On the Road Again

Hello Blog Land!

I'm hitting the road.

Off to the Rocky Mountains.

Business not pleasure.

Although...

I'm going to make it my business to find pleasure.

To start out with, I'm dragging the whole family along.

We'll be returning October 3rd

I have an old dinosaur laptop I will try to get working.

If not, we'll catch up later.

Missing you already.

Love, 

Me

 Travel Quotes

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.  ~Anatole France

I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.  ~Lillian Smith

And that's the wonderful thing about family travel:  it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind.  ~Dave Barry 

(Ha ha ha!!! That last one set me off in a giggle fit! )

...and what better way to start off a long distance trip than with good ol' Willie!

My Man

This is my man.

Scott Retzlaff - chainsaw artist - www.loraxcarving.com

He used to fear social situations.

Now he is one.

He used to hide his art.

Now he shows it.

He used to be a lost boy.

Now he's a grown man.

He used to dream.

Now he acts on those dreams.

I am so very proud of my man.

 

He amped up the wattage in my bulb from first encounter.

My bulb is still glowing hot for him.

I love my man.

I think I'll go tell him that right now.

Have you hugged your loved one today?

Go on. Tell 'em how you feel.

Let's make it an ooey gooey love fest Thursday.

SWAK!

Help!!!!

I'm heading on a thousand mile trip in three days.

I will be gone for ten.

Mini-van with husband, four kids and mother.

Full house... er... van.

I'm trying to prepare for the trip.

This is what I have done so far.

Yeah, I have made a list of list I have to make.

I still have to make the lists.

Then I have to execute the lists.

Looks like I better get crackin'!

Space

I've been wanting to share something dynamic lately.

A brilliant thought.

Some groundbreaking news.

A vision so amazing you have to blink and look again.

My thoughts swirl and twirl lately.

I have so much on my mind

yet when I come to this place of sharing

I am left with what feels like wide open space.

Everything comes to mind.

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you ever have times where you just can't seem to reign in your thoughts?

What do you do to remedy the situation?

or do you just go with it?

Random Monday

Lennon.

Cool dude.

Knows how to chill.

I'm taking lessons.

;)

Cool Dude Lennon chillin' in is pad.

Not much time to write today but I

wanted to share a few links with you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The always generous Jerry Jones

from Shadowhouse Creations

is sharing some cool free fonts HERE.

The best of human nature here.

The Prez making home brew here.

The best cure for insomnia

is a Monday morning.  ~Author Unknown

Take Note

UM/UIM

Uninsured Motorist/Under Insured Motorist

Insurance

BUY IT!!!!

I am asking each of you to check your automobile insurance.

Because I care.

Check for uninsured and under insured motorist insurance.

You can get a million dollars of coverage for next to nothing.

My friend has it. It's saving her house.

I was gone the last few days.

I was hours away helping a friend.

She is in her mid thirties.

She has a four year old and a one year old.

Three weeks ago she was in a bad car accident.

She was driving home from work (second shift).

She was t-boned.

The accident happened in front of a hospital

less than a mile from her home where her children lay sleeping

and her husband sat waiting.

They had to use Jaws-of-Life to extract her from her totaled car.

Her pelvis was crushed.

She was rushed to a bigger hospital where they screwed her pelvis together.

She is lucky.

She has family and friends helping to care for her and her children.

Grueling physical therapy, lots of pain meds.

Sent home with instructions.

DO NOTHING

She will need to use a walker for two months.

Crutches for another two.

She can't take care of her girls.

She can't work.

The Driver

A twenty year old kid.

High on drugs.

Blacked out.

He had a warrant and a past record.

Part of his record. Battery. Drugs.

He had NO INSURANCE.

It's the law to carry insurance here.

He obviously has no regard for law.

My friend has under insured/uninsured motorist insurance.

Coverage up to one million dollars.

She is spreading the word.

She asked me to spread the word.

Healing will take time.

Reimbursement will take time.

Her family is helping her financially.

Without her insurance, she would lose everything monetarily.

The insurance will sue the kid.

You can't squeeze blood from a turnip.

Please. 

Check your insurance.

Consider uninsured/under insured motorist insurance.

I checked. I had the minimum.

I am upping mine to the max.

I had fun with her girls.

I was glad to help her.

It was sad to see her suffering,

watch her frustration with being helpless to her children's needs.

She's lucky. 

Her life was spared.

She's getting stronger every day.

For Shannon's sake,

check your insurance.

Spread the word.

This was the moon at sunrise a few days ago driving to my friend's house.

MIA

I

AM

MIA

Out of town.
Helping a friend.

She was in a terrible car accident.

Needs much assistance.

Shattered pelvis + two tiny tots = no fun.

She has so much love and support pouring in.

Filling in few days family couldn't.

Be back Thursday.

Catch up then.

Love to all!!!

p.s. prayers appreciated

Wood Spirit

Hubby is a chainsaw carver.

We started Lorax Carving.

He's been carving for two years now.

Sometimes he carves what he sees in the wood

and sometimes he carves what others request.

One day I asked him to carve me a wood spirit.

He didn't know what I was talking about.

"I want a face coming out of the wood.

As if you are pulling the spirit out of the wood

so we can see it."

He picked a piece of wood.

He had no plan.

He just carved.

As he reached the left eye, the sap ran from the wood.

It was a spiritual moment for him.

He carves, the wood shows him the way.

This is what it showed him that day.

the urge

body hot

breath short and labored

thighs burning hot

heart racing

one million miles per hour

feeling so strong

tears exit my eyes

faster

faster

faster i pump

knowing the end is near

fighting the urge

to quit

 ~~~

exercise

 ~~~

it's such a bitch!

Why? What were you thinking?

*wink*

Why?

I followed an internet link this morning.

It shows a photo shoot of Lady Gaga with no makeup.

The real woman.

The real beauty.

Natural.

Free from the mask.

Damned if the comments aren't crude, rude, nasty, judgmental.

Downright MEAN!!!!!

What is wrong with people?

She bares all.

She is gutsy.

She is daring.

She is famous, powerful, smart, strong, dare I say beautiful????

I actually prefer to see the real her.

I'm not a big fan of the performer

but I have gained a whole new respect for the woman.

Why is it that people have to be so mean?

Why do people feel the need to voice their negativity?

Why do people choose to be so hurtful?

It is like a bully mentality, this whole internet thing.

The comment sections disgust me.

Everyone hides behind a screen and throws the ugliness around.

I wonder.

For all those judging.

What do they think of themselves?

How is their career going?

How much money do they have in the bank?

What do they see in their own mirror?

I love, love, LOVE au natural.

I love people for who they are.

The raw them. The real them.

I love that my husband doesn't like makeup.

I still feel uncomfortable leaving the house without a touch of a mask.

"Why?" I ask myself.

Now I know.

It is this crazy media driven world which judges on masks.

Who has the best mask?

Me? I would rather live in a world where everyone took off their masks.

Accepted themselves. Loved themselves.

Mainstream Media

Stop the bullying. The judgment.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

No one is perfect.

We all judge at times.

Myself included.

We can all work on it.

Be aware of the words that cross our lips.

Be aware of the impact our words have on others.

Tonight I am attending a presentation.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to attend locally.

Here's the scoop.

"A one-hour presentation on Rachel's Challenge. Rachel Scott was the first student killed in the Columbine tragedy. This dynamic presentation will challenge each of us to become proactive parents/community members to help support our kids to embrace and respect individual differences, appreciate the value and worth of all people, stand up for others that are being mistreated, know "who" they are and recognize their worth, and to reach out and help others."

For more info.

What an important message.

(total random side note but somewhat related. yes. more of my rambling cranial purge. shortly after seeing the article on Lady Gaga, I saw a whole article on anti-aging tricks and tips. what does that really mean? we're all going to do it whether we like it or not. anti makes it sound like we're against it. wouldn't it be great if we could embrace it? every line, every wrinkle and grey hair represents time, stories, experience, lessons. how about 'aging gracefully' instead.)

I feel extremely grateful for the online communities I have encountered.

My blog connections.

The online classes I have taken.

My CM sisterhood.

Such an amazing and supportive crowd.

I am in love with the positivity, the love, the generosity.

It's out there. I know it is. I see it and feel it every day.

Perhaps it's not the norm. Perhaps it's not everywhere.

But the love is there.

Please keep this in mind as you go about your day.

Pass a little love around today.

Make a ripple.

If we all join in, we'll be making waves.

ripples

Thank you.

All of you.

For being here.

For reading.

For your love, positivity and support.

I love you.

Have a beautiful day.

Couple

I want to do something with this picture.

Write a story.

Play in photoshop.

Crop it.

Blow it up.

Add thought or word bubbles.

No time to play.

Going away for the day to help a friend in need.

Any grand ideas for this couple?

What's their story?

   

Took this photo while sitting in the passenger seat in the rain waiting for Darling Husband to come back to the car.

Am I A Loser???

I need your help! 

 I fear I may be a loser!

Twice Over!!! 

Indulge me, if you will, in two debates.

Debate #1

The age old "over or under" debate.

Toilet paper.

Over (front)?

Or under (back)?

Debate #2

Magazines

Okay to read from back to front?

Or ONLY acceptable front to back?

If you reply, you MUST answer honestly!

No sparing my feelings.

I'm a big girl.

I wear big girl panties.

I can take it.

sniff ~ sniff ~

No really.

I need to know.

Do I win the debate?

Or am I a loser?

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

In my circle of friends, I have failed miserably.

Here's my take.

T.P. should be put on the roll so the tail drapes down the BACK!!!

I guess that would be "under"

I don't want the tail flapping over the top at me.

Mocking me.

Taunting me.

"Here I am!!! Hanging over!!! Look at me looking sloppy!!!"

I want it neatly placed under (to the back)

where it will lie silently against the wall

neatly in line with the vertical lines of the cabinets and walls.

Anal? A bit. Correct? I believe so.

My husband and (as I have recently found out)

a couple of close friends find my way completely unacceptable.

They are of the "over" crowd.

Swearing it only makes sense that the extra paper tail be resting atop the roll.

Whaaaaat????

Can this be???

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

As for the magazines. 

I get them. I love them. I devour them.

I read them back to front.

Not religiously, but 90% of the time.

Now I'm not a total freak.

Books, letters, mail, everything aside from magazines

gets read the proper way from top to bottom, left to right.

There's just something about magazines.

I pick them up and they demand I start from the back!

Magazines scream,

"scan me"

"leaf through"

"dabble"

"play with me"

I read them bits and chunks.

Willy nilly.

Starting in the back, flapping toward the front.

Whatever grabs me I read.

Next time it is picked up, I do the same.

Like a lottery of entertainment.

Then....

my world was shattered.

A friend told me that reading a magazine from back to front

was a freaky thing to do.

"NO ONE reads from back to front"

She declared.

"I beg to differ! I do! And I'm someone!"

"Well that's just plain strange."

"What about all the people leafing through at the doc office? Do you think they pick them up and read front to back? Or do they pick something willy nilly? Perhaps EVEN starting at the back?"

"No One starts at the back. It's just wrong."

She even pulled in another friend. We were at a party when this ugly debate started. The friend? Agreed with her. Then again, it was HER friend. They actually started laughing at me and saying how ridiculous it was. They were asking around and guess what???? I was the ONLY one to read back to front! Of course I have no clue if everyone was being honest with me. After all, it was my friend throwing the party. Perhaps they all agreed with her as not to risk being kicked to the curb on the night of the party!?!?

Once again, my circle of friends claimed

I was the loser.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Sooo...

dear bloggy friends....

I reach out to you.

Two debates

in need of two answers.

#1

t.p.

over (front) or under (back)

#2

magazines

acceptable to read from back to front?

yes or no

I will be anxiously lurching around patiently waiting for the results to see if I have won the debate (yes!!! winner!!!)

or

if, in fact, I am a loser.

;)

Thanks for playing along!

Have a happy, safe, brilliant weekend!

And they're off!

Back to school.

Four kids.

Four different schools.

To say this back to school year will be challenging

is an understatement.

I know there is a collective sigh of relief when the start school.

For me?

I miss them already.

They are my heart.

Darling Daughter spotted this heart in the root of a tree by the river. Tree Love. Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!

While my heart is away

I'll let my mind play.

This year I am embracing ME!!!!

 

 I woke to a wonderful post by Shannon.

Perfect timing.

She has all sorts of wonderful links like

~ an article on how to make YOU a priority ~

~ a link for chances to win prizes ~

~ a link to a brand new inspirational online magazine ~

The first thing I am going to do (for me) is get organized.

I know, I know. I've said that a million times.

This time, I mean it!!!!

With no one here to mess up the joint

I have a chance at actually accomplishing ultimate organization.

 Great organization blogs for great tips, tricks and pics.

Organize Junkie

A Fresh Start

Fly Lady

Unclutterer

Enough reading and writing about it.

On to action!

What changes will back-to-school season bring you?