Nine Acres (Old)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

2009-04-20T20:41:00.004-04:00

There are some changes happening! I am moving to a new blogging home. I will be combining my daily photo blog with this blog as well, at least temporarily! My new blog url better corresponds to my title and my business. Thanks for understanding!

Please adjust your feeds, favorites, and your readers so we can still stay in touch!

You can find me here. Please leave me a comment over there to let me know you made the trip!

Love you all!

Fun Monday: Inspiration at Work

2009-04-20T09:19:00.006-04:00

Today is Monday again and this week's hostess for Fun Monday is Sayre from Sayre Smiles! This is what Sayre wants to know:

Take your camera to work and take pictures of the things that inspire you as you work or that inspires your coworkers. Ask them (or yourself) what it is about that particular object or picture that makes the work day seem a little easier.

If you don't work outside the home, take a picture of the thing that helps you get through the day and inspires you to have the best day you can.

Since I work from my home and recently finished making my closet into an office, I have to reuse the same pics I had a while ago, SORRY!

When we bought this house, we loved that it was unique. One thing that was out of the ordinary was the closet in our bedroom. The people who built the house made the closet like a little room with a window and storage window seat! They even had a phone line, for internet service, run into the closet so they could use half the closet as an office! We followed suit and transformed half our closet into an office for my Nine Acres Photography business, which includes Simply Smooches.

Because my business is photography, I surround myself with things I find beautiful and inspiring. That includes postcards, photographs, and natural elements such as flowers.
Organization and tidiness are key for me. I can't think straight with a lot of clutter, so when I get a mess on my desk, I must straighten up so I can function!
I also am inspired by my view. While this scene is many more times green right now, every season my window in the office has wonderful vistas to show me.

This bulletin board, right above my computer is my "favorites" board. Here you can see a few of my favorite postcards and a leaf from Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. You can also see a few of my own images.So, that is about it. Anything I find beautiful, a good view, and organization is my inspiration at work! Thanks for hosting, Sayre :0)

Mail Call Sunday TV Mom Contest!

2009-04-19T00:00:00.003-04:00

*You have to read through the whole post to find the hidden GIVE AWAY challenge!

I can't believe it has been a week since Easter! I received a lot of postcards over the last 2 weeks, as I didn't post last Sunday in honor of Easter. So, sit back, relax and enjoy your tour...

This crazy-looking-coaster-that-I-would-never- in-my-life-get-on-even-if-you-gave-me-a-million card came from Florida, USA. According to this postcrosser, this coaster is actually two wooden coasters located in Tampa Bay at Busch Gardens. I love the card, but hate the coaster :0) I am wimpy that way!

This next card, which I love, is actually kinda creepy, don'tcha think? There is something very horror-movie about the way the kids (dolls?) are staring at me. I love it for its uniqueness, but I think I will be putting this one in my scrapbook because I am afraid if I don't, these kids will come alive and eat my brains while I am sleeping. This card was sent from a 19 year old postcrosser from Tennessee who would like to go to art school. She chose this one for me because she knew I liked vintage. So thoughtful! Thanks a ton!

Does this card from Russia scream joy and happiness? This card could not be any cuter. The sender says she has the same postcard for her son because she likes it so much. She translates the front to say "To praise and to feed." Well, that fits me just fine, as I praise the food I eat too! ;0)

This multi-view card is from a postcrosser in the Netherlands. She didn't tell me much about the card or herself, but she did say she is 27 and that it was raining when she wrote the card!

This huge panoramic card is from Jenni, a 25 year old female from Finland. Her sister's name is Mona- Liisa. How cool is that? Jenni is happiest when she is going to the beach, BBQ-ing, going to the sauna and then taking a dip in a cool lake. I am all about those things, except the cool lake. I prefer warm lakes myself! The card shows the aurora borealis at Pallastunturi. Simply breath-taking! Thanks Jenni for the beautiful card!

Next up is this interesting card from Brazil. The sender likes to cross stitch and to watch HBO. She says this card is a special collection from two designers and this one represents winter! I thought it looked like a fish and had nice summer colors, but obviously I am not an artist. Thanks so much!

This next card is very artistic also. It is from Germany. The sender's English was not that advanced, so I didn't get a whole lot of information about the card, but I still appreciate it. I don't have any info on the art work, but I can say that I think I scanned it upside down. I just realized it when I was checking the back of the card for info. So, just stand on your head and you will get the full effect of the picture!

*THIS JUST IN BY EMAIL: *edit

Hello Tracey
I'm Karine from France. You sent me a postcard (Aquaman !). I've just 
seen your blog site.
 
I just wanted to tell you that the postcard from Germany is certainly a 
painting from Wassily Kandinsky, a famous russian painter (1866-1945). 
He's the founder of "abstract art".
 
Have a nice day.
 
Karine

This card was sent from a postcrosser in a private swap. I have recently started pen pal-ing with a woman in New Jersey who has sent me several wonderful cards already. Lauren says that Lucy is quite the icon from where she lives (South Jersey) . Her friends actually got married in Lucy's belly! If you'd like to know more about Lucy, you can read about her here.

This next card arrived from Lithuania, but shows a Sweden location. The sender sent this card because she spent a year as an exchange student in Sweden while attending the University. Very pretty!

This unusual card came from Holland and is only the second card this postcrosser has sent! She wrote a ton about herself and her family, which was sweet. She works as a web designer and is going to Austria for holiday this summer. Thanks Lesslyn!

This card is simply hysterical and I ♥ it very much. It was sent from New Hampshire and will find a special place on my favorites board! If you click to enlarge, you can see several TV Moms from the past. So, here is the give-away deal....How many of these TV Moms can you correctly name? It has to be the actresses REAL name, not her stage name. Put your answer in the comment section and the person who names the most correctly will get a pack of my blogger postcards for free! In the case of a tie, I will use a tie breaker method like names in a bag or flip a coin. All entries must be in by noon on Tuesday. Winner will be announced on Wednesday!

This card comes from Japan and is so serene and beautiful. This is a painting by a famous Japanese artist, Kaii Higashyama. Thanks Yuko for the gorgeous landscape!

This pretty Christmas-y scene comes from a postcrosser in North Carolina. She has 2 fish and wants to travel the world to experience foreign men and beer! Wow, you go girl! Life is short is what I say! Best wishes to you!

Last, I received this gorgeous handmade Easter card from a dear high school friend who lives in England. She is getting ready to move back to the states, but plans to send me some postcards of her pre-departure travels around Europe! Thanks Ann! I ♥ you!

Many of you have written to tell me that you have joined Postcrossing after reading all about my many treasures. I want to say WOOT to all of you and invite you to grab the Mail Call Sunday button from above and join me on Sunday's by posting your treasures that arrive in the mail. I only ask that you sign Mr. Linky below and then link the button back here or put a text link back to me.

Don't forget to enter the TV Mom postcard challenge!

Ladybug is a Published Author!

2009-04-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

Remember when I told you about Ladybug's project in school? She had to come up with a research project for Maryland Day? She decided to do a project about tourism in Maryland and she was going to write an A-Z book about tourist spots in our lovely state? I already posted about her letter C here and her letter E here. Well, she finished a portion of her project...the book!

Ladybug is a full blown author who has had her book published in a hardback book. Well, actually it was self-published by using Blurb, where anyone can make their own book, but who cares? She is thrilled about the results and I am thrilled for her.

She picked the Black-eyed Susan for the cover because it is the state flower. The front cover also has her name as the author, but I removed it in this photo for privacy.

(She is asked me to "clone out my hands" when I took this picture and I was like, "Oh, okay...I will.") Ooops.

I love that the spine has the title and her name (I cloned out her name for privacy).

She picked the Baltimore Oriole for the back of the book because...well, you can figure it out.

Each letter from A to Z is represented in the book. Want to visit Maryland and don't know what to do for fun? Contact Ladybug...she knows!

Now she is doing a slideshow to have going on the laptop during the fair. She also has to do a tri-fold. We will be finishing that this weekend hopefully! She has put a lot of time, energy, and hard work into this project.

Since helping her with the software from Blurb, I have become motivated to make my own books...stay tuned for that post soon!

All my love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

BOOM, patter, patter, BOOM

2009-04-17T08:13:00.004-04:00

As the spring season progresses and the summer season approaches, we will begin to have more and more thunderstorms here in Maryland. I usually love thunderstorms, as long as they aren't too scary.

I remember as a child being terrified of thunderstorms. I would cry and tremble. I would hide until the storm was over. One day my father had enough of my tears, told me there was nothing to be afraid of, and took me in his arms. He carried me to the opened doorway and made me watch the lightening and listen to the deep rolling of the thunder. He explained to me the science behind the flashes and booms, and I felt comforted there with the knowledge and my dad's arms as my shield against the raging storm.

I have grown to appreciate the grandeur and beauty of Mother Nature's chaos, but I have to admit it still frightens me if lightening hits too closely.

Ladybug was working on some poems the other day and this is her thoughts behind thunderstorms. I had explicit instructions on how to write her poem. I hope I did it justice.

Thunderstorm
by Ladybug

I have a rhythm of my own
It goes B O O M, patter, patter, B O O M!
I can stop whenever I want
So don't lighten me up.
Afterward, I make a beautiful R a i n b o w.

All my poetic love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

Blogger Photo Shoot and Lunch! Your Personal Invite!

2009-04-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

One of the cool things about blogging is meeting great people with similar interests. Recently, I met Tracey of Picture This, another blogger with the same EXACT name as me, who also lives near me. Tracey is also interested in photography, so we decided that we should get together for a photo expedition!

After talking about it, we wanted to open it up to all bloggers/photographers near us who would like to come. So, consider this your invitation!Our plan is to meet in the morning of May 16th in Ellicott City, Maryland. After a few hours of shooting, we will be grabbing some lunch. It might be a picnic, or it might be at a restaurant. We haven't ironed out all the details just yet. So, if you would like to shoot with us, or if you just want to meet us for a blogger's lunch, please contact me via the contact button above so I can get everyone on an email list for details!

I know many of you (M, Marlene, The Church Lady, Tracy, Jan, Allison...just to name a few) are within and hour to an hour and a half of Elicott City. Please think about taking a day trip to hang with us! I would love to meet all of you in person. (Some I already have and would like to see you again!)

On a photography note, the flower pics I have been posting recently are from a trip to Longwood Gardens not too long ago. I will be blogging about it and posting more pics soon! The first picture is a set of three of the same image, each processed a bit differently using the Channel Mixer in Photoshop. The last picture is the original in color. :0)

All my "Let's get together" love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

Wordless Wednesday- Garden

2009-04-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

(Click to enlarge)

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion

All my love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

2009-04-14T17:53:00.001-04:00

I am trying to be hip and up to date by posting to my blog via my phone. Technology is scary! Let's see if this works.

Which Dialect of Love Are You?

2009-04-14T07:55:00.006-04:00

I am reading a book called The Noticer by Andy Andrews. I will do a full review of the book later (on April 27th), as I am not finished the whole book yet, but one part struck a chord with me and I wanted to see what you all thought.

In the book the author states that there are 4 "dialects" of expressing love. Just as we have dialects in the spoken word, there are also dialects in the language of love. Most people learn how to express and receive love from how they were raised. If your mom and dad showed love with spoken words of approval, that is probably how you express love to others and how you feel loved from others. Makes sense to me.According to the author, the four dialects of expressing love are:

1. Spoken words of approval- This type of person likes to hear the words that express love. "I love you...I care about you...You are a great husband...etc." They also express their love in the same way. They will often tell others the same phrases.

2. Favors and deeds- This type of person shows their love by doing little favors and deeds for their loved ones. They bring flowers, they cut the lawn, they fix a broken necklace...they help with laundry and dishes. They also feel loved when these things are done for them.

3. Physical contact- This type of person needs to be physically close to someone...holding hands, hugging, kissing, sex, etc. in order to feel loved. If you grew up in what I call a "touchy-feely" home, you probably show your loved ones you love them by cuddling. You also look for this contact to feel loved.

4. Quality time- This person wants and needs undivided attention to feel loved. This person needs to sit one on one with their loved one and talk. They need to connect with others without outside distractions. They like to have dates where they can get away from the kids and really focus on each other.

This is not to say that all of us don't like all of these things. I know I do. But, think about it. Which category would you miss the most if it disappeared? Which category could you not live without? If your spouse stopped saying he loved you out loud, would you still feel loved? If the answer is yes, than you are not a "spoken words of approval" person. If you didn't have a date or serious quality time with your spouse for the next 5 years, would you still feel loved? Then you are not a "quality time" person. Really think back to your childhood and decipher how your parents showed love to you and to each other. It is probably the same category that you are as an adult.

I found this interesting, so I have created a poll (which is anonymous) to see in which category your would place yourself. Please join in!

Talk to your spouse tonight and see what he is. Do you match? If not, do you make sure to express your love in a way he will understand and vice versa?

It is certainly worth exploring!

All my love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

Fun Monday- We Are But Dreamers

2009-04-13T00:00:00.002-04:00

Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.
~Virginia Woolf

Today our Fun Monday hostess is the tiny Lil Mouse. She chose a fun theme:

Strange Dreams. Do you have any dreams, particularly recurrent ones that you feel no one else has? I recently talked to my friend Stacy on the phone and found out that we’d had the same odd, recurrent dream. Or, just tell us about an odd dream you had as a kid (did you dream you were falling and end up on the floor?)

As a child I used to constantly dream about a man dressed up in a Spiderman-like suit that chased me around our above-ground pool in my back yard. We would run around and around and with each revolution, he would come closer and closer. If he touched me, I would freeze into a statue. Just as he was about to touch me, I would wake up! I have no idea why I would dream this over and over, but I did.

As an adult I used to have a dream that a person (an actual person I knew in my past) kidnapped me (I was a teen in the dream). We are in a car and he is driving really fast away from my family into a wooded area. The trees and ground are rushing by. I am petrified and disoriented by the speed and fear. I consider jumping out of the moving car. Just as I am about to bail, I wake up. Usually this one causes me to wake up crying, heart pounding, and sweat pouring. Thankfully this dream has subsided a bit and I rarely have it anymore.

My favorite dreams are those when I wake up with a feeling of freedom, like when I dream I am flying. Or when I wake up feeling loved, all warm and cozy, like when I dream of my grandmothers. I dream in color and very vividly. I usually remember at least one dream a night.

Head on over to Lil' Mouse to see what others are dreaming about!

All my dreaming love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there.

~Clarence W. Hall

I am taking a break from Mail Call Sunday to say Happy Easter! May each and every person find the truth that lies within you and honor the voice that leads the way.

All my Easter love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

Going To the Valley

2009-04-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

I don't talk much about music because I like so many different kinds of music. I like a little of this and a little of that. But I feel like I should mention a favorite recently on my Zune. I really love this band and the fact that the lead singer comes from Maryland is a bonus. The name of the band is The Kelly Bell Band. Maybe I love the sound of this band because they are as eclectic as my tastes. As a matter of fact, when asked to describe the sound of his band, Kelly Bell described it as "Phat Blues." Here is how Kelly explains Phat Blues:

"If you could imagine Muddy Waters wearing a Bob Marley T-shirt riding on Black Sabbath's tour bus on their way to a Parliament Funkadelic concert, listening to Sammy Davis Junior on an 8-track tape humming a Run DMC song, that would be close to what we do..."

To read more of the interview with Kelly, click here.

One of my (and Ladybug's) favorite songs is Going to the Valley. Kelly's voice is so mesmerizing in this song and the lyrics are great. The guitar is perfection as well. LB (Ladybug) and I listened to it 3 times in a row on the way home from Wal Mart the other day:

Going To The Valley

I'm goin to the valley
Where I can get some peace
I'm goin to the valley
Where I can get some peace
I just want to be alone
Don't you try
Don't you try
Don't you try to follow me
You can't keep up with me

I've packed all my things
I wear them on my back
I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back
Pray I do not trip and fall
I can't see
I can't see
I can't see the road I'm on
You can't tell where I am

A bee flys with me
Keep buzzin' round my head
A bee flys with me
Keep buzzin' round my head
I can't get him from my face
You don't know
You don't know
You don't know the buzzin' bee
He buzzes just for me

I'm goin to the valley
Where I can get some peace
I'm goin to the valley
Where I can get some peace
I just want to be all one
Don't you cry
Don't you cry
Don't you cry a tear for me
Keep you tears for yourself
Save your tears for yourself

I'm goin to the valley
Where I can get some peace

If you notice the quotes that I sometimes change underneath my signature, this is where it comes from. I love that line, because who doesn't have all their burdens weighing on their shoulders? Love it!

I so wish I could be in Frederick tonight at Old Towne Tavern listening to them play live tonight, but I can't! It is on my date list to go see these guys in concert soon.

Here is a sample of my faves:

All my Phat Blues love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

I Just Gave Birth...

2009-04-10T00:00:00.002-04:00

to a Lensbaby! That's right, there is a new family member amongst my photography equipment family. The newest arrival is an amazing Lensbaby kit that I bought with part of the Amazon gift card Ford gave me for buying the Flex. It is totally unnecessary and a completely frivolous purchase, but live dangerously, right?

The Lensbaby is a very unique lens that causes a distinct and heavy blur surrounding one small area of clear focus. Yes, you can reproduce this effect with Photoshop techniques, but why when you can have your SOC (Straight Out of Camera) images look like this! Almost all of these images are SOC besides preparing for the web. Some were converted to black and white.

I was so excited when my new baby arrived via UPS that I ripped it right out of the box and started shooting. Whatever was around, I shot. I had no idea how to use it...I just experimented. Some the images aren't the best compositionally, as I didn't realize how to change the focus point at first (the lens bends...yes, bends!) So, some of the "sweet spots" are right in the middle of the image, which is a no-no in most cases.

Ty's new eyes: He recently got contacts, which you can see in this photo (click to enlarge). I used the macro adapter for this shot.

Some sort of rubbery plant in my garden. Taken with macro adapter.

Emerging leaves. Marco adapter.

Peony leaves sprouting. Macro adapter.

My chaotic kitchen with the boxes ripped open and strewn everywhere in my excitement. Taken with wide angle adapter.

Buddy. Taken with wide angle adapter and cropped.

Softball practice. Wide angle adapter.

Bird's eye view of Teddy by the window. Regular Lensbaby.

Martha, anyone?

Another thing that came with the kit was a creative aperture adapter. The aperture (hole in the lens) is shaped like a star or heart. When you have lots of lights, the bokeh turns out in the shape of the aperture, in this case, a star.

How did I do that? I focused on the light in this image so you can see what I used...(white Christmas lights!) The in focus part looks natural, while the out of focus parts turn into the shape of the aperture.

Here is the heart aperture. This will look cool when it is Christmas time and I use a snowflake aperture to shoot the Christmas tree!

And finally, some fun with my flowers. Some are with the regular Lensbaby and some are with the macro adapter.

All my Lensbaby love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

P.S. I am a little bloggy vacation until after Easter. I will be able to see comments, but may not be able to visit everyone. Catch ya on the other side!

Proud Teacher

2009-04-09T09:37:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note to ask you all to head over to Nine Acres Photography and read about a photography student of mine! I am one proud teacher!

I am still registering for a new session of the Get Off the Green Square Class! Class begins April 22. This is your last chance to take it before summer!

*Scroll down for today's "real" post ;0)

All my love,

~I've packed all my things
They're heavy on my back~

Bungee Jumping!

2009-04-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, not really, but it was jumping and it was on a bungee cord. When we took Ty to the go kart place, they also had this contraption that had huge blow up pillows on the ground and a pole in the center of the pillows. The pole had some bungee cords attached to a harness so the kids could jump and twist and flip and turn to their heart's content. Or at least until they couldn't take the wedgie the harness gave them anymore. I crouched down under them, at the risk of my own demise, and snapped away!

You saw this one last week for Wordless Wednesday. Now you know where this pic came from:

Ty, catching some air!Ladybug trying her hand at flipping!

Look at the death grip on the cords! Love the hair flying in the wind!
The smiles say it all!

All my flippin' love,

~Amen, I am alive!~

Wordless Wednesday- Softness

2009-04-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

"...bring them softness, teach them how to cry."
~Joan Baez

This image is now available for download or print (square format) at my Nine Acres Gallery. Please click here for a direct link.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Let's Go Racing!

2009-04-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

Ty turned 12 a few weeks ago and when asked what he wanted to do for his birthday, he said he wanted to go racin'! That's my boy! So, on a warm sunny afternoon we head out to Hanover, PA to Speedway 94.

We had our tickets:

We had the tracks:
So, let's go racin'!

Brian had a smile plastered on his face the entire time. You would have thought he was the one who chose the activity. See Ladybug in the blue sweatshirt? Yeah, we are a racin' family! I kicked everyone's butt, but I had to sit out a few so I could take some pictures. I figured I should let them win a few anyway ;0)

I am not exaggerating when I say we are competitive. At one point Brian spun me out because I blocked him from passing. His story is a bit different...he says he didn't mean to, but whatever. Ty spun me out once on the slick track and then Ladybug hit me head on. I think there was a conspiracy!

Here he is threading the needle between two others...just enough space to squeeze through. The boy in the #6 car is a friend Ty brought along for the fun.

Here is the birthday boy (#24) passing a girl. He has no mercy. No "ladies first" in this game...
Look at the determination in his face!

Here he comes around again to lap this poor girl for a second time!
But wait...Dad is hunting him down. He is hungry for a win.
And don't count out Ladybug. She was timid at first, but then quickly got the hang of it!

But when it came down to it...Ty in first, Brian in second, and Ladybug in 5th. She wasn't last...there were others behind her!

And the birthday boy gets the top honors!

Think he should try out for Nascar?

All my racin' love,

~Amen, I am alive!~

Fun Monday- Sitting on the Dock

2009-04-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today's Fun Monday hostess is none other than Patience at Patience is a Virtue. She decided to give us the following assignment:

Y'know, it's getting on to that time of year. Everyone's already thinking of what they'll be doing on their summer vacation. So, let's hear about it already!! (And pictures are always welcome!)

Well, for the first time in 5 years we will be taking a "real" vacation. For the past many years we have taken day trips or long weekends to a family-owned spot, but this year we broke out of our rut and are going to a place none of us have been before:

MAINE!

We will be staying near Bar Harbor at Southwest Harbor. This is an actual photo of the condo that we will be staying in:
It is located on the waterfront in a real working lobster harbor! It even has a private deck and garden right on the water. It is within walking distance of town and some great restaurants. Talk about great photo ops! We plan on going whale watching, visiting Acadia National Park, and anything else that we can think of while there! We are so excited, we can hardly wait!

If you know about Maine and can give suggestions that would work with where we are staying, please feel free to leave some suggestions!

Now head on over to visit Patience and check out what all the other vacation plans are this summer!

All my love,

~Amen, I am alive!~

Mail Call Sunday- China in Australia

2009-04-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

"What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp." ~Author unknown

This beautiful card from Tulip in the Netherlands brightened my day. It screams "Spring" and relaxation! Thanks Tulip!

This card is from Jessica in Finland. She chose this card for me because it is unusual and I like unusual cards. Jessica has no idea what the berries are, and neither do I. They look familiar, but I can't place them. Does anyone know what they are?

Who knew there was a Chinatown in Sydney, Australia? Not me for sure! But thanks to Danhong I do now! Danhong is a busy university student, but found the time to send me this beautiful card. Thanks so much!

This adorable card came from Lika in Russia. She translates the front to mean, "Life is wonderful and amazing!" Yes, it is! I would have to agree with that. My favorite part about this postcard is the bird footprints. So cute. I do have to say, though, that I am happy to be finished with snow and winter!
Last for this week is this beautiful vintage treasure sent by Lika also. She didn't translate the front for me this time, but it sure is a sweet picture! It looks like it may have been an old Valentine card. What do you think?
Thanks for sharing my postcards with me!

All my snail mail love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Happy Birthday, Brian

2009-04-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Please join me in saying Happy Birthday to the most incredible man I know. Brian is turning 37 today and I have been lucky enough to know him for 15 blissful years! I love you, Brian!

Here we are at my college graduation before we were married. I was 21, he was 22. We were just babies!

Again, before we were married, going to a friend's wedding:

Our wedding day- I was the happiest girl alive! This was October of 1995. I had just turned 23 and he was 23.

And last month with our horse Toby:
We've come a long way, baby! From a tiny apartment to Nine Acres! Every second of it was perfection.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Where I've Been

2009-04-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

I have been MIA because I have been busy entertaining 4 men at my house this week.

That would be 4 Amish men and by "entertaining" I mean watching them build our new fences. Although it did occur to me yesterday that when I came home from work and changed clothes in front of my office window (which normally isn't a problem 'cuz ain't no one looking in these windows but the birds) that I may have given those fellas the surprise of their life! Only, I don't think any of them saw me, thank God.

It all started on Monday when Brian took off work to prepare for the big build. He and I (mostly he) worked on mowing down brush, pulling thorn bushes, and unwinding grape vine from trees so that we could clear a fence line near the stream.

That took two days.

Then yesterday and today the Amish crew showed up and just amazed me with their talent and speed for fence building. Just amazing. I would have bet money they could not have finished half of what they did finish. And the quality of workmanship is fantastic. The fence you see in the picture above is old existing fence, not new. We now will have a play area fenced off for the kids' treehouses, trampoline, and swings. A long narrow ring in which to work with the horses, 4 fields in which we can rotate the horses, and the stream fenced off so the BOYS (the horses) won't destroy the bank of the stream and pollute the water with their patties.

Sorry I have no more pics. The one above Brian actually took out of our bedroom window as not to upset the Amish men. They don't like cameras. Yeah, I know, they are using a gas tractor for the job AND the head cheese Amish dude carries a cell phone, but that is a story for another day.

So, I will try to catch up with everyone over the next couple of days, but with the fence still going up and Brian's birthday tomorrow, I am not making any promises before Monday!

All my fence building love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Wordless Wednesday-Coming In for a Landing

2009-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Coming In for a Landing
Or
Hanes His Way ;0)

(click to enlarge)

"Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down."
~Ray Bradbury

All my April Fools love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Lots of Pink and Glitter!

2009-03-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

A couple weekends ago we had the pleasure of going to watch my dear friend's daughter in a baton competition. I know that is not the correct term for it...maybe it's majorette? I am not sure because they do more than just baton twirling, but I am a loser in all things girly. Anyway, I of course, took pics of the adorable and talented K.

I used to keep K when she was a wee babe and I have been close with K's mom and dad for a long time. L, my friend, was in my wedding, and I in hers. We were both there when each other's kids were born and we taught next to each other in the same school, same grade! We don't get to see each other much any more, but we do try to stay in touch.

When we walked into the stadium (of Mt. Saint Mary's University) I was overwhelmed by hairspray and glitter! All the girls...some as young as 4 I believe, were all decked out in their sparkly uniforms, make-up and big hair! It was a sight to see, for sure. Here is my friend, L and her daughter, K. L is preparing K for the first section of the competition...modeling. Modeling sounds strange for what they are actually getting judged. The judges aren't looking for external beauty, but they are looking for poise, grace, and well, bling. Bling matters in this competition. Sparkle, glitter, sequins, rhinestones...it all matters. It was neat to see girls of all colors, shapes, and sizes there strutting their stuff. Isn't K so cute?!? I could eat her up!

When I said sparkle matters, I was not exaggerating. In the hallway of the stadium tons of outfits hung waiting for potential buyers to come along and snatch them up. I grabbed a quick photo of some typical outfits!

Here is K before her modeling competition...poised, confident, and beautiful! Look at those eyes!
There were about 10 different stations where judges were sitting and the girls had to know where they needed to be when. It was all very confusing for us first timers, but L kept us informed on where K would be. How confident must these girls be to get up in front of all these people and be judged?!?

Here is L giving K some last minute pointers and reminders. A sweet mother-daughter moment.

After modeling, K had the strut competition. In this section they were judged on how well they marched and how well they would lead a marching band. (I think! L- if you see this and I am wrong, please correct me!) Since we were so far away in the stadium, I snuck into the practice gym and took some shots of K practicing. Now that is great form!

After strut, there was an individual baton competition. Here K is practicing her routine for that portion.

Such concentration!

Oooops! Practice makes perfect. I love how she looked over at L to see if Mom saw her drop the baton. Hehe!

Two pretty girls! Ladybug and K...Ladybug used to help me change K's diapers when K was a baby. Now they are all grown up!

You can dress them up, but you can't take them anywhere!

This last one is not of K, but of an older girl in the competition. I loved how the light was coming through the skylights of the gym and cast her shadow on the floor. Click to enlarge to get the full impact of this one!

We had a great time and we learned a lot about this type of competition. K did really well and placed in several areas of the competition. We are so very proud of her!

All my baton twirling love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Fun Monday- Easter Baskets

2009-03-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Our wonderful hostess this week for Fun Monday is Jeanna of Wisconsin Candy Dish. Here is the low down on her assignment:

The topic is Easter Baskets: Share a story, is it better to give or to receive, what would you like in yours?

I don't have any great Easter stories that I remember, but I do have some photos! When I was a kid, it was definitely better to receive a basket. Especially if it had a delicious chocolate Easter bunny. As you can see in each of the three pics of me and my basket, I was never disappointed!

I am not too keen now days on chocolate bunnies, but man am I addicted to these babies:If I still got an Easter basket, I would want bags and bags of Cadbury Mini Eggs in there...enough to last me all year. There is something to be said about a giant M&M! Oh, and if there was room, I wouldn't mind some Oregon Chai either. ;0)

All my chocolatey love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Mail Call Sunday!

2009-03-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to another week of Mail Call Sunday...and what a week it was! I am so excited with the unique postcards I received this week! First, from Wales, Emily sent this sweet as can be card. And guess what? She didn't even know that I was a tea lover! Thanks, Emily...I love it!

The next card was rather shocking when I found it in the mailbox! It is a real puzzle that was glued to a thick piece of cardboard! Li-Juan from Taiwan sent this unique handmade card because she knows I like the strange and unusual! On the back she tells me that the picture on the puzzle was drawn by a famous painter called Jimmy. He apparently illustrates children's books in Taiwan! Thanks, Li-Juan!

The next two cards are from Jayme in California. She thought it would be funny to send me a Maryland card since I live in Maryland! The craziest part about this is Ladybug just finished writing about Fort McHenry in her Maryland travel guide she is writing when we got this in the mail! Perfect timing!

Jayme also sent this gorgeous vintage replica Hawaii card! She used to live in Hawaii (lucky girl!) so she just wanted to say, "Aloha!" Well, Aloha right back at you my friend! Thanks so much for the two cards :0)

This crazy card is from Kati in Finland. She sent this one because she read that I like funny cards and she thought this fit the bill. She translates the card as saying, "Better under someone's thumb than under the sky." That doesn't quite make sense to me, so I am thinking it might mean "Better under someone's thumb than under the ground (as in dead!)" Thanks for the card, Kati!

The last card for this week is the beautiful one from Inge in the Netherlands. She says this is a replica of a vintage music book from 1915. It is perfect, because Tulip Time will be very soon here in Maryland. It can't get here fast enough for me! Thanks my friend!

These cards truly bring me such joy every day and I love sharing them. If you are traveling or out and about and find a postcard you think I would like, please send it! I will reciprocate and send one back to you for a thanks!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

All my postcard love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Welcoming Spirit

2009-03-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

I collect Willow Tree Angels. I am not really a collector at heart, as I don't like too much clutter. But I do have a few of these beautiful statues on my desk in the kitchen. This one is my favorite, as it gives me a feeling of openness and welcome. I guess that is why it is called Welcoming Spirit!

Maybe I will share more one day, but for now this one will do.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

C is for Conowingo Hydro-Electric Plant

2009-03-27T00:00:00.002-04:00

Remember Ladybug's project I was telling you about? Well for the letter "C" she chose the Conowingo Hydro-Electric Plant in Cecil County, Maryland. It is within an hour's drive of our house, so off we went one day to take pictures. The day we went it was misty, cold, and damp to the bone. (Click to enlarge any photo.)

But that didn't stop fisherman from trying to catch a prize!

There are many bald eagles that live around the dam and it is an amazing spot for bird watchers.

I found this tree with some interesting growths at the end of the branches. It makes for a nice minimalist photo.

There were 3 stray cats running around and all three had these glowing orange eyes...it was the coolest thing. I was worried I wouldn't be able to capture them on camera, but luckily the eyes showed up!

If you look carefully, a bald eagle is flying near the electric tower. The day we were there we counted at least 5 bald eagles. They like to roost on the tower.

I loved the weeping branches of this tree...

The electric company that owns the dam is actually renovating it right now to make a gorgeous promenade right next to the water. Fishing will be allowed as well as bird watching and such.

The metal framework and all the technology is mind boggling!

And the stars of the show: I was lucky enough to have on a long lens and lucky enough to be standing under the tree in which he landed.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

First Seven Giveaway!

2009-03-26T07:24:00.001-04:00

I found this over at Mama's Hood blog. I immediately signed up for hers, and I am hoping I will get 7 people to sign up for mine!

The first SEVEN people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For YOU.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

- What I create will be just for you.
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
- You will receive your item before the end of the year.
- You will have no clue what the item is going to be. It could be a story or poetry. It could be a piece of handmade jewelry or a cheesecake. I may draw, paint, collage or crochet something. I might bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that in order to receive a gift, you have to re-post this and make and send out seven surprises of your own, so if you aren't gonna follow through and make something for seven others, you get nothing from me. And you need to send me your mailing address!!
Ready, set, create! :)

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

"I don't photograph anything I don't like. I do the flowers, I don't do the weeds."
~Jacques-Henri Lartigue

Both pictures are now available on the gallery for purchase, here and here.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

What do Pretzels, a Romantic Comedy, Henry VIII, and a Historical Book Have in Common?

2009-03-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

I am reviewing them today. That's what. First, the pretzels:

Ohhhh. Emmmmm. Geeeeee. (As my daughter would say.) Translation: OMG! These pretzels rock! I am so addicted to them, which stinks because they are not great for maintaining a slimmer figure! It is very important, though, that you buy the pretzel PIECES, not the NIBBLERS. One would think there is not a distinction, but one would be wrong. The pieces absorb the flavoring, so when one eats the piece, it is moist and saturated with all the good stuff. On the other hand, the Nibblers are whole pretzels with just the seasoning on the outside, which is great for the initial entry into one's mouth, but not so great when you chew it and it tastes just like a regular pretzel on the inside.

As you know, I am not much of a movie watcher, but since I had wonderful success with Slumdog Millionaire recently, I thought I would give another Academy Award winning film a try. I grabbed Vicky Christina Barcelona at the library and watched it this weekend. Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress for her role as a crazy ex-wife. Despite the award, I didn't care much for this Woody Allen film. It was typical Woody Allen, quirky and strange. I agree that Penelope Cruz did a great job acting, but the narration and the predictable story line I felt was awkward and boring. I think if Brian would have been watching it with me, he may have enjoyed the kissing scenes between Penelope and Scarlett, though ;0) So, if you must see it, the library is the place to go. Don't waste money on Pay Per View or a rental.
I loved this book. It is a historical fiction novel set in 19th century China. It is the life story of Lily and her laotong, or "old same" Snow Flower. This laotong relationship is even more important and intimate than even a husband and wife. Lily and Snowflower write in their secret woman language all the important events throughout their lives on a paper fan. They both endure happy times, sad times, and excruciating times together...but there is a misunderstanding that threatens their deep relationship.

This novel was so fascinating to me. I loved reading about the difference in our cultures and about how women are viewed in 19th century China. I love books that follow a life all the way through so you can see what happens to the characters. It is a fairly short book that reads easily and quickly. I definitely recommend it if you like historical fiction.

And last...did you know that the third season of The Tudors is coming soon? I was able to get a sneak peek at the season premiere and I can't wait! This is my guilty indulgence every week. I believe the premiere officially opens on April 5th on Showtime. You know where I will be each Sunday night!
All my reviewing love,
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~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Eden Mill Nature Center

2009-03-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Every year the 4th grade at our school celebrates Maryland Day. Each of the kids chooses a topic about Maryland and has to do a research project, an oral presentation, and a science-fair like display about his/her topic. When Ty was in the 4th grade, he researched and made a model of the terrapin. Now that Ladybug is in 4th grade, she has decided to make an A-Z Book of tourist spots in Maryland. She wants to include a picture of each location and then write a paragraph about each spot to tell its location, why a tourist should visit, and some fun facts relating to the place. For E she chose Eden Mill.

Eden Mill is within driving distance to our house, so I promised her I would take her there to take pictures for her book. Of course I had to bring my camera along as well. ;0)

Eden Mill was built circa 1805 and was named after Father Eden, a local priest from that time period.

It is a beautiful place to visit...even at this time a year before the flowers and greenery have come back.

There are several buildings on the property, including this red barn. I LOVE this color!

I find old building so fascinating. I wish the walls could talk and tell us all the secrets they hold. The volunteers there were so friendly. We arrived about 3 p.m. on a Saturday and even though they were getting ready to close up shop for the day, they took Ladybug by the hand and gave her a personal tour of the facility. For as many years as we have been living here, we had never seen the inside of the mill! (I didn't take pics inside, as I didn't want to slow down the tour and inconvenience the volunteers any more than necessary.) We certainly will go back because there are some amazing photos to be had inside!

The mill still has a working dam that used to power the inner workings of the building. The volunteers who take care of the mill today are planning on renovating the hydro power system and begin producing their own electricity again. Here you can see Ladybug at work...documenting the area near the mill. Like mother, like daughter?

What I couldn't find an answer to, though, was this mucky mess. This oil-like substance seemed to be seeping out of the ground in a couple of different areas. Hmmm...maybe there is some oil to be discovered here...

Ladybug is trying to use as many of her own photos as possible for the project. Sometime this week, maybe tomorrow I will share her C destination with you!

All my Social Studies project love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Mail Call Sunday- Fresh Start

2009-03-21T16:55:00.010-04:00

Hi Everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I was in a funk. It was a busy, emotional week and I just didn't have the heart or the time to write. So, hopefully this week will prove to be better! I promise to be around to all of your blogs tomorrow because today I will be here all day (Sunday), celebrating Ty's birthday!

I am determined to start this week out right by sharing a little bit of mail love with you all! I didn't get many postcards again this week, but the ones I did get were very special. I appreciate every piece of mail that is not an ad or a bill! I wish writing letters was not a lost art! Anyway, check these out:

This card is from postcrosser, Amanda from Ireland. I was able to add a new country to my list with this gorgeous piece of mail! Amanda said that the weather there was wet and cold although they had a few days of sunshine recently! Hey, Amanda...it sounds a lot like Maryland! Hopefully we will both be seeing sunnier skies and warmer days soon. Ireland is one of the countries on the top of my list that I would love to visit! One day...Now I am up to 19% of the world's countries!

The next two cards come from the same postcrosser! Lauren from New Jersey was so kind to send not one vintage card, but two! The first is a picture of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. While Lauren lives in NJ right now, she grew up in New York and loves the Brooklyn Bridge. I can see why, Lauren! Lauren is a teacher (like me!) and loves historical pictures (like me!). It is fun finding things in common with people you have never met!
This is the second postcard Lauren sent me! She stated on the back of this one that she knew I love photos and photography, so she thought I would like this one! And guess what? She was right! I love it so much that it made it onto my "favorite postcard" bulletin board! I have it hanging just above my computer so I can see it everyday. Thanks, Lauren for you kindness and thoughtfulness! The next card came from postcrosser Jenny from Germany. She says this postcard shows an old building that once was used as a power station but is currently used as a gallery for local artists. I think my postcrossing buddies have the idea that I LOVE vintage cards! Hehe! I wonder how they knew?!? It couldn't be that I have it plastered all over my profile, could it? :0) Thanks, Jenny for this wonderful postcard and all the information you added!

This gorgeous postcard came from postcrosser Antonio from Italy! Ohhh-la-la...he even signed the postcard with xxx...You know what that means! Lots of kisses. It must be true what they say about Italian men. Very romantic indeed. I won't hold the fact that he addressed it to "Stacey" instead of "Tracey" against him. I am nice that way! These are a few views of his hometown, which is not far from Venice. Italy, along with Ireland, is on the top of my MUST SEE countries before I die. And no matter what you all say, it is not just because of the romantic men.

The next one was not a postcard, but a lovely handwritten note card from fellow blogger, Marky! It turns out that she does not live very far away from me and she is going to take my IN PERSON photography class! Woot! I love meeting other bloggers face to face! We also are planning on meeting for lunch one day, so if you live in the Northern MD or Southern PA area and would like to join us for a blogger's lunch, let me know! Thanks for the great note, Marky! xoxo

The last piece of mail this week was the really cool AD postcard from Ford Flex. Hmmmm...I think I like that car ;0) It turns out that since I recently made a purchase of this gorgeous, sleek, albeit hearse-like car, that I get a $750 gift card to Amazon.com. How cool is that? Ford rocks. Now, what to spend it on....
I hope to post consistently this week and have lots more photos to share with you, so be sure to stop back in. I promise I will be around more often too.

All my mail love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Shameless Self Promotion

2009-03-19T00:00:00.003-04:00

I don't like to promote myself too often, but there have been a couple of things going on in the business world that I thought I would catch you all up on! First, I have joined Zazzle and am offering my pictures on products such as shoes, shirts, bags, hats, magnets, cards, US postage stamps, and many many more things! I have a few products right now, but will be adding more in the near future. Below is a humorous example of one thing I've made. I actually bought it for Brian, as he is *my stud*, and he wears it around the house! It is an image of J.C., our Clydesdale, who is a stallion! I crack myself up. There is a new flash gadget on the side showing off some of the items.

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On the Simply Smooches front, I am having a Buy 1 Get 1 free sale! Sale ends April 15th. All you have to do is order one set and I will email you to ask which set you would like for free. My newest sets are the American Revolution set and the Countdown to Summer Vacation set. I am currently working on a new set that is nothing like the other sets! So stay tuned to see what this new twist is!

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I am curently enrolling students in two Get Off the Green Square classes that both begin in April. One is a LIVE and IN PERSON class that starts April 25th goes for three Saturdays. So, if you are in the Baltimore, Harford, or Cecil county area... or if you are in the York area south in PA, you might want to check out this opportunity! Currently, there are only 2 spots left in the class, as it booked very quickly!

The second class is an ONLINE class and is open to everyone in the world! So, if you want to take this beginning photography class, please read here for more details and registration information! This class will begin April 22 and go for six weeks.

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On the gallery front, I want to thank all of you who have purchased prints! One of my good blogging buddies, MamasHood bought a few prints for her new house and blogged about her hot chocolate shot here. She said it is one of her favorites! Thanks Jess! The St. Patrick's Day sale just ended, but more sales will be coming in the future! I am also getting ready to add a few more images, and perhaps take a few away, so if you were interested in a particular one, you may want to purchase now before it is gone.

Thanks for sticking in there during my shameless self promotion...back to regular blogging tomorrow!

P.S. Today is Ty's 12th birthday. Won't you wish him health and happiness on this special day?! I am sure he will love it!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Wordless Wednesday: Hanes Her Way

2009-03-17T21:12:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Chicken Pox Update

2009-03-17T08:09:00.004-04:00

This is how Ladybug feels today...

She has a head cold.
She has MSA testing in school today.
She has to go get her Chicken Pox booster today.

Speaking of which, have you all heard that now the Health Department is saying the Chicken Pox vaccine only works for like, 5-7 years and now the kids need a booster? I didn't find out until about 20 people at Ty's school had breakout cases among vaccinated kids.

Fabulous. I am glad that the Health Department used our children as guinea pigs.

"Oh, crap. We thought this vaccine would give them a lifetime of immunity but it only lasts for half a decade. Whoops."

Brilliant.

Maybe I will reschedule her shot since she is already fighting off a cold.

That would make her feel better!

*Update: I just postponed her vaccine and she is a happier camper. They do not want her to have it if she already is fighting something off.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Fun Monday- Kids Say the Funniest Things!

2009-03-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

Our hostess this fine Monday is Mariposa from Mariposa's Tales. Our theme for this week is:

Kids Say the Darnedest Things!

Yes, they can be your children...your nephew...niece....siblings...just any experience which makes you say...indeed, Kids Say the Darnedest Things! They need not be a lot...but no limit to how many you can share...more means more fun!

We all know that my kids say the darnedest things all the time. The trouble is that I usually write about it as soon as it happens, so I don't really have fresh stuff for today. You can check out the crazy things my kids have said in the past:

Here (that is the way the watermelon grows)
Here (I am and old dog)
Here (disinclude, man)
Here (big, crossed teeth are advantageous)
Here (constipated unicorns)
Here (bastard vs. bachelor)
Here (backdoor neighbor and sensible teeth)
Here (nipples at Target)
Here (confusing Indians with ostriches)
Here (old lady getting beat up)
Here (farting, coughing, and burping)
Here (teens and pregnancy)
Here (hung or not hung?)
Here (beating a dead horse...or dog)
Here (kicking me when I'm down)

And if none of those stories was good enough, I decided to share a recent "video" with you. Ladybug has been into singing lately. As a 4th grader she is in the chorus at school and some of her girlfriends play "rock band" at recess. She has taken to practicing in the shower, so I thought it would be funny to catch her on tape. There is no video because I didn't want her to pop out of the shower naked, so I kept the lens cap closed, but recorded her singing...until I was discovered. Turn up the volume!

Head on over to Mariposa's to check out other funny things kids say!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Mail Call Sunday- Just Fan Mail, No Hate Mail

2009-03-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

I got more mail than anybody on the history of the Today Show, but half of it was to get me off the air.
~Willard Scott

I am grateful for that the mail I received this week was kind, unlike poor Willard Scott's mail! This first beautiful postcard gave me some serious hope for spring. It is from postcrosser Nummi from Finland. Thanks, Nummi for the little bit of mail hug to get me through till Spring!

This beautiful card is also from Finland. Postcrosser Ritva sent me this vintage card showing her hometown circa 1910. She tells me on the back that, unfortunately only the trees on the right side of the picture are left of this gorgeous view today. Thanks, Ritva for letting me have a glimpse into your world!

This last postcard arrived from Poland, from the youngest postcrosser out there! Zosia is just a baby and can not write just yet, but her parents send and recieve postcards for her. She will have quite the collection by the time she can read! This image is from the city of Warsaw and Castle Square. You can read all about this particular spot here.

I hope everyone had a wonderful mail week! Not too many bills and maybe a handwritten note from a friend or relative. Till next time!

All my mail love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Wordless Saturday- I Totally Made That Meme Up

2009-03-14T08:58:00.001-04:00

All my love,

~I can not be separated from this or from you~

Daisy in Detail

2009-03-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

So yesterday I told you that I have a new ride...the Ford Flex that we've named Daisy. She is a pretty girl with retro styling. Even though her style is retro, there is nothing retro about her features! She is Light Ice Blue- Metallic.

She sports a multi-vista roof which means that there are two large sunroofs. The one up front opens and closes while the one over the second and third row seats does not open, but allows the passengers to look out and let sun in. Each seat has its own screen they can pull over the sunroof to block the sun if desired.

Another nice feature is that all four doors wrap under the vehicle, virtually eliminating road noise and also protecting the inside of the door from dirt and road salt. If you live in Maryland and have seen how they salt the roads in the winter, you know what I mean when I say that we fight to keep the back of our pants legs clean in the winter when getting in and out of the car. Not with Daisy...with wrap around doors, that is no longer an issue!

Of course I had to get Save the Bay tags...we already have Save the Farms for the truck, and besides, the blue matched Daisy! When I drove home from the dealer last night, I was amazed at how well I could see in the dark. Daisy comes with halogen headlights and fog lights. Wowzers...what a difference in how I far I could see...even when not in high beams!

The back hatch is on power hydrolics and is equipped with a saftey sensor so it doesn't smash you in the head. A feature I love since I am known to crack my head quite often on the trunk lid of my old car. The windows are the same way. And yes, I have rolled Ladybug's fingers up and smooshed them in the window before...so this is a good safety feature for me! It also has a back-up sensor that beeps and warns me if something is behind me. Luckily, I have never backed into anything, and hopefully this will help make sure I never do!

I am not crazy about her boxy look, but she is so ugly she is cute. It does, however, give tall people like me a lot of head room! In some of the other brands I drove, my hair actually stuck to the carpeted ceilings! No. Lie.

Now for the interior: The driver seat has a memory that is attached to my key so that when I start the car, it remembers my preferred seat position, pedal positions, and mirror positions. Likewise, when Brian uses his key, it will remember all of his settings as well. You can't see it in this picture because it is daylight, but Daisy also has a fun mood lighting system. I have a choice of 7 different colors I can choose from for the ambient footboard and cup holder lights. If I am in a purple mood, I can make it glow purple. Green...no problem. Blue? Why not. How about orange, red, yellow, pink? Gotcha covered.

This vehicle has the potential to seat 7 adults, however, Daisy seats 6. We liked the console in the middle of the second row so we can store tissues and DVDs on long trips. It is also a nice place to stow away the ipods and game systems that the kids seem to always have. You can see in the picture below how each seat has a sunroof.

The first time I looked at the dashboard, I was overwhelmed! It has so many buttons and dials. But honestly, it is really simple. The bottom two panels are the temperature control...the back can control its own temperature and the passenger can set a different temperature than the driver. The front and second row seats all have "butt warmers" to keep the chill away on cold days. LOVE that because I am always cold. The other dials and buttons are related to the SYNC system and stereo. It is equipped with Siris Sattelite radio, a 6 CD changer, a SYNC system for hands-free phone use, and a USB port to play my Zune or ipod music. All of it is voice activated and I do not have to take my hands off the wheel for any of those operations.

The legroom is unsurpassed in in any other vehicle. It is called limo style seating and the third row is theatre style seating. The third row seats are actually higher than the second row so that everyone can see and enjoy the DVD player.

The DVD player is fully compatible with any game system, WII, Gamecube, etc. and the DVD system comes with 2 wireless headphones. Someone pinch me...

I hope you enjoyed your tour of my new baby. I promise not to post about her everyday, although it will be difficult.

All my Ford Flex love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

New Member of Our Family

2009-03-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

My Dearest Readers,

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family. The baby blue 2009 Ford Flex. Her name is Daisy. Say hello to Daisy:

I love her with every ounce of my being. She drives like a dream, has mood lighting, and talks to me. Seriously. The 2nd and 3rd row seats have theater seating. Everyone needs to be able to see the DVD player, after all! The leg room is unsurpassed. Road noise? Almost none. This is quite the car.

Ugly, but ugly-cute. Very retro in it's styling. It is VW bus meets station wagon meets SUV meets luxury car. Don't knock it till you try it.

I will post more about it with actual photos of MY Daisy!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Hand Dipped Chocolates Anyone?

2009-03-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

How many of you like chocolates? *hand waving wildly in air* Me too! One day when the kids had off school recently, we decided to take a day trip to York, Pennsylvania to visit the Wolfgang Chocolate Factory. This tour is so cool for several reasons. 1) It is chocolate! 2) It is free! 3) You are right on the factory line...not behind glass for 90% of the tour. 4) They give you free samples at the end of the tour! The Food Network named this factory tour in the top 10 in the U.S.!

(Please excuse the baggy sweatshirt...Since I have lost weight everything looks like a curtain hanging on me!)

Because you are literally IN the factory and are so close to the production line that you can reach out and take some candy off the conveyor belts (which we didn't because it is against the rules and we are rule followers around here...), we had to wear these gorgeous hair nets! Even though I already had a hat on, I still had to cover every strand of hair. The men even had to cover facial hair with special beard/mustache nets! Not attractive to say the least, but who wants hair in their delectable chocolates? Am I right? Brian and Ty did not want their picture taken in this condition, so only Ladybug, myself, and C (a good friend of Ladybug's) allowed our photos to be taken!
The tour begins at the hand dipped section of the factory. Anything with raisins is made here, as the the raisins are not compatible with the machinery they use. So, it is a person's full time job to dip her bare hand in chocolate and fill the paper cups (click to enlarge below pic to see the cups on the closest counter) to the exact ounce! It is apparently a highly coveted job that requires years of practice to perfect. Who knew? Certainly not me! If I had the job, I would be licking my hands all day long. Just sayin'!

After a bit of a wait, the famous skilled chocolate hand-dipper (I am so sure that is her official title) made an appearance and showed her stuff. This is the only time we were behind glass. I am not sure how I feel about the bare hand of a stranger fondling my precious chocolate, but whatever.

The rest of the tour was off limits for pictures. Just trust me. The smell...divine. The sights...scrumptious. The sounds...very loud! The taste...YUM! And because they were big meanies and made me refrain from documenting the delicious desireables, here is a virtual tour for your pleasure. Careful...you may slober some saliva on your keyboard!

At the end of the tour, of course we had to visit the Sweet Shoppe to take home some of these amazing treats. We bought these, these, these, and these. We just couldn't help ourselves.

All my chocolatey love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Guest Posting for Lisa

2009-03-10T06:53:00.002-04:00

My Dearest Readers,

I had the pleasure of guest posting for Lisa over at Lisa's Chaos. Head on over and check it out!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Fun Monday- My Two Step Economic Plan to Save the World

2009-03-09T00:00:00.001-04:00

Today's topic is a serious one, presented to us from Sayre over at Sayre Smiles. Our challenge this week is as follows:

What are you and your family doing to deal with the current economic situation on a personal level? Obama's got a plan for the nation, but how do you/will you deal with your own economic stress?

Honestly, we have not felt that much of an impact yet financially. Back in September when many of the financial institutions were going under we had a few scary weeks. We weren't sure if Brian would have a job or not. But, all is well right now and seems to be secure for the next few years.

I am, however, not an idiot and know that things can change at a moment's notice. Right now we are saving as much money as we can so that if something does happen, we will have a bit of a cushion. We are NOT going to stop buying things. We are NOT going to stop living our lives. That is what causes more trouble!

Since we are on the topic, I HAVE to say a few things about the economic crisis.

1. When I go to a restaurant they are PACKED.
2. When I go to a store it is usually PACKED.

I know my little space on earth is not reflective of what is going on all around the country, but still...the media is KILLING us and the economy with its *dooms day broadcasting*.

I can fix the economy easily. Hello, Washington, are you listening? Here are the two steps that you need to do to fix the economy:

1. Shut up.
2. Do what you have to do.

The market is an emotionally driven entity. If the media and politicians continue to tell us every penny of every bailout and then make it sound like the freakin' end of the world, then our economy will continue to make a nosedive. If everyone shuts up about the economy and the media lets the government do what it has to do to stabilize everything, then we will come out of this.

Have you noticed that every time the president is on the television talking about the economy, the market plunges the next day? Yeah, the more you draw attention to it, the more people panic...which is what makes a country go into a depression. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I will leave you with some poignant words from John Mayer's song Waiting On the World to Change:

"And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want"

So, my plan to deal with the economic crisis is to not listen to the news. And I encourage everyone else to do the same.

I am now off my soapbox. Have a wonderful Monday!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Mail Call Sunday...Sparkling Cards

2009-03-08T09:39:00.005-04:00

I was lucky enough to receive several postcards this week. Two of them were very sparkly, so I will begin and end with those cards!

For those of you who are new here and have asked me how I get all of these postcards, I am a member of Postcrossing. It is a free online project where people from all over the world exchange postcards with each other. For mail freaks like me, it is a ton of fun! It is also educational, as I am learning about other places in the world and locating the places on a world map! Fun, Fun, Fun!

This first card is from Postcrosser Sarah from the state of Washington, USA! She was kind enough to use one of the vintage cards from her own collection, add a bit of beautiful sparkle to it to jazz it up, and mail it to me! She is a crafty person who likes to sew, draw, paint, collage, and make jewelry. She also has a blog. You can visit her here. Thanks Sarah!

This card is from Shenning in Sweden. She is a college student studying at Jonkoping University. She will be graduating this summer and loves to travel and collect stamps. She has never been to the U.S., but hopes to visit one day. Good luck, Shenning!

This beautiful and colorful card came from Postcrosser Chen from China. She explains that the card is showing "Shadow Play" which was very popular in the olden days of China. Shadow play is a form of puppetry that takes place behind an illuminated screen. It originated during the Han Dynasty when one of his concubines died and he demanded that she be brought back to life. You can read more at Wikipedia if you are interested! Thanks for the look into your culture, Chen!

The next card came from another blogger, Cyndi (and Chae) who live in Michigan. She sent a card from the North American Snomobile Festival that is held around Caddilac every year. Brrr...it looks cold! Stay warm you two!

This card is also from a Postcrosser. Amy from Oklahoma sent this cool vintagy-card, which was neat, because this is actually the second time I have recieved this same card from a Postcrosser! Out of the millions of cards out there, it is unusaual to recieve the same one twice!

The last card is from fellow blogger, The Baroness, who loves all things sparkly. This was the second sparkly card I received this week...and the last. This is Liberace....the most sparkly man in the history of the world. The Baroness had the oppportunity to visit the museum recently and she was so kind to send me a postcard! Thanks, Baroness, for thinking of me on your travels! Your kindness is much appreciated ;0)
Thanks to eveyone who tooke the time to pick a card for me, who spent money on the card and the stamp, and who took the time to find a mailbox in which to mail it. If you could only be here and see my and my childrens' smiles as we discover these treasures of friendship in our mailbox each and every day. It is our favorite time of the day! If anyone would like to send a postcard to us from your hometown or your travels, we would LOVE to have them. Just use the "Contact Tracey" envelope at the top of the blog and let me know you are interested. I will send you my address!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

The Constipated Unicorns

2009-03-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

The joys of having an *almost* twelve year old boy~

Ty-"Hey Mom, W and I are making up a band. We are calling it 'The Constipated Unicorns.'"

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Smashing in the Nose of an Obnoxious Parent...kind of

2009-03-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Conversation Wed. night at the Championship Basketball game for 11-12 boys.

Mom from the Other Team (while our boys are shooting): Miss it! Miss it! Miss it!

*ball misses

Mom from Other Team: YES! Go gray, Go gray! (They were gray, we were blue).

*#9 for our team makes a shot

Mom from Other Team: They are NOTHING without number 9. Who is supposed to be covering #9? Take him out (referring to injuring our #9 so he is out of commission)!

Me- *fuming*

*Our kid takes a shot

MfOT: Booooooo! Booooooooo!

Me (Trying to be an adult and ignore the loud, obnoxious, unsportsmanlike piece of trash behind me.): Go blue! Good try, Johnny!

MfOT: GO GREY BEAT BLUE!

Another foul shot for us- the whole gym is silent, letting our boy concentrate. Just as he shoots:

MfOT and her younger children: WAAAAAOOOOOOAAAAOAOAOAOAOA!

*Our kids misses the foul shot

MfOT: Haha! YES!

Me: *face is flooding with blood and I start shaking with anger* I HATE, yes HATE, parents like this. Cheer for your team, but don't boo ours and try to make them miss their shots.

Me (turning to the trashy lady behind me): Are you kidding me?

MfOT (with at to the tude): What?

Me: Are you kidding me? Making noises while an 11 year old kid shoots a foul shot just to mess him up? Are you kidding me?

MfOT: I didn't make the noises.

(I was sitting RIGHT in front of her. Like I was an idiot...)

Me: Grow up.

MfOT (turning to her equally obnoxious husband and pointing to me): Look at this ugly face talking in my direction.

Me (not wanting to embarrass my family, friends, neighborhood, OR stoop to her level... although what I really wanted to do was give her a bloody nose like I did to the neighbor boy who was 2 years older than me and wouldn't stop picking on me when I was 7): *shake my head and turn my attention back to the game*

The rest of the game she was still loud and obnoxious, cheering when their team fouled ours and such. She even sent her younger kids to stand behind the basket our team was shooting at to yell, wave, and shake their homemade signs to distract our boys. Me? I just ignored her. She didn't BOO or yell when we were making foul shots anymore...one point for me!

My final revenge was when our rinky-dink recreational council team beat the snot (by 10 points to be exact) out of their fancy-schmancy teams' butt. Revenge is indeed sweet, my friends!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Slumdog Millionaire = Powerful

2009-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Holy amazing films, Batman. I had the opportunity to see this movie this weekend. I was not overly excited, as I usually don't like movies that have so much hype. I find myself looking for a film to move me and usually find one that I don't understand or have to work too hard to make sense of. I don't want to be a "thinker" when I go to a movie. I want to be touched emotionally. I want to be told a bedtime story. I don't want to feel like I am earning a degree as a rocket scientist.

With that said, I was in love with this movie from the very beginning. It is such a great story on so many levels...cultural, human relationships, true and everlasting love, etc... I love the way it is told...from the standpoint of the game show...flashbacks to how he knew all the answers. The actors were fantastic and the direction was incredible.

It is one of my all time favorite movies, for sure! I would go see this again in a heartbeat and I RARELY see movies twice.

If you haven't heard of this movie, please move back to Earth and watch this trailer. Then, find the closest theater, buy some ridiculously priced popcorn, sit back and be entertained.

P.S. I just watched the trailer AGAIN and got chills. No lie. The movie is that good. And the soundtrack is powerful too.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2009-03-04T00:00:00.002-05:00

I started reading my new book club book yesterday, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I haven't gotten very far, but the few pages I have read touched me deeply. I love when a writer can spark my emotions and make me connect with a character right away.

This following passage struck me, so I am sharing it here with you...it is not ruining the book at all, as this passage is only on page 4. The words in parenthesis are my own...

When I knew I couldn't suffer another moment of pain, and tears fell on my bloody bindings (foot bindings), my mother spoke softly into my ear, encouraging me to go one more hour, one more day, one more week, reminding me of the rewards I would have if I carried on a little longer. In this way, she taught me how to endure-not just the physical trials of footbinding and childbearing but the more torturous pain of the heart, mind, and soul. She was also pointing out my defects and teaching me how to use them to my benefit. In our country, we call this type of mother love teng ai. My son has told me that in men's writing it is composed of two characters. The first means pain; the second means love. That is a mother's love.

That passage spoke to my heart in its truthfulness. Now more than ever, I am seeing that to be a mother means to cause pain to myself (and sometimes to my childrens' egos) in my quest to set boundaries, administer discipline, and mold caring, loving adults from the children I have given birth to. As Ty enters the last year of life before he is a teenager, I struggle every day with giving him the independence he yearns for while setting enough boundaries to give him the best possible chance at becoming a decent human being.

And more times than not, it is a painful struggle. A painful love. I love him so much, that I want life to be all it can be. I want to give him everything. But to give him everything, I must limit most things. Hopefully one day he will see that.

What are your thoughts about a "mother's love?"

P.S. I am having a sale over at Nine Acres Photo Gallery...$2.00 off any $15.00 or more purchase. Coupon code for the checkout is STPATRICKSDAY. Sale ends March 17th, so hurry! Two new images are added. Barn and Windmill and The Dive.

All of my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Let it Snow Or March Comes in Like a Lion!

2009-03-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

We finally had a substantial snow yesterday. It ended up being about 6 inches of snow, but the wind was so bad that the drifts were much higher. The weatherman said this is the most snow we have had at one time in three years. This is what I woke up to:

The snow was clinging to all the glass in the house, including the windows underneath our roofed porch. The wind was just wicked. It was a miracle we did not lose power.

I decided to brave the side porch. This is a view of my side yard. It was blizzard conditions, borderline white out!

The poor birds were even frozen. Check out this finch. I felt so sorry for him because he kept getting the seed stuck to his bill. I am assuming the moisture from his mouth was freezing the seed to his bill. He had a difficult time eating!
The kids had off school and played all day in the snow. Unfortunately, I don't have pics of them because the wind was so fierce that I didn't want to risk taking my camera out in the blowing snow.

They were exhausted by dinner time from all of the physical exertion of sledding, building forts, and running in snow clothes. It was a great day!

Hope everyone is cozy and warm today!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Fun Monday: Moms and Grandmas

2009-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today's hostess and I have a lot in common. We both like chocolate and we both teach 5th grade. Well, I used to teach 5th grade...now I teach all kinds of ages ;0) Jo of Chocolate and Other Things says:

For this week's Fun Monday, tell me something fun about your mother and/or her mother. What fun, weird, laughable memories do you have of your Mom or your Grandma?

I am very lucky and have a great relationship with my mom. I don't see her as often as I would like to, but when I do have a chance to be with her I love every minute of it. She is not weird in any way, and she doesn't do a lot of things that are funny. She has a serious personality. So, instead, I will tell you one of my favorite memories with her from when I was a teen.

Every snow day (and there seemed to be a lot of them when I was a kid) she would sit and play "Nerts" with me and my best friend all day long. Nerts was a card game that is similar to solitaire, only you play with more than one person. We would sit for HOURS, warm and snuggly in our sweat clothes or pajamas and play this card game. She could have been doing so many other things...cleaning, cross stitch, reading, watching TV...but instead she would spend her time with me and my best friend, Laura. I love that about her. I still like to play cards with her when I visit. She is the only one that can challenge me in Nerts...no one else is fast enough to beat me!

And then there is my mother's mother. She was a remarkable woman and I miss her very much. I don't have any funny or weird stories about her either, but again, I do have a memory that has stayed with me to this day.
That is my Grandma and my Grandpa with me (the baby) and my brother. When I was teenager, I flew to Florida by myself to stay with my grandparents for a week. It was the first time I traveled alone and I felt very grown up. One morning while I was there, my grandmother was eating her toast and drinking her tea. She looked up as I sleepily walked into the room and she matter-of-factly offered me some tea.

Really? I can have tea? Coffee was for adults, and I thought tea was too, so I was shocked that she asked me if I wanted some. Of course I said yes and she fixed me my first cup of tea. I felt so grown up and special! From then on I LOVEd tea and every time I have a cup (everyday) I think of her.

Head over to Jo's read more about moms and grandmas.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Mail Call Sunday...Busy, Busy, Busy!

2009-03-01T08:04:00.004-05:00

It was not a very busy week for the mail, but it was and continues to be a CRAZY week for me! Sorry I haven't been around as much as usual. Hopefully sometime this week I will be able to catch you all up on what's going on! Nothing bad, just busy.

Meanwhile, enjoy the cards I received from Hanna, a postcrosser from Finland. These cards were a private swap. Hanna contacted me and asked for some of the postcards I had because she is a graphic designer and loves to see American examples of graphic art. So, I sent her three cards with comic book characters on them (she asked for them) and she sent me three back. Enjoy!

The strawberry says, "You are like a strawberry...cute and sweet." The card is fuzzy and my kids LOVE it!

The card with the kids says, "Friendship connects."

The farm animals one says, "Not beyond these ears!" Hehe...apparently they like to gossip in Finland too ;0)

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Fruit, Red Tape, and Winter Uckies

2009-02-27T07:46:00.003-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

I thought an image of fruit would be a "fit-ting" way to tell you that I am now down 23 lbs!

Now if the weather would break, I could get out and tone some more. Come on Spring!

Ty is back at school today. He needed to catch up on some sleep, have some soft foods and Mom love for a day. He progressively got better yesterday. No strep...the beginnings of a sinus infection that was causing drainage to make his throat sore. We will have to watch carefully...two people in Maryland died of the flu this week, one a 15 year old boy. Scary.

I am off to a business class this morning, trying to decipher what forms I need to fill out for the red tape we call government in order to be official with my businesses. Why do they have to make everything so difficult?!?

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Hold Your Horses!

2009-02-26T07:40:00.002-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

It is going to be one of those days.
The million one carefully planned things I had for today are on hold for a sick child. Instead, I will be spending the day in the Dr.'s office for Ty, who, by my best estimation, has strep throat.

*sigh*

See you all in a couple of days when I have time!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Impeachment of a President

2009-02-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

This has nothing to do with today's post, I just thought it was cute. I call it "Staring Contest."

Anyway, here was the dinner conversation last night:

Ty: If a president does something really bad, can he be kicked out?

Brian: Yes.

Me: It is called impeachment.

Ty: Oh...I heard that word before, but I wasn't sure what it meant.

Brian: President Clinton was impeached.

Me----(What the heck is he thinking?!?!?! He totally knows the kids are going to ask why!)

*silence*

Ladybug (leave it to her!): Why was he impeached Dad?

Me----- (snicker....let's see how he gets out of this)

Brian: Because he lied to the government.

*silence*

Ty: Why? What did he lie about?

Ladybug: Yeah, what did he lie about?

Me----(Yeah, what did he lie about, DADDY?)

Brian: He just lied to the government and you can't do that!

Me--- (Avoidance will never work! Insert evil laugh.)

*crickets chirping*

*silence*

Brian (beaming that he dodged a bullet): President O'Bama will be on TV tonight....

Tell me people....why is it that Brian can sneak his way through tight spots like that but I get stuck with crazy situations all the time?

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

What's Up Lately

2009-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share some updates with you concerning The Gallery, and Simply Smooches. Also, I wanted to pass along a great money saving offer from SheSpeaks.

First, a couple of new images are now available over at my Gallery. The following images are now available for purchase:Also, there are two new exciting options offered for each of my photos. All of my photos in the Gallery are now available for digital downloads. When you find an image you like, you can push the "Add to Cart" button and it will then give you an option for "Downloads." There are two options for the downloads: Desktop Wallpaper and Online Use of Image. What that means is now you can download my images to use as wallpaper for your desktop ($3.26) or for use in your blog or website ($10.87). These are digital only uses, no printing allowed! Please read the licensing carefully! Of course, a variety of sizes for print are also available, as usual ;0)

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Also, on the Simply Smooches front, two new note sets for kids are available. First, is the American Revolution set. This is a set of 20 cards with images and trivia related to the American Revolution. Order from the sidebar Market Place or click here to see the full description and more images.

Also, a Countdown to Summer Break set is now available! This set of 20 cards helps your child count down the last days of school until summer break! This set is a bit different from the others because instead of a question or a riddle, the front gives a fact about summer. On the back is a suggested activity designed to help your child start a discussion with his friends/family! This set is sure to go fast, so order today! Click here for a full description and more images, or order in the sidebar Market Place.

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Finally, you all know I am a member of SheSpeaks. Well, SheSpeaks has given me the opportunity to take a sneak peek at the newly revamped Ladies Home Journal magazine. This enduring women's magazine has reinvented itself with a vibrant, fresh design and new features that promote its "look good, do good and feel great" philosophy. As a member of SheSpeaks, I've received a special annual subscription rate of $5.99 that I am allowed to share with friends. So, if you are interested in a year subscription of Ladies Home Journal, just go to www.lhj.com/shespeaks to take advantage of the great offer! There is no kickback to me at all...just passing the good news and offers to all my bloggy friends!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

It is Not About the Tulips...It is About Valuing Myself

2009-02-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

My Dearest Friends,

I didn't have a chance to participate in Fun Monday today, so I thought I would just ramble a bit.

Since January, when I adopted "Simplicity" as my mantra for the year, I take time every day to think about how to make my life more simple or to find simple things that bring me joy. This has changed my life in a way that no other New Year's resolution ever could!

As a wife, mother, and female, I tend to put myself last. I think about the needs of everyone else first before considering my own. I believe we raise girls to be this way in our society, and in others, because traditionally we are the caregivers. But honestly, after over 13 years of doing this, it is exhausting. I find myself, at times, running out of batteries and patience to be a good wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, aunt, teacher, (insert the 18 million other titles here). I have been told by older and wiser women that in order to be good at any of those jobs, I need to treat myself as an honored person. That is very difficult for me.

But this year, I have been focused on asking myself what simple things bring me joy? One of the answers is flowers. I love having plants in my garden. I love having cut flowers in the house. I can't help but smile when I see them. I can feel my pulse slow and my blood pressure even when I look at nature's beauty.

In the past, I would see cut flowers in the store and pass them up. I always had an excuse...Ty needs shoes, so I won't spend $10 on myself. Or the animals need food, so I can use that $10 towards the pets... I just would never value myself enough to say, "You know what? You deserve to be treated well and these flowers bring you joy, so get them."

But now I have my own office...a space for ME and decorated for ME and is only open to others "by invitation." And when I am here working on Simply Smooches or working on preparing photos for sale, I want to be surrounded by things I love....things that make me smile...things that bring me joy...things that inspire me just because they exist. So, I bought myself a whole bouquet of tulips. And you know what? I didn't even have one little guilty twinge.

I loved those tulips until the very last petal fell from the stem. I didn't love them just because they were pretty. I loved them because I valued myself enough to buy them without guilt. Just a day or two before I had to get rid of the empty stems, I took this picture. I wanted to preserve my recent revelation in a photographic way. I loved every snap of the shutter. I was content and happy. And then I enjoyed being creative and artistic while editing the photo. I couldn't decided which edit I liked the most.
So, I kept them all.

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Mail Call Sunday: How to Make a Life

2009-02-22T00:00:00.002-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

I love the connection I feel with the people who take the time to sit and write a few words to a person they have never met and probably never will. They invest their time and energy into someone of a different culture, country, religion because we are all people. And that bond can not be broken.

~We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
♥Winston Churchill

From Pennsylvania, United States:

From Australia:

From Belgium:

From the Ukraine: (This was sent to be before the Christmas holiday and took 58 days to arrive. Despite the odds, it DID arrive.)

From Virginia, USA:

From Brazil:

From Finland:

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Copy Cat Bling

2009-02-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

Last fall I was lucky enough to go to Smyth jewelers during their free Pandora bracelet give-away and snag one of the uber popular bling-blings.

For a long time I had no charms to go on the bracelet. It was lonely and sad in my jewelry drawer. Then, my awesome friend, Laure, gave me two charms (the T and the horseshoe) for my birthday and for Christmas.

And then, my darling Ladybug, gave the ladybug for Christmas. My handsome and ever so generous husband gave me the black and white bead charm for Christmas also!

Since Christmas, I have not added to the charms, as they as quite expensive and I just don't buy things like that for myself. But then, yesterday, a friend of mine took me to a jewelry store that sells "off-brand" charms for Pandora bracelets! And for a FRACTION of the price, you can go, well, crazy!

I got this turtle because Ty loves turtles, so it reminds me of him.

I got this blue sapphire bead charm because sapphire is my birthstone.

And I got this horse...well, you know why!

I LOVE my bracelet and am glad I spent a tad bit of money on myself. I got 5 charms (2 others for relatives) for less than $40! If I would have purchased 5 charms from Pandora, it would have been over $150! And yes, they are silver...not junk. Woot for bargains!

Do you love bargains too, or are you a person who has to have the name? Inquiring minds want to know!

Don't forget to order your Arbonne products by the 24th to help me save my face!!!!! Also, my giveaway ends the same day!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

One Thing About Me

2009-02-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

I wasn't sure what to post about today, so I went to my trusty book, I f: Questions for the Game of Life. I randomly picked a question, and this is what it said:

"If you could permanently alter one thing about your physical appearance, what would you change?"

Hmmmm...that is a tough one. There are several things I would like to change now that my boobs are heading south, my teeth have darkened with age, and I don't have the super athletic body I used to have. But, it said just one. Since I can work out more to regain a youthful body and I can get my teeth whitened, and I can wear a miracle bra, I have decided to pick something that is not on that list.

Something that can't be fixed unless you have surgery. I, dear friends, would change my nose.

©Jodie Otte

My nose is long and skinny. Bony even.

It also has a bump right in the middle of it. It is most noticeable in profile.

This cute sketch of me by a famous advertising agent, shows me with a really cute nose.

But in real life it is not so cute.

If you look closely, you can even see that one nostril is crooked and larger than the other nostril.

One time I told my grandfather that and he told me it was because I picked my nose too much as a kid. He always was a stinker...

So, the thing I would change about my physical self is my crooked, skinny, bumpy, lopsided nostril nose.

What is the ONE thing you would change about your physical self if you could?

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Valentine's Flower Study

2009-02-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

For Valentine's Day, Brian bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Of course, I had to photograph them.

Flowers, especially during this time of year, make my days brighter. When I pass them, they make me smile. And really, that is all I can ask for in the middle of winter. What brings you joy in the depressing dark months of mid winter?

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Step Into My Office

2009-02-18T08:35:00.004-05:00

Dear World,

Won't you please step into my office? You can sit there on the window seat and we chat awhile.

It is filled with all things I love:
And I love organization above all else:
I had to have bamboo for good luck and prosperity:
And of course a bird feeder to watch the birds up close. How about that view?
The best memo board ever created:

Thanks for visiting! Come again soon ;0)

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

*PS. Don't forget about the Arbonne giveaway and book party!

PARTY TIME and GIVEAWAY!

2009-02-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ladies, it is par-tay TIME! Remember this post where i embarrassed myself gushing over the skin care system i ~~discovered~~ was introduced to? i also begged for donations or for someone to help me rob a bank? Yeah, not one of my prettiest moments, for sure.

Well, i came up with a solution that is a win-win situation! i win and you win...what could be better than that?

Here is the deal. i am hosting an Arbonne Blogging Book Party starting now and going until the 24th. All you have to do is check out Arbonne's Website, order some amazing products for yourself, and that will help me (the hostess) earn the skin care system that i SIMPLY MUST HAVE OR GO INSANE at a discounted price! Woot! No robbing banks involved!

And that is not all! My consultant, Julie, gave me 3 packs of NutriMin C RE9 anti-aging skin care system samples for free to give out to my bloggy friends! This, my friends, is the skin care system that i have been raving about. So, before i use all the samples for myself, this is what you need to do to have a chance to win one:

1. Go visit the Arbonne website and browse all the incredible products.

2. Come back here, leave a comment telling me which product most intrigues you and why.

3. Go to Julie's website to place your order (if you wish...need not do this to enter the giveaway, but it will help save my face from certain disaster!)

That' s it! You will be entered to win one of the three skin care samples!

Here is a bit more about the Arbonne product:

What makes Arbonne different?
1. The products are botanical based.

2. All the products are pH correct to match with human skin.

3. The products are hypoallergenic. That means all must come back from skin patch testing with a 0 (on a 0-10 scale) for allergens. Most other companies mark their products "hypo-allergenic" with a 4! *If you are allergic to the botanical bases in the products (strawberry, sea kelp, apple, orange, etc.) you can be allergic to the product!

4. Dermatologist tested...independent dermatologists monitor human volunteers.

5. Never tested on animals.

6. Formulated with NO animal products or by-products.

7. Formulated with no mineral oil (a petroleum product that is molecularly too large for skin pores).

8. Formulated without dyes or chemical fragrances.

Some of my favorite products that i had a chance to sample Friday night:
1. mineral powder foundation
2. sea salt scrub
3. FYI lip gloss
4. anti-aging skin care line

And because i have a hard time posting without pictures...some pics from Friday night's Arbonne party:

We had a blast at the mother/daughter party. All the neighborhood women, and i use neighborhood loosely, as we live in a very rural area... brought their daughters and we had a rockin' good time!

My dear friend, Julie, was the hostess and she was warm and sweet, allowing us to trash her house and barn (the girls were outside playing flashlight tag around her barn...) and give us wine all in one night. What more could a girl ask for?

But the spotlight of the party was the products that the amazing company Arbonne makes. All Arbonne products are formulated in Switzerland and made in the USA.

We had a hand massage with the salt scrub...orgasmic, people...and had a chance to sample other products as well. i was thrilled to find they offered a mineral powder foundation that i have been wanting to try for a long time!

They have several lines to choose from...Seasource Detox Spa; Anti-Aging RE9; Clear Advantage (for blemished skin); FYI Arbonne for Teens and Tweens; Baby; Color (make-up); Balance (balancing creams for those in prime of life); Aromatherapy; and Weight Loss and Nutrition. There is a group of products for everyone and anyone!

At the party, i decided to purchase the Seasource Detox Spa Re-Mineralizing Body Lotion for my hubby's cracked hands and for Ladybug's eczema. i also purchased the Mineral Powder Foundation SPF15. i can't wait to get the products and start trying them!

In skin care heaven,
iPost
~iPost Therefore i Am!~

Hard Hat Area

2009-02-16T20:57:00.002-05:00

My Dearest Readers,

Just wanted to let you know that I am under construction. It should all be worked out by tomorrow!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~

Fun Monday- Yes, I Really Wear Those Mickey Mouse Shoes in the House

2009-02-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to a really embarrassing Fun Monday, hosted by the amazing Gattina over at Writer's Cramps. Her assignment today was an easy one, albeit an embarrassing one. Here is our assignment (i have to paraphrase because the link is not working right now!):

Show us the shoes you wear inside the house.

Okay, Gattina, you asked for it! These are the ugly, Wal Mart brand fake winter Crocs in all their glory:

Why do i wear these atrocities?

1. They are warm.
2. They are clogs, so they slip on.
3. When i have to run out to the bus stop or the mailbox they have rubber soles for outdoors.
4. i am lazy and have no sense of style.

i do, however, occasionally change to these when company is coming:
They just say "trendy indoor footwear" way better than fake $7.00 Crocs.

Head on over to Writer's Cramps to check out more indoor footwear!

***GIVE AWAY STARTING TOMORROW!*** HINT- Remember i told you my facial cleansing system ROCKS more than Uncle Kracker? (That is saying a lot, because i LOVE Uncle Kracker...) Well, i just might have some samples to hand out! i know...i am the woman! Be sure to check back tomorrow!

xoxo,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

Mail Call Sunday

2009-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone. i didn't get too many cards this week, but i did get one of my all-time favorites so far! First, let's start with these and then i will let you know which was my favorite.

From Finland:

From Great Britain:

From the Netherlands:

From France:

Which one do you think is my favorite? The winning card this week is the one from France! i am never too keen on postcards that are overly touristy, however, this particular view of the Eiffel Tower just takes my breath away! i love it! i have it hanging on a beautiful memo board just above my computer screen so i can see it all the time. Speaking of my memo board...be looking for pictures of my new office this coming week! i LOVE it!

Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone!

xoxo,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

Variations on the Theme

2009-02-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Remember this from yesterday?

It is not really my Grandma's farm. It is a farm that i pass on the way home from the closest town. Here is the original:

And here are some variations...mostly vintage.

And this one is infrared:

Which one do you like best?

xoxo,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

I Cannot Be Separated From This or You

2009-02-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

This harsh and splendid land
With snow covered rock mountains, cold-crystal streams,
Deep forests of cypress, juniper and ash
Is as much my body as what you see before you here.
I cannot be separated from this or you.
Our many hearts have only a single beat.

~From The Warrior Song of King Gezar

Love always,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

There Must be Crack in my Skin Care Products

2009-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

i am hear to tell you that i have discovered the most amazing skin care system. Well, i didn't discover it, actually. i didn't even stumble across it. i give myself too much credit!

In reality, my friend told me about it. Now i am telling you about it. This stuff is a virtual fountain of youth. i kid you not. i could feel the difference in my skin after just 24 hours. After 4 days i was shocked at the radiant glow from my skin. My friend is throwing an in home party tomorrow featuring these products and all of the invitees got a 4 day sample of the treatment to try before we come. Now i know why they do that! Once you start it, you don't want to give it up!

A.M.AZ.I.N.G. And i am not even a product whore. i am anti-product!

Want to know what it is? It is Arbonne NutriMinC RE9. It is freakin' amazing!

Only problem? So is the price.

For the full system (that i have now been doing for the past 4 days and MUST have it) it is...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

$298.50.

So what do i do now? i simply can not pay $298.50 for a skin care regimen. And I am hooked on it like a drug addict on heroin!

Here are my options:

a. Beg everyone for donations. i could call it "Save iPost's Face Now Fund." But i already hit all of you up for cancer donations last year and probably will this year too...just warnin' ya...

b. We could all pitch in and share it. You know, if 12 of us buy it we could each keep it for a month. But then the rest of the year we would all look like old hags. That is not going to work.

c. Go back to my old regimen, which amounted to a bit of H2O and some Dove. NO...NO...NO! i can't go back and relive those days! DON"T MAKE ME GO BACK!

d. Rob a bank. Hmmmmmm...

e. Beg everyone to buy Simply Smooches cards really fast....like before tomorrow! And believe you me, after trying this product, i am NOT above begging...

f. Steal it from the consultant tomorrow at the party. But i don't want to go to hell over eternal beauty.

*sigh*

What is a woman to do? i must have it. Maybe they put something in it to make you want it...like crack or something.

Give me advice, people before i start convulsing and having withdraw!

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

P.S. This is not a paid review or a review for a blogger site. i only speak truth here, people. Sad, but true.

Photography Updates

2009-02-11T00:00:00.001-05:00

A couple of photography updates today.

As you all know, i teach an online photography class, Get Off the Green Square. Well, i am in my second running of the class and it is going really well. i am super proud of my students, as they are doing a great job, even after only one lesson. Please head over to Nine Acres Photography and check out 5 of my student's work. I chose one picture from each person and posted it from their first week assignment. Please give them some comment LOVE!

Secondly, i wanted to let everyone one know, that due to popular demand, i have added the Snow and Hemlock picture to my gallery. It is now available as a fine art print.

i have also been busy on the Simply Smooches end of things and am ready to introduce the new set! There have been requests for more academic type cards instead of riddles, so my first academic set is called "Body Trivia!"

Each card has a true/false, believe it or not, multiple choice, or open ended question about the body. The facts are fun and informative. Of course, each card is laminated and easily cleaned. You can use them over and over again! They come in a set of 30! They are available for purchase from the sidebar. Hurry! The Valentine's Day special (buy 1 kid set and get the Loving Thoughts adult set free) is ending Saturday!

Busy, busy, busy!

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

My View....Not to be Confused with THE VIEW

2009-02-10T08:04:00.005-05:00

The following is my lowly opinion on some of the latest reality shows. This is why i never was asked to be a television critic.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight- i would love to stay home, have cameras follow me, have other people help me write a book, and live in a new sprawling "compound." i think it is deplorable that Kate belittles her husband and her children and gets not only praised, but actually paid to do it. Jon needs to get some balls. Maddy needs therapy...she has some serious anger issues. i am not big on analyzing other families, but if you tape your everyday life and make a million doing it, you are putting yourself out there for analysis by others.

Extreme Makeover, Home Edition- The only show that makes me cry. Ty is okay, but he says the same 10 lines over and over in each episode. The writers need to spruce it up a bit. i like Paulie the best.i fast forward through demolition part; i just want to see the final house. This past week's episode (i think it was this weeks...like i said, i TIVO)...i cried about 5 different times. It was the one where the son drowned trying to save his sister and father. The sister lived, but the father died.)

Homeland Security USA- Despite all the criticism, i find this show interesting and informative. i mean, what other show can you see human skulls shipped to the U.S. from China or the coast guard rescue 92 illegal immigrants from storm laden seas and feed them all with food bought with our tax payer money. This is golden television.

Toddlers and Tiaras- Oh. My. God. Someone needs to shut this operation down and throw these parents in jail. Fake eyelashes on 3 year olds?!? What is wrong with these people?

The Real Housewives of Orange County- Get. A. Life. Paaaaaleeeeease. Can you say, "catfight" and "spoiled?" That about sums it up.

True Beauty- Bwahahahahahaha! First...from where did they get these people? Second, can you say "catfight" and "spoiled?" And how old is Cheryl Tiegs? Holy facelift, batman...she can't even smile. i am not sure that she can even breathe. i truly think she is rivaling Michael Jackson in the worst plastic surgery department!

Since i am not much on dramas and there aren't that many great sit coms any more (Cheers, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld where are you now????) can you see why i hate television? To spice things up a bit, i will still watch Desperate Housewives for the ridiculous element and i will watch The Office for laughs, but honestly...nothing beats a good book.

xoxo,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

Fun Monday....Welcome to My World

2009-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Our hostess today is Pamela from The Dust Will Wait. Thanks for hosting this week, my friend!

Her assignment was the following:

Show me in pictures or tell me in words what defines the place where you live.

Hello!?!...Right up my alley! So, i will use the least amount of words possible, and let my pictures do the talking!

Where i live there are acres and acres and acres of orchards. (Click to enlarge any of the pictures.)

Where i live there are more acres, cornfields, and tress than people.

Where i live we drive through rural streets and towns.

Where i live we can get some strange weather, like ice and fog at the same time.

Where i live, the kids go to small schools and EVERYONE rides the bus...there are no sidewalks.

Where i live, the nights are crisp and clear and the moon shines bright.

Where i live, the horses outnumber the people.

Where i live, there are many trees and nature is at her best.

Where i live, barns are a frequent sight.

i hope you enjoyed your little tour of my rural home. (((Hugs)))

Go check out where everyone else lives!

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

Mail Call Sunday- The Damaged Edition

2009-02-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Mail Call Sunday! i have lots to share with you...check it out! From North Carolina, USA:

From Germany:

From the Netherlands:

From Taiwan:

From Germany:

From Idaho, USA:

The next card was sent from Russia, but i must point out beautiful envelope in which the card arrived. The Postcrosser who sent this to me used a paper shopping bag to make this envelope.
Isn't it beautiful? I love the idea that she recycled something instead of using a pre-made envelope!

She included this funny card:

Ans she also included a "touristy" card:

It was certainly a good week for getting postcards! It, however, was not a good week for other types of mail.

You can't tell very well, but look at this magazine (the second one in a row that showed up in torn and crinkled condition). It doesn't show in the scan very well, but look at the red stamps on the cover. That was the US mail's way of trying to tell me that the damage was not their fault.

Yeah, OK.
And i must insert here that i do NOT pay for this magazine, as i am not a Martha Stewart fan, but i get it for free for participating in a She Speaks survey about a new Food Network Show. This was the only magazine left for the free choice. *sigh*

And then this came:
In this baggie:
Yeah...you care all right. Three damaged items in less than one month. Brilliant. i am not too thrilled with the Post Office right now.

On a happier note, this did not arrive in the mail, but a dear friend delivered this to me by hand the other day. i started reading it and am hooked! Love it! My adult book club is reading this for the month of February. Woot!

Hugs and kisses,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

A Winner is Chosen!

2009-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Okay folks...after much deliberation and a major tie breaker, the winners have been chosen for the Caption This contest!

Here were the entries:

1. Listen, you go distract the big lady, and I'll go get the peanuts. (Okay, who is calling me "big?") ;0)

2. Two elephants walk into a bedroom... (hehehehehe!)

3. I've been longing he to see you (hohohohohoho)

4. Pass the Peanuts (They wish!)

5. I'm just sayin'...that is what the other toys told me... (Bwahahahahahaha)!

6. Stuffed Silhouettes in love (awwwww....)

7. Trunky behavior caught on film (sounds very risque for a Church Lady!)

8. "Little hairy Elefante, do not fear the unknown of change...your hair will NOT grow back thicker." (Oh, my lord, how hysterical is that?!? i never noticed how hairy one was until you mentioned it!)

9. You'll never guess what happened! (Really? What? You HAVE to tell me...)

10. Does this make my trunk look big? (Yes.)

11. Here comes the goofy women with the camera again. (Well, ain't that the truth!)

12. *snnniiiffffff* Mmmm... smells like peanut butter pancakes to me! (Now there is a recipe idea i had not thought of...)

13. Stay still, stay very still. If they catch us in here together, they will pack our trunks and send us on our way. (Hmmm...what were they doing that was so bad?)

14. As I was saying, and trust me I know because I have traveled the world, you can never have too big of a trunk. (These elephants MUST be women if that is what was being discussed!)

15. Two Republicans In The Dark (Lord, have mercy...too darn funny! Are they planning a comeback in 2012?)

So, out of those 15 entries, a secret ballot was made and the super duper secret voting committee chose their firs and second favorites. After a nerve wracking tie-breaker vote the winner was decided.

Ladies and gentlemen, the GRAND PRIZE winner is *drum roll please*

Jennie from The Country Vaughns with the winning entry of "I'm just sayin'...that's what the other toys told me!" Hey Jennie, please contact me to give me your address and to tell me what Simply Smooches product you would like! A framed 5 x 7 print of this picture is on it's way to you as soon as i get your addy!

The runner up with the entry "Two Republicans in the Dark" is The Freedom Writer! Congrats! be sure to contact me and let me know which Simply Smooches product you would like!

Thanks to all of you for playing...you rock!

Stop in tomorrow for some fun globe trotting with my Mail Call Sunday!

Hugs to all,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

Still Not Adjusted

2009-02-06T07:46:00.005-05:00

After almost 5 years of living in a rural area, i am still not completely adjusted.

Yesterday i needed to mail out some Simply Smooches orders. No big deal...i would run to the post office after i lead the 4th grade book club at school.

Off i go into the next state, which is the closest post office, believe it or not, to zoom in and out, posting my precious packages.

Only problem was that the post office...a U.S. government agency was frickin' CLOSED for lunch from 1-2pm. Huh? Are you kidding me? It was 1:12 pm. *sigh* Since it was one of the smallest post offices around, i thought...okay, i will give them a break. So, off to the next town...a town a bit bigger than this one.

i jump out of my car (after another 10 minute drive), fling open the outer doors to the post office...CLOSED! Closed for lunch from 1-2pm. Are you crapping me? Is this a practical joke? Now it is 1:22 pm. Still i would have to wait over 1/2 hour for it to reopen. Stay and wait or drive to the next town?

So, pissed off, i drove another 10 minutes to an even larger town, hoping and praying the whole time that it was open. Sure enough, it was! Whew! It took me an hour and a 1/4 tank of gas to mail my packages.

i never had this problem in the suburbs!

Love ya,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

P.S. I will be choosing a winners for the caption contest today! Will post the winner tomorrow!

When I Don't Love My Pets

2009-02-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

I usually love my animals.

They give me comfort and joy.

They amuse me and keep me company.

Except when they think they rule the roost and can steal all of the heat...darn animals.

*teeth chattering*,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

P.S. Today is the last day to enter the contest!

Valentine's Day Sale

2009-02-04T13:10:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to let all of my peeps know that there is a Valentine's Day sale going on over at Simply Smooches. Just purchase any kids lunch box note set (Animal Riddles, Horse Collection, or What Am I?) and a set of Loving Thoughts Adult cards will be sent to you FREE! What a great way to say you love someone in a little bity way!

*Sale ends 2.14.09

Smooch,

~iPost Therefore i Am!~

Don't forget about my contest...winners chosen on Friday!

In the Shadow of the Sun King

2009-02-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all!

i just finished reading, In the Shadow of the Sun King, by Golden Keyes Parsons. It was an interesting historical fiction with a strong Christian flair. i received this book via Thomas Nelson Publishers who offer free books to bloggers who agree to review their books. If you would like to check out this opportunity, please visit their book review blog site.

i enjoyed reading this fast paced historical/Christian fiction book based on the author's actual family lineage. The setting is seventeenth century France. King Louis XIV is in power and is struggling to unite his country in one common faith. He tries to force all of his Huguenot subjects to convert to Catholicism or face imprisonment or death. King Louis' dragoons begin scouring the countryside looking for Huguenot families. They take over their homes, steal their children, and reek havoc for Protestants wherever they go.

The main character is Madeleine Clavell, a strong, Huguenot woman who is determined to use her past connections with the King as a way to save her family from the oppressive dragoons that have taken over her estate. Madeleine leaves her husband and youngest child home, sends her two older boys into hiding, and journeys to confront the King. But all is not well. When her plan backfires with the King, her husband is sent to the galley, her daughter is placed in a convent, and she and the boys flee to Switzerland. The question is, will the family ever reunite?

While the book opened my eyes to the religious struggle of the time and place, it was not a very in-depth look at the time period as most historical fictions i have read. With that said, i do not like my fiction to read like a social studies text, so this didn't bother me so much. If you are looking to be entertained and not looking for a historical essay on 17th century France, then you won't mind that the book is a bit thin on setting development.

What i didn't like was the way the author used religious references over and over again. It didn't serve the book well, as it didn't further the character development or the plot. i know that religion was the major conflict in the book, but the way the author inserts the religious excerpts feels awkward and a bit like getting hit over the head with a Bible. i do not like being preached to in my fiction.

i did like the way the author portrayed the main character, a woman, in a strong light. She was smart, brave, and true. It is refreshing to see strong woman characters portrayed in a time when woman were viewed as weak and stupid. Bravo for that!

Overall, if you are looking for a quick read for entertainment, this book is good for you. If you are looking for amazing literature, do yourself a favor and pass on this one.

Love and kisses,
~iPost

P.S. Don't forget about my contest...it ends on Friday!

Nine Acres (Old)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Fun Monday: Inspiration at Work

Mail Call Sunday TV Mom Contest!

Ladybug is a Published Author!

BOOM, patter, patter, BOOM

Blogger Photo Shoot and Lunch! Your Personal Invite!

Wordless Wednesday- Garden

Which Dialect of Love Are You?

Fun Monday- We Are But Dreamers

Happy Easter!

Going To the Valley

Going To The Valley

I Just Gave Birth...

Proud Teacher

Bungee Jumping!

Wordless Wednesday- Softness

Let's Go Racing!

Fun Monday- Sitting on the Dock

Mail Call Sunday- China in Australia

Happy Birthday, Brian

Where I've Been

Wordless Wednesday-Coming In for a Landing

Lots of Pink and Glitter!

Fun Monday- Easter Baskets

Mail Call Sunday!

Welcoming Spirit

C is for Conowingo Hydro-Electric Plant

First Seven Giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday

What do Pretzels, a Romantic Comedy, Henry VIII, and a Historical Book Have in Common?

Eden Mill Nature Center

Mail Call Sunday- Fresh Start

Shameless Self Promotion

Wordless Wednesday: Hanes Her Way

Chicken Pox Update

Fun Monday- Kids Say the Funniest Things!

Mail Call Sunday- Just Fan Mail, No Hate Mail

Wordless Saturday- I Totally Made That Meme Up

Daisy in Detail

New Member of Our Family

Hand Dipped Chocolates Anyone?

Guest Posting for Lisa

Fun Monday- My Two Step Economic Plan to Save the World

Mail Call Sunday...Sparkling Cards

The Constipated Unicorns

Smashing in the Nose of an Obnoxious Parent...kind of

Slumdog Millionaire = Powerful

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Let it Snow Or March Comes in Like a Lion!

Fun Monday: Moms and Grandmas

Mail Call Sunday...Busy, Busy, Busy!

Fruit, Red Tape, and Winter Uckies

Hold Your Horses!

Impeachment of a President

What's Up Lately

It is Not About the Tulips...It is About Valuing Myself

Mail Call Sunday: How to Make a Life

Copy Cat Bling

One Thing About Me

Valentine's Flower Study

Step Into My Office

PARTY TIME and GIVEAWAY!

Hard Hat Area

Fun Monday- Yes, I Really Wear Those Mickey Mouse Shoes in the House

Mail Call Sunday

Variations on the Theme

I Cannot Be Separated From This or You

There Must be *Crack* in my Skin Care Products

Photography Updates

My View....Not to be Confused with THE VIEW

Fun Monday....Welcome to My World

Mail Call Sunday- The Damaged Edition

A Winner is Chosen!

Still Not Adjusted

When I Don't Love My Pets

Valentine's Day Sale

In the Shadow of the Sun King

There Must be Crack in my Skin Care Products