#STASHTAGS 6/31

October 6. Tag number 6 of 31 days.

Word 6 - LAUGH

This quote always brings a smile to my face. And it reminds me of a night on my front porch staining nativity blocks. Laughter filled the air. I love laughing like that.

materials -
-white cardstock tag base.
- a cutout from an old "poise and beauty" book (thought the crossed legs and the covered face were perfect)
- I streaked the background of the tag with charcoal ink and red velvet glimmer mist.
- I used an old fashioned label maker to punch the quote
-the hanger is some scrap foldover elastic with two clear beads to simulate the "tears"

This one was a just for fun creation.

I'm having a great time with this project.

Baby Drake is coming.......

Twas a busy busy weekend for me. (There was NO napping)

Friday evening, I finished an art piece that will be posted later. 

Saturday AM I sealed it ---- I use ModPodge for my word art. In the southern humidity, it can get sticky, so after everything dries, I spray the pieces with a clear spray sealer. 

Took the Softball Princess to the doctor -

Took off to college girl's new apartment. 

Cut down a closet shoe shelf and made her three flower boxes from the wood. She wants to grow some fresh herbs for herself. 

Helped her paint a bookshelf. And made some wood stain using the vinegar and steel wool recipe. 

All that was Saturday afternoon. 

Return home - quick bite to eat  then to my studio to get ready for a Sunday afternoon baby shower. (I be the head of a one person decorating committee) 

I had pulled out all of my girls Beanie Babies and packed them up with some other display materials. 

And then I made a pennant banner 

And a hand full of paper pinwheels.

Each table had a different set of critters.

This was great fun.

Bats and iguanas

Some little birdies - not blue.

A little bit crabby.

Sweet puppies came too.

Mama Stork brought the bundle ----
 and the friends gathered round.

To Celebrate a baby ---- nothing sweeter can be found.

Welcome welcome baby Drake.

This squirrel centerpiece was my favorite - and there is a story behind this. A story involving a deep, heartfelt discussion one afternoon.

I was having a really important conversation with someone - a conversation about relationships, choices, decisions, money, children . A really important conversation. And I don't know why - even to this day - but my mind kinda derailed. Kinda derailed --- not even close to how this played out. My mind took a hard turn and left that conversation with this question


"Have you EVER seen a squirrel shit?"

Let's just say there was stupid hysterical laughter - THANK GOD THE PERSON I WAS TALKING WITH HAS A SIMILAR TWISTED SENSE OF HUMOR.

Now we use the phrase to call attention to the fact that a conversation is not getting us anywhere.

Either of us will say --- "are you watching for squirrel shit?"


I'm ending this one with a picture of one of my favorite littles --- This is Canaan (BabyCane) --- and he is a sweet sweet baby.

Check out those big blue eyes.

Here is hoping that your week has started as lovely as mine. It is a beautiful day here.

Happy Monday ---

Oh - and as we approach September - I'm thinking on doing the SIMPLY SIMPLE SEPTEMBER again.

Low key - SIMPLE posts. Little projects - simple recipes - noticing beautiful details ---- life SIMPLY appreciated.

Please play along. I'll most likely do mine on INSTAGRAM as well as here - so if you want to follow me I am here ------ maggiegracecreates

On being their unorthodox mom...

I LOVE being Mom. As I am working on wedding stuff, I am pondering the life and times of the Bride-to-Be and her little sister. It's been a lot of fun to remember things.

I fall into the category of being a very unorthodox mom.

My children are aware of it.

This is why this e-card is so funny to me.

Source: someecards.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Let's talk about some of the more unorthodox moments of family memories ---

I had a serious accident while I was pregnant with the Bride. Rolled my car several times down into a ravine. Not a scratch on me - just a seat belt bruise. Then When I was pregnant with the Softball Princess, I had a little fender bender. Well, here is the unorthodox response to these incidents 

WE CAN"T HAVE ANY MORE CHILDREN ---- MY DAMNED CAR INSURANCE CAN"T HANDLE IT.

Fast Forward a bit - the Bride-to-Be is learning to talk ---- I work so hard with her to master her first word ---- that word was DADDY!!!!!! I was thrilled beyond all measure that this went this way. Why - you might ask? Because at 2AM when she was awake and wanted to watch Barney Video's, she would stand in her crib - rattle the side - and scream DADDY!!!! I would calmly roll over in the bed and say "Honey, she wants you." Then I would go back to sleep while he learned the Barney Songs. Didn't work with the Softball Princess - Daddy was onto my deviant behavior then.

We called the Pacifier --- the STOPPER --- Why? Because when B2B would cry -- one of us would say as we gave it to her --- STOP HER. Thus the name.

Softball Princess wanted to go to B2B daycare so bad, they did not take children under 3. Well she didn't know that, and we were having a little delay in our potty training... Unorthodox Mommy says --- when you are potty trained we will see if they will let you go to busy box. Bingo --- three days --- potty training DONE.

Oh -- school memories are far too numerous for this writing. But here is where collusion started. They had been taking notes all these years. But there are a few worth talking about. Projects --- we are a project family.

Creating the sea floor. ---- Princess and her Friend Cort - had to do this one --- Of course MOM finds out THE NIGHT BEFORE --- so here we are building the sea floor in my dining room ---- needed some kind of "backing" to shape the paper mache. Search - search - search - find NOTHING. Realize that screen wire will work and take the screen off the window and cut said screen into shape. YES I DID....... Unorthodox - that's me.

Then there was the Valley Forge Project --- Build a diorama of the area. Little log Cabins, a tiny little boat, River --- all fairly accurate. Actually started ahead of time for this one. Project is due on Friday. At three AM Friday morning, the B2B (maybe 10 at the time) appears at my bedside (anybody else freak out at being awakened because someone is staring at you) and when I creak open one eye she whispered "Mama, it was snowing at Valley Forge." So at 5AM ---- Mom is in the driveway in her t-shirt and underwear, with HER toothbrush, white paint, and a butter knife "SNOWING ON VALLEY FORGE"

Then there was my personal favorite --- the family tree project. Not another last minute --- Oh yea mom - project. YUP. Had to have information for four generations removed. Mom gets on the phone -- and starts gathering information --- (thank you Grandmother and Aunt Becky) and we start filling in the tree information. Tree gets all filled in and the B2B then informs me that "pictures give me extra credit". Unorthodox Mom - who has no access to these family pictures - promptly goes online and proceeds to print random pictures from FLICKR. We stole those relatives -- blatantly stole those relatives. That project has now become known as the ADOPTED RELATIVE project.

Now there are thousands of these kinds of stories. We drive each other batshit crazy. We laugh at each other and ourselves. But above and beyond all that --- we love and we love and we love.

Guess there is not too much you can say that is unorthodox about that.

more fun stuff

At the Dacusville Farm Days Festival there were flea market goodies - and there were farm equipment vendors. But there were also craft booths. 

It is rare to see something new and totally different in the crafting world but I spotted these. 

Fell head over heels ---

Adorable ---

In the "wow, would have never thought of that one." category.

There is more wedding goodness happening, I just had no time to edit pictures today.

Have a great afternoon.

JUST FOR FUN

We will start with today's wedding goodness.

These are advice cards --- so if you are a friend of Molly's or Ben's. please consider your best advice to write on one of these at the wedding. I certainly don't want any of these to go to waste.

They actually turned out beautiful --- white cards with silver ink -- stamped one at a time with a stamp I thrifted for a buck fifty. Whoo Hoo. 

No for the fun stuff --- 

We took off to Dacusville, SC on Saturday. Dacusville Old Farm Days. There was a roadside flea market. Of course we stopped and shopped. 

I really did well on some of my purchases -- but the funniest thing we happen on, I did not buy. 

It's a metal chastity belt. Guessing its age to be from the middle 1800's. My Mom said she didn't think she was shaped like that. There was a lot of laughter over that discovery and I had to really fight myself not to buy it to hang in my bathroom as a conversation piece.

The pictures were made with permission.

This was a complete belt - working lock and keys included.

My girls are now adults, but there was a time in the not so distant past that one of these might have been ideal to have around....... just saying.

Have a great afternoon.

Because my weekend was full of super creative pursuits - NOT - more like groceries and Mr. Clean activities - I bring you this life commentary.

YOU GOTTA WORK HARD TO MAKE THE PEOPLE OF WALMART WEBSITE TWICE.




http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=20952

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=31202

I'm just saying.

I hope you have a day where you find something to laugh about.

My life is beautiful.

Touring the neighborhood....

Note - pictures are from my really pretty Christmas village that College Girl set up on the piano.

It is cold in Georgia. I know it gets colder in other places, but an 18 degree morning is downright cold to us wimps here.

I sleep deep in the covers and close to the Man at my Address. When he gets up, he tucks the covers in nicely around me and starts his day. I sleep in while he gets ready. One measly bathroom at our house.

Well this morning, he took the monster dog out and put her on the chain to the porch. As he left he said "the dog is on the porch." Muffled reply "ok, I'll let her in when I get up."


At 6:30 am it is still dark. I'm up and out in my jammie bottoms, long sleeve t-shirt, slide in clogs, and a sweatshirt. My only task at this time is to bring said dog back in the house.

SHE HAS OTHER IDEAS.

Normally, I can grab her collar, start her toward the door and in she goes. Not this morning. She takes off in the opposite direction. Followed by yours truly.

I am not dressed for a cardio workout in this weather. Oh but I am getting one. After a lap through the woods, I dart in the kitchen for bribery treats and my coat and cell phone.

May I also say that the cold triggers some severe nerve pain in and through my surgery site.


I cruise through neighbors yards with a symphony of rugged language - some of which may have included "dammit dog".

Cute dog is having a blast playing in the snow - that she hated two days ago. She is sniffing and marking and chasing cars and darting away from me.

I make an on the run phone call to the Man - who turns around to come help with problem.



I now have wet feet to go along with the fashion statement sleepwear and serious bed head hair that I am modeling for the neighbors. In the back of my brain I am thinking about all of the weapons that I know my neighbors have.

And the cute little doggie is having a blast playing in the snow.

After some 30 minutes of this and an estimated two miles of cardio, I hear the Man turn the corner at the highway, cute puppy hears it too and she takes off toward home. She follows the Man into the driveway and hops in the truck as quick as he opens the door.

DAMMIT, DOG.
So after a quick shower - drugs for nerve pain - drugs for asthma attack triggered by warm air after cold air, I finally head for work.

I'll be retracing the steps from this morning to apologize to my neighbors for the CURSING 101 lesson I conducted in their yards before daylight this morning.

As for dog, she will only be allowed in and out on the leash or the run.

Happy Tuesday.

Looking for the Christ Child.......

I love my nativities. I have several. Handcrafted. Purchased. Big ones. Little ones. Formal ones. Folk art ones. I even have a wonderful ornament that has the stable of popscicle sticks and peanuts for the three main characters.

The one pictured below is a favorite. It was a gift. When you turn the stable over, there is a printed sheet inside it and all of these little pieces fit in it in puzzle form. I have two of this type, this one and a larger that my Uncle made for me.

So we put out our nativities. And once again we tell the Christmas story. This is the last year that we will have a full time young person in our house. Our baby takes off for college next fall. I am slowly enjoying the season. The decorating. Because next year it will just be me and The Man.

So the post title sounds like a super deep thought provoking one.

Well - it's not.

The Man and the Children packed up the Christmas stuff last time. Let's just say attention to detail was not one of the descriptions of this fact. This is an important note.

See - I have a stunning bronze three piece nativity. A glorious, ceramic one. A wedding gift from my precious Mother - in - Love, Ann. I have Joseph. I have Mary. I cannot find baby Jesus.

Tonight will find me back in the attic. Putting the now empty boxes that are already displayed back and looking for baby Jesus.

My buddy Leandra says " he wasn't born until Christmas" - Looking like it may be then before I find him.

I CANNOT FIND BABY JESUS - and cursing this fact really seems like a bad idea. - Ya know.

Do what???????

I opened my internet browser this morning. MSN is my homepage. There it was in big bold living color pictures and text. A brand new word for my vocabulary.

I copied the information because I just know all of you exercise junkies need this...

Sorry for those somewhat less interested - or maybe when you read this you may even decide exercise is quite worth the effort.


Here’s some extra motivation to exercise: A number of women report having an orgasm—or “coregasm”—while working out. But not just any fitness routine can trigger the big-O. As the name suggests, coregasms most commonly happen during an intense core workout, which may explain the wait for the Ab Roller at the gym.While any moderate physical activity can trigger the release of feel-good endorphins and increase your blood circulation, core workouts, in particular, target the same muscles that contract during orgasm. “When you’re doing Pilates or Kegel exercises, you’re working your PC and pelvic floor muscles,” says Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD, co-author of The Orgasm Answer Guide. “It’s probable that feel-good feeling you get from contracting your muscles during core exercises can mimic those generated during genital-stimulated orgasms.”

There you go.

Now having given you that public service announcement, let's move onto some fun stuff.

By now you have probably decided that my work environment is not exactly typical. I sell toilets. I work with contractors and plumbers. There is built in humour with even the names of plumbing items - male and female adaptors - nipples - you've got the picture.

Well - I decided that some Christmas cheer with a twist of fun was in order for our decor.

Check out the wreath.


Yes - I made it.

Yes - it was in jest.

Yes - it is made from a toilet seat.

A more direct picture.

The HO HO HO is made from faucet parts and tools.

Merry Christmas ------

I love my job.

A giving note - I am on day five. What I have already learned is that it's it about INTENTIONALLY looking for opportunities - they do not just present themselves. And being prepared - thinking ahead is important as well.

I am logging this project in a very private manner - I am keeping gratitiudes for each of those 365 days as well - 3 gratitudes for small (or large things) and then a thanksgiving that I was able to give.

to use my best friend's favorite phrase - WE WILL SEE - just how this impacts my life.

I'm still here... Just hammered

But I want to let you in on my latest greatest idea.

Many of you are familiar with Silver Bella, I'm sure. How about Dave Ramsey? Well I am planning my own event.

I held a high level human resources meeting. I am actively recruiting seminar leaders. These leaders will be the biggest and best in their field. Marketing will be next. There are still several technical challenges to overcome. I'm thinking I will need a much larger venue for this program, because I know you will all want to participate.

See, I am planning on holding a training session for money.


I have recruited all of the dust bunny leaders at my house to teach their excellent multiplication (propagation) (fertilization) (sexual activity resulting in major family expansions) skills to the money that manages to come into my house.

Damn I hope that the money takes good notes.

What do you think? Do you want to attend?

Details to follow.......

Have a wonderful day.....

my apologies for references to legitimate groups in what is purely a fun intended message.

Happy Friday ....

Don't forget to go here and leave a comment for my giveaway. I'll draw a name this afternoon a little after 5 eastern time.

See that picture. Those are known as "my orange handled scissors".

I buy lots of cheap scissors at the dollar store. I cut paper, and copper tape, and bead wire, and other things that are devastating to scissors with the cheap ones. They are cheap - I throw them away when they simply quit cutting. anyone is welcome to use any of those scissors. I also never buy them with orange handles.

Because the "orange handled ones" are my fabric scissors. I have a big pair, a small pair, and a pair of pinking shears. Under penalty of death or mutilation - you had better not touch mama's orange scissors.

WEEEEELLLLLLL - this morning I found my orange handled scissors on the bathroom counter by the sink. There are snippets of beard hair littering the sink and countertop. There is evidence of those same snippets kinda stuck to the blades of the scissors.

I don't have a beard. Softball Princess doesn't have a beard. Barefoot Boyfriend doesn't have a beard. College Girl and Quiet Boy have not been there all week. This leaves one suspect - The Man at My Address. He fits the profile. Should I have DNA testing completed before I sentence him to the wrath of mama?

Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend. I'll be finishing up the end of my CHANGE project and taking pictures.

I have a beautiful life and I am blessed blessed blessed. But you might want to pray for the scissor culprit.

More Catching up.....

I had surgery on April 16. I came home from the hospital on April 19. The next weekend was an art event I wanted to attend in Savannah. Needless to say, I did not get to attend.

But my blog buddy - JulieAnn did. We had planned for her to spend some time with me anyway after the event. The event was over on Sunday - she did not fly back until Tuesday. So phone calls were made - apologies raised for the house not being really ready for guests - and JulieAnn came to Comer GA - late on Sunday night - April 25. Yes I allowed a stranger into my house exactly 9 days after losing my left kidney.

Sunday night -late - the softball princess drove us to Athens and met JulieAnn, who then followed us to the middle of nowhere. If she was freaked about how far out we were, she did not let on.

Then on Monday, we spent the morning getting to know each other - JulieAnn is beautiful, smart, funny, and talented. She unpacked all her goodies and I got to live vicariously through all the pretties. Did I mention that the Poca Dog - loved her?


Monday midday - I decided to call my favorite junk haunt in my town - the Hardware Store. We love Steve and his wonderful wife Carol. I wanted to see if we could get upstairs. Think old fashioned store and antiques and stuff upstairs. I really think JulieAnn began to grasp just how small my town is, when Steve started asking about my surgery. But yes we could get upstairs.

So into town I went. Shh. Don't tell the docs. We poked around and explored. Gathered up stuff and to the checkout we went. Well some was not priced, but Steve just pulled a number out of the big blue sky and away we went.


Of course there were buttons and other goodies. I got us a bowl and we poked and picked and laughed and totally enjoyed ourselves. Oh. how much fun. I was so happy she decided to come on even if I was moving very slow and had to nap - a lot.

On Tuesday - we took her back to the interstate - but had some time to spare before she had to leave. This is another SHHHHHHHH story. The Man at my Address insisted that my mom go as a chaperone - to "watch me". Well we went to an antiques store and I found the captains treasure chest of mis-matched silverware. Keep in mind - I have a 12 inch incision that is 10 days old across my abdomen. I couldn't pick the basket up off the floor to go through them, so I did what any self- respecting junker would do. I eased myself to the floor and dumped said baskets out and proceeded to dig through them. My mom - you know the chaperone who was supposed to watch me - did just that. She watched me - mouth ajar - wordless - pale faced - thinking "oh shit" - get in the floor. I bought 12 pair of silver for bracelets for 15 dollars - 24 pieces of silver for 15 dollars - not too shabby.




This is JulieAnn my beautiful friend - she needs a job in research in the Athens area - so she can be closer. My mama loved her - my family loved her and would welcome her back any time. I just wish I had felt better - then we could do some serious junking.

One more note - JulieAnn cut me off some stunning trim. As she was packing thinks up, my mom asked her what she was going to do with her portion of that. Won my mama's heart when she answered - in true creative person style - "look at it". Come on ladies - we all know that answer is the right one don't we.

JulieAnn - please come again really really soon. Love ya.

Abdicating the throne....

abdicate - the give up formally; to surrender

Yes, I am abdicating my throne. What throne you might be wondering? Well the throne to be the biggest BITCH or meanest, most unhappy, vindictive person in the cyber world.

Who am I abdicating to?

Well of course the person who left this, now deleted, snide and hateful comment on yesterday's post.

Just who do you think you are? Professing to be this new and beautiful person. Even posting pictures like you think some of us would like to see them. You may have lost a lot of weight, but you are no fitness expert. You even rattle off numbers and claim to be so healthy. A size 16
still qualifies you for the term overweight. You may not be obese anymore but you are still a FAT GIRL.

Any of my cyber friends want to guess who left this lovely comment --- yes, you are exactly right. My lovely friendly commentator telling me some things I already know uses the name ANONYMOUS.

Well ANONYMOUS you have officially taken my title, you know the BITCH one, but you have not stolen my joy, my better health, my smaller pants size, my support network, nor my real friends. You also were completely unable to steal my power. You invaded MaggieGraceWorld - which is my turf - then cowered behind the ANONYMOUS title yourself. Sorry to disappoint you, but your words did nothing but amuse me and then, much like the Queen in Alice and Wonderland, I did away with you. Only instead of "off with her head" I chose the "permanently delete" option the power in my world allows me.

However - I gladly give you the throne - since you so obviously earned it. I will no longer consider myself the Queen Bitch of anywhere.

See I even moved your throne to a highly visible location --- in the barn. Enjoy the view from your seat, my dear. Hope the dog poop smell doesn't offend you.


To my cyber friends --- have a wonderful day --- I'm laughing and I sure hope you are.

Enhancing a stereotype

They announced school closings the day before.

The following article was published in a local newpaper early this week.



And so it was on. I went to the grocery store on Wednesday evening to pick up goodies for the College Girls dorm room snacks. As posted yesterday - there was no bread or milk in the store - so apparently said store in the above article was not as well prepared as indicated.

Yesterday - late afternoon - the sky started spitting snow flurries. No serious snow - just a few flakes you had to look really hard to see. Local news spent hours detailing the event. The weather channel -had people posted all over the area for updates. School and business closings were being announced over the airwaves and posted in the bulletin strip at the bottom of the tv screen.

Oh shit - maybe I shoulda bought bread. (not even)

Well - this pix was taken this morning before daylight in my driveway. Yes it was cold - 21 degrees F - but that was the same as yesterday morning. Unfortunately -- I had to go to work.

You got it -- once again the stereotypical southerner has rushed out and brought extra bread and milk for the BIG SNOW EVENT. The amount of snow in my front yard did not even make it to the zero mark on the wooden ruler I was trying to measure with.

Friends and neighbors, I'm available for a sandwich supper if you have lots of excess bread in your homes (betting you do).

NOTE TO MY NORTHERN FRIENDS - I did not run out and purchase extra food for the event. I am smart enought to know that this is Georgia and the longest I might be "snowed in" is say ---- 6 hours. But the Softball Princess did enjoy sleeping in this morning since they called off school yesterday.

YES - LAUGHTER AND POKING FUN IN THE COMMENTS IS ALLOWED.

Have a wonderful day.

Irrational fears and other stuff

I am not a fearful person. Not the kind that you can jump out from behind something and cause me to freak out. I may knock the hell out of you, but for the most part I don't react to those kinds of situations as expected. I am cautious when I travel alone, but even then I am rarely truly afraid. I don't mind staying by myself in a hotel. I don't mind staying by myself at night.

Spiders and spider webs creep me out, but I will kill said spider and go about my business. As long as I can see a snake, I'm okay with that. I've even shared my studio space with a black snake at times. Mice too - not a big deal to me except for the mess they leave.

But ...... lets talk irrational stuff.

The critter below is known in our world as a camel cricket.

It has a big official name - but that is not important. I am terrified beyond all belief of these harmless to human insects. They are normally found under houses, in well houses, under damp logs etc. The funniest story Softball Princess tells about these is that I could not pin her very dead one to her insect collection. I pinned bees, wasps, grasshoppers, all kinds of bugs to her board, but we had to get The Man at My Address out of the bed to pin this one.

Well, guess what, I went to the studio this morning and found some on the walls in there. I am freakin out..... There will be extermination bombs forthcoming. I still have the heebie jeebies from that discovery. Yuck!!!!!!!!!!!

Now for the other stuff -- there are things I want to throw out there to the universe. I did that with MaggieGrace last year and managed to pull some of it off already. So here we go.

I want to go to Portland, Oregon in the spring of 2010 and it is going to have to be the sale of MaggieGrace materials that gets me there - because the rest of my budget cannot stretch that far.

I also want to have a small local gathering of friends for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon workshop. I'm thinking maybe 6 people plus me and my girls for a collage art workshop. I would like to do this as an act of kindness, to see if teaching a workshop is something I would enjoy. Maybe potluck on food - people bring a few of their own supplies - I'll bring an assortment of supplies - and just spend an afternoon soaking up the creative energy of women gathered. Most likely will think more about this after Christmas.

There ya go.

Have a wonderful day.

PUBLIC SERVICE

An answer for Marti --- I found out about this bootcamp workout from a friend who invited me. There are groups all over the area who meet at different times. I do not know if this is true other places, but I would ask around.


MaggieGrace goodness. Here are all of the spoon collages. You have seen some of these already. I am pricing them today so I had them all together.


Oops thats a button stack pendant with this one.


The bronzed cross one on the top left above is my favorite. The botanical one on the bottom right is a pressed flower that was imbedded in tissue paper. I didn't make the paper. But I do love how it almost becomes transparent with the glue.

The top right one above has an almost secret message. Same thing as the botanicals (the paper becomes almost transparent) but this says "yes i can". I had someone in mind when I made it. If she comes by, I am almost positive this will go home with her.

The one in the middle bottom has my life phrase on it.

I read Marti's post answering questions this morning. I recognize myself there. Not just the weight loss part, the twisted sense of humour. Scary thing sometimes. For those of you who know me in the real world you know that about me.

I called local best friend with this one this morning.

PUBLIC SERVICE QUESTION OF THE DAY

Do you ever wonder if the dollar bills in your wallet have ever been in a stripper's butt crack? Now you will.

Sorry folks -- its my facebook status right now too.

Have a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday - Mr Charles

Yesterday was The Man at My Address birthday. So a large group of our friends decided to meet at 6pm yesterday and throw him a party. Just so you know - they threw the exact same kind of party for our anniversary this past Monday ----

Last night I took pictures.



This one above is of Bryan - operating the hose from the sewer pump truck.



Not real sure who chose to show his arse. This hose is attached to a shop vac.

There were water games and mud wrestling activities. Several folks did participate.

Not real sure what those gloves are for - he is standing in 4 inches of mud and water at home plate. Damn - there's that arse again.

This was scene of the party --- this could go on for hours.

Yes -- for the third time -- this crew had to move LOTS of water off the softball field. There is no maintenance crew for this. Parents, coaches, players, all have a role. We are fortunate that one of the girls' dad owns a pumper truck business. There is no drought in our area any longer.

Tonight - we play two - hopefully we will win both and be done for a few days.

MaggieGrace has been sick. Early in the bed sniffling, sneezing, sore throat, cough, fever sick. I have avoided all contact with softball girlios - even my own - trying to keep all of them healthy for the Sate Tourney Finals next week.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warning - time wasters ahead

http://www.thereifixedit.com ---- for the duct tape / recycling / baling wire lovers out there ----- Hours of funny/ingenious/stooooopid fixits. Notice despite the wonderful engineering feat on this laundry faucet - the damn thing still leaks.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com Personally, I'm thinking the Man at my Address might just be able to pull this one off.

I left the camera at home. I have managed to piss in my delivery driver's cheerios this morning. My favorite sweater developed a hole right at my left nipple (glad I discovered that before I left home). AND a plumber at our parts counter told me I need a haircut.

Can I call this day off due to lack of enthusiasm for this project?

Have a better one than I am.

Days 12 and 13

Lots of crochet - it's portable and mindless. Sitting at the ball tournament I managed to finish three long skinny scarves. The one pictured below a hand dyed wool that I bought on clearance. This is a color departure for me. But I like it.

There was also a solid black one and the muted softer toned one in the picture below.

Remember this picture from April 2008. A volleyball dad snoozing in the bleachers. This is Chris - his family owns a bank in this area. A great guy. Obviously not the best chaperone - LOL.

This is my friend Margaret - Boot Camp friend. You can see what she is doing - this was late saturday afternoon. Ready for the funny part - Margaret works for Chris (pictured above). I may start a collection of snoozing in the bleacher shots. But I do know that I am emailing both these pictures to her. Looks like being a good chaperone is not on the bank job description.

One last weekend picture. We went undefeated through the tournament - beating 5 schools - 3 are powerhouse schools. We beat Greenbriar (a mental win that boosted us right on through) and the number one ranked school in the state (Lowndes -Valdosta). We have a hugely full week of ball this week and another tournament next weekend.

Softball Princess perched to listen to coaches' closing remarks. Take a look at that left leg. One very nasty contusion - it looked early Saturday morning like she might not be able to play - but she did. Her shoulder is banged up too - so coach took her out of the batting order and she played defense only - most of the day.

Got home LATE Sat night and then was kinda lazy Sunday. I did solve my tech problems on those three journals - pictures to come tomorrow.

I have a beautiful life.