Category Archives: Me stuff

Funky thunderstorms and psychedelic sky

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Yesterday we got bombarded with pop-up thunderstorms, the first around 7 something in the morning. I slept through it as I had about 3 nights of insomnia and I guess my body couldn’t take it anymore. Later, when I was out planting a few annuals, the rumbles and darkening skies sent me in with Cosmo the kitty. He had himself situated under the big evergreen near where I was planting the flowers and was quite content, I hated to bother him. The dish*net guys came about 3 (to make Sean’s tv high def) and the young fellow was up on the roof when the rain was just coming down which made me nervous. After dinner, the sky turned all shades of pink, orange and fuchsia. Everyone local on Face*book was talking about it. Here’s photos taken with the flash on:
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I worked on a few ATCs, one was with a ‘special technique’ by using gesso and rubber stamps:
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The background is a map. The ‘main design’ is suppose to be dark, like black. Looks like the sky influenced me doesn’t it, but I did these before it changed color.
I woke up today with a very red right eye. I am medicating it with drops that were prescribed for that exact eye a few months back. My head is kind of foggy, so I’m summing it up to allergies. Sean was suppose to get his eyes checked for new contacts, but we have new insurance which Wally World doesn’t accept, so we had to look elsewhere.
We may take a drive to K*Mart to look around. He’s been applying everywhere with no luck. I’m hoping my brother will send him in the right direction since he is a job recruiter (but medical, but he knows the ropes).

Photoshopping and Planting

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Two things I have been doing. Late last night I was working on a photo of me when I was about 6-7. It was taken for a contest for ‘cute kids’ way back when. Neither my brother or I won. Here’s the original-encased in plastic that was then bend. I had to use a filter over it to help with my forehead’s mark. I’m not totally happy with this-forgot my right arm and I just couldn’t get the forehead any better. But that is the correct color of the photo now.

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to this:

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And one of my 3 siblings and me:

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Couldn’t help compare this to my pal Barbara’s kiddos as she has a big boy and a little boy with a boy and girl in the middle. Dave is 12.5 yrs older than Ken whereas Don and I were 1 yr and 8 days apart.

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Then I was potting up baby coleus my Flickr pal Joy had left at her house for me on Tuesday. I hope they grow nice and bushy!

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Tonight I watched Kate Winslet’s Oscar winning performance with Sean. ‘The Reader’ was a wonderful movie, but does have nudity and sex in the first half hour…so if you want to rent it, I’d watch it with the over 21 crowd.

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I have to make something good for dinner today as for two meals yesterday we ate take-out. I am having ‘a visitor’ now every 3.5 weeks and it’s pulling me down. I’m hoping it will lead to longer times between-mom said she had this issue too. It ain’t easy girls.

Thursday Thunks

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1. How many golf balls can fit inside a full sized school bus?
Not a good question as I have a water-logged, PMSing brain. At least 10K+, wouldn’t you think? Do you know?
2. Who decided the alphabet order?
Plato? Socrates? Must be earlier-but I forget where. I know that answer is in the recesses of my brain somewhere.
3. Why doesn’t McDonald’s sell hotdogs?
Because they are one of the first burger joints around and don’t want to ruin their lead in that market.
4. You go to a nice restaurant and they are offering free samples of cheese. You take a bite and it’s delicious. Then they tell you the cheese is processed with maggots in it which make the great texture and flavor. Do you vomit at the thought of maggots, think “oh well but no more”, or just ask for another sample?
Up chunk and storm out as maggots are not a food item. Sorta reminds me of the time we went to a fairly nice brick oven pizza restaurant (not the first time there) and a roach crawled across the table. We got free dessert.
5. Would you rather ride on a cloud or slide down a rainbow?
The cloud as it would be cooler and be like riding in a hot air balloon.
6. Do you know/care who Heidi & Spencer are?
Vaguely-know they honeymooned in Mexico at the height of the Swine Flu epidemic-showed them wearing masks while in their swimsuits. Know they are always posing with their hands all over each other.
7. Pass-I am not an infant.
8. Pie or cake?
Either! I like pies more in the summer with BBQ and of course Pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Cake for birthdays.
9. Do you remember when MTV used to play music videos?
I remember loving MTV when it was a new cable station. Helped me get through my gallbladder removal recovery.
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It’s chilly here today and more rain is expected. Looks like my get together may get canceled. The one lady has a infant for a foster child and he just got a double ear infection yesterday. I’m glad the nice weather (ha) has just begun as we have all summer to see each other.

Thursday Thunks

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The questions are a continuation from last week and suggested by fellow thunkers.

21. How many states have you been in? Not having a map in front of me, I can tell you I’ve been up and down the east coast and that’s it-so about 13 or 14?

22. If a sexist Man is called a pig, what is a sexist Woman called? A piglette?

23. You see the one person who you absolutely despise. If you were guarentee’d that he/she couldn’t say or do anything back to you…. What would you do?? Kick them in the butt or slap their face!

24. How many states are to the right of you? And don’t give us a map to look at. Well there’s New Jersey and Delaware-nearest right I can think of.

25. You can go anywhere in the world for free. Where are you? Hawaii or someplace that has interested me lately-the Galapagos Islands.

26. HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP? 10!

27. Are you a boxing fan? Do you think there will be a rematch of the Hatton-Pacquiao fight? Not really-only the Rocky movies. Yo!

28. What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten? A teenie piece of snail or calm in the shell.

29. Is it cloudy right now? Partly.

30. What is your dream job? Like what Martha Stewart is doing or some kind of Disney like company.

31. Someone gives you a $500 gift card to WalMart or Target. What are you going to buy? Probably a piece of furniture.

32. When you were little, what did you want to be “when you grow up”? And, how much different is your occupation now from where you thought it would be when you were younger? Always a teacher which I studied to be. I did work in schools over the years, but my greatest teaching job was with Sean my son.

33. what was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie and her pals!

34. How do you think these things up?? Yeah, how do you?

35. Why do you think so many “fake” veterans get away with pretending? Why don’t people question them more (especially the media who eats up their stories?) Because they can? This is a hard question and certainly is a disgrace to the veterans who saw combat.

36. What is the last place you had a good cry and why? I think it was a few weeks back and out of frustration for a family member.

37. What do you mean?
I mean what I say, really.

38. Which Sesame Street Character do you relate with the most and why?
I look like Miss Piggy right now…but I relate to Kermit because the other Muppets seem to count on him a lot.

39. What song would you listen to over and over if you absolutely had to? It would probably have to be something instrumental without words if I had to listen to it over and over. I think I could listen to The Phantom of the Opera prelude or whatever a bunch of times because I have!

40. Did you ever make what you believed at the time to be a horrible mistake – that in hindsight turned out to lead you on the best path in your life?
Probably not trying harder to get my Bachelor’s Degree, though I tried 3 times to pass a Math theory class which burnt me out. But I think I should have chose a different major now-like graphic arts instead of Early Childhood Ed. I do have an AAS in ECE, so I was almost there. I believe I was 12 credits short as I needed an elective, the math class and to student teach.

41. If you could change one thing on your person, what would it be?
My tummy-I would like it tucked and to look like Brook Burke.

42. What’s your favorite show to watch on television nowadays?
There’s not much on I like to watch right now. I guess shows like ‘Clean House’, etc.

43. Do you believe there is life after death? I believe there is another realm of existence and I wouldn’t rule out reincarnation.

Who turned off the heat?

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I went out to get the mail today and couldn’t wait to high tail it back inside between the cold and dampness-ugh! It may be good that it’s so miserable because I have to change my armoire out from winter to summer clothes. Every year I say I will get rid of more clothes and I never do. I have these comfy cotton long sleeved (and 3/4 length) t-shirts in almost every color and they don’t get ‘that’ worn out and if they are slightly worn, I wear them to clean in. I’m about half way through-not a fun task.
We had a good dinner last night-burgers and hot dogs, homemade potato salad and I made root beer floats for the guys (I just wanted clear soda).
Today my mom had a shot in her left eye this time and she didn’t mind it as much. She could read the bottom line on the chart with her right, but not her left. She just got new glasses which aren’t really any good and she needs to get the lens replaced! Hopefully the eye doctor will write her a note and she can possibly get some kind of refund.
I hope to do a little art work to share one of these days. I pulled out my Neighborhood Round Robin cross stitched piece to add one more house so it will be an even eight. I hope to get it framed by the end of the year-I have to save up for it!
I hope the rest of the week warms up considerably!

Thursday Thunks

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I skipped last week as we were getting ready to head up to State College and Sean and I were phone shopping. Here’s today’s questions:

1. Have you seen the new Star Trek movie, and if so what did you think?
Not yet. I heard it good and my pals want to see it again.

2. Which popular sitcom character (past or present) are you most like?
Rhoda comes to mind. Maybe Carol Brady too.

3. What kind of dreams do you have?
I am lost in quite a few. Say my family and I are in Epcot and they wonder away and I can’t find them.

4. Bugger it. Go get a tattoo and come back. Right, now answer me this, what ees eet?
Oh-what is it! I think some kind of a moon-my name means ‘Goddess of the Moon’.

5. Do you think you could be on American Idol with the singing voice you have now without any voice training?
I can sing, maybe a bit of training is necessary.

6. How much wood, would a woodchuck chuck? If a woodchuck could chuck wood? Why is this divided in two questions? I’ve seen woodchucks- (we call them groundhogs) eat a ton of apples-so probably a lot of wood!

7. If you were a tree in a Dr. Seuss book, what would you look like? I would have the palest pink fluffy flowers and be very broad.

8. Twilight? I’m addicted/Who cares/What the hell is Twilight?
Never seen it.

9. Do you think Kimber and Berleen do a dube while writing these questions?
Maybe-some questions are way out in left field! ; )

10. What the worst injury you’ve ever had?
Head injury in a car accident. Passenger in a VW Bug-no seat belt. Had a fractured nose and busted lip.

11. What is your favorite dessert?
I love all kinds…Chocolate mousse is way up there at the top.

12. What do you prefer…beach or mountains?
Beach-so relaxing to watch the waves.

13. What movie have you seen that still makes you cry?
Born Free about the lioness Elsa.

14. Why are you making me submit a question? Are you too lazy to think of one yourself? LOL

15. how often do you do laundry?
I try for once a week. With my son living home again after graduating from college, it’s 2-3, but he does his own.

16. What is your favorite movie of all time, and why?
The Wizard of Oz as when I was young it was only on yearly (no videos back then) and I just loved all the characters, especially Dorothy.
17. If you won a million dollars in the lottery, would you keep working?
I don’t work now, I would say since my husband is 52, he could retire.

18. If there was a war of the gummies, would you be on the gummi bear side or the gummi worm side?
The bears! They are so cute and have arms to throw gummy grenades!

19. What’s your favorite comic strip?
Peanuts…love Snoopy and again most of the characters. Part of my childhood.

20. Close your eyes… imagine you are in the perfect room/place… describe it.
It looks very relaxing-tans and whites-has a view of the ocean. Enya is playing. In one area there is a huge place for me to do crafty things. There’s a dispenser for home brewed ice tea that is always flowing. Also there’s a computer on the window/glass like the Iron Man movie that is voice activated. A sauna and lap pool wouldn’t be a bad addition-and a big extra king size bed that someone else would make up for me.
What to play?

Back in the day

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Another great reason to find old pals on Facebook is that they sometimes post their old photos and you may be in them!
This is probably 8th grade (1973) and those are two pals Bev and Cindy-I’m in the middle! Thanks to another Cindy for posting it.
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Sean and I went to see my mom and my brother and his Dalmation were there. My brother has off Wednesdays. First we picked up lunch and ate in a park with a little waterfall near a Grist Mill. There is also trout fishing there.
We hung around mom’s a bit and then went to check out flowers at a discount place and hit Home De*pot for a new bathroom faucet and shower head and also more flowers! We ate some Greek salad and white pizza at a new place-it was good. Headed over to another shopping center and a closed store had one of those ‘book warehouse sales’ there, but they had other things like greeting cards and gift packages of lotions, besides books. I got quite a few things including artist Nancy Noel cards and a jewelry book. Sean wanted to get goodies at Trader Joes too. It was a full day! Gardening tomorrow!

Proud memories

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Sean is about to graduate with degrees in Geography and Climatology
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With his proud dad
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With his proud mom
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Shaking hands with the head of the Geography department, guest speaker and dean of the college
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Returning to his seat with his degrees-thanks to dad for these good shots!
More later!
Sharon asked what Sean might be doing for a living. He didn’t major in Meteorology, so can’t really be a weather forecaster. He can do GIS mapping like he did for his internship. he could work for the National Geographic! He’ll be scoping out jobs in the weeks to come!

Sleepy Tuesday

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I don’t know if you guys know how hard it is to live with someone who has been having sleep issues for almost 4 months. Last night Brian decided he was going to have company and announced very loudly that I was snoring-and that was 2 am-not sure if I had even dozed off yet. The night before I had had PMS issues and was up a lot. I think I finally went to sleep around 4 and at 9 was dreaming about pancakes when the cat jumped on me. Bri had been taking prescription sleep med for about 3 weeks-didn’t work out for him. He will be going to a sleep center for a consultation on the 19th. He had called and scheduled for June 3rd- I called back and asked for something sooner and got him in Tuesday.
I’ve been drifting around the house like the cartoon bunny sniffing a carrot on a string. I did lay down in the afternoon for a few winks before Sean’s phone started ringing in his room-can’t seem to win!
I finally fixed my live feed there. I had email issues a few weeks ago and it got changed to Collingswood, NJ-never been there-is home to Comcast.
I planted some Snapdragons, Sweet William, Nemesia and African Daisies tonight while Brian cut the grass. I don’t know how he does that on a few hours sleep. He is laying down right now.
Wish us well for Friday. I have to sleep on a inflated mattress and it wasn’t feeling great on my back when we tried it out. We are renting a full size car, so that will be nice.

New plants for the garden

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We had a cool day and I only managed to plant some coleus in the ground that were starting to shrivel up and die on me.
I had to get groceries as Sean is now home and he likes to graze all day. ; )
I finally cooked the ‘post’ Mother’s Day dinner-it pays to marinate chicken overnight. I just used some rib seasonings and veggie oil and the outside grilled chicken was as tender as turkey. We also had red potato salad and romaine and tomato, se we enjoyed it.
Shown above are the plants I bought-believe it, cost $20 for that few. Sean did buy the perennial-the Oenothera in the box. It is blooming a bit displaying it’s yellow bell-like flowers to me.
Sean has all his grades and almost got a straight ‘B’; missed a ‘B’ by a few points. He was waiting on one grade and got a ‘C’ which he hoped would have been a ‘B’. What counts is he is finished all is requirements and that degree is waiting for him on Friday. He will probably go to grad school next year. He needs to work and make a little money now and pay his own loans. ; )

I saw a ‘neighbor’ (we all live acres away except for the new developments) at the grocery store who I knew had been fighting cancer. She was going in line to check out and I was coming up an aisle. I didn’t recognize her at first and they it hit me how different she looked-at least she was food shopping, but she had no eyebrows or lashes and her face was much thinner. Broke my heart.