Thursday, January 31, 2008

Nora Roberts should be so eloquent...

So some of you may have (or may not have) noticed a blog link I have to the Pioneer Woman. She's hilarious and has been writing the history of her relationship with her husband and called it Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. So dang funny. Total romance with out the sex. Although they now have 4 kids so you never know, she may get to that too. Doesn't matter though, it's great writing. It takes awhile to get through though so set aside some time and a comfy spot before you start. You'll want to sit and read it all at once, very, very entertaining. Oh and she's a wonderful photographer, check out her photos if you get a chance.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

My dd wanted to know...

what a redneck is. I really didn't have an answer for her, I mean what do you tell a 6yr old with a big mouth, growing up in Texas, that won't get her in trouble at school? Because you know it'll come up there. So we're watching "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie" and one of the guys says the definition of Redneck is... The glorious lack of sophistication. Perfect, that'll do! I don't think that can get her in trouble.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Another cute forward, adorable!

I am so glad I am a girl!!

1. We got off the Titanic first.

2. We can scare male bosses with

the mysterious gynecological disorder excuses.

3 Taxis stop for us.

4. We don't look like a frog in a blender when dancing.

5. No fashion faux pas we make, could ever rival the Speedo.

6. We don't have to pass gas to amuse ourselves.

7. If we forget to shave, no one has to know.

8. We can congratulate our teammate

without ever touching her rear end.

9. We never have to reach down every so often to make sure our privates are still there.

10. We have the ability to dress ourselves.

11. We can talk to the opposite sex without having to picture them naked

12. If we marry someone 20 years younger, we are aware that we will look like an idiot.

13. We will never regret piercing our ears

14. There are times when chocolate really can solve all your problems.

15. We can make comments about how silly men are in their presence

because they aren't listening anyway.

Copic coloring...again

So I haven't taken any pictures but I have been coloring. The result? I need to practice more and I need more colors. I mean I have a lot of colors but I want more browns and yellow for hair (both girl and dogs and cats). It's a Bella thing. Dogwalkabella has 3 dogs in it and I don't want them to be all the same color! And Kittycatabella has 2 cats and they can't be the same color either. I need another gray too, I like highlighting around the outside (I'll take a pic of what I'm talking about soon, promise) and W3 is good but just a wee bit dark, I'd like W2 or even C2. We'll see...

Monday, January 28, 2008

I've been told I'm slakin'

On posting, which is true. I haven't been stamping much lately so I haven't any entertaining pictures yet, so sad. We've been working on getting jobs but haven't any leads yet. Ah such is life. Anyway I have a word for you, punishment. My 6 yr old asked me yesterday what it meant. I'm willing to bet that the dogs in this house don't know what that words means either. We are such bad parents, more punishment needs to be delved out in this household! The only one who gets it consistently is the poor husband and he should be the last one on the list, he's the one who keeps the house running.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

I liked this forward

So I figured I'd post it:

This was written by Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past, so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood but, the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.
Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.


Saturday, January 19, 2008

It's supposed to rain

All next week. The kids are going to be bouncing off the walls. Really, I do not envy the teachers, it's gonna be all kinds of not fun for them.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

It's cold

Really. I mean we're not in the mid west or the east coast with snow but this is Texas and we're 39 degrees today. It's dang cold out. And windy! It's supposed to be below freezing for the next 2 nights. Ew!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Been busy

Hunting for a real job that is. I have finally come to the conclusion that doing what my mother wants me to is not going to earn us any money. I should have begun this months ago but I've tried to believe and have some faith in my mom. I've never had any real faith in her, she's been a disappointment since before I was 5 years old. Sad really but not surprising that she's disappointed me again. She's left this week for a trip to Seattle and it's kind of nice, she can only screw things up so badly from that far away. Working with her is like working with a used car salesman. I never know if what is coming out of her mouth is a little lie or a big horrid one. One thing for sure though, it's not the truth. Never has been so I need to stop trying to believe and just get another job. It's not like I mind doing chemistry but the research chemist job market out here is not all that. I would love to do something like be a pharmaceutical rep but as I understand it's a hard market to break into. We'll see what I end up with, I'm not going to be picky. And yes, the lovely husband has been looking for a job for a few months now also. The job market in San Antonio is not that much like San Diego's. SA doesn't have as many jobs and the pay is not as good. We still don't want to move back, we want to stay here so we continue to hunt.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Do you watch the Disney Channel?

Obviously, since we named our dog Corbin Bleu we watch it in our house. So tonight the dh asks the dd if she knows who lives in the White House. She says "Of course, Cory does.". We just about busted a gut laughing at that one. We did, of course, mention that the president (albeit a very useless one that Cory is much better than) lives in the White House. We found it just so hilarious that she had an answer so quickly. Didn't even blink an eye. Didn't even consider mentioning the president of the US. Sad but at least it's entertaining.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Just how much?

Do you ever wonder just exactly how much time and energy you'd have to expend to keep your body in shape? Not necessarily have abs of steel but to keep yourself tone enough that you wouldn't feel guilty on those days where you just have to sit down with a tub of ice cream? I have been in physical therapy for about a month now and I think I've figured out how to keep myself where I'm at (which is more tone than I was prior to the brain surgery and almost 10 lbs lighter). It's between 2-3 hours of light aerobics (like walking) and a bit of core/toning exercises a week. See now all you need is a bit of trauma and pt/ot and you too can figure out what it takes. Something I do not recommend to anyone unless they have a ton of free time and stellar health insurance. We pay for ours (private health insurance bites, it's expensive and doesn't cover what it should for the cost) and have received a bill from just about every doctor I've seen and none of it has been covered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield yet. BTW, emergency brain surgery on a holiday runs about $75,000 if anyone wanted to know. I haven't even got a bill for the hospitalization or the inpatient therapy afterwards though and I think those bills are even higher than the surgery itself. But the care was wonderful and I am alive and fully functional. Well worth whatever they end up billing me. Every therapist I've seen looks at my chart or hears what I had done and says "Wow, you're damn lucky". Worth whatever they want to charge...

Copic Colors (pink in particular)



Someone on the boards asked what pink others liked and I think I was the only one who preferred a darker pink (begonia). I wanted to take a picture of it next to the other pinks so others could get a feel for how much brighter it is than the regular 'pink'. For my Copics (and my Prisma pencils actually) I make up a color sheet so I can just look at it and decide what color I'm going to use. My dh noticed it once and laughed, he thought it was the ultimate in ocd. What ever.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Frat dog




So I've come to the conclusion that our little monster dog would be the perfect frat boy dog. If a boy walked this little cutie patootie on a campus somewhere girls would flock in for miles to oogle him. Add to that the dh has trained him to snore and drool on him contentedly for however long you want to play a computer game (we're talking hours here people) and he's just perfect for a frat boy accessory. I had to take pics because the little fat butt was just snoring away sooo happily that I couldn't pass the photo opportunity up. I asked the dh how long the Corbinator would hang for and he said, "Oh hours probably". Good to know that's how long the dh has put into the computer games, no? Obviously neither butt has any motivation to move.

Credit where credit is due

So I have been remiss in mentioning my friend, Kim, who was very upset when I was sick and in the hospital. When I got out she gave me a present and a ton of cards she made. I think her goal was one for each day I was gone but that would have been nuts (she's got 4 kids, real life does get in the way) since I was gone for 2 weeks. They were all lovely cards (I do love the ones she makes) check out her blog, she has made more cards recently and posted them (that's half the battle now isn't it?). We've both been on the Copics kick and find that our coloring skills must be improved upon by practicing!! Sadly, I have been lagging but she's been at it full speed. Thanks Kim for all the beautiful cards!!

For personal motivational purposes

I have decided to try and make and donate cards to Cards for Heroes, an organization that gathers cards to send to our troops overseas. I need to do something with all the stuff I make and if it can make a difference to someone in the military all the better. Plus I can use it as an excuse to try new techniques and such.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

So we were trying to avoid...

The viewing. Neither I nor the dh are into open casket funerals. We figured the 3 hour service last night would be the viewing but no. We went this morning for the services and there it was, the open casket with the veiled body of our friend's daughter. Oh the look of horror on the dh's face. I thought he was going to get up and run out of the church. Mind you this is also one of those services that has 'Jesus' as every 3rd word and is based a lot on faith. The dh is not so good with that stuff so it was a less than great experience for him. Of course it was also a funeral so I'm sure he's had much better mornings. Anyway, it was rough but only because up there was a family that we know and think very highly of mourning the loss of their 19yr old dd. At some point they had a video of here when she was probably 9 years old and singing a chirstian song. A very cute video to be sure but as a parent I don't know if I could have handled that in the same situation. Irma (the mom) stood up and put her arms in the air towards the front of the church and Ruben put his arms around his wife. I'm sure the only reason they have held together this well so far is because they have 2 other children they must survive for. Becca was there at her sister's coffin greeting every one that came up. She would fuss over some arrangement of Bethany's clothes at some points and I can only imagine how difficult a process this was for her. Her parents were falling apart (of course!) and she has her own pain she's going through. These girls were only a year apart in age, they grew up practically like twins.
There were a lot of classmates that got up and spoke about Bethany, she was well loved and had the same beautiful smile that her mother does that warms an entire room. She was as well known for it as her mother to be sure.
We missed the burial, it was 1pm by the time it was over at the church and I had PT at 2 plus we couldn't leave my kid at Oksana's house forever, Dahlia had strep throat and had taken all the kids to the doctors with her to get diagnosed. We have such great friends.
The dh and I briefly discussed how these things make us feel so much more grateful for all the little things we have. The ability to kiss our little girl goodnight and tell her we love her. Stuff we take for granted every single day. We shouldn't, these are all gifts that can be taken away in the blink of an eye. My friend/co-worker Mike put together the funeral services for Ruben. He called me a few nights ago to say hi because it occurred to him (and me too, trust me) that he could have just as easily been making all of these arrangements for me. For all intents and purposes I should not have lived through that lovely aneurisym. Mike did a lot for Ruben's family, he stepped up to the plate when no one else did (or could). He had never met Ruben's family before but that made no difference in his desire to help. Just like the hubby, when he got the call he was ready to hop on a plane up to Amarillo and do whatever needed to be done to help them out. Tragedies do bring out either the best or the worst in people. This experience has been a learning one for many people.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Finished the card






The kid wanted to scrap at the same time so it took a bit longer than I would have anticipated to finish 1 card but the services aren't until tomorrow morning so we're good. I used My Sentiments Exactly (We're With you S146-IO), PaperTrey (Spiral Bouquet), SU (Baroque Motifs) & (True Friend), and Stampendous (Encouraging Words) stamps on this card. The colors are Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, and Purely Pomagranate. The ribbon is probably 10 years old so I have no idea where it came from. I stamped both the front and back of the envelope and the back of the card. Sorry all the pics are in backwards succession. You'd think I'd figure it out by now, to start loading the last ones first, but no. Old dog, no new tricks!

News article for Bethany

Here's a link to an article for my friend's daughter Bethany who died on the 27th. We are going to church services tomorrow morning. Tonight is the viewing service, the hubby and I don't do viewings, it freaks us out too much.
Later on I'll post a pic of the card I made for them. I went out and bought new stamps for it since I hadn't needed to make any sympathy/religious stamp before. Poor dh not only has to go to another church service but had to endure yet another trip to Hobby Lobby. He's such a sweet hubby.