Lucky Red Hen

New Blog Location

2010-10-21T00:10:00.000-07:00

Come find me here...
http://www.luckyredhen.net/

Perhaps I'll figure out how to fix all the formatting issues here, but find my musings at the new location until then.

New Blog Coming Soon!

2010-08-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

We're going to shake things up around here...

or just get back to blogging,

finally;

one of the two.

P.S. You can kind of thank Kim for the jump start.
(Said she was tired of seeing Captain America
everytime she came to Lucky Red Hen . net.)

Captain America and, um, Mrs. Captain America?

2010-03-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

ComiCon attendee as Captain America

ComiCon attendee as, um,

Mrs. Captain America?

At Emerald City ComiCon last weekend,
we saw some crazy costumes!
Go to http://www.crankleft.com/ for LOTS of

PHOTOS

from the event.

You can also find the Jack Burton Adventures graphic novel
(only 5 bucks)
and t-shirts for purchase (those are 18 bucks).

Saw a Sonny Bono impersonator outside!

Stan Lee, Spiderman creator, shaking a fans hand.

Lou Ferrigno, The Hulk, who was SOOO NICE

and had soft hands (he was my favorite part

of the entire ComiCon...

I was so nervous to be around him

- absolutely star struck!)

Jeff Lewis, The Guild, was fun to visit with.

Aaron Douglas, Battlestar Galactica,

acted like he was mad, but he wasn't.

He was nice :)

Robin Thorsen, The Guild,

was GORGEOUS and very

fun to visit and photograph.

The highly securitized

(can you tell I made that up?)

Leonard Nimoy, Spock,

was smiling (at $60/autograph

I'd be smiling too, winkwink).

Wil Wheaton, Star Trek TNG,

was proudly talking with a fan

of his Canadian hockey team

at the recent Olympics.

I'll Still Ride - Redmond Motorcycle Accident

2010-03-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was unlike any other I've had before.

It might have been life changing. It could have been life saving. I don't know which.

We were heading 20 minutes away to the in-laws for Sunday dinner when we approached a motorcycle accident that had just barely happened. There was still a plume of smoke from the crushed bike several feet away, with a steady stream of broken yellow bike parts.

Some knob drove through the wreckage, crushing some of the pieces. What? They couldn't be bothered with going around?

Traffic had stopped. Two guys were standing a couple feet away from the injured biker. He wasn't moving. One of the guys was on his phone when I noticed the bikers arm move. The bystanders didn't move closer, so I leapt out of the car, flipped off my slippers, and ran over in my socks to kneel close and provide comfort and advice to be still. I spoke into his helmet face opening so he could hear me.

His body was twitching in percussion with his arm movement as his eyes rolled back into his head. There was a little bit of blood on the pavement and some spots on his face, but I didn't notice other obvious injuries. It seemed he was in shock as he seized so I talked to him calmly, telling him to stay with us, help was on the way, we're right by him to keep him safe. I rubbed his torso, thinking that if his extremities were numb and in shock, then he might feel my touch if he couldn't hear my words.

His twitching stopped, which made me nervous because the movement was a sure sign that he was still alive. Again, I told him to stay with us, we're right here, help is on the way. I feel like I kept saying that over and over. I told him and the bystanders (one was on the phone with 911) that I was going to reach into his pockets for his cell phone to call family (probably not the best thing, looking back) but found his ID instead.

His name is Shawn (Shaun, Sean... I did not get a good look at his name, the guy on the phone read it to me).

Then he moved his hand toward his helmet to try and pry it off. "Shawn, leave your helmet on. You must keep your helmet on. Put your hands down and be still. Shawn, help is on the way, you're going to be okay." He rocked his legs to one side and moaned as if he were trying to get up. I kept telling him to be still, "Shawn, you need to be still." It took a moment but his movement stilled. Finally, he looked right at me.

"Hi! You're doing great. Just stay still. Help is on the way. We're right here with you. You're doing great. Stay with us." I smiled and hoped he understood what I was saying. I want to believe he did.

"What happened? What's going on?" Shawn asked, confused. I told him he was in an accident with his motorcycle but help is on the way and he'll be fine. "I wasn't riding today. I didn't get on my bike today," he replied. "Well, you did because I see it. It's a yellow bike. I have an orange Harley. I'm a biker, too, that's why I stopped to help you. You're going to be fine, just be still. Can you tell me your name? My name is Shannon. What is your name?"

"Shawn."

"Alright, Shawn, we're right here with you and the ambulance is on its way. Just be still, you're doing great!" I tried to sound encouraging, positive and full of hope.

He'd sharply blink and look around, again try to take his helmet off. He rubbed his forehead, smearing the blood, luckily not revealing an open would. He reached for his gloves, wanting to take them off. "Would you like me to take off your glove, Shawn?" He said, "Yes."

As I unstrapped his glove, I found it was soaked. I got nervous that there was something bad underneath, but it turned out that the black & silver ring he wore on his right ring finger probably caused a cut, the source of the wetness. Looking back on it, perhaps I should've kept the glove on, but he kept trying to get it off and I wanted him to stay still. He would lay still for me, so I took the glove off. The other glove was too far away, so I told him he'd have to wait for that one to come off.

"Who are you?" he'd ask, looking at me. "I'm Shannon. I'm a biker too. I stopped to help you stay still," I tried comforting him.

He'd keep asking what happened, and I kept answering him the same as before. "Where am I?" I told him we're next to the Home Depot, on the street behind the store. "What happened?" he kept asking. "How did I get here?"

I was glad he was conscious and talking. His eyes were alert and the color in his skin seemed pink enough. He finally stopped trying to move, except to bend his knees and move his arm once in a while and seemed fine listening to me. I kept talking, trying to keep his attention. I told him when I heard the sirens approaching, "I hear the sirens, they're getting closer and almost here! You're going to be fine, you're doing great."

A Redmond, Washington police officer arrived. He saw that Shawn was alert, talking back to me and lying still. He radioed base and I handed him Shawn's drivers license. He went on to take care of the traffic situation, I guess (I say that because I wasn't paying attention what others were doing around me).

When the paramedics arrived, the EMT asked him to squeeze his finger. The gloved hand could a little and the ungloved right one barely moved. I told the EMT, "His name is Shawn. At first he was twitching with his eyes rolling back in his head. Once he stopped he tried taking off his helmet and moved his legs, trying to get up. I couldn't find a cell phone but gave the officer his driver's license. He's been talking and following directions."

Eventually I stepped away, professional life savers were there to take over. I gladly backed off so he could get care...

Portraits for Haiti | Helping Those Devistated by the Recent Earthquake

2010-01-28T16:09:00.000-08:00

Some of my awesome photographer friends and I want to do something to help the Haiti earthquake survivors so we came up with a plan to donate our time and talents in exchange for your donations.

On Sunday, February 21st,

will take some gorgeous pictures of you, your family, your teen, you with whomever... you get the idea.

The mini session will last for 30 minutes and you will get a disc of edited images by March 8th. Appointments are being taken on a first come, first served basis (ten spots already filled up). At least a $50 donation is required and ALL proceeds go to Haiti relief efforts (value is at least $350).

Email PortraitsForHaiti@jfkstudios.com for an application and information.

EDIT: The location is in Renton. As of 2/19 at 10:30am I have a few spots left: 3:30, 4 and 4:30. This is a SCREAMING deal because you'll get at least 10 high-res files ($500 value) for just $50+ Haiti donation :-o

My Husband Treats Me Like A Princess

2009-12-31T00:59:00.000-08:00

Have I told you lately about how GREAT my husband is to me?!?

(sounding shocked) I HAVEN'T? :-o

Here's a little synopsys at midnight thirty, well past the time I should've been in bed...

For Christmas, we discussed that we didn't need to buy each other presents (except for the red enamel cooking pot I would've bought for myself at Costco and gorgeous silver and red earrings, that I happen to be wearing at this moment, that I told him to buy for me while at Pike Place Market last month; and he said he'd like new underwear, ooh - exciting gift).

But he lied.

Yes, I'd like to announce my husband is a liar.

But, I forgive him. Know why? Because I am spoiled, that's why! It's not like we're loaded with cash (far from it, like a lot of people out there), but he treats me like a princess in non-monetary ways and I can get what ever I want (honestly, and I speak this from the heart, I try REEEEALLY hard not to pull the I-know-you'll-let-me-because-I-can-get-whatever-I-want card).

So I got him a bunch of underwear (woo hoo) and made him a double-layered flannel blanket.

(Want some more honesty? The blanket... I sewed two rectangle pieces of flannel together about 1/2" from the edge all the way around.)

What'd that liar *snerk* get ME (you ask, since this is the POINT of the post)?!? A new (refurbished, that's ok) computer that can handle my photography business (you know, the one I've been meaning to start, FOR YEARS) and some lighting equipment that Glazer's recommended I might need (yes, he drove DOWN to their store, talked with the sales guys and decided on 3 items he thought I could use to better my biz).

Me ... underwear and two pieces of fabric stuck together (no stocking... I thought we weren't doing them)

Him ... new computer, lighting equipment and a pop-up reflector (as well as stocking stuffers of goodies)

There's more good news...

Was it today, or maybe yesterday? I don't remember, the days have been a blur. Ben looked me in the eye (now I think I remember it was yesterday, but that's beside the point... back to my point), and told me that he'll do WHATEVER IT TAKES to help me to make my photography business a success! He explained that I could make appointments whenever I want to and he would be home from work by the time the kids get off the bus so I don't have to work around their school schedule (not that I'd do that every DAY, or very often, but it sure was a HUGE relief to feel that obstacle shatter in my favor). I've got free reign to use my Saturday's for wedding and portrait shoots (however, I'm still a mom and wouldn't just spend every Saturday away from my kids/family, but that helps me to better coordinate my schedule to maximize my time to benefit both my family and clients... win/win!)

So there's my mini-shout about my great hubby ("Hi, hubby!") It's just about 1am so I should scoot off to bed. Ben's at his folks house watching a movie with his brother's and BIL, so I know he won't want to wake up too early tomorrow with the kids either ;)

Awe, teamwork... isn't that nice?

I love you, Ben! Thanks for my GREAT Christmas! Hopefully I'll make your birthday special than Christmas (more underwear?).

Baby Calvin's Pics Made Into A Memory Book

2009-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today I'm cheating by using someone else's blog to do my work ;)

I share with you a love story about a baby who was supposed to share this Christmas with his family in person... and I get to say that my talent, that the Lord has blessed me with, made it possible to help them heal and remember him. I cried.

EDIT: Dudes, I should really catch up on my blog reading (I follow too many people, time to pare down). Amy posted a picture of the necklace I made for her with Calvin's picture on a Scrabble tile. She liked it! Yay :)

Drea's Going to Mexico!

2009-12-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

As you can tell (by the title of this post), Drea is going to be in Mexico for the holidays (she left 15 minutes ago, wah!) In hopes of safe travels for her and her family, I dedicate today's post to her FIRST date dance that happened a couple weeks ago. (Psst... I miss you already! Thanks for my Christmas clock.)

Sometimes I get a wild hair and take on projects I don't even know how to do. Case in point: I told her I would make a fascinator (fancy hair clip with feathers) to match her dress and since I was doing that I should go ahead and whip up some matching earrings and necklace. I'm crazy, I know, but I think they turned out pretty fantastic :D

Warning: These images were taken with a lame point-n-shoot that I don't really like using. Carry on.

Here's the "fascinator" hair clip...

The earrings and necklace...

Her cute smile and the necklace up close (and blurry)...

Her friend, and date, Reid...

Reid cooking the meat for spaghetti sauce...

Aren't these brown eyes TO DIE FOR?!?

Drea with our friend, Bella, and Glen like a monkey on her back

Glen (my partner in crime, and by crime I mean board/table games like Wackee 6)
with his date, Dom(inique), and their perfectly hued outfits!

Drea, hurry back!

My Friends (family) Portraits at The Farm

2009-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

Gosh, this post got buried from LAST summer :-o Dangit. It's funny to see because everybody looks older now. But there's a reindeer in one picture, so it's fitting to post it so close to Christmas! This is also the place I've been working the past few weekends (starting Black Friday) selling Christmas trees! Ho ho ho! But now I'm done, the tree season is winding down. I was mostly cashiering, but once in a while ended up outside directing shoppers to their perfect tree (or the Honey Bucket, "Back of the parking lot, folks," whatever might be needed at the moment). EDIT: Added their TV footage from QFOX NEWS on the Christmas Tree Farm at the bottom.

My bro-in-law, Jake, welded this reindeer critter.

This next pic is Drea recently, for her yearbook picture (it had to be straight forward with neutral background)...

These two are recently engaged to be MARRIED!!!

Pablo's smile makes his eyes disappear, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Jana looks GREAT here, but she looks even BETTER these days!

David's away serving a church mission.

I love this pic of them in the tree field.

Driving Me Crazy

2009-12-13T21:46:00.001-08:00

You know, I've been replacing my blogging with continual Facebook updates. That, apparently (*ahem*AJ*ahem*), isn't satiating some (including myself) and I've realized my blogging needs to pick back up again. I think I'm funny; funny enough to write stuff down on my blog for others to see and get a tickle out of it. I'm SEW funny (get it?) that I used to have an email address stating that fact. Wink wink. Nudge Nudge. But, and there's always a butt (misspelling intended), I'm a bit irritated at the way my posts are spaced improperly. Is it me? Am I the one that's improper? (Yes. Sometimes I am improper. It's inevitable and I sometimes try not to be and sometimes I am fine not being ~ geez, did that even make sense?) There is so much to blog about that hasn't been fully divulged via Facebook. In no particular order, we've got:

my little bro visiting us (not for the first time) with his ex-carni, tattooed girlfriend (who we adore, she's rad) for the first time over Thanksgiving leftovers (Jake's stuffing was THE BOMB)
me working at the Christmas Tree Farm on the weekends for extra dough while having started Slim Fasting (working hard for 8-10 hours straight keeps you from being hungry)
crafting up a storm holiday gifts with my sister-in-law, mother-in-law and soon-to-be-sister-in-law to sell at an anticipated venue that earned us a whole $12 in sales (that blew)
soon-to-be-sister-in-law (we're so excited and it's about dang time)
Jack and Piper doing so very well at school; Jack is on a basketball team and we're looking into a Jump Rope team for Piper
the Humane Society dog, Maggie, we accidentally adopted (she has bowel issues, great)
my irritation with underarm hair
the ache I have for missing my friends (nobody wants to hear that, wah)
how selective I am at adding Facebook friends; really, I want to KNOW you to add you (I make friends EVERYWHERE ~ one of my dear friends is getting married next week to his dream girl I helped him win over; he was our waiter at my favorite restaurant and we have an AWESOME story). Without warning, I delete friends if they SPAM my other friends.
I'm going to launch my photography business in Washington, finally!
the cold weather means I don't see my riding buddies as much, but we had some good times this summer and fall riding around Western Washington!

So, I guess I need to be blogging more and Facebooking less. If I look at blogging as a way to journal my life (which I think is IMMENSELY important, I just don't do it), then I might actually do it more often.

Erika - Senior Headshot

2009-11-06T23:28:00.000-08:00

Ugh! Blogger's still making my pics look RANK! Honestly they are crisp, clear and delish. I gotta figure out how to fix it or change blogs. Here's a quickie senior yearbook photo! And here is her family dog...

Andrea - Senior Headshot

2009-11-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

Yearbook deadline is either past or quickly approaching in my area, so I've had a few seniors contact me scrambling for a headshot. Since my studio is outdoor in Mother Nature land, a quick headshot session (15 minutes or less) is the solution until we can do a full senior portrait session in the Spring when the weather is more cooperative ;) Again, Blogger's garbling up my images so they look fuzzy and pixelated (grr), but here are four from Andrea's session. She loved them all (of course), narrowed them down to #2 and #4 then chose #2 for her yearbook shot!

Alyssa - Senior Portraits

2009-10-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

Blogger is sure being wonky with paragraphs and spacing. So, nothing clever to write today because it'll just get all jumbled anyway. Alyssa is the daughter of one of my BFF's (can't a girl have more than one/a few). My BFF had been begging me for months to come out of haitus and take some pictures... so I obliged. These are my first senior portraits and, for the photog's, entirely edited using Adobe Lightroom (only used Photoshop to add my logo)! Thanks, Alyssa... you're GORGEOUS and make my job E-Z :) [edit] Ugh, the pics look GROSS on here! Not sure why they are distorted and fuzzy :[ P.S. Sorry if you're bored of seeing these images if you already saw them on Facebook ;)

Tough Day

2009-10-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a rough one (warning: death is involved, so if that is hard for you to read about, read THIS instead and check back later for a different post). I woke up early (you'd think so, but that wasn't the rough part) to get ready for a solo trip to the Seattle Art Museum. This no-children-all-day-while-they're-at-school is mighty nice. However, before I head out of the house I usually check the interweb (get it, web, it's Halloween month) for the latest news. Unfortunately, this morning brought news of the unexpected early birth and death of my friends baby. A few years ago I had the privilege of documenting the short life and death of another pre-term baby, Natalie Anne (her name is forever on my heart), who was the second baby for that couple to not make it past infancy. They had found me through a bereavement photography service I had registered with called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (photographers donate their time for nothing in exchange). Never having experienced or seen a baby who's passed away, I wasn't sure what to expect when I got to the hospital. On my way there, I prayed... a LOT. I asked for strength and composure for myself and peace and comfort for the family. My heart told me it would be o.k. Because I have a belief that we will live beyond this earthly life in heaven, and with our family, I maintained my composure (the family did too; they also believe the same blessing) while taking pictures for them. She was tiny, about 12 oz (not even one pound) and only 17 weeks gestation. Her skin was very thin and almost translucent, giving her overall appearance a very dark red coloring. But she wasn't as un-formed as I thought she'd look (I pictured an alien). Her face was tiny, but all her features were there. Her tiny toes and fingers looked healthy and she looked peaceful. She was beautiful. She had fingernails, pouty lips and a little button nose (oh! that little button nose). Her knees bent, wrists flopped and head tilted. She was, in fact, a human being. That she didn't live past two, short breaths doesn't make her invisible. That she didn't open her eyes to see the world around her and gaze into her adoring mothers eyes doesn't mean those 17 weeks of growth were for nothing. She was a human being. Not because she took those two breaths but because she was created in God's image. She was moving, growing and developing since the moment she was conceived. [At this point in my typing, I started feeling angry and wanted to put out a for-life statement. But today isn't the day for that.] Today is a day for putting our faith in our Heavenly Father that He can give us peace for the heartache we cannot understand. So today I dedicated to the Barry's and not to the Seattle Art Museum. They were experiencing grief in the moment whereas the exhibits could wait for me. Today I was humbled to be a part of their families sacred time. I was on the Lord's errand. "I will go, I will do, the things the Lord commands." Their other five children had their own ways of dealing with the grief of losing the baby brother they've been so excited about. I watched in awe at the strength and gentleness of their grieving mother who bravely explained to them in a way they could understand what happened: The babies body wasn't strong enough to live. His heart wasn't growing right and couldn't keep him alive. They performed CPR on him to try and get his heart to start beating again. The cord was wrapped around his neck two times. The doctor and nurses in the operating room were all crying. This was the first baby this doctor delivered that died. His spirit is with Heavenly Father even though his body is left here. We won't be bringing him home. I'm proud of you for crying because it means you understand what's happened and it will help you feel better. What should we name him. What about a middle name? Thank you, Barry family, for trusting me to be there. I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Health Care Video

2009-07-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

There's lots of talk back and forth about government vs. private health care. Both sides give compelling reasons why they are right. Sure, I want everyone to have health care... but HOW is the million dollar question.

Elayna & Tim's Wedding

2009-07-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Elayna just wanted 5 pictures taken before her wedding reception (they were married the day before, out of town): them with Tim's family, her & Tim, them with her sister's family, her with her sister and her hair. I took a few more than that and here they are. I loved the orange (the color of my Harley - woot!) and Gerbera daisies.

Can't. Stop. Laughing.

2009-07-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/06/26/conspiracy-theory/

Elayna & Tim Engagements

2009-07-10T16:19:00.001-07:00

I have to run out the door (date with my hubby... he just pulled up with the babysitter), but wanted to get Elayna and Tim's engagement pics posted :) They only needed a couple portraits at their wedding reception, so that post will be sparse... but here are plenty of these! We're off to Home Depot, Costco (might have dinner there - LOL) and to see Public Enemy!

You're a Jerk

2009-07-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

This song makes me giggle... a lot. You're a Jerk (I know)...

A Few Words and No More

2009-05-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Quiet World by Jeffrey McDaniel In an effort to get people to look into each other's eyes more, and also to appease the mutes, the government has decided to allot each person exactly one hundred and sixty-seven words, per day. When the phone rings, I put it to my ear without saying hello. In the restaurant I point at chicken noodle soup. I am adjusting well to the new way. Late at night, I call my long distance lover, proudly say I only used fifty-nine today. I saved the rest for you. When she doesn't respond, I know she's used up all her words, so I slowly whisper I love you thirty-two and a third times. After that, we just sit on the line and listen to each other breathe.

- from Elvis Enthusiasts Unite

My 30th Birthday - again!

2009-05-29T11:20:00.001-07:00

Yay! I've made it through another birthday (you should be reading that with the same sarcasm that I'm intending) and getting older (now I'm feeling a little grumpy and less sarcastic). The BEST part (here's where I stop being sarcastic and grumpy and instead be completely sincere) about having my birthday (especially if it's during the week so I can spread out the celebration over 9 days --- p.s. What's with all my parenthasis obsession?) is making an excuse to see my friends and get in some extra squeezies!

I LOVE squeezies!

Especially the little bit longer than you think a squeeze should be kind ;) They are even better when you wag your tail (trust me, try it)!

So this birthday week (my bday was yesterday, Thursday the 28th, mark that on your calendar for NEXT year) started last Saturday with a BBQ at our place with some photographer friend families (no pictures... ironic, no?) Monday we had some area friends (mostly friends from church, but not all) here for a BBQ (mmm... Cowboy Salsa and Elisa's homemade Oreo's were a hit), Tuesday we had family over for a BBQ and Wednesday Amanda had me and some girlfriends over for Ponderosa Banana Cake (hot out of the oven, very impressive). Thursday, yesterday, my actual birthDAY, I awoke to a freshly made omelet, hugs n' kisses from my kidlets (Piper's peepers were barely opened as she layed in bed and said, "Happy Birthday, mommy." -- ugh, die) and a Harley Davidson gift bag! The gift was a surprise because we combined my Mother's Day gift with birthday (so I thought), but I was HAPPILY surprised with plug-in heated riding gloves :) Even though the weather is nice right now, it's not always (welcome to the NW) and my hands are the first to get chilly. Eventually I'll get the rest of the plug-in warming gear (jacket, pants and, I hope, socks) and extend my riding season. I had several good choices for the day: Taco Thursday Ride at 3, photography meeting at 6:30 or Quilting Group at 7. Ben came home early and I went R I D I N G and it was JUST RIGHT :) I left at 3, met up with 2 bikers in Redmond (Tad and Dan), met up with 6 more in West Seattle at Endolyne Joe's (Tim, Pat, Big K, DeAnn, Mark, Beth), 2 more at a park (Matt & Sheena, with Tiger Lucy with her pink thong on back) then 10 more in Tacoma for $1 Tacos at The Cliffhouse. We rode along the coast, went around a couple round-abouts 2 or 3 times while cars waited (only one car got a little ticked) with the last stop at DQ for some birthday dessert (substituting pecans for peanuts), thanks Mark, and joyous singing of the traditional birthday song! Wanna know something weird and kinda disturbing? If you don't, then don't continue reading this paragraph and move on to the next instead. When you ride, you should stay hydrated so I kept guzzling water with my tacos. I pottied at the restaurant before we left. About 30 minutes later when we stopped in Point Defiance Park along the 5 Mile Drive I went into the forest for another potty break (no bathrooms, great, I hope I didn't get a tick, ESPECIALLY down THERE; thanks, K, for keeping guard). Then at the golf course on the ocean where we stopped for a group photo, I had to go AGAIN and the public bathrooms were locked (so I went over a berm out of eyesight)! Mind you, stripping down with leather chaps, jeans and a hefty belt ain't so graceful). Even went again after dessert (but at least there was indoor plumbing that time). What the HECK?!? Typing the story makes me need to go again... Alright, I'm back. So I left home at 3pm and rolled back in at 11pm. A full day of romping across the coastline with other biker enthusiasts in the PERFECT weather (not too hot, not too cold). The views were magnificent... Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound, downtown Seattle, the ocean, quaint neighborhoods with meticulously trimmed hedges and blooming foliage of all shapes, colors and smells (oh! the smells while riding --- except when we dropped into Tacoma, then there were patches of STINKY STANK). The NW on a beautiful day is a treat! Here are some pics of birthday friends at Amanda's and some of our ride yesterday (I've noted the one's that I borrowed from Pat's camera).

The following image needs an explanation. Lisa gave me a bag of her old jewelry to tear apart and remake into something fun, so Amanda thought it'd be hilarious to put them all on me at once and take a picture of me looking like Mr. T. Not the most flattering, sure, but my waist looks good (I promise, no photoshop) so I couldn't resist :)

From Pat's camera of us picking up Matt & Sheena. I'm kinda in the middle by myself (4th person from right). From Pat's camera of Mt. Rainier. From Pat's camera riding through Point Defiance Park. From Pat's camera when we were stuck in traffic. From Pat's camera (is that Tacoma Narrows Bridge?)

I'm sure I was saying something funny and that's why some heads are aimed my direction ;p

Tana's hubby, Scott, my riding buddy :) I'm showing you how helmet hair and riding does NOT make me look very attractive, and I'm happy with that because riding with cool, down to earth people ROCKS!

My Lisa and Uncle Eli

2009-05-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

My title is a little misleading. Lisa really isn't "mine" and "Uncle Eli" really isn't an uncle... yet. But for all intents and purposes, My Lisa is what I call my BFF. And since there are so many Lisa's, I needed to differentiate her from all the others: Lisa N is my eyeglass shop owner friend, Lisa B is my brother-in-law's girlfriend (who is also my friend) and Elisa is my friend who goes by Lisa but her birth given name is Elisa (pronounced uh-lee-suh, not ee-lee-suh) and I just couldn't name her Lisa W (because double-ya doesn't flow off the tongue as easily as Ehn or Bee). My life is so complicated, eh? Then there's Uncle Eli, or Uncle Blockhead to Piper. Aunt Lisa (that's what we call My Lisa to my kids) took Piper with her to work one day and introduced her to Eli. Somehow it was decided that Piper could lovingly call Eli "Blockhead" and that's all she can remember, no matter how many times we try to explain that his real name is Eli. So since there's an Aunt Lisa I figure that he'd be Uncle Eli (or Uncle Blockhead if Piper prefers) when they got married... of which they ARE getting married ;) Here are some pics I took of them last week in Kirkland, WA...

Can I Have Your Number?

2009-05-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Bridal Hair and Make-Up at Kelsey Creek Farm in Bellevue, WA

2009-05-14T21:52:00.001-07:00

Can you BELIEVE it?!? I'm aaaallliiiiivvvveeee :) Sorry about my lack of blog updates. I'd like to explain how busy I've been or blame some random act of God for my absence, but that'd be lying... and I don't lie (at least I try not to). I do have a reason, not an excuse. Facebook (FB) has taken over (a little Twitter on the side, but only to update my FB status and the handful of friends who only Twitter and not FB). That place has sucked me in and won't spit me out, I tell ya! Now that I have FB on my iPhone (which is another thing I cannot seem to live without), it's almost constant contact (which reminds me of the movie, Contact, with Matthew McConaughey (yum!) and Jodie Foster). Anywho, I realize not everyone is on FB (or they're not in my "friends" list), so I need to neglect the blog no longer. Besides, I always have something to say (don't I?) My hair and make-up friend, Rachel Williams, is launching her bridal business soon and needed some images to prove her point. That's where I come in. Since having children, my hair hasn't been quite the same. I've been a slave to coloring (darker on the bottom, wish Fire Engine Red would work permanently but it doesn't yet, and blonde highlights above) so we worked out a little barter. Wee! Her friend, Emelienne (ah-me-lee-ann), was our fantastic model. She's not a professional model, but she certainly could be! She was such a sport in the cold weather with barely anything on and was up for anything I wanted. Luckily I didn't have to tell her exactly where to put her hand, shoulder, hip, etc. everytime. Yay! I'd love to take her picture anytime :) P.S. The sun was going down and affected the light I had to work with. It was really fun to think on my feet and adjust my settings quickly as the clouds would cover the sunshine then move out of the way and shine again... like an amusement park ride (except I don't go on rides because I get motion sick). These were taken at Kelsey Creek Farm in Bellevue, WA.

My March Trip to Utah

2009-03-10T19:17:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when I'm on a flight, I don't mind talking to my flight mates (if I say "mates," do I sound as cool as an Australian?) Like the time last Friday on my way to SLC. This is Heather (a nurse for kids with cancer) and Ryan (helps people in Mortgage crisis). We ROCKED the First Class section on our Southwest flight (which is the first row on the left; didn't cha know?) If only every person on the flight was as cool as us (if only). Doh, like the time eons ago (my early 20's feels like eons)... There was a drunk and dirty man ranting and raving in the terminal prior to boarding. An off-duty policeman offered to let them rearrange seating so he could assist, but the plane was full and we were about to board. I take my seat at the window, an old man took his aisle seat and, of course, the drunk and dirty man sat in the middle! What to do, oh, what to do?! I did the only thing I could get away with... I played deaf. Not that I know how to sign, beyond the alphabet that Annette and I would use across the room during band class, but I CAN not talk (hard to believe, I'm sure)! Sticking my nose into a magazine worked for only a few minutes before he started in on me about how absurd it was that they weren't serving alcohol soon enough (he was set with his miniature bottles, stashed so carefully in his carry-on) and that they wouldn't let him smoke in the "can." I pretended not to notice him talking until he biffed me on the arm to claim my attention. Acting startled, I turned his direction and shook my head while pointing at my ears, motioning to him that I couldn't hear. He seemed puzzled as he asked with slow-moving lips, "Y o u c a n ' t h e a r m e ?" I repeated my earlier response; a shake of my head while pointing at my ears. He "hmph'd" then turned to the old man and started in on him. When it came time for drink orders, I handed the stewardess a piece of paper that said, "Coke, please" and smiled as I nodded my head asking for confirmation that they understood. Drunk and dirty dude blurted to her that I was deaf as the wide-eyed stewardess nodded back to me.

When the flight landed, drunk and dirty dude shot up out of his seat and shoved his way off the plane, exclaiming obnoxiously about how badly he needed a smoke. Suffering through the flight as well, the other passengers let him pass. Upon my approach to exit the plane, the stewardess that brought my Coke motioned toward me as she told the others standing there that I was deaf, pointing to her ear. Slowly she said, "T h a n k s f o r f l y i n g w i t h u s !" Smiling, I replied, "Thank YOU!" As her face froze in shock, I explained that I faked that I was deaf because of drunk and dirty dude.

Some of the labies at our 3 hour Carrabba's luncheon on Saturday... (l-r back: RCola, Azucar, Suedonym, NitzWould, yours truly, b., Compulsive Writer, Geo l-r front: formerly phread, Sister Pottymouth (holding her baby), Gerb, LoDown, pFlower (holding Twisted's baby), Tiffany Twisted (by the way, my arse isn't as big as it looks - it's actually quite cute thankyouverymuch) Carrabba's proprietor, and my buddy, Clay Drinkwater (trust me when I say it pays to know the owner)

Then I stopped by Provo to hang with this fella, Jared Smith (a.k.a. my lil' bro), and help him get ready for his date with Angela (incidentally, we met a couple years ago when he was a waiter at Carrabba's - that's how I roll... does it MATTER where/how you meet a friend?). Man, I look fabulous in this picture, ifIdosaysomyself.

Retired UT County Sheriff, and my Harley Davidson riding instructor, Lance McDaniel (a.k.a. my family - that guy knows how to make me cry at the drop of a dime - I'm such a baby). He runs the service department at the Lindon, UT Harley Davidson, and I ALWAYS stop by to say HI when I'm in town (I didn't even do any shopping this time, darnit). By the way, he really IS smiling, even though you can't tell with the facial hair in the way!

Then some more hot South UT County momma's got together with me for Cafe Rio in Lehi and gabbing. l-r is Tiffany, Linda, Cathy, Anita, yours truly and Amy. It was FREEZING as the camera was on timer, and nobody likes this picture of them - but I DO because they're my friends :) One of my boys, Jared Wardell, who's going to Spain for a couple years :) Jared W's brother, Corey, who's a magnificent (hetero) dancer. Whenever I'm over there, he claims he's my favorite in the family. I usually humor him and agree (he really IS great, of course, even though I stopped paying him by the hour for yard work and started paying him by the job instead). Beautiful Joy, with other peeps on the couch. My old neighbor kid, Chris Weaver, who used to do yard work and other odd jobs for us when we lived there (he's worth every penny - hard worker and amazing person) and the man of the hour, Jared (again). We were giggling all afternoon! Banana woman :) ...in between giggles. Jared and Corey's sister, Jen, and I before the next picture. Jen and I AFTER the previous pose. Oh. My. Goodness. THIS fella is very special to me and he married a SUPER sweet girl and have a super cute daughter with a son on the way! This day was his BIRTHDAY, so I'm glad I was in town to wish him happy happy in person! I heart you, SCHLOPPY! Dedicated readers will remember this hunk, Colby, my fav.

But have you seen Colby's super sweet little brother Myles? Here he is, in all his glory. WHAT. A. SWEETIE! I'm not sure where their sisters were at this moment, because I should've gotten a pic with those gorgeous girls too (beautiful family). And the piece de resistence (say that with your best Fronsh accent), Miss CJane and The Chief! What's weird about this pic is that I almost don't want to post it for fear it makes me look like a CJane blog stalker. So I guess I need to preface the pic with the proof that we're ACTUAL friends, pre-fame (she hates when I say that because she doesn't really feel like she is and I really shouldn't have to feel like I have to prove myself). "Happy favorite birthday, my sweet." Keep The Chief away from me next time because I seriously don't think I can resist taking a juicy bite out of that lil' fella. MmMmMm!

My Kids - September 2008

2009-02-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

My kids bring me much joy.

They bring me much sorrow, stress, anxiety, impatience and pain in my backside too.

But these pictures remind me of the sweethearts they can be (posing for mom on a regular basis is a lot for kids who'd rather be playing video games or jumping around on the playground).

I had my buddies lenses (thanks, Ryan!) to see which one I want to add to my wish list (which is the Canon 50mm f1.2, in case you've got $400 over a grand burning a hole in your pocket - I'll love you forever... promise).

WPPI 09 - Las Vegas, baby!

2009-02-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

Phew!

I'm back from Vegas but my body is behaving like it hasn't left.

Five days of late nights (interpreted as early mornings, like 4am early mornings), walking miles and miles and miles... to and from the conference center, the drinking water drought (I'm deathly afraid of the disease-ridden water fountains, the bottled water started at $3 and waitresses and bartenders looked at me like I was a cyclopse when I asked for a water), cigarette-saturated breathing air (cough cough hack choke) and trying to dance like I was still 25 :p

Last year's smoke inhalation didn't seem as bad as this time. And I didn't get over to my favorite restaurant, Mon Amie Gabi, like I wanted to (it's a taxi ride from our hotel). I didn't do any shooting this year either, even though I brought my pro camera. And I certainly didn't arrive in Vegas the way I did last time either (too cold and far)! But I did see some of my friends this time that I did last time :)

With all that misery, I can't wait to go back to be inspired, learn-ed (gotta say it like you see it... learn Ed), networked (I love knowing other great photographers from around the world) and reconnected with friends (and meeting new one's)! Fingers crossed for next year (when it's NOT on Valentine's Day weekend... geez!)

Laurel McConnell & DJ Karl: They're from Seattle. Laurel kept me plugged in to the goings-on (and we kept each other from falling asleep during presentation). And Karl, what can I say about Karl... he's infectuous with his friendly smile and happiness :)

Alison Bates (Nate's girlfriend - wink): She and I met at the Jose Villa Mexico '07 Workshop and I love her (mostly because she's Nate's girlfriend, haha)

Brian Adams; photographer, gentleman & Edit Team guru (I think that's his title) whom I met at my first WPPI trip (thankfully, because I could dance and not worry about him expecting more - wink) Mark Edgington (OSP West in San Louis Obispo '07) had me laughing whenever we were in the same room (even from ACROSS the room) or sitting at the restaurant making fun of Trevor and his hand gestures (oh, I cried it was so funny). This pic was taken our last day right before he took off :( Brian Greenberg of Richard Photo Lab Look at him pull off that hat with his blue eyes! I kept calling him "Richard" in Mexico, where we met, only because it irritated him so much. But, luckily, he has forgiven me enough to invite me to his swanky party that had great people and yummy food... thanks, Brian! My BUDDY'S, Colin Michael (BFAM) and Aimee Cooper at the cool Peppermill Lounge OFF the strip (like FAR off). Hey, look! It's Colin again! My brotha from anotha motha (BFAM)! This is David Burke (with an E) and my maiden name is withOUT an E (Burk). Congrat's on the upcoming baby E :) Dennis Orchard, amazing photographer and print judge from England. He's given me valuable print advice. I haven't entered a print competition yet, but might someday. Ed & Monica Pingol family ;) They were always smiling :D The hunks who make up Edit Team. Troy Battle on the left (he's my kindred spirit - laughed ALL the time), Darren Green & Brian Adams (again, lucky me). Thanks, guys, for the prize I won (free editing)! Now I can start shooting again ;) My neighbors (they're in Redmond, I'm in Woodinville), Gerald and Airika Pope at the Trade Show right before I dragged them over to an impressive album company, ImageCapsule.com, who has waterproof (hello Seattle) albums that are sturdy, don't warp and 3-day turn around! My friend, Jason Groupp, from NY (could you tell?), who humors me to no end. He had me going in 2007 at OSP West with a joke about a bus stop. HILARIOUS! My southern sister, Jeanann Wilkinson, who I met in Mexico and had lively discussion about one of the 3 taboo's (religion). Wish we could've hung out more this year :( Next time ;) Oh, my, gosh! I can't say enough about this tiny thing. It's Jillian Kay of the famous "Dear Silly Lady" fame ;) She may be small, but she sure does pack a punch! Sure love ya, JK! Oh, and LOVED your story about the candy necklace :D Birthday boy, Joel Serrato, at the Venetian restaurant, Canaletto, for the Richard Photo Lab party. He makes me laugh with his pursed lips ;) The godfather of shooting outside the box, John Michael Cooper of AltF fame. We met awkwardly a couple years ago at OSPW 1. I ran up to him and gave him a huge hug (he's not used to that), and he looked at me like I was crazy. But I've grown on him over the years and he was all ready this time to accept my neglect to respect his personal space! Yay, John :D Here's another Jon. Jonathan Canlas of Film is Not Dead. He likes to eat faces. I guess mine is yummy. Mmm. This is my beautiful friend, Jose Villa. That's really all I can say without tearing up over this fella. DJ Karl Berger, from Seattle. We were all sweaty from dancing at the Gobee Bag party at the Luxor. The ever lovely Lacie Hansen who works with Jose Villa. She shoots, she models, she assists, she rocks ;D Me with Laurel McConnell. She makes me laugh and I like being around her. Look at how CUTE she is! Linda Chaja (chai-ya) and I at the Venetian. She's smiling because she likes being near me ;) Oh geez, this should be at the top (one of the first pics taken), but it's tricky to do without losing all my stuff! Me with Mark Edgington at a restaurant at 330am. I'm surprised my eyes don't look worse after laughing so hard we cried at Trevor Meeks and his hand gestures! I met Tara Marie at Robin's mini-session pool side (We Doodle Do Album Design). She's sweet and from TEXAS (I heart TX)! Me and Simone Germaine Sutton on our last day LOOKING like it's our last day LOL! Exhausted! Awe, this is THE sweetest guy at WPPI (no offense to the other guys, but he's really so gentle). His landscape images are unbelievable (really, it's like I don't believe they're real) and he also has a royalty-free music site that's great for websites, slideshows and background music in your studio! It's Shawn Reeder and I'm glad I know him :) Oh. My. Goodness. This is the ever popular (and shrunken head miniature girl) Roxanne Benton of Pixel 2 Canvas! We finally got to smooch all over each other after years of chatting online (sounds creepy, but it isn't). Their canvas' ROCK and their DUCKS rock just as much (but not more). Oh, Roxie, I miss you already (and smooch yo man from me)! Me with Riley Kimball (A+R Photography in Arizona). You may remember him from when I went to OSPW 1. He was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to see him! Troy Battle (also from Edit Team)... we kept each other laughing! We know each other from OSP (online photography forum), so it was fun meeting in person, finally. See ya next time! Trevor Meeks, of Meeks Digital, who I also know from the photography forum and OSPW 1. He's a good sport to put up with my joking. Great hand gestures, Meeks! :p Oh my Tomas Flint from Rochacha, NY! I LOVED running into him in the halls of the MGM Grand (you're the BEST, Tom). He won't read what's on his belt buckle ;) OSP peeps: Ed & Monica Pingol, Tim Co., Katie Pangburn and yours truly at the WPPI 09 Trade Show floor! Me with the Halberg's, Tim and Cheryl in the longest hallway known to man (or woman).

Cute Family Pic

2008-12-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

(you may click on the picture to view a larger version)

May I just say that I miss my Utah friends more than I realized I would? ("Yes, yes you can since this is your blog," you say.) When we moved there 6.5 years ago, we told ourselves that we wouldn't get attached because we'd be moving back to the NW within two years (never wanted to move there in the first place, but that's another story). Well, 2 years turned into five (but I've heard similar stories from people who've been there 14 years and counting) and I think the extra three years were the nitty-gritty years that solidified my soul to Utah. Eee ghads, did I just admit that there's a place in my soul dedicated to Utah ("Yes, yes you did," you say)? Yes, yes I did. There... it's out in cyberspace for all to witness. Yikes. Anywho, the family featured in today's post is absolutely one of the reasons my mind was changed about Utah. My kids are best buds with her kids, and I adore them all (which is surprising for me because I'm famous for not liking kids --- they're just so hard to be around). (Holding up a glass of bubbling water...) here's to my Utah friends. I adore you all.

We Doodle Do Saves My Hide

2008-11-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Remember Esther & Paul? Well, their wedding album is not only finished and delivered but also featured on DoodleDo's album design site! I have been dealing with a sickly computer and unable to design the album myself, so I turned to Robin and Bruce of WeDoodleDo to save my hide (THANKS Bruce & Robin!). Take a look at their entire album HERE.

Lunch, Photographer Style

2008-11-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

Forgive my absence in posting, especially since there are so many stories to tell! Like the ghost poop on the sidewalk, frosh art from a Burien Arts Council fundraiser (people don't normally GO to Burien), the Twilight premier (and the altercation I started with 12 women), random pictures of people, carrots I kept taking back to Costco (not really worthy of it's own post, so I'll just tell you right here that no matter the 'freshness date,' we kept getting slimy, bitter and disgusting baby carrots) and the close-minded vs. open-minded debate. In the meantime, how 'bout hop over to my friends blog to see me with cigarette butts (yes, there ARE pictures so it's worth the click).

Sidebar Linkies

2008-11-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

If you link to my blog and I DON'T have you listed on my sidebar linkies, would you kindly leave a comment here with your URL (link address) so I can consider adding you? I say "consider" because if you're pron, a sicko (not in the physical sense, but the mental), don't regularly post (why give my readers, all 3 of them, a dead link), post pictures or text that might be considered offensive by the majority of my readers (again, all 3 of them, so that's a tight margin and not very good odds), a better photographer than me that I don't know in person (really, why would I want to point out that I'm not as good as I think I am, hmm?), don't linkie to me or someone I just don't want to link to then I won't add the link. That's pretty simple, isn't it? Maybe I already have everybody (all 3 of you) that reads me (and my poor comment section will remain neglected). Poor, poor section.

Family

2008-11-14T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hef's 'Like a Father'

2008-11-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

Say WHAT?!? I got entertainment from watching The Girls Next Door, just like anyone else who likes to watch it, but for Hef to be like a FATHER to a girl (Kendra Wilkinson, whose laugh could drive me to drink) he slept with?!? Gross. Yeah, he's old, paid for her living expenses and bought her things like a father would do, but do they gotta go and say he's 'Like a Father' to her? Eww.

How about just say she respects him or looks up to him? P.S. Apparently, Kendra's fiance, Hank Baskett, is a graduate from my high school in Clovis, NM.

What's In A Name?

2008-11-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

Oh, the name :) I thought I had explained the name on my blog before, but I just looked and it seems I hadn't... just posted the logo. I get asked that all the time and wish I had a fun story, but I don't. It was quite the process going over all sorts of possible words and phrases. Somewhere, probably still in moving boxes from over a year ago, there are scratch papers with ideas written then scribbled out. My actual name is already taken by an comedic actress and a girl involved in a murder (two different people, not a murdering actress), so using my name plus 'photography' was out. Besides, our last name gets butchered all the time as Hudson, Hodgkins, Hobson and Hubson so I didn't want to worry about spelling over and over (see my side bar on baby names to get my drift). Two worded phrases that I thought might work were already being used (Hocus Focus anyone?), so I had to go with three and do a search to make sure the three don't come up in an existing business. I have a beef about mispelling on purpose too: Kim's Kreations, Krazy Kar Korner (isn't that an actual business name in Utah somewhere?), Foto To Go, Sooper Sweaty (you catch what I'm throwing here, don'tcha?) Although I don't believe in being lucky (like Harpo, "I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity"), I like the word a lot. When I see it written or hear someone say it I get happy inside - it's a happy word. I love the color red, not so much to wear but to look at and decorate with (considered using "rosso" instead of red but figured I'm not Italian, nor do I speak Italian, so that went out the window). My very first eBay purchase years ago was a 41' wooden rooster from Africa (I had a thing for roosters but it's not like I want a bunch of rooster stuff all over my house), but I'm a girl so I adapted to use hen (chick didn't flow) instead of rooster. Since the name story is so boring, maybe you could come up with a better one? When someone asks me, "How did you come up with your name?" I could have something much clever to say! Add it to the comments and we'll vote to see which one is the best. Come on, let's play...

4th of July... in November?

2008-11-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

What the freakfreak? I assembled a 4th of July blog post of our FABULOUS time at our friend's place on Lake Sammamish (yay that we live here again because I look forward to it every summer), but somehow it didn't get published (I don't think). So here's some Independence Day goodness just in time for tomorrow's voting.

These neighbors volunteered to monitor the perimeter and keep others a specific distance from the fireworks barge.

The view of the party from the barge. Piper fishing (plastic fish). You can see how close the barge was from the dock. Check out that view... isn't it saaweeet?! Piper chillin' in the tethered inflatable island. Brett and Will... aren't they festive in their red? Jake and baby Roxie (red, white & blue). The cousins minus Owen (they arrived later) and Roxie. Um, Jack, that's for baby's ;) I ADORE this picture - that's my boy!!! Boat going out with 99.8% of people I'm related to. Ben and Piper are waving at you (lotta waving on the blog lately). Hey, Bob. I kept telling him he's a hunk (...kinda Clint Eastwoodesque). That dark blob between the docks? It's a GIANT BEAVER that comes around about dinner time to chew on trees (particularly the expensive & newly planted ones). "Heeeeeyyyyyy, I'm Brett!" Jason getting bombarded by the pipsqueaks (Will, Alice & Piper). This guy was channeling Mexico weather. What a pretty lady. Meet Bob, our host extraordinaire! This guy reminded me of Dane Sanders. Cute couple (she's got fantastic eyelashes). Ahh, backlit by delicious golden sunshine. Something was reeeeeally loud for Alice. Jake's 1/2 deaf so he didn't notice at all. Suns going down, fireworks are a comin'. My guy with the weird shadow hair :) Britanny teaches you that hydrating is important as well as sexy and hip! The Host's brother, Tedd, with his ammo (we geeked out on gear talk). Other boats starting to gather 'round for the show! Brett helping Alice, Will and Owen with sparklers. Bridgette and Owen.

PSA: Figure out where you're voting tomorrow and give yourself plenty of time to wait in line!

Hair Do(n't)

2008-11-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

NOVEMEBER 2 (really, I posted this yesterday but it showed up underneath instead)

(sorry for the teenie weenie pic... it's from my iPhone)

Last time I went to a Beauty School for a Do, it turned out FANTASTIC. But that gal (Kylie) has graduated (both from HS and Beauty School) so I have to start all over. Fortunately, Bridgette, Mark + Owen are here unexpectedly for a few days vacation. Unfortunately that means that we decided it'd be a good time to get the family picture taken (sans Bryant + Brad since they're in Chile for another year) for the folks' annual Christmas letter with picture. Now, I don't mind getting my pic taken. I hope I don't look fatter than I am (some angles are just not flattering as others - and I'm not saying I'm FAT, so don't patronize me by trying to convince me that I have a fantastic figure - spare me), but I try to give it my Alma Mater best. Which is a little tangent I'd like to share for a sec... It's better to have pictures of you TRYING to look good than you grimacing, hand in face, turning away, yelling "Don't take my picture!" or running from the camera. Practice in the mirror, turn your PnS (point-n-shoot) on Timer and let it click away while you move around and check out all the possible poses to find the most flattering. You might say, "But I don't have make-up on," or "I'm too fat." You know, it is what it is... get over it and take a picture. Then you'll have pictures to compare your BEFORE and AFTER looks and appreciate them each for what they are. Pictures are cool... you should have some of yourself, if not for you then for your family, friends, kids, husband, wife (hopefully you don't have both of those) or 11 o'clock news. You never know when you might be on the news (Ben and I were on our first date).

P.S. If you're an iPhone lovah, click the iPhone link at the top of the page for a video. I love that guy!

Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox

2008-11-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Piper: Mom, when you was a little girl and you touched the giraffe... did you get green spots or red spots? Me: Red (and it's when I was pregnant with her, not so little of a girl, haha) Piper: Oh, okay. Did they itch or not? Me: Yes, they itched very much. (she runs off to her room, pausing at the doorway to turn and tell me something) Piper: Wait JUST one SECOND (pointing her finger in the air like she just had an idea.) (she runs further toward her room and paused again, this time out of sight but within ear shot) Piper: I mean, maybe not one SECOND but maybe ten minutes. She was back within 10 seconds after finding the book she thought of, Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox, by Erin Dealey and illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama. Kids have interesting minds. We will be reading it after lunch :)

Happy Cocoa-ween

2008-10-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

No, I'm NOT nekid in the reflection. Yes, I AM waving at you (it's customary to wave back) at 1:18 pm PST on Halloween. And, yes, I should've wiped the stove down before I took the picture.

Next we fill MY mug with cocoa, pero and hazelnut flavoring. The little blonde girl gets only cocoa and hazelnut flavoring in hers.

She downs her warm goodness with a peanut butter and honey on whole wheat sandwich, while stirring in her Tigger mug. My mug is a handmedown from the 80's (thus the country blue heart and swags of flowers).

Q: Tell me some Halloween fun things...

Looksie What I Got

2008-10-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

Can you spy with your little eye...

...CJane's "Enjoy It!" Look at all the delicious content (and Safeway bag)! Look how happy she is to be here!

P.S. I'd like to publicly declare that I USUALLY use my reusable grocery bags, but I was in a hurry today and left them in the car. Hubby's grandparents are coming tonight with my FIL, BIL & girlfriend, SIL & two girlies (her hubby's at school tonight) in addition to us four. I guess I didn't need to tell you who all was coming, except that I needed to so I could count how many people (12, and I used my fingers) to cook for (roast & veggies, some in the crock pot with the roast my fav way and some oiled/salted & roasted in the oven sans roast, baked potatoes, Pugliese Bread with mixed greens ala roasted walnuts, apple slices and Bleu Cheese Dressing - don't you just love spelling it blEU?!? I do).

Worst BEST MAN Ever

2008-10-19T22:43:00.001-07:00

Saturday the 18th - Tove PisaRelle, Artist

2008-10-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Artist's Reception - Tove PisaRelle

Saturday, October 18th from 5 to 7 pm The Gallery at Norrgard's Optik 17423 139th Ave NE, Woodinville 98072 Complimentary hors d'ouvres + wine tasting with Ray Bloom I'm excited to help my new friend Lisa with her gallery at Norrgard's Optik this weekend. If you're in the area this Saturday night, stop by and see me and meet the artist of the beautiful work you see above! The gallery does NOT charge a commission to display, show or sell art but instead insists that at least 20% (which is usually a minimum commission) of the art sale proceeds is donated to the local Children's Country Home (remember I talked about it here). Isn't that WONDERFUL? Artist Bio: Tove PisaRelle graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from California State University at Long Beach in 2003. She was born and raised in Seattle and currently resides in Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula. Although her degree focused strongly on the human figure she found her passion in creating landscapes without the human element. Her paintings are derived from her imagination which allows her to fully enjoy the process of painting and her desire to be a part of her finished paintings. Viewers have commented on her work as invoking restful and peaceful feelings as well as the abstract and even a sense of being reminiscent of areas throughout the mid-west and eastern states. Children's Country Home Mission: To enhance the quality of life of medically fragile children by providing 24-hour healthcare services in a loving, family centered home guided by the values of dignity, compassion, sharing and stewardship. Children's Country Home serves as an extension to the child's own family, providing individualized care for each child. We believe that children should be served in the least restrictive setting possible, and make every attempt to provide an atmosphere that is similar to a child's home. The house has bright, colorful rooms, extensive yard and a specialized and caring staff. Families are encouraged to participate in all aspects of their child's care and staff work in conjunction with the family in planning and treatment. Contact Lisa Norrgard at 425.485.2600 or lisanorrgard@yahoo.com for more information.

Leave me a comment if you might stop by (or if you wish you could - so that should be EVERYONE, teehee)! I'd love to see you :)

Why I Gotta Be Bella?

2008-10-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ebonics

2008-10-08T21:47:00.001-07:00

(psst... thanks BruceBruceBruce for the 24-70... here are my first images from my new/used lens)

This boy of mine cracks me up. All. The. Time. And he wants to crack up his classmates. All. The. Time. Because of the latter, we've been getting notes from the teacher on a regular basis. His latest offense is sharpening his pencil... he breaks it so that he'll have to get up and sharpen it. That's not the problem (so much), but on his return to his desk, he fake-trips down the aisle. Not once, not twice, but three times in ONE trip, causing disruption of the class with giggles and guffaws. That's my boy, my funny little boy.

So the teacher gives the kids warnings up on the board. You'd think this was embarrassing, but it doesn't seem to bother him. [For those who don't know him, I should explain that he's a gooood kid, not violent, kind and helpful, talks cleanly and is a favorite among his peers and leaders. He's a sweet boy who loves to snuggle, draw, create and explore.] At a certain point he'll have to suffer some minutes from recess to stay in class and be put to work (which he LOVES doing) and writes up his own note about his behavior for us to sign and return.

Today's read (spelling intact):

I owed recess because I cept draking my pencil (his b's and d's get mixed up).

I think I can improve by not having to get this sheet ever agian.

(His previous couple notes home read: I think I can improve by not doing it agian.)

We've emailed the teacher and I stopped by the school and talked to her AND his last year's teacher to show that we're committed to nipping this in the bud and finding a way for him to express his personality without disrupting the class and causing havoc for the teacher.

Another funny about him today was his spelling test practice.

Instead of DIDN'T he spelled DI N'T and I couldn't help but go into Ebonics and say with some sass, "Oh NO you DI N'T!"

We laughed and he eventually got the proper spelling down pat :)

And this little girl, she just warms my heart. I'm going to have a handful of somethin' with her later, but so far she's happy as a clam at 1/2 day kindergarten. As she gets off the bus at the end of her day, the entire bus of her classmates shout their farewell's and she pops her hand up in the air in a quick traditional princess wave without looking back :) THIS little stinker on the other hand... she's REAL cute, but REALLY noisy when she spies something move outside our windows. She'll perch herself at the back door and tennis-style watch for runners or dog walkers (the occasional horses too) to pass on the trail that runs behind our house. Her freak out bark pierces our ears instead of her intent of warning the passersby. We try telling her that they can't hear her, but she just won't listen :p We're decked out for Halloween, far sooner than anyone else we've seen in the neighborhood. We [heart] Halloween! I thought this was a funny image... our German armoire that's stuffed with craft supplies and the rack next to it that houses the leftovers. So many projects, so little time. When I look at this picture, I can see so many stories in such a small, little space. The two bunnies, apron, watermelon fabric, glass rocks, two packs of twistable crayons (God's gift to mothers everywhere), ME pin cushion chair, Longaberger sewing basket, the purple cup, the two tiny containers on top of the paper storage and the chunk of fabric on the top shelf. Oh the stories. Hey, look... proof that I [heart] Target too!

Secksual Deezire

2008-10-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

We have a teenage friend that's nuts for this shirt from American Apparel. Funny, we had the same shirt when *I* was a teenager. It changes color from hot/warm to cool/cold in kind of a tie-dye sort of way. However, my curiosity isn't about the shirt as much as it is about the ad. In the picture shown, I can't tell if the person is a boy (stash) or a girl. Maybe that's their point - it works for both boys and girls... unisex. I think it's kinda trashy of a picture not only because of the look on the face, but where the hand was that made that face. Perhaps this post makes me look prude, which isn't really a trait I'm known for or even in my Top 10, but I'm annoyed that it seems advertising keeps getting naughtier and naughtier - especially aimed at the youth. When I went to the AA site, the thermochromatic shirt wasn't easy to find (I had to link from the ad). Instead I ended up seeing magazine covers (h0m0secksually targeted) that are reeeeally too suggestive (and that's putting it lightly) for a place that's geared to teens: up-close nekid guy playing the drums, showing pretty much everything but barely covering the actual stuff; woman with a pleasured facial expression, brea$t out and her hand downstairs; guy in small b!k!n! briefs with his hand down his cr8tch, finger in his nose and two hands coming from behind him pinching his nips. These are all COVERS of the mags, not like others that strategically hide the raunchier images between the pages. The product images make me feel slightly like it's getting close to kittie pron (or that's their inspiration); the girls look about 14yrs old. NOW I'm going to date myself, but I remember the days that suggestive reading material wasn't available at grocery check-out, it was ordered via the mail and came in brown paper packaging; product images were of PRODUCT and not underage-looking grooming-to-be-pron-star girls; if people WERE used in product images, they were smiling and covered; at the stores, the product was shown on modestly dressed mannequins and not 15 foot suggestive pictures (A&F, Vickie's Secret) that lure you in as you walk by. I know that it's advertising's job to make people want their things, but I wish we didn't have to keep going down the slippery slope of secksual desire to make it happen. I think the advertising industry is a major contributing factor in the increase of inappropriate secksual desires (ISD). Sure, I am not the barometer of ISD, but my opinion (that can probably be backed up by fact but I have things to do and no time to research) is that this world is dealing with more lewd conduct these days than it did twenty years ago. Am I the only one that thinks so?

Insulation (or Lack Thereof)

2008-09-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Is attic insulation reeeally that important, I say (tongue in cheek)? Yes, yes it is if you want to be warm and not have outrageous heating bills in the winter. On the flip side, it'd help keep the heat out in the summer too (this house gets hella hot when the temperatures outside rise, and it doesn't cool down in the night). We've had an estimator come in and give us the heart attack of bids *cough*3+k*cough* (we didn't realize there was much more the house needed to make it energy efficient), then I had another company come today. He showed up two hours later than I expected (I said 10am, he wrote down noon), but didn't take long and tried saving us money in the meantime... Good advice that we can do ourselves:

mortise the duct work (matter of finger painting the goop into the crevices of the duct joins)
wrap the water pipes with Home Depot stuff (it's about 99 cents for 6')
pin the water pipes against the studs so they don't clang when we have the washer going
send the 8yr old below to spread the vapor barrier in the crawl space (there's even a roll already laying down there)

After talking about the bobcats and coyotes stealing his chickens (his lucky red hen wasn't so lucky recently - may she RIP), he went out the garage door to load up his ladder.

His is RED with yellow accents (have you seen my kitchen?) and I became covetous.

"Hey, wanna trade ladders? I love your red one!" I said with excitement (momma always said it never hurts to ask).

He looked at our less than six month old green with black ladder that is pretty much identical to his and said, "Sure, why not!" and walked out of the garage leaving me a happy girl.

Pretty sure we'll be fine with his insulating estimate... it's all about making the customer happy, right?

Sundays in our Neighborhood

2008-09-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday is a special day, it's a day we get ready for Sunday! That's what I think of when I think of Sundays. Yesterday was different. This Saturday I had a full schedule...

family pics in the a.m. (goodbye David, sorry I didn't hear your talk)
then out to the in-laws in the afternoon to see off the rest of the fam for a Mariner's Game (they surprised great grandma with tickets - they got some hats, saw a homer & won!),
little shopping for jeans for me (turning out not for me since I was out of luck; I originally put "little jeans shopping" then realized that denotes that the jeans are little),
purchasing maybe outfits for the family pictures for the kids,
a nap because my body ordered one (last week I saw a doctor and did a blood test so hopefully this week we'll have the results and I'll quit having to crash during the day),
pick up girlfriends for Women's Conference,
Volterra Restaurant with four fun Twilight book friends for dinner (Wild Boar for the first time, with beet greens, parsnips and a delicious Gorgonzola demi-glaze)
then pick up Ryan (feels like a brother) so we could hang out with Colin (looks like he could be my brother) who was from out of town here shooting a wedding (sushi at Umi in Seattle - hibachi style yellow fin tuna)
and home just after 1am.

At my age, getting to bed after 11pm isn't a good idea, but sometimes it's gotta be done. I told myself that it'd be nice if I could wake up at 7am to call my favorite camera store (they open at 10am EST, so 7am my time) and adjust my order before it shipped. But seeing that I was hitting the hay sooo late, I also told myself that it will all work out if I didn't wake up, so I didn't set an alarm. Go figure, my body wakes me up at 6:58am to potty and just in time to call the store. I decided to check my email in case they got my change (didn't yet) and talked to customer service (already shipped - dangit - just refuse pkg when it arrives and they'll take care of it - YAY i heart them). While checking email, I noticed a Facebook invitation notification and decided to check it out before getting back to bed (normally I don't fall back to sleep very easily but I was BEAT and ready to hit the hay).

The invitation was to join an "In Memory Of" group for this young man, Tyler Bleyl, a senior in high school.

WHAT?!? He's my sushi pal? I just saw him in July (when I took this pic with my PnS). WHAT?!?

I laid back down in shock. When I woke up a couple hours later, I was exhausted still. That emotional, groggy, I slept-but-not-really kind of feeling. All I could think about was him, his family, his friends and this sweet girl who would miss her friend. My stomach was in knots and my body was tense. I thought about my own kids as I thought about his mother, my friend, in complete shock and denial.

Church would be the place you'd want to be to reconcile this news, normally. But for me, I wanted to stay home that day around my family... soak it up and ponder about this boy, my friend.

Our church is organized to have a certain geographical area attend at the same time at the same building so that you know your neighbors, can help one another and share the good stuff without having to travel all over the dadgum place. Because of that, when you're not at church, people notice. They notice then they call to make sure everything is okay.

I received a few phone calls asking where I was. "I didn't feel like going to church, so I didn't," was my reply, trying to be discrete. One friend joked, "I didn't either but I went anyway." Usually when I don't feel like going is exactly when I should be going :)

The last call of the day I changed my answer and explained why I didn't feel like it... that was nice. Talking about it seemed to purge some of that icky feeling. This friend understood and talked about how sweet life is and how precious we should make every moment.

The other thing that was nice was that people cared. Having a foundation of people who care where I am, wonder if I'm okay and are willing to do something about it if I need it... that's another good thing about the church I attend. We lift each other up and take turns doing so. Living so close makes it more possible than if we're spread out.

Going to sleep last night, well, that's another story and another after 1am one. As I laid there, I couldn't help but think of the news. Over and over and over until I finally drifted off to sleep.

P.S. Thanks Lyn + kids for stopping by on your walk Friday. It was nice to see your cute faces and visit for a spell. Spell. Isn't it nice to start using Fall words already? :)

Quick Recipe: Limon Blanco Chili

2008-09-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

This recipe was our winner last fall at the church event. Honestly, I was surprised that a vegetarian dish would appeal to so many non-vegetarians! But it was as if nobody missed the meat! It's absolutely delicious and filling! I'm not sure why I keep YELLING by adding an exclamation mark, but I guess I mean it! Rumor (which might've started with me, so there's no scientific evidence) has it that rinsing canned beans diminishes the gassy effect ;) Limon Blanco Chili by Lyn Nelson 1 medium onion, chopped 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 - 15 to 16 oz can hominy, rinsed and drained 1 - 15 to 16 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 - 15 to 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 3 cups broth (veggie or chicken) 1/4 cup lime juice (imperative, don't skip it) 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (imperative, don't skip this either) 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground black pepper In a large saucepan cook onion in hot oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir in hominy, beans, broth, lime juice, cilantro, cumin and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with shredded cheese, green salsa and sour cream. See how quick & easy that is?!?

Shot In The Head

2008-09-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

So that title might be alarming, but that kind of stuff really happens. Sure, there's not a high probability that YOU might be shot in the head (unless you work or live around repeated gunfire, I suppose), but it CAN happen. It happened to a dry cleaner employee, Heather Brammer, in South Carolina just last month (August 22, 2008) and she's lucky to be alive. She was shot in the back of her head, after the robber told her to lay on the floor, face down. My point in this posting though isn't the gruesome crime; you'd think it'd be, but it's not. What happened after she told her story on the Ellen Degeneres show yesterday (maybe today, I had it DVR'd so I can't remember which day specifically) is what I'm worried about. Ellen gifted her with a 7-day all-expenses paid trip with her husband to Greece (a place she's dreamed of going). That's still not my point (but it's getting close). I cried for her like a baby. A big, fat, boob. A blubbering idiot (I can say that if it's about myself, can't I?) Why in the world would I need to emit tears of joy for a complete stranger because she's GOING TO GREECE?!? I dunno. But it's irritating, to say the least. Crying at the drop of a hat isn't admirable, unless it's for an acting scene and the crew wants to be done with the day. For instance, I was at a charity breakfast this morning (eeearly, mind you) for a local medically-fragile children's facility, Children's Country Home. I didn't cry! However, I should explain that I certainly WANTED to cry and I really FELT LIKE crying, but I worked very hard to keep my composure and (I suppose) save the blubbering for the privacy of my own home. "Hmm, look at that strawberry and it's colorings," I thought as I took a deep breath and pushed the emotions down (which might be considered unhealthy, we should just let it all out, but I wasn't ready). "There are some seeds and patches of yellow where it should be juicy red," I thought as I got ready to look back up at the speaker. "What were you doing at this breakfast," you ask? Well, last week at the Edmond's Art Walk, I met artist and optician Lisa Norrgard who was visiting my artist friend, Jennifer Culp, who was displaying her work at the Edmonds John L Scott. Lisa and her husband's optical store is 1/2 glasses and 1/2 artwork from local artists. Instead of charging a commission to show and sell art, they ask that the artist donate at least 20% of their sales to Children's Country Home. At their fundraiser in December they donated $12,000. Anywho, Jennifer and I were discussing the lack of notable art galleries in the Woodinville area and she thought Lisa and I might be able to brainstorm ways to change that. As we talked about that, CCH came up and she invited me to the fundraising breakfast at the Bear Creek Country Club. I'm a sucker for a free meal. The presentations were terrific and the way the director of CCH, Diane Kolb, explained the importance of such a home couldn't help but tug at everyones heart. She talked about children who have been there since birth and others that came after sustaining a dangerous accident. One little girl's entire immediate family perished in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent upon 24-hour medical care. A school teacher told the story of Britanny, who needed round-the-clock medical assistance that was difficult to arrange outside of the hospital because the lack of staff availability. Because she wasn't able to come to school without a nurse aide (that wasn't available) she had to stay at the hospital, away from her school friends and the classroom that brought her joy. I guess starting my day off with stories of children who struggle got me more emotional than usual for the rest of the day. Although, I have been known to cry for the silliest of things... like a woman getting a vacation to Greece. Guess it's better to feel something than to feel nothing at all. P.S. I get a lump in my throat when I see a person in military attire too. But, that's normal, isn't it?

Tiny Fey 30 Rock at the Emmy's

2008-09-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that noticed Tina Fey's (30 Rock) earrings at tonight's 60th Emmy Awards? On one ear, white and black. On the other ear, black and white. Hmmm, Lucky like. (Picture is from last year, not tonight.)

I enjoyed Ricky Gervais' monologue mocking Steve Carell (his timing is spiffy). Especially since Ben and I partook of Ghost Town (I giggled much) on our date Friday night. I'm a new fan!

Who couldn't use a little Steve Carell face time? He makes me laugh.

NieNie's Family On The Today Show

2008-09-09T08:15:00.001-07:00

Stephanie + Christian Nielson's story was on The Today Show this morning (with Matt Lauer, no less), told by CJane, The Jolly Porter and two of their sisters... I LOVE Y'ALL. Oh, and Blue Lily Photography did a lovely job from her place too! May I just add how HOT everyone looked in their interview!

NY Times Article on Stephanie & Christian Nielson

2008-09-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Read the NY Times article about Stephanie & Christian Nielson here.

“Her relationship with her husband

wasn’t perfect.

But she chose to

focus on the beauty.

And the more she

focused on it,

the more she had.”

---Stephanie's sister, CJane

Balloons of Hope

2008-08-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Jack, Piper and I enjoyed participating in the worldwide Balloons of Hope launch today to show Stephanie and Christian Nielson how much we're rooting for their thorough recovery. We launched from McMurtrey's Christmas Tree Farm on Redmond-Woodinville Road just outside Seattle (thought Nie would like the Christmas touch). It was a beautiful day! Much love from us to all the Nielson and Clark families :)

Piper found a feather and insisted it be in the shot with Stephanie's special wish. Jack's holding Christian's special wishes from all of us. Ready, set... ...GO! I loved how the balloons stayed together...

...the higher... ...and higher they went. I also arranged for a jet to do a fly-by! (The balloons are in the heart.) We LOVE you!

EDIT: Other Balloons of Hope launch posts...

Compulsive Writer

Formerly Phread

Melancholy Smile (video)

On Bright Street

Stephanie & Christian (prayers needed)

2008-08-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

I, too, join my friends in prayer (I'm unable to fast due to hypoglycemia) on behalf of my friends Stephanie & Christian for their complete recovery and the comfort of their four small children.

They were in a private plane crash Saturday evening in Arizona (along with their flight instructor, Doug Kinneard, who died soon after the crash from injuries).

If you're the kind, please say a prayer for this remarkable family. If you're not the praying kind, please think kind thoughts for them.

Stephanie's sister, CJane, will keep us posted on their condition.

Images taken at Lucy's wedding a couple years ago

EDIT: Doug Kinneard's SIL posted about his last hours on this earth.

EDIT #2: Stephanie has burns covering 80% of her body, Christian's burns cover about 1/3 of his. Here's a KSL report and another from Arizona.

I'm Baaack

2008-08-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some posting? I know I am! Pictures, stories and quips coming soon :) Just gotta dig myself out from under all the tRaVeLiNg, pIcTuRe tAkInG and cLiEnT wOrK to put a little sumthin sumthin together for you, my dear reader. :* Smooches!

Cheater

2008-08-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Wanna see me CHEAT? *I* am the lucky one to have spent the night with my dear CJane (as well as confirm I'm no longer a BYU Creamery virgin, thanks to her... "Thanks for the chocolate ice cream cone for me and the kiddo's!"). That's a lame way to post, but I'm on vacation and it's HOTTER THAN BLAZES HERE (which means my fingers melt to the keyboard, so now I have to get off so I don't have to call a doctor). Just looked at the clock... 11:11pm (it's my favorite time of day, if you didn't know that already).

Esther and Paul

2008-07-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

I'm working on Esther and Paul's album and thought you'd want to see pics ;) Thanks to my buddy, Ryan Flynn, for second shooting with me (the last two pics are his)!

Not as Gone as I Hoped

2008-07-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

So we didn't leave today as planned. And I am really bummed about that because I wanted to go to church and see my friends tomorrow in Utah. But I'm REALLY bummed because of the REASON we didn't leave.

And this is it...

I've ALWAYS been extremely fair in the sunburning/tanning department. I burn in 10 minutes, and I know better (even lathered Piper up with spf 50 before she scooted off to play at Jetty Island yesterday and sent Jack off to Scout Camp in the morning wearing a bandana around his neck to keep his already burned neck area covered - sunscreened him too). As a side note: Jetty Island with my friend and her kids was a really fun place that I'll go to again WITH SUNSCREEN.

In high school, I went with Elisa Griego and her baptist church youth group to a lake in New Mexico. We drove down in a couple of 10-15 seater passenger vans. I so desperately wanted to get a yummy tan like the rest of the girls so I joined them in their yearly ritual.

Next to the LAKE.

On TOP of the van.

With BABY OIL for suntanning lotion.

For longer than my body should've EVER THOUGHT of being there.

By the time we got back to Elisa's, the damage was already showing and I was in extreme pain. Her mom ordered me to stand in the bathtub and strip down to my undies. I was shivering from the burn. She came in with a jug of vinegar and began to drizzle it all over.

It was a breeze of heaven in my depth of hell.

I may have smelled like a pickle for the next several days, but that homemade treatment took the initial sting out and brought the pain down to a level I could handle.

But that burn wasn't like this one. Now that I'm older (a stiff reminder Tiffany gave me on the phone today), my body doesn't handle things as well as I'd like. This time it's not so much the surface of the skin that hurts, except when the kids walk by and touch it to make sure, but underneath in the swelling, muscles and veins when I stand up to walk or when I sit down. They seem to be better when I'm horizontal and when I'm on ibuprofen. Last night I took a pain killer to get some sleep from the stinging, shooting pain.

I've been sitting at the computer now for an hour and a half to see what condition they'll be in when I stand up so I have an idea if we could leave in the morning. Should I try now and tell you all about it? Okay, good idea. I need to potty anyway.

Alright! Good news! Potty break went well (I'm sure you wanted to hear that) and the legs didn't give me shooting, piercing pain as I stood up. The bigger problem was my thighs being peeled from the vinyl office chair in this hot house. The resting and ibuprofen might be working! Yay!

Gone Baby, Gone

2008-07-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

On my way to Utah tomorrow with my kids for some summer fun! Wish us well for a safe trip there, during and back. If you're in UT and want to see me/us, feel free to treat me/us to lunch or dinner (or both). Any group get togethers, anyone?

Boy or Girl

2008-07-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

I stole this off a friends blog because it's funny (her kids antics crack me up) but I don't know if she wants links to hers (will change it if she doesn't mind - and I've taken out her sons name to protect the not-so-innocent)... The other day at Target (our usual destination) my son asked the somewhat masculine female checker: "Um, excuse me? Are you a boy or a girl?" I got wide eyed and shushed him, yet he persisted. "I'm curious if you are a boy or a girl cuz your hair is like a girl, but your voice is like a boy." Luckily the elderly checker was hard of hearing (or maybe just polite) and did not appear to hear him. As he opened his mouth yet again to repeat his question, I ripped open the bag of tootsie rolls that I was buying and popped one in his mouth. "YUM! Candy!" ...he cheered and not another word was said about the mysterious she-man checker at Target.

Rich a.k.a. Mr. Fox

2008-07-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

We were in need of another picture post. Here's my friend's-cousin's-boyfriend (did I apostrophe those right?), Rich, at Gas Works Park at the beginning of the year (along with HC, Michelle and Ember, who will be posted soon). Rich was incredibly sweet and great to work with. He's also a bartender, but don't ask him about flippin' (like in Cocktail) ;)

No More Cell Phone

2008-06-30T01:27:00.000-07:00

Guess I won't be using my cell phone anymore. Seems that the only time I DO use it is when I'm driving :o\ Maybe I'll break down and try a hands-free headset...

Optical Illusion

2008-06-29T01:37:00.000-07:00

What FUN! This isn't moving. I snagged this off Carrie's blog.

Don't Care About Politics?

2008-06-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Happened upon this gem and thought you might get a kick out of it... Today Now!: How To Pretend You Care About The Election

Julie Steiskal 1978 - 2008

2008-06-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

I had never met Julie (29) in person, but her spirit on the photography forum we belong to was always uplifting and sweet. She is no longer with us, having died on Wednesday in a river trying to save the life of a girl. Neither survived the swift current.

Scott Bolster put together this image of Julie...

"we need a renaissance of wonder. we need to renew, in our hearts & in our souls, the deathless dream, the eternal poetry, the perennial sense that life is miracle & magic." e. merrill root

Julie's bio from her website: when i was six, i walked into the empty kitchen, looked behind me, stretched my arm as far as i could and borrowed my mother's camera for the first time. and when i was done with it, i quietly slipped it back on the counter and went back to my book with a smile on my face. today, as then, i find beauty in the eyes of those i love, in the details of God's creation, in laughter, in light, in wonder. i like my garden. i like my front porch and my little old house. i like knowing my neighbors and i like crossing my street to get the mail. i like a good book, a movie that makes me laugh, a song that makes me sing. i like food. i like thai restaurants, good pasta and the tacos that come out of my kitchen. i like the smell of the grill on a warm summer night and i like my mother's cheesecake. i like the water. i like the smell of rain, the sound of a creek, the infinite possibility of a lake and the dampness of dew. i like falling asleep and waking up to thunderstorms. i like the sound of my nephew's giggle and the feel of his brother's hand in mine. i like that my family includes some of my best friends. my life is both simple and complicated. it is a peaceful spring morning, it is a commute surrounded by people i don't know. it is finding the quiet in the chaos, it is knowing how to be alone in a crowd. i think you, your child, your dreams are beautiful. i know that time is quickly passing. i want to help you capture the moments of your life that you never want to forget. this is what i bring. this is who i am.

Life is precious.

"Entertainer"

2008-06-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

NOTE: What in BLAZES is going ON with spacing on Blogger!?! Grr.

Azucar (wish I knew how to make that little accent mark) posted this about a personality test she and her team at work took a few weeks ago. No wonder we get along so well... we're pretty similar (except she's WAY smarter and uses words I never knew existed) :)

Reminds me of one of my junior high tests. Some 'official' type person came to Yucca Jr. High in Clovis (New Mexico, not CA) and had us answer pages and pages of a questionnaire then disappeared as quickly as she came.

I didn't think much of it until the report came back several weeks later. The actual report might be saved and stuck in a box somewhere, but for now I'll just go with my memory.

It reported that I'd do well in the following fields:

What the?!?

Except for Forest Ranger and Fish Hatchery being similar, that list doesn't make sense. Most of my classmates got lists like these: Fireman, Policeman, Army & EMT; or CEO, Astronaut, Judge & Chemist. But my list? No, MY list had to be completely whacked so that I'd be more confused about my future after the report than when the magical test lady appeared in the first place.

No offense to people in ANY of these categories, but what in tarnation does a Cosmetologist have in common with a Lawyer? Or a Forest Ranger with a Cosmetologist? Or a Lawyer with a Fish Hatchery worker?

Let's break it down...

Forest Ranger - introvert (which I'm not), solitary (for a little while, sure, but not for days on end), camper (I'm not allowed; Motel 6 is as close to camping as I get), main character from Barbara Kingsolver's, Prodigal Summer (she lives in a cabin in a quiet forest and doesn't see people for months; even her necessities gets dropped off without seeing another person)

Cosmetologist - conversationalist (sure love talking to people), artist (yes), doesn't color in the lines (I can, but that's so boring), people person (some think I am), works with hands (I don't use my brain much, prefer touch)

Fish Hatchery - likes fishing (disgusts me; I can't stand the idea of pulling a flailing, innocent fishy out of its habitat then let it gasp for water while it slowly dies... but I DO eat fish, just don't want to catch it), away from the public (do you notice that every Fish Hatchery sign you've seen as you drive along a country road has an "Open to the Public" notice but another sign in place that says, "Closed for the Season"?)

Lawyer - knows the law inside and out (I can remember bits and pieces of something, but not every nook and cranny), obligated by their employer to sometimes defend a criminal contrary to their beliefs because of the law (drunk driver who killed an innocent victim but gets off on a technicality; I couldn't do it), the guy that fought my settlement case for my injured back... he was a Tool (but it's his job to defend his insurance company so they don't have to pay as much)

Here are my results from the quick, online test:

ESFP - "Entertainer". Radiates attractive warmth and optimism. Smooth, witty, charming, clever. Fun to be with. Very generous. 8.5% of the total population.

What do you think? Did they get it right with me?

I kinda like the "8.5% of the total population" part. Makes me feel sorta special, in a good way. Does that put me in the Top 10, somehow?

That was fun... you wanna do it? If so, come back and let me know what you are :)

The Mole

2008-06-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

...and I'm not talking about the TV show, wish I were. The other night, when I was at the computer, Piper came over to me and asked, "Mommy, did you buy a mole for Posie to play with?" Not catching what she really said, I stopped what I was doing to look at her and asked her to repeat what she said. "Did YOU buy POSIE a MOLE to PLAY with," she asked, like I was hard of hearing (which I am, but that's beside the point). At this point I (probably scrunched my nose as) I asked, "What are you talking about? What 'mole'? Where is it?" Sometimes she gets her words mixed up. As in today when we were watching The Waterhorse. She said, "What's affirm tie?" What? "Affirminim taaaiiiieeee," she said slowly. In the movie, they were talking about afternoon tea. So back to Posie's new toy. Piper explained that daddy said mommy bought Posie a new chew toy and it's (points behind the couch, out of view) over there. "What does it look like," I asked with my furrowed brow (because I'm really not getting what she's trying to say)? She lays on the couch with her arms and legs bent up into the air and her hands cupped like bowls, looking a lot like a dead cockroach. It was hilarious, so I laugh, then ask her to do it again (while she giggled because I was laughing so hard). We have a few chew toys for the dog: a 2.5" stuffed pig with a squeaker in it's tummy, fuzzy teddy bear and a duck. None of them fit her description, so I got up off my bum and walked around the couch to see. O. My. Gosh. It's something I've never seen before, and it looked exactly like Piper showed me. I froze in place, not sure what it is or if I'd startle it if in fact it was ALIVE. Then I was sure daddy was playing a joke on me and sent Piper out to be the scapegoat. "Dddaaaaddy!!!!," I yelled toward the back of the house (really, how am I supposed to do the punctuation with quotations?).?. Honestly, I could've just SAID it because the house isn't large enough to have to yell, LOL. "What IS THIS?!" "What is WHAT?" Ben replied. "Get over here NOW," I demanded! He and Jack came trotting down the hall, saw what I was talking about and, nonchalantly, replied, "Oh, that's the new toy you bought Posie to play with. She's been chewing on it the last couple hours. Had it on the couch, in her bed, throwing it around the family room. She's been having a blast with it." "I did NOT buy that thing," I shrieked. "Then where'd it come from?" "I don't KNOW where it CAME FROM but YOU'RE getting RID of it!" "But Posie has been having so much fun with it. Maybe it's one of the kids' toys." With my voice raised a few octaves, "No, it is NOT one of the kids' toys. GET. RID. OF. IT." We both leaned over toward it and realized it was a dead one of these...

...in our family room, on the floor, after a few hours of being flung around by the dog.

Everybody, squirm with me.... eeeeewwwwwwww.

Demetrye a.k.a. H.C.

2008-06-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

It was Demetrye's birthday recently ("Happy Birthday, H.C.!"), and I missed it :( But here are some pics I took of him to make up for it. I noticed I picked all the serious looks, but he really DOES have a terrific smile and a great sense of confidence that oozes into the camera. He, his wife, and I became fast friends and I can't wait until we hang out again (they're down south in Longview). I was raised to see people and not the color of their skin, so when I mentioned to Demetrye that I hadn't taken pictures of a chocolate dude, I didn't think anything of it until he started laughing profusely. My intent was to warn him that it might take a little longer for me to get my settings right so I wouldn't under-expose his pictures, not to offend him (his wife is a photographer, so I figured he knew what I was talking about). Luckily, he took it the way I meant it (he has an excellent sense of humor; he laughs at all my jokes - even the lame ones), especially after giving him his new nickname, Hot Chocolate (or H.C. for short). Here's some Hot Chocolate in June for ya...

See?! He really DOES have a great smile (and laughs at my lame jokes)... Demetrye with his beautiful wife, Elena...

EDIT: Here's Elena's blog post about these.

My Cupcakes

2008-06-20T23:40:00.000-07:00

Saw this post on Cupcakes Take the Cake blog and can't get the Milkshakes song out of my head :) Jess from Sugadeaux Cupcakes in Australia is the model of the "my cupcakes bring all the boys to the yard" t-shirt; you can purchase yours here. I heart cupcakes.

Michelle from P-town

2008-06-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's MICHELLE :) I met her sister a few years ago, then met her at Karen's wedding in August. She lives down in Portland, but drove up to Seattle for a bunch of photogs to take her picture. Michelle is a kickin' model ;) Here are some of my favorites (eek, there are so many)...

This is my fave... Another fave...

Sunblock SPF 45

2008-06-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Colby's Football Album

2008-06-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Remember Colby? Well, he just graduated from high school and is off to Arizona to play college football mid-July. Incidently, I moved before his senior year so his folks used the school photographer for senior pics. Not to brag, or anything, but they couldn't bring themselves to use those pics (they just didn't capture him) and ordered multiples of this one (above) that I took on the back of their car at the airport cell phone waiting lot. Now THAT'S a compliment ;) Speaking of football... in December I got to attend one of his last H.S. football games at American Fork H.S. Luckily I had my 70-200mm lens so I could get some pics for him and his family (security handed me a Press Pass so I could shoot on the field) and made him an album as his graduation gift. Here are a few of the pages (he's #6 in the game pics)...

How Old AM I?

2008-06-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Me, circa I don't know (8ish, maybe)

Note the emphasis on the AM, not the OLD (although I'm not that thrilled to be aging, either). I'm not one of those women who gasp when someone asks my age, thinking it inappropriate to ask a lady how "old" she is. However, I don't tell right away and instead ask them to guess at how old they THINK I am before I tell them. Now, if the person knows my family (that I've been married and have two kids), then they'll usually guess a little higher. But just off the cuff, I have gotten as low as 26 but usually 28. My excuse for it is that I don't wear makeup (thus not allowing it to settle into my creases, giving my age away) and I act completely immature for a woman. Psst, I'm fine with that - especially if it makes me seem not so ooold. Maybe I 'shouldn't' be so OK with it, because acting immature is not flattering either, but it's the lesser of two evils, if you ask me ;) Two weeks ago I turned 37... for the second time. No, really. All last year, I guess I was thinking that I was TURNING 37 and instead got it stuck in my head that I WAS 37. So I've already been 37 and didn't have 36. Upon the suggestion of Dustin, Elisa's DH, I'm going to be 36 this year and resume my real age at next year's birthday. Because being 37 again doesn't give me back being 36, which is closer to 30 than 37 is (see where I'm going?). Some have suggested just being 37 and it's as if I didn't even age, but I'm not clever enough to trick my brain like that and already stuck on this new philosophy.

Lisa and I with Gene at Dixie's BBQ ON my birthday 2 weeks ago.

I have NO IDEA how I will handle 40 (even though Oprah tries and tries to convince me that passing 50 has been the BEST years of her life, I don't buy it). Y'all might want to start saving your pennies now so we can travel somewhere to give the 30's a proper burial (like the Mediterranean or Europe). Q: What's your take on aging gracefully?

< 3 days

2008-06-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Host, latest stand-alone book by Stephenie Meyer (author of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse & Breaking Dawn)

Did I say that right... 'less than' three days? Don't make fun of my math. It's about as stellar as my geography. Wasn't keeping track, but I think I downed this six hundred and nineteen page book in less than three days flat.

How'd I do it? I'll give you a hint: I didn't do any laundry, vacuuming, dinners, dishes, sweeping, washing or child raising (even though they were here most of the time). I DID attend three hours of church on Sunday. I DID have a lunch meeting at my house yesterday, but that only took away a couple hours. And I DID take my daughter to-and-from preschool. Other than that... nuh-thing. I actually redirected one of our canned lights to aim right into my favorite chair and left the cozy, vintage quilt there, even though it doesn't match the decor (quelle horror).

Am I pathetic? Maybe. Were my kids harmed in the process? I don't think so. (Don't they say the best way to get kids to love books is for them to see YOU reading them?) Would I do it again? I will in August ;)

Good News

2008-06-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Really, it's Good News, the musical! Our friend, Tanner, was in his HS play and I went along with my camera. It WAS a phenomenal performance by ALL the actors; very impressive! They swept their WA competition and received Top Honors last night from the 5th Avenue Theater. UPDATED EDIT: Two of my favorite pics were featured in the Woodinville Weekly newspaper this week! Here are some of my favorite pics...

Back of My Hand

2008-06-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

"I know it like the back of my hand." Am I the only one that doesn't know the back of my hand? I mean, when I look at it I know it's mine, but if I had to, say, draw it without looking, I'm pretty sure I'd fail. Looking at them now, I can see that there ARE distinctive markings that probably aren't the same as someone else. Here, I'll take a picture (it'll last longer) and we'll break it down. On my left hand, my middle finger nail bed is funky from a meat slicing incident, Halloween 2000 (may it rest in peace). Luckily my nail grew back so I don't have to sport a snaggle-nail. Then I imagined ever since I was a little girl, that the backs of my hands pressed together in utero in a way that gave me those triangle freckles (little girls think of the craziest stuff sometimes).

Speaking of little girls... Piper calls her freckles her "beans," even though she knows they're actually called freckles. Here's one of her "beans" and B.A.C.A. tattoo... Then on my right hand I have a 6cm pink circle that's magical. When pressed, it disappears for a short while. No, it's not melanoma, just a funny little blood spot that I can use to amaze the gullible.

Even though I've taken pictures and explained, in detail, what the backs of my hands look like, I'm still not sure that I KNOW them enough to use the phrase correctly.

Q: How well do YOU know the back of your hand?

Toilet Seat Law

2008-06-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes guys say that we (ladies) should lift the toilet seat UP when we're done, instead of them putting it down when they're done. Here's my theory: Ladies #1 seat down Ladies #2 seat down Dudes #1 seat up Dudes #2 seat down That's three downs to one up. Down wins. Besides, why can't they just SIT down for #1 to keep it cleaner? The end.

Plastic, please.

2008-06-06T08:43:00.001-07:00

In my old age, I'm realizing some of my quirks that began in my childhood. Smell is a BIG thing for me. Would that make me "smelly?" There's a common breath smell, it seems, amongst some non-meat eaters. Don't get all mad at me, I'm just telling it like it is (and it's not EVERY one). Maybe it's because they eat foods that are more spiced and flavored to make up for the missing meat. It's kind of a garlic smell, very tart. Some clothes manufactured in India smell of sulfur, kind of a matches scent (which you can eventually get out with vinegar and sunshine). Years ago, I bought a pair of pieced overalls (when they were all the rage) from eBay for a pretty penny (I think they were about $60 - they were only sold in boutiques with a boutique price). They wreaked even before I got them out of the box! After all the work I put into getting the smell out, they were out of style and I never wore them. What a waste of money! (P.S. I'm embarrassed to say they're still hanging in my closet, and it's been over six years.) I remember one day at college in the recreation hall (bowling alley, arcade, billiards) when I walked past a particular game that gave me a whiff of my 5th grade friends house. The smell reminded me of white bread with margarine, Pepsi, scrambled eggs, M&M's in the camper, and fried potatoes. No other game in the room smelled, at least not as noticeable as that one. Nostalgia... I think that's what my smells are all about. Most of them remind me of an event from my past. Polo cologne reminds me of EVERY guy in High School (hahaha). There's a shampoo that reminds me of our family friends, the Everett's, in Clovis, NM. Aqua Net hairspray reminds me of Maria Mares; that girl layed ON the hairspray nozzle. Lady Fingers firecrackers reminds me of Teresa Beardain's back yard when someone stuck them in her swing set poles and set them off (never could fish them out so the burned stench remained). A butcher shop reminds me of our old Golden Retriever, Barney; we'd bring home cow legs for him. Lavender is one of my favorite smells that's not really associated with a particular event except that sometimes it takes me back to the time Cathy and I took our little kids down to the Young Living Farm in Mona, UT (Yardley of London lavender liquid soap specifically reminds me of Carrabba's in Orem). Miss Teenie's house has a certain smell that I sometimes get a whiff of at a boutique store (she's not sure what scents she uses, but she has plug-ins, soaps, and lotions that carry through her entire 14,000 sq ft not really but it feels like it sometimes house). The other day we realized the shower curtain liner needed to be replaced. At $3 each, you'd think we'd take care of it before HAVING to, if you know what I mean. That bathroom is so moist, pink mold and mildew is kind of inevitable... so we replace the curtain instead of going through the hassle of cleaning it (about once a year). Yes, I do feel guilty about putting it in the landfill (I am partial to being GREEN, but don't really do much yet), but I DO recycle so that lessens the guilt a titch. Ben hung it and I couldn't help but shove my face into the newly unveiled plastic smell. Probably not the best thing for my lungs to be absorbing, of course, but it's crazy how happy it makes me feel (maybe it's the toxins talking). I think that obsession started when I received my first brand new Barbie doll. They have that same stench when you first pull them out of their package. Sniff, inhale, sniff. By the time the odor wears away, I've gotten my fill (so it's not like I'm obsessed to the point that I SEEK plastic things to smell). Q: Am I weird, or is this common?

Webkinz

2008-06-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

I've been working out the bugs of the latest Webkinz fiasco's for my beautiful offspring. What I don't get about the site is that it's supposed to be designed for kids but I, as an intelligent and tech savvy adult, have a little trouble figuring some things out.

You gotta feed them

play with them

bathe them

read news articles

follow directions

play arcades game

do tournament games against other Webkinz players

buy furniture

buy food

decorate your room

buy extra rooms and yard

design your yard

open presents

use coupons

perform math on the fly

remember what your particular pet's favorites are

exercise your pet

feed them healthy foods as well as fun snacks

keep them happy

medicate them when they're under-the-weather

take them to the doctor

answer quizzes for extra points

buy chotchkeys and rare items to appease your pet

pick paint colors for your bedroom walls

decide which bed to buy

monitor your spending

build your bank

and more.

As I've been wandering around the site, I have to admit that I've been lured into the abyss of Webkinz land. I've been known to almost pass on nightly family prayer because I was in the middle of a game (last night). But if I were going to be truly honest I would admit that the only reason I didn't pass was because I happened to die at the very moment I was given a second call to prayer. Bad mommy. What's worse... is when Jack came to invite me to said family prayer and saw that I couldn't pull myself away, he said, "Geez mom. Get your OWN Webkinz!" Pitiful, isn't it?

MIA

2008-06-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. Guess blogland is beginning to wonder what's going on with me. The funny thing about that is that 'most' of you who read this blog have just emailed or called me to find out (I can't imagine there are people who read this that DON'T know me). Long stories short...

Back's been out
Thigh's been out (who knew? I certainly didn't, but do now!)
Neck's been out
Hair is falling out
Getting done with editing the school newsletter for the year (I'll do something else next year)
My birthday (last week, hooray, except I'm a year off from what I thought I was)
My birthday game night (all I wanted was a few friends, appetizers for dinner and Mexican Trains dominoes)
Piper's bday (yesterday with her Princess Party festivities this Saturday)
Grandma Jo's out of her coma and into a looooong stint at rehab
Harley battery gave up the ghost (whatever that means; but I installed a new one)
Pulled over by police (not for a traffic violation, either)
Body temperature isn't regulating itself much anymore (I'm freezing, never been before)
Car is falling apart (windshield needs replacing, somethings funky with the battery, fender)
2nd shooting with my buddy
Winding down the school year for both kids (teacher conferences, tests, studying)
Clients need their work done before I fart around on the blog
My daughter needs attention, more than I give her already
House still needs arranging (going from 3100 sf to 1700 has been tricky for organizing)
Figured out how to pull the D/W out so I could see behind it (AFTER the shooting water fiasco)
Found the point-n-shoot digital camera memory card that's about 1cm x 2cm small
Controlling the constant sibling rivalry (which really means "fights," and end-of-the-world catastrophies of an almost 5yr old
Figure out Webkinz world (if a 30+ year old is having trouble, how's a 5yr old supposed to understand how to make it work)

Anywho, I'll be back with fun stories, pictures and questions for you to answer...

Q: High heels are sooo pretty, but why can't they be comfortable too?

Grandma Jo and Grandpa Gary

2008-04-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been a bit distracted (sorry to those who are waiting on me). Grandma Jo (she's my bio-dad's wife, my stepmom and Grandma to my kids) is in a coma. Her surgeries went well, so we're just playing the waiting game for her to come out of the coma (they took her off the breathing machine recently, she's breathing on her own). If you're the praying type, please include her in your prayers for a healthy recovery.

Jo is a lovely lady (even if she weren't related). Her kindness radiates and you can't help but feel good around her. She and my bio-dad came into my life when I was 25, and I feel richer because of that. Not that I felt I was missing something, but the addition has been fun. They taught me how to play my favorite game, Mexican Trains (dominoes), and I'm extremely grateful for that ;)

She's active at her church in Candy Kitchen, NM, line dances on a regular basis, is an avid walker and great entertainer. Not like Cedric The Entertainer, but like having people over and socializing. My paternal grandmother lives in San Diego, CA alone, but Jo and Gary make a point to get over to see her on a regular basis without making her feel incompetent. Jo remembers our birthdays, anniversaries and holidays like clockwork (that's not my strong suit, so I admire that quality in others). She's enjoyable to be around, talk to and call a friend.

That's the snippet on Grandma Jo, but there's more that involves Grandpa Gary... Long story short, this is my bio-dad, Gary (I call him "dad," but some get confused because I call my dad that raised me "Daddy" instead of stepdad). He wasn't around from when I was 2 until I was 25, but it's kinda creepy how much alike we are. His sense of humor is similar to mine, we are both dang smart (teehee) and he's sooo non-drama. So much non-drama that he didn't bother to tell me about Jo's recent condition right away (a couple weeks) or how his gall bladder had to be removed in an emergency surgery during all the hooplah. I can see a little why he didn't want to bother us with the bad news, hoping she'd pull out of it and he could call with good news, but next time (if you're reading this) I'd sure like to know much sooner than later ;)

Here we are at Sundance a few years ago when they came to visit. We all had a blast (and we played more Mexican Trains than you could imagine, and I could've played more). Piper liked getting cozy with Grandma Jo while watching a movie. I absolutely love Jo's smiles :) Piper likes to do this weird face when I have the camera pointing at her. But I loved this one of Jo and couldn't pass up the chance to show her off.

Gas

2008-04-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

This might come as a shock to my mother (she thinks she knows everything about me), but I don't pay attention to how much I pay at the gas pump. Here's my thought... if I pay attention, I'll know how much I'm getting raked over the coals. I claim ignorance and, they say, ignorance is bliss. Blissful indeed until I figured it out today.

At Costco in Woodinville today (the sheriff was in line and I selectively chose a lane far away... you know, just in case), the lanes for the driver side pumps were a mile long (it felt like it was, but we all know Costco's parking lot isn't THAT big) so I bellied up to a passenger side pump that had a max of three cars waiting (I also say "belly up to the bar" and I don't even drink alcohol, or serve alcohol, for that matter, but I still say it and I won't stop, in case you're wondering), figuring that I can pull the line across the back to the driver side where my tank is.

As a side note to this little story: the picture of the gas pump on your dash does NOT necessarily tell you which side your tank is on, contrary to this little legend (but wouldn't that make sense and why DON'T the auto manufacturers make it so, sheesh, I'm tired of cranking my head out the window to see which side mine is on --- no, I don't have a good enough memory to just know without looking sometimes).

As ANOTHER side note, this story isn't about which side of the car my tank is on.

Back to the original point of this post.

I paid $3.53 at Costco and drove by a Chevron a couple miles away that listed the same grade of gas for $3.75... that's 22 cents a GALLON! At that rate for 20 gallons I saved $4.40 today and spent it on a Kid's Meal Crisp Chicken Burrito Meal at Taco Time to celebrate (psst, I didn't have a kid with me)!

As another side note... the new BBQ Chipotle Chicken Burrito at TT is tasty but waaaayy too messy for any normal person to put up with.

{EDIT... yeah, it's $3.53 and $3.75, respectively, and I've made the change; see, I don't pay attention to gas prices! LOL}

It's About Time

2008-04-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

Grey's ... is ... baaaaack (phew). We're having a new family (moved from AZ in Jan) over for dinner. They have two kids our kids' ages, she laughs at all my jokes and her hubby is computer savvy so it's a match made in heaven, right? :) However, they just found out their oldest might have an allergy to food issue (no gluten, dairy and somethingorother; he can eat meat and veggies). It's a new discovery, so they're in the beginning phase of cutting everything out so they can narrow it down. She will bring his own dinner so I don't have to worry about his restrictions, but I sure would like to figure out a way that I can accomodate him while still making fabulous eats. Without a planned menu, I'm open to suggestions that will get the ideas flowing. Maybe I'll just swing by Costco (I need gas anyway) and the dinner will plan itself (that place has a funny way of doing that). Hey, did you hear about the latest rice and oil rationing going on at Costco and other grocery stores? Yikes!

Reaction Time

2008-04-22T20:06:00.001-07:00

How fast are you?

Twilight Movie

2008-04-22T00:37:00.000-07:00

Some clips, if you're interested, in the making of Twilight, the movie. I'm looking forward to the film (expected in theaters Dec. 12) and hope I enjoy it as much as I have the book series.

If you have NO IDEA (as this writer didn't) what I'm talking about, click here to see inside the first (Twilight), second (New Moon) and third (Eclipse) books by Stephenie Meyer.

Christmas Photos

2008-04-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

We're way past Christmas (has it really been that long?) and I'm trying to organize this house. Seems that the places I thought would work for things aren't so I'm rearranging. Don't even get me started on the garage (looking forward to Ben making shelves so we can find stuff). We still haven't unpacked everything, so I wonder if my attempts to organize will be shot once we open the rest of the boxes.

Anywho... as I've been shuffling, I came across my precious Christmas photo cards and pictures that friends and family send every year.

For the record: I LOVE getting photos from friends and family, anytime of year.

But now I wonder what to do with them. They'll certainly not go in the trash (I don't throw friends and family in the trash, thank you). I'd rather them not spend the year in a box somewhere. There are too many for frames (although they all DESERVE a coveted spot in a frame, but I don't have the space to then put those frames). Not being a fan, the traditional peel and stick albums aren't an option, especially because I'd like to have them alphabetized then add to them each year.

Ooh, that reminds me of something that might work... but I still wanna know if you have ideas.

I diiiiid see a cutecutecute album thingy that a friend at church made for each of her girls. It was a SUUUPER simple idea, although she did WAY more than my short-attention-span could handle (in a scrapbooky sort of way). Right about now would be perfect for a visual aid, but I don't have one so you'll have to use your imagination.

It's an A to Z book. Each letter has it's own page. Each page has a picture of the subject of honor doing the particular letter, like: asleep for Sleeping, laughing for Joy, looking cute for Cute, holding a ball for Ball. Then each page had simple lettering added such as "S is for sleeping" applied with the S being a die cut. To finish, each page is laminated (thickly), hole-punched and attached using a simple binder ring (kinda like a skinny metal shower curtain ring) with matching ribbons knotted to it. SOOO cute!

Q: So do YOU have any ideas for the Christmas pictures?

Sell Your Kids

2008-04-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Didn't realize this really was an option until Piper mentioned it at bedtime tonight... Me, way past bedtime having to tend to Piper again: Grrr, why aren't you guys asleep already? Piper, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed: We're just not tired, I guess. Me, ready for the AI results show: Well, you're driving me nuts! Piper, as sweet as an angel: So are you going to take us out and sell us to another family?

Both of us: giggle ... giggle

Sunday, Sunday

2008-04-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

Today I had the IMMENSE pleasure of getting my promised hug from CW in person! (It was great, by the way.) As she, her sister (who came over from Coeur d' Alene, ID) and I sat under the Space Needle on the lush, green grass, enjoying the 70 degree loveliness, we pondered on all sorts of life oddities. One particular subject was that of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (and how everybody has their interpretation of that commandment; some more strict than others). This reminded me of a change I'm making in my family this week. See, we're used to not shopping, going to restaurants or participating in rigorous outdoor activities (sports and yard work) on Sundays. Instead we attend church, use our talents for the Lord (sing in the choir or teach Sunday School, for example), spend time with family and friends, write letters to family (Ben's brothers are serving two year missions for the church out of the country and really enjoy hearing news from back home), journal (would blogging count?) and rest from our labors (don't work). But we still watch TV, play video games and spend time on the computer/internet. Those are the things that have been bothering me lately, because I'm thinking that we can eliminate them for ONE DAY out of the week and find other wholesome things to take their place. I'm not saying that anyone that does those things is sinning or not Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (don't take this post as some high-and-mighty soapbox, this is a personal reflection and not a judgement), I'm just thinking that our family would feel more of the Spirit in our home without those distractions. If anything, wouldn't it be worth a try? Couldn't hurt, right? Here's an article I found about the subject by Earl C. Tingey... The Lord counseled the Church more than 165 years ago that we can keep ourselves “unspotted from the world” by properly observing the Sabbath day. While others may watch how we observe the Sabbath day, we should not be self-righteous or attempt to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others (see Matt. 6:1–6, 16–18). We should simply keep the Sabbath day holy because it is what the Lord would have us do. Then we will receive joy and strength from doing so. The Lord teaches us in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13 that Sunday is a day to: • Rest. • Worship. • Offer up vows in righteousness. • Confess our sins. • Partake of the sacrament. • Prepare food with singleness of heart. • Perfect our fasting. Additionally, President Spencer W. Kimball said the Sabbath can be used for: • Reading good books. • Contemplating. • Studying the scriptures and preparing talks. • Visiting the sick. • Preaching the gospel. • Doing good. • Visiting quietly with family members. • Seeking forgiveness of sin. • Journal writing. • Fellowshipping members and nonmembers. • Enjoying uplifting music. • Resting. President Ezra Taft Benson said the Sabbath should not be used for: • Gardening and housework. • Taking trips to recreational areas or resorts. • Wasting time. • Making up for sleep lost on Saturday. • Refueling the car. • Being so busy there is no time for prayer or meditation. • Engaging in sports or hunting. • Reading material that does not spiritually uplift us. • Shopping. So tomorrow, I've vowed to have our family NOT watch TV, play mindless video games or get on the internet. Instead we'll have breakfast without the TV being on, do a craft with the kids (make magnets for their bulletin boards), get ready and go to church then go to our friends house for dinner. At bedtime, I'll ask the kids what they thought of the day sans TV and video games. Hopefully their answer will be positive and hearts will be filled with the Spirit confirming to them of their obedience. Exodus 20:8-11 (all these scripture references are KJV) 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 31:16-17 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Deuteronomy 5:12-15 12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. 13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: 14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. 15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. Q: Do you have any uplifting stories to share about Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy? How about your family teachings on what to do or not to do on the Sabbath? I'd love some ideas of alternative activities that kids could do in keeping with this doctrine.

It Shoulda Been Sayesha

2008-04-10T23:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight, I was, as were others, shocked to hear that Michael Johns was voted off American Idol. Not that I thought he'd win in the end, but I certainly didn't think he'd go before Sayesha. SHE should've gone before MJ. KLC should've gone before MJ. He'll be fine, I know, but it's like a slap in the face that the annoying baby crier slash failed Whitney Houston and Fantasia copier got to stick around. I'm LOVIN' David Cook... he's REALLY got talent (wait, isn't that another show?). I think he might need to NOT win like Chris Daughtry did last year so he can do his thing instead of having to wait a year while he does the expected red tape as the winner. Simon is right (as he usually is) in that David has some kind of arrogant, cocky, pride thing going on when he performs (although he tries to seem humble when he's not singing; but I guess that's what should happen when you're singing... you should show confidence). But his voice is awesome and I dig how he reworks the songs so they're his. Q: What'd YOU think about Michael Johns getting voted off tonight (granted that you actually LIKE American Idol, of course... no haters on the Lucky Red Hen blog)?

Obituary of a Legend

2008-04-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've already seen this... Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment and the fine family dining communities. The Pillsbury Dough Boy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Dough boy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Dough boy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Dough boy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions. Dough boy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

I [heart] Billy Bob

2008-04-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Saw this on KP's MySpace... It's no wonder I have a thing for Billy Bob Thornton, is it now?

Type test

2008-03-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

So, what's the range for speed typing? I haven't typed in an office environment for ages, so I forget what's fast and what's not. This online pseudo test tells me I type 71 words per minute. 71 words

Speedtest

Apron Swap - My Creation

2008-03-23T21:44:00.001-07:00

... and I literally mean my "creation" because it was my first attempt at an apron, or anything like it, and I did it without a pattern. I don't sew much lately, but had the fabric from two Christmases ago when my MIL, SIL's and I collected our handpicked fabric for our holiday craft project. I never got around to making it for myself, so the fabric was lonely and begged for some attention. I felt guilty waiting such a long time to make it for myself (I would think of how long it took everytime I saw it) so it made sense that I'd make it for someone else instead. Why am I saying "so" so much? Sheesh. Anywho, I LOVED the pieces I picked out and, apparently, my swapping buddy did too... "your apron buddy loves her new apron and hasn't taken it off for two days. She almost wore it to bed the first day!! You are adorable."

Here's the apron my swapping buddy sent.

Here's the Apron Swap coordinator's blog.

Here's a link for the current swap (sign up April 28 - May 5 and mail apron by June 9, 2008).

A Book Tag

2008-03-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

I've been book tagged by my sister-in-law, Britanny. The rules: 1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages) 2. Turn to page 123 3. Find the 5th sentence 4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog 5. Tag 5 people Britanny has been reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens: I am slowly making it through--not much time to read these days. Here's the line: "We'll cure you of that, my young master." Mine is from the latest Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine: "There are movies that are very well done and some that are execrably done." I tag: Jenny, CJane, Dalene, Brenda, Lauriann P.S. If you're anything like me, you looked at the word "execrably" and tried figuring out what it meant... ex·e·cra·ble /ˈɛksɪkrəbəl/ [ek-si-kruh-buhl] –adjective 1. utterly detestable; abominable; abhorrent. 2. very bad: an execrable stage performance.

David Archuleta BEFORE A.I.

2008-03-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

This kid melts my heart.