a barn and an old stone house with bugs = camera therapy for me

it seems like it should be so easy.......

I'm still learning and

also appreciating

that

~~~~~
the laundry will always get done

my kids will never be any younger than they are today

getting nothing done can actually be a form of exercise

a great friend gives more than she takes

husbands need to be reminded how important they are

very few people will actually notice if I have make-up on or not

{even though I feel like I need to wear some everyday}

giving every now and then to the needy is not often enough

ignoring my family for a great TV show is bad

more people read my blog

than the number of comments that are left

cheese and crackers can be a meal

I will never look good in reading glasses

not finding clothes to fit will not be the end of the world

tennis shoes will never look sexy but will always feel good

that my heart will always be the strongest muscle in my body

that my years as a CASA were life changing

being friends with your kids comes after parenting them

~~~~~

I'm not too old to take a hip-hop body jam dance class

with my daughter

vintage and old are two very different things

finding your soul mate only happens once in a lifetime

fresh air can act as a sleeping aid

my grandma ruby lived her life as a guardian angel in disguise

I used to be a good runner

my dreams are getting more vivid

~~~~~

my childhood memories are too few

I'll never be able to tan like I used to

I think I could have been a great nurse

I could eat pizza every day

polka dots always look cool

geography just isn't something I'll ever be good at

you can never take too many pictures of your kids

words can really hurt

~~~~~

you can't have too many books

pap smears are necessary

but that will never make me enjoy them

a day without laughing is bad

~~~~~

we are who we are

and we have to guard that with everything we have

and since I love shoes, add your feet

Obviously today was not a day for bare piggies !!!

{oh yeah, this post goes with the one below it}

who are you really ?

{this is crazy, 3 posts with today's date}

Okay, here goes.

This is me.

Or as least, half of me.

Have you ever noticed that most of the blogs

we read

are "faceless" {gasp!}

In my mind I conjure up what I think everyone looks like,

the same way I do with characters in the books I read

and every now and then

there will be a post on someone's blog

where we finally get to see what they look like,

and then I'm like, "no, that's not you....

you have blonde hair, not brown

and you can't be that tall."

~~~~~

Do you ever do the same thing ?

~~~~~

Well, Toni has started a revolution

as far as I'm concerned.

She posted LOTS of pictures....of herself....

on her blog...

and I think she's amazing for doing so !!

~~~~~

So come on people....

let us see who you are !!

Show yourself off.

Smile for the camera !!

{and if I'm really brave, I'll post more pictures of myself tomorrow or the next day or the next....I'm just not photogenic AT ALL and I really hate pictures of me....so this takes alot of my inner strength....so if I can do it, can you do it ??}

Just a day, just an ordinary day

a day where I showered

immediately after I woke up

~~~~~

a day where I picked out

my favorite outfit to wear to sculpting class

~~~~~

a day where I pushed

myself to use the 10 lb weights

and still didn't sweat

~~~~~

a day where with a quick stop at the grocery store

I made a perfect salad from the salad bar

that was mostly garbanzo beans and hard boiled eggs

~~~~~

a day where I opened all the windows

to let the air swish around

~~~~~

a day where I made dinner, in the late morning,

for us and some neighbors

~~~~~

a day where I still couldn't touch raw hamburger

with my bare hands

~~~~~

a day where my kitchen had so many dishes to wash

but with the sun shining, it didn't matter

~~~~~

a day where I put my bird wings

in Borax to preserve them

~~~~~
a day where it was too beautiful to stay inside

any longer

~~~~~

a day where I had to run to the vet's office

for a new summer dose

of preventative flea/tick medication

~~~~~

a day where I took Sophie

to the neighborhood dog park

and we took our time

walking and seeing

~~~~~

a day where I savored every bite

of my salad bar salad

drenched in blue cheese dressing

~~~~~

a day when the weather forces you to

wear bare toes with your jeans
~~~~~
a day where I sat outside reading

my book in the afternoon sun,

while the barn swallows let me know

they didn't like me

~~~~~

a day where I listened to music

instead of the televison

~~~~~

a day where the kids made me laugh

with their adult sense of humor

~~~~~

a day where I delivered dinner

to our neighbors

and they were thankful

~~~~~

a day where my hubby

told me I was cute

and then he nibbled on my ear

~~~~~

a day where our dinner tasted

extra yummy and seconds were needed

~~~~~

a day where I was exhausted

by 8pm

~~~~~

a day....an ordinary day

and for that

I'm so very thankful

{this was inspired by mccabe.....

who always inspires me with her writing, photos and kindness}

There's worse things I could have done

It's not what it looks like....

okay, maybe it is,

but it's not really my fault.

Well, maybe a little.

I mean he was already dead.

I found him on the side of the road.

~~~~~

After having taken a class with LK Ludwig

at the fabulous Valley Ridge last year

and seeing the gorgeous pages she made using bird wings....

well, I decided I needed birdwings, too.

And so my search started.

~~~~~

The bad thing is that most dead birds are flat

and smooshed when you find them....

totally useless for any kind of art project.

~~~~~

So imagine how thrilled I was when I came across

a dead bird

in perfect condition.

Well, not totally perfect,

as he was dead.

But he was perfect for me.

~~~~~

I was on my way to the cottage

when I found him.

I rounded a corner and there he was.

Now stop scrunching up your face thinking that I'm a freak....

only my family is allowed to think such things about me !!!!

~~~~~

So I picked up the dead bird...

yes, with my bare hands

and threw him in the back of my SUV

{and like I knew this could actually happen someday,

I actually had a garbage bag to put him in}

and happily drove to the cottage,

with a big smile on my face,

so anxious to show my hubby the present I had to share with him.

~~~~~

"Buff.....you're a freak," he said,

as I pulled the dead

red-headed woodpecker out of the garbage bag...

And then just like I knew he would,

he held the bird for me

while I clipped his wings off with a pair of scissors.

~~~~~

And then my sister called

and I told her the bird story

and she called me a freak.

And when I came back home from the cottage,

I showed the kids and told them the story

and they called me a freak

and then laughed alot !!!

~~~~~

And sometimes isn't that what life is all about ?

Having your family call you a freak,

while knowing

that deep down inside

they wouldn't trade you for a million bucks !!!!

you can find me today reading in my adirondack chair

Where Peace Lives

Leo Daily Horoscope

Your spirit may be awash in feelings of comfort and tranquility today. You are likely in a peaceful mood because the winter that just about you in a mental hospital is gone and it's going to be 75 degrees today... and drawn to the many pleasures your cottage and family have to offer.

You may find yourself driven to gather your loved ones for a day of relaxing activities. Or, you may wish to interrupt your routine {routine ?} by reading a book, {and it's a good one right now....Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Piccoult} writing in your journal, or cooking something special....well, let's not go too far !! Today may be best spent doing what makes you happy and peaceful.

It is the serenity of your cottage and the proximity of your loved ones that will sustain your pleasant mood. Little needs to come between you and your peaceful quiet. When you enjoy the comforts of your cottage today, you can tap into your inner peace....or as I like to call it, "bringing sanity back !"

different can be normal

I spent four hours yesterday sitting with a friend, just listening.

~~~~~

He had somewhat disappeared over the past three months

and I had been worried about him.

I found out today that he had gone through a rough time,

having suffered a personal loss,

greater than something most of us would have been able to handle.

But he was full of stories and laughter

and had a sparkle in his eyes.

The sparkle wasn't quite as brilliant as I remember it being,

but none the less, it was still there.

~~~~~

He's the type of person who takes risks that would scare most of us,

giving more than he takes,

yet he never seems to look back with any regret....

only forward, asking for more,

with a "bring it on" attitude

and no matter how things turn out,

he chalks everything up to "life experience"

~~~~~

Personally, this is the kind of attitude that scares the crap out of me,

but yet I appreciate it in him.

I play it safe.

I plan.

I don't "fly by the seat of my pants"

I'm cautious.

I take baby steps, never giant leaps.

I'm pragmatic.

I'm not a risk taker

~~~~~

But today,

while talking to my friend,

I thought to myself....

~self, you need to throw caution to the wind

and take some chances

every now and then~

~jump in with your eyes closed~

~take the other road and see where it takes you~

and then I came to my senses,

because I know that that's just not who I am

and that's okay

~~~~~

And then I realized that's why I have this friend....

~because we are different~

~~~~~

so once again, I was reminded

that as humans,

we tend to forget that it's our differences

that make us ALL normal.....

and sometimes we all need that little reminder.

~~~~~

So I ask you today.....what makes you normal ??

hear what you say

Didn't you all grow up feeling really special

when your mom or dad would utter...

sweetly under their breath

or as a whisper in your ear...

sometimes even with a roll of their eyes

because they had given up a bit

the best

three words

a child could ever hear ?

~No~

not "I love you"

although that's nice, too

but sometimes used too often

~~~~~

What I'm talking about is even better

and as a parent myself

I remember when my kids were little

and I would take their hand in mine

and I could see

the light in their big eyes looking up at me~

and feel

the softness in their souls~

and I would melt

in the tiny upward curve of their lips~

when I would quietly say those three words

"just this once"

~~~~~

and it was like we had just shared something magical

because as a child

"no"

is so often heard

but if it is replaced by

"just this once"

then you have just

said something

that someone

will remember

forever

follow my steps carefully and at your own risk.....

Step 1.

Start with a very handsome man who goes along with any wild idea that you might have

and is really good with paint and measurements

Step 2.

After handsome man has painted your wild idea,

stand back and watch

Step 3.

Let handsome man know that one letter from wild idea

is slightly off and has to be moved

Step 4.

Give a big hug to handsome man for a fabulous job that couldn't have

been done without him

~~~~~

{and promise him hot sex for later that evening

knowing that this will secure all future

wild ideas to also be completed}

The last lecture.....

I'm hoping all of you have had the chance to see

"the last lecture"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Randy Pausch is an amazing man

and has taught thousands of people how to live,

even though he is dying.

So after many tears last night watching him on TV,

and puffy eyes this morning as a result,

this is what I found in my in-box.....

~~~~~

Today you are You, that is truer than true

There is no one alive

who is Youer than You

dr. seuss

{makes you think, huh ?}

and this is how I feel today after a KICK-BUTT sculpting class at the gym !

I want to create and breathe the air in my studio...

but

my mind is not being very cooperative~

it's in a creative funk

somebody throw me a life line

and pull me out...

~~~~~

I don't like feeling this way.

Is it the weather?

spring is here, somewhere

it's hiding again today behind the clouds.

~~~~~

I need to feel the sun

on my face

which acts likes a battery

to rev up the rest of my body.

~~~~~

So instead of creating

I'm reading a great book

and drinking tea.

Which really isn't anything to complain about is it ?

color me happy.......

it was 64 degrees here today,

and this is how it made me feel inside !

You can count on me to...............

always be on time

carry the conversation

give you my opinion

be honest

act silly

listen

dance around the room when I hear a great song

eat junk food

be home on a Friday night

feel itchy when it's buggy outside

screw up when I'm telling a joke

lose my patience in traffic

ohh and ahh over a newborn anything

become distracted if I'm bored

wear Uggs all winter

and

cry easily

{which I just did when Ramielle got sent home from American Idol. Not that I thought she had a chance of winning, but she was so cute and sweet....actually, I was already crying before she lost because of the video clip they showed of the little girl looking for her sister on the dirty and crowded streets of Ethiopia}

You can count on me to.......

pledge money on the "American Idol gives back" show

next week

on April 9th...

because I did last year

and it felt great !