without breaking out into hives - and of course he wants up in my face at all times. Our friends have a new litter of kittens, and Jeff actually gave me permission to get one for my own (indoor) cat. I'm so excited!

So... meet Lucy, and in a while I'll hopefully have some kitty pictures for you, too!

Hairy Situation

We've let Braeden have long hair. Jeff & I didn't care what anyone said; it looked cute on Bebo. He liked it, too - until today. One of his buddies from kindergarten said he looked like a girl. :(

I hate mean kids. I'm glad Bebo isn't one of them. However, it broke my heart to hear him say he didn't like being embarrassed, and so we plopped him down outside to buzz it all off.

:(

Here's before and after. I really hope he grows it back out soon. I will miss his long locks. But I guess if it keeps him from being embarrassed, I'll go with it. It's sad... hopefully someday he won't care what anyone else says and he'll just do his own thing. In the meantime, I'm going to have to get used to this super-short haircut!

A Scrapbook Page, a Picture (or Two) and a Rundown

I've been a little MIA lately... no excuse, except undeniable busy-ness. In an attempt to giving it to you in a nutshell, here goes:

- We totally enjoyed the snow! (see below for what happens to poor old Thomas)

- Jeff finally got his NCLEX scheduled for March 29. I never dreamed one person could have so many things go wrong in trying to get a two-year degree! (Okay, so the night program is 2 1/2 years, but who's counting?) In the meantime, he's doing sixteen weeks of training at Memorial. Tonight he goes back to the night shift, and I can't say he's disappointed about not getting up at 4am to go to work. :)

- Speaking of school... I'm in full-blown basketcase mode. I enjoy being back in the classroom, but juggling school, work and family is a lot harder than I'd dreamed. I don't get much "me time," but I did decide today to throw together a quick scrapbook layout. I've used the design several times now, and I think I will make an entire book out of it - it's quick, easy, and looks pretty nice (even if it was my idea!). :)

- Braeden is, at the ripe old age of almost-seven, burned out on school. It's frustrating to me, because I was the little nerd who absolutely loved school. . . but really, I think they're just pushing too much too soon. He is still doing pretty well - all A's & B's - though I think if he really tried, he'd be a straight-A student.

- Braeden will be seven in a little over a month... I can't fathom where the time has gone. Jeff & I are seriously considering getting him a Wii for his birthday, though in reality it would be for the whole family. I also procured tickets for a fifth visit to see Thomas at the railroad museum later this spring.

- Also coming up... it's time for the annual mother-daughter weekend with Mom. We'll be going to Gatlinburg, renting a condo, and mostly just chilling for the weekend. We're both too tired to get very excited about shopping. lol I'm very much looking forward to the break, and crossing my fingers that the weather warms up considerably in the next two weeks.

I suppose that's all. Jeff will go to work soon and I want to spend some time with him before he goes. Hopefully it won't be two more months before I post again.

My Apologies

I know I don't exactly have a huge readership, but I have been somewhat inundated with an increasing amout of spam comments lately. To combat that, I've switched to approving comments and requiring word verification.

I'm sorry - I know it's obnoxious.

Lately I've found myself with the urge to make cards - not for the church, for once, but just for myself. Of course, I have to pretend I don't know how notoriously bad I am about forgetting special occasions... :)

Anyway, here are two I've recently made. The first is a Valentine's card for my nieces & nephews, the second is my Christmas thank-you (which, obviously, I still need to send out. Note to self: add this to today's to-do list!)

I am still trying to make some for church, but I am restricted somewhat in my creative license, since the cards have to be totally flat. I can't put a lot of stuff on them, or it becomes difficult for people to sign their names to the cards. Sometimes it is fun to simply do whatever I want, and not worry so much about bulk.

But alas! - no card making for now - I have housework and homework, and the shower is seductively whispering my name. :)

2010 Calendar

It's been so long since I scrapbooked... long enough that I'm even desiring to get glue on my fingers and little scraps of paper in my hair. Since Christmas with the in-laws didn't pan out for me (long story - Jeff & Braeden went and I stayed here), I'd thought that I would have a chance to do a little catching up, but - well, let's just say there have been complications.

I did, however, get started on Mom's yearly calendar. Yes, I know it's late. I think I'll just start the dang thing with February, if Shutterfly will let me do that. This year I opted to keep the design very simple, and I think I like the results so far. At least having a somewhat cohesive theme makes the actual scrap work much faster, right?

So... here ya go. June, May, and July (in that order).

Oh, and Mom already knows, so it's no surprise. In fact, I was so busy at the end of last semester that I barely had time to make her an IOU!

Joy to the World

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Decor

I've had the best time decorating this year. :) I love the turquoise-red-white combo, and since it works so well with my multitude of snowmen, I went with it!

The centerpiece on our table

A wreath I made using a styrofoam base, ribbon, and my Sixxiz Big Shot and Cricut (Winter Wonderland & When It's Cold Outiside carts)

Another view of the wreath

My many Snow Buddies - sadly, they are now discontinued. :(

More snowmen

Puppy Chow! YUM!

A music box... Frosty skates around the pond. Braeden will sit and stare at it forever!

Bummed

*sigh*

I am trying to be thankful. Really I am.

Unfortunately, I am doing a rotten job.

My Thanksgiving plans are a bust. Every year I go to Mom's. We have our big T-giving dinner, and on Black Friday Mom & I load up and hit the craft stores for the latest & greatest. It's one of my favorite things to do all year - and Mom, Gabe & Katie are all sick. Worse, Jeff is working two 12-hour shifts that day. Oh yes, 'tis true - he'll work 7a-7p at Grandview and 7p-7a at Memorial. So it's just me and Bebo, with no time to get & thaw a turkey (something else I was really looking forward to). I have no idea what we will do.

Worse... it looks like our time in this little house is limited. Our landlords want to sell and there's not a snowball's chance in you-know-where that we will qualify for a loan to buy it ourselves. Guess we should have signed a lease. I'm just heartbroken. I love this little place. We were so lucky to get it, and now we'll likely have to move into some crappy little duplex or apartment because that's about all there is in this county.

I just want to cry. :(

Rip-Roarin' Good News

Wait for it...


Wait for it...








Wait for it...







JEFF PASSED NURSING SCHOOL!!!!!

AND HE HAS A JOB WAITING FOR HIM IN CARDIAC ICU!



Can you tell I'm excited? :)