In my Christmas stocking, there was a gift that I had been looking forward to receiving. A couple of months back, I was in a store and saw a book titled, "Life 101 >> an illustrated guide." It intrigued me, so I flipped through the pages. The words of advice paired with often ironic pictures made me laugh. Most of what makes this...
Today in church, the minister pointed out, "Today is the first day of winter, believe it or not. The good news is, the days get longer from here on out."Sounds like music to my ears, for two reasons. One, it means we are halfway through the brutal weather, and two, the days will continue to get lighter longer rather than darker sooner, and...
I can tell it's nearing Christmas.Myriad varieties of food are showing up around this house hold. Party mix, puppy chow, chicken chowder soup, fudge, cheese cake, and the list goes on. I count this as one of many blessing in my life currently. Those of you who don't know me so well may not realize my adoration for food. I really enjoy the...
It has been quite the weekend.I headed up to Chicago with Holly on Friday morning. We decided to take my car because her new car was not available to her yet, and taking a rental up to the windy city didn't seem like the best idea. After fixing a "low coolant" situation, we headed north.It was bitter cold. That type of freeze that...
Today I had two appointments.Appointment #1 was a perm. Some of you may gasp, I know. It's not naturally curly. Never has been. I have pictures of myself when I was 5 years old, sitting at the barber chair with rollers in my hair getting my first perm. Since then, my hair has not lived without curls. Oh, I can straighten it if...
As I awoke this morning, a shocking realization hit me: when you work for yourself at home, there are no snow days.Oh, well. At least it gives me something pretty to look at. And I might also note that it makes for very fun pictures. Check the Imagine Artists blog in the next few days for some fun family snow pictures.I am making...
Tonight I ate at One World with my parents. This was after the baptismal "supper" that I enjoyed just 2 hours before. Don't worry, there's always room for more. I enjoyed the Bistro salad with chicken (highly recommended, if you ever eat there). I also had a slice of pizza. But then I was still hungry, and we had "$5 off" coupons. So...
A couple of weeks ago, my friend was flipping through a magazine that she got in the mail."What is that?" I asked."I don't really know. I was going to give it to you," she said, handing the publication to me. "I don't really get it," she confessed.Upon thumbing through the pages and getting a brief overview of the content therein, my mind was...
Greetings from the sunny southwest.Needless to say, my time here in Arizona has been, as usual, fantastic. My love for this area never dies. It is so incredibly beautiful, and it seems as though whenever I come, the weather is flawless. Let me try to fully explain the magnificence: the sky always contains this certain deep blue quality... it looks like a painter...
It seems as though I have a lot of scenarios with my blog tied in with days of the week. We've got "Top Ten Tuesday," "Wednesday's Wisdom," and today, I'm adding "Thursday's Theories." Actually, that name just conveniently fits in with my newest idea, inspired by a video clip I saw on Janell's blog from this post. His clever narrative was so inspiring...
It has been quite some time since I have come to the blog writing board completely spontaneous. Somehow, in my "old age," I have developed a certain sense of order and formality when it comes to these posts. However, seeing as my natural personality is to write about whatever enters my mind at any given second, this entry will fulfill those tendencies.I will...
Believe it or not, I have had this blog since July 2005. I think it goes without saying, but a person changes a lot in 3 years. Looking back, I find it funny and almost silly some of the stories I shared... but, at the same time, it's a reminder of fun times and good memories. So with that introduction, I give to...
I started my morning in the dark hours of the dawn. Ever since I stopped working full-time at my job at the publishing company, I conveniently set my "wake up alarm" to 8 am. However, I do fill in when needed for the business, and they needed me today. So I was up at 5:25 am. Had to be there by 7.It really...
A couple of weeks ago, I was watching my little niece who is just over a year old. She is a very small, bright-eyed, and energetic child. Her little body can crawl across the floor faster than I can chase her, and now that she is walking, her speed is increasing all the more. Her name is Tillie. She cracks herself up most...
I was tagged. And as luck would have it, I'm a "random facts" junkie. So hereare the 7 random facts:7. My office walls are purple.6. I currently have a fettish with sock monsters.5. I strive for and prize authenticity.4. I'm not a fan of mushrooms.3. Three things that will always bring a smile to my face: sunny days, coffee, and chocolate.2. I believe...
Last night during a sermon, I heard the phrase, "If only we could be old before we were young."Think of the amount of wisdom we would have already acquired. Every once in awhile, I'll have the thought "what if I started life at the very beginning with the knowledge that I have gained up until this point?"Imagine the perspective. I look back to...
About two years ago, a certain passion awoke inside of me. I suddenly had a real desire to capture life. I have always been extremely tuned into my surroundings; some might call it being hypersensitive. Nothing in my environment goes unnoticed. My mind is always on the prowl, soaking up new information and reading hidden motives, perceiving facial expressions, reacting to emotions, finding...
My sister is in San Fransisco with her husband who is on business, so we had the pleasure of keeping her two oldest boys this weekend. Although, I count them equally lucky to be able to spend a few days with me. Mutual goodness. The charmed candidates include an 8-year old, Noah, and a 6-year old, Oliver.I love kids. They remind me of...
Today was one of those days.Not that is was exceptionally awful. It just wasn't wonderfully good. It was one of those days when I woke up with a thundercloud above my head, and I felt as if everyone and everything in the world was working against me. And to match, the weather was gray and gloomy.Ever have days like that?Somehow, though, as afternoon...
I went on a bike ride tonight with my music. It was wonderful.It was about 7:20 p.m., the air was cool, and the sun was beginning to set before me. I rode into the sunset with many different melodies and smells entering in and out. The ever-nostalgic "pumpkin" smell of Morton drifted to me at one point, and a hundred childhood memories and...
This post is dedicated to Bailey.Let me just preface this: I don't even like dogs. However, drastic times call for drastic measures. And while IN GENERAL, I do not like dogs, it does not mean that I do not make a special exception to this rule if and when a furry friend should win over my heart. In this case, it occurred.As many...
Just got done watching the girl's gymnastics on the Olympics. Go USA! I'm so proud.My mind keeps going back to Summer Olympics 1996 when we had the Magnificent 7. That team sticks out in my brain every time I watch gymnastics. They were so great. And now, Shawn & Nastia have done it for us.I remember back when I was about 9 years...
I started this blog back in 05. Hard to believe it's been so long. Blogging is great, but sometimes I am overcome with old-fashioned nostalgic longings and I wish we could all rewind about 100 years in technology. These days, technological advances connects us all instantly in ways like never before, but somehow, it seems like we are getting more and more impersonal.When...