A Needed Kiss

I have written before about God Kisses (see post Kisses From God ) And today was no exception. I awoke with a stiff neck, no real drive and real distaste for the weather outside. The thought of more snow expected later this week is a bit depressing. So imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw this...

A White Dove!

I actually had to do a double-take. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was made out of snow. There is where I got my ten minutes to breathe today. A little sign that there is beauty everywhere. Even in the snow that has cause so much havoc around here lately. I just needed to take the time and Look. Where will you find a God Kiss today? Blessings, Joanne

Please make sure you stop by AnythingatAnytime MUSIC Mondaze. He is back and feeling better and chose a great song for today. Button is also on the side.

We finally Made Terrariums!

In a recent post I posted a link to a blog that had a great idea for a project. ..a Terrarium. Yesterday my kids and I finally got around to making some. First we went out to Kmart and found that they had some small plants on sale. These reminded him of palm trees. Cute huh? He decided to use some of my craft buttons and made it into a froggy "island". 

Here is a close-up of his project. He decided to add the dragon fly onto a wire so that it would look like it was actually flying.

My daughter chose a bigger rounded bowl and her theme was dogs in their very own play area (puppy paradise). Really adorable touch I thought. 

                                




                       
               Here is a close-up of the puppies having

                       a great time in their play yard.

The kids had a great time making these and it really didn't take a long time at all. It was pretty much instant gratification. Instead of tiny pebbles for drainage we used a package of crushed shells (it was on sale).  We "borrowed" some soil from a number of house plants because my Mommy brain forgot to buy a package of soil for the project! 

My "Patton-ish" Speech...To Clean The House

   The time has come....This weekend the whole house is getting a scrub down. So I stood up in front of my family....OK more like yelled from the kitchen as they went about their business. (I almost wish I had the flag behind me) and reminiscent of George C. Scott in Patton said...


               OK, we are here today for one purpose and one purpose only
To Clean the house! Too long has that hamper bulged with laundry!
Too long has that clutter been residing on the kitchen table!
We will fight the tyranny that is dirt!
We will fight the invasion of dust bunnies and bring down the dreaded soap scum in the bathroom!
We will all pinch in and clean our rooms 'til we shine with pride!
We will not give up and run from scuff marks!
We will never let the enemy see us quiver underneath the strain of heavy mop and bucket!
OK can we do this?!!!
I CAN'T HEAR YOU!..CAN WE DO THIS?????!!!!
Your darn right we can! 'Cause that's our Family way!!!!!!
Now go out there and make me proud!!!!! 

D worked for about ten minutes before sitting down to play his D.S.
J pouted the whole twenty minutes she helped clean and hubby had to go to work...early. hum
My family is used to my shenanigans and my little speech did not inspire them at all.
Maybe next week I should try the speech with a more Brave Heart point of view. Now, where can I buy bright blue face paint? ;0)

Dear Inner Child...I need You Today.

     The sun peeked its head out but quickly retreated; I guess he knows we are all mad at him...big sissy. Even if he had stayed out it wouldn't be enough to get me out of this yuck mood I have been in all day. I must retreat. I have to go somewhere comfy cozy and warm....Bahamas? I wish;  no I'm talking about going into that childhood part of us that hasn't been scooped out  by everyday grown up drudgery. Some people find that place when they hear old music. Some when they eat childhood type goodies like ding dongs and yodels. Me...I love dollhouses. I love 'em. See post Dollhouse . I could look at them forever and never get bored. I have a few pictures to share.

The first Time I ever saw a picture of the Colleen Moore fairy Castle My Husband and I were in a book store and I caught a glimpse of the book Within The Fairy Castle  written for and by the Museum of Science And Industry in Chicago where the castle all seven feet high one ton of it resides. Colleen Moore was a famous Silent picture actress that commissioned the castle to be made. It was constructed by famous designers and experts in lighting and replicating famous works of art.

 Collen Moore even used family heirlooms like her Grandmother's brooch and pearls to create the Golden cradle in the tree (rock-a-bye-baby) as part of the garden of the Castle. She commissioned famous artist from all around the world to create the masterpiece that is this "doll house". I think it truly is a work of art.

Notice the suit of armour and the incredible detail above the entrance way. The glass was intricately etched...beautiful doesn't describe it.



Colleen Moore



 I kept going back to where the book rested in its place at the book store and ultimately decided that it was a frivolous purchase and was not needed. Later on I saw my Husband walking toward the cashier with the book in his hands. I guess he saw how much my inner child wanted that book. It is still one of my favorites. Today, I kept the blahs away for at least...ten minutes by looking through one of my favorite coffee table books.

It Stays

Well, we woke up to find that 18 inches of snow had fallen to join the two feet that had fallen last week. digging out of the driveway my husband has run out of places to throw the snow. Its bad people real bad. Well it could always be worse right?








Inside the trunk...a collage

What I really want to write about today is an tiny ongoing disagreement that my husband and I  had about a trunk. It's your run of the mill camping trunk that you might have taken to sleep away camp or college. This trunk I have had for about thirty years or so. It still has the collage that I made on the inside.There you'll see cut out pictures of Tom Cruise, lots of soap stars, Cindi Lauper, Marlena Dietrich. Everything that I found interesting at the time was in that collage. I brought that trunk to camp when I was a camp counselor. I took it to college where it served as a resting place for my radio and hot pot. (Remember hotpots? please say yes). When I got engaged I stored there all the special little items that I wanted to use for the wedding; and when we moved from our apartment into our very own home I packed it with our kids books. The disagreement that My Husband and  I  had, had to do with the fact that he hated that trunk.

"Its ugly." he said.
"I think it's beautiful" I said.

"It's old and rusted.  It shouldn't be in the guestroom why can't we just move it to the basement."

"Nope it stays up here." I said. Round and round we went until one day Hubby asked "Seriously why the heck are you so attached to that thing?"  I thought he knew. I thought it was obvious. It wasn't.

I was crazy about Luke and Laura...remember?

He knew that my Dad had given me the trunk but I explained. "Hun, that trunk and that old camera and my graduation ring is all I have left of him. He touched those things. You don't know how that feels because you are lucky enough to still have both your parents. When I look at that trunk I see him bringing it through the front door with a big smile on his face. When I look at that old camera I remember him holding it steady to take my picture when I was little. When I look at my Grad ring I remember how proud he was at my Graduation. I can't give up that trunk. It stays." I was trying hard not to cry. He looked at me with heart felt pause and said "You know what... your right. It stays." I spent ten minutes today looking at that old rusty trunk and remembering how much I Still Love my Dad.

My trunk and my Dad's old camera

A Very Short Video About.....What Else...Snow

Just recorded this. Time to just sit back and have a nice hot cup 'o coffee and maybe a smile. Have a Great day! Blessings, Joanne

A Few Tips to Fight the Winter Blaaaahs

From my handy dandy greetings workshop

         The winter blaaaaaaaaaahs. They last from about January 2nd to about March 20th or so. The winter blahs make you sleepy and sluggish. I think its our prehistoric way our body says  "Hey its still dark out....Go Back to bed and SLEEP." But we are a civilized society,  we must get up in darkness and move and fight through the blaaaaaaaahs. Everything seems to irritate me. Everything from the laundry that is still drying downstairs at the hour of 12:46am to the clutter on the kitchen table that everyone think fairies come late at night to clear away. I want to eat all the time. ALL the Time. And even the fact that we have to suit up every time we go out into the cold is annoying. Here are some of the things that I do to keep the blaaaaaahs from taking over..

1.    I try not to look back on past vacations but to look forward to new adventures. I start to plan our next vacation or Camping trip, Day trips, picnics, barbecues; This keeps me happy. Call your local library and find out what activities they have planned. My Library always has something going on.

2.   Plan a special themed lunch with friends.

3.   I start to mentally plan my garden. Last year my husband cleared a spot where he filled with organic soil and we planted a sweet vegetable garden. a smile on my face is forming....

4.   I download and print out pictures of spring and then tape them to my fridge. Gives me a view and feel of what is to come.

5.   Buy and display some sun-catchers to grab a bit of sunshine.

6.   Make some lemonade. Take ten minutes to drink in sunshine.

7.   Every now and then I buy flowers. There is no bettter way to brighten up a room.

That's it. ahhh I feel better already. I hope you can benefit from this list too.  wait..the news is on ...oh....more snow....excuse me while I cry in my lemonade.  ;0)

Sorry if anyone has had trouble getting on my blog lately. Something is playing havoc with my blog. It caused it to essentially tell alot of people that my blog was not found at all. I am trying to fix it , its is very frustrating. has anyone else had this problem? When I went to the blogger help site it suggested that I get rid of gadgets. I got rid of two and when I went to my stats and posted this post it did not imediately go to this other site but only time will tell. I am so computer illiterate i find most of tht time i am lost. Ex. It took me two days to figure out how to make a button for my blog. and even so it would either show up as gigantic or teeny tiny...i chose teeny....will i ever get the hang of this?  :0(  Then to top things off some "spam-ish" sites are using my blog as "contributors" when I have not given permission for them to do so. Kind of creepy. and annoying.
BTW the web sites are call Movie-ozone.com and pingywebedition.somee.com they seem to be spam . they seem to as soon as you post have several hits on the post that was just listed . in fact when I went to blogger help there are several people that this is affecting. I only found out because I went to the stats and there were sevearl times that these sites were listed in a very short period of time. it seems as soon as you post they are there. is anyone else having this problem? i mean whats their deal? creepola! I reported them to Blogger as spam.

We're Breaking Up

      Yep we are breaking up. We are so incompatible. You don't get me and I certainly don't get you. In the begining it was fun hanging out with you. You brought out the kid in me. Everything around me was magical and beautiful when you were around but now...to be honest I'm a bit bored with you. Same old thing day in day out. Lets face it...I like things a bit hot and spicy and you are just cold all the time. You don't warm my heart and quite frankly I need that warm and toasty feeling and you can't give that to me. So I'm giving you ten minutes to pack up all your stuff and go. I know that my feelings won't change this time...I know I said the same thing last year and here you are but I mean it now...please LEAVE. Please don't cry...we'll always have Christmas. Ok? Well, I guess thats it.  Good bye Winter...please, please, please, please LEAVE!  Sincerely, Joanne

Envy Soup





       As you know I am a Christian. I am not a perfect Christian. I think there is no such thing; though some people might lead you to believe that they are by the way they preach at you. I'm trying to learn. I am trying to be a better Child of Christ and most of all I'm trying to "walk the walk". I try to do unto others and love my brothers and sisters. All that being said during the past few days I have been stewing in a sticky nasty pot of Envy soup.  A few posts back I wrote how I am trying to get my work published. Every night I sit at my computer and tap tap tap til the wee hours and with a hopeful heart I await a response. Where does that green Monster called jealousy come in?........I WANT TO KNOW HOW THE HELL DOES SNOOKI GET A FREAKIN' BOOK DEAL?????!!!! People, people please I need to know is it in the Bible? Because if this isn't one of the signs of end times, it should be. It should be up there with plague of locusts and world wide flooding. I know I know you may say sour grapes Joanne sour grapes. And perhaps it is. I have not read her book.  For all I know she is a delightful young woman with a knack for weaving an awesomely good story..............(I think my bowels just twisted) I don't get it. And what bothers me more is that it Bothers me...really bothers me. I am jealous of Snooki. There, the shame of it all might very well kill me, but its out there..onto the universe with you Envious thoughts;  may I never see you or Snookie's book again. Ahh I feel better already.  ;0)
P.S. Please don't forget to drop by Anything At Anytime for MUSIC Mondaze. He hasn't been feeling well lately but if he does post today you won't regret stopping by. Button is also on side.

A Great Idea To Brush Away The Winter Blues





which container shall I use?

      Hi again, was just blog hopping and came across this blog Under The Table and Dreaming It had just the thing to chase away those winter blues. The post Terrarium ideas and inspirations is just what we need to bring a bit of green to our winter. The pictures are simply beautiful... In fact even if you can't make one of these awesome projects...how  about just going out and buying a few plants or some flowers to brighten up your day? Just a thought. Now I think I'll take ten minutes to look for a cute container for my terrarium project!

Music Soothes the Savage Puppies????

I found this video on You Tube posted by BLtmic and I thought it was the cutest thing! Enjoy! Have a great day. Blessings, Joanne

More Norman Rockwell

Girl at the Mirror oil painting Post Cover 3/6/1954

And now a bit more from my Favorite Artist Norman Rockwell. I wanted to stick within a theme of "childhood". First one up is  Girl at the Mirror 1954. Since my own daughter is about the same age as the girl in the painting it moves me. She is looking at her own beautiful face thinking "when will I look more grown up?" She is holding a magazine ( how many times did we do this as teens?) On the floor tossed to the side is her doll. At her feet is her brush and comb and a lipstick. Kind of caught between two worlds. Bittersweet for me right now as I look at my own daughter.

Home From Camp Top Value Enterprises,Inc Stamps Cover, 1968

The next is called Home from Camp 1968. Here we see the little boy back from his adventure away at summer camp. The door is left a bit opened because in their joy no one thought to close it and what kid has ever closed a door without being told to anyway right? Look at the way Rockwell  captures the pride in the Dad's face. Look at Mom. she is just so happy her baby is home. It seems that she is saying "Oh, let me just look at you!!!!" Her face says it all. She sees a difference in her child and wants to soak it in. The boy is proud and so happy to be missed and loved. Look at the birdhouse he made just for mom. and he even sports what seems like a tiny band-aid on his finger. Even their dog is happy to have his buddy back.

 

Breaking Home Ties Oil painting Post cover  9/25/1954

This one is called Breaking Home Ties 1954. This one makes me a bit sad. Father and son are waiting. For a bus? Train? the son sits straight and seems ready for the world in his brand new suit and tie. He has his books and even a sticker of the school he is about to call home for the next four years. He is eagerly looking forward to his future and the start of his life. Dad on the other hand looks to the past it seems. His hands are that of a working man's hands. His clothes are old. He's here to see his son off. My guess is that he has worked hard all his life to provide a better life for his son, but this day the day he has worked for now brings him alot of sadness too. The dog feeling that he is about to lose his best friend lovingly rests his head on the the young man's lap. I love this painting it's one of my absolute favorites.

I hope you enjoyed these. Have a great day. Blessings, Joanne

For My Own Two Babies...Who Aren't Babies Anymore

     I logged on and saw that someone new commented on my blog FiToriblog.com.very exciting.  I went to her blog and found that she is expecting a baby. She is in incredible shape and has a great blog.  I have been "blog hopping" alot lately and there are alot of pregnant bloggers out there. Made me sentimental for days passed. So this post is dedicated to my own two babies J and D.

I miss buying clothes in the newborn section.
even though It's been more than nine years..I miss being pregnant.
I miss cute little curly pigtails
I miss baby giggles
I miss watching Sesame Street with you cuddled on the couch.
I miss having you around all day long
I miss the potty dance every time you went to the bathroom.
I miss the Tooth Fairy
I miss Fisher Price toys
I miss breast feeding
I miss teeny tiny baby food jars
I miss smushy kisses and toothless smiles
I miss quiet time before the beginning of day when it was just you and me

now this day...
I love that you are healthy
I love that you are a kind little boy
I love that you are a confident almost teen girl
I love that you love God
I love that you have your own sense of style
I love your joy in reading Harry Potter books
I love that you still smile when I visit your classroom.
I love your laugh it's so contagious
I love that you love and protect your Brother
I love that you love and protect your Sister
I love that I am still here with you to see you grow
I love right now
I love you both with all my heart.
When you were little I would think that it could not get any better.. When you were swaddled in your very first blanket. I thought that was the best time

When you said Mama for the first time..I thought that was the best time

When you started to read...I thought that was the best time.

I quickly find that here right now is what is best. I look at you both and know that God gave you to me. I strive everyday to be worthy of that gift. Thank you God.

Fashions of the 30's... My new favorite



http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/1930links.htm



Delicate details
and
delicate fabrics

Love the style of this coat
and the color...yummy!

I love fashion. contrary to what I may go around in (usually jeans and plain top). I love old fashion. My Mother-in-law at times brings out her old photo albums and It is like looking through an old magazine. She is now 82 and still stylish. Back then (in the 30's and 40's) she was the perfect model in those pictures of the fashions I love. I adore the fact that ladies wore gloves when they left the house. And the hats! I love the fact that men wore suits and hats too;  Even to go to the movies. Recently I have been obsessed with a new show to me but perhaps not to you. Wind at my back. It is set in the 30's and it is being shown on the Inspiration channel (Insp) and ( I highly recommend it). It sort of reminds me of the Walton's but with much better clothes and a bit more exciting! The stories seem to be continued almost like a soap instead of just stories that are resolved in the hour. One of the main characters Grace (played by Kathryn Greenwood) is dressed in the most beautiful clothes. The shoes are just so cute and strappy and the hats...please bring back those hats. They are simply adorable. The casual pants women wore were high but not matronly at all. Slip dresses were covered in beautiful see through knits that read so dainty and fine on screen. In my late teens I would visits a lot of thrifts stores. One in particular seemed to have a lot of items from estate sales. I remember buying a 50's pink angora sweater with the most gorgeous bead work I  had ever seen. I then remember buying a sweet 50's wide skirt (without the crinoline) maroon dress which I wore to a wedding. I look at old pictures of this show and yearn for those styles to come back. I wore that angora sweater all the time until.......it was accidentally put in the wash. Even Barbie couldn't wear it after that. I'm off to watch about ten minutes of that show (DVR best invention EVER) before I fall asleep and spill buttered popcorn on my already stained t-shirt.

The collar was frilly but not clownish



I love the fact that gloves
were always worn



Ten Minutes to Write About Girl Scouts

   Now until what seems like a year;  my life is going to consist of.....cookies. Girl Scout cookies. My daughter and her friends have been in the same troop since they were sweet little Brownies. The G.S. moms fully expected that the Girls would want to no longer be G.S. once they entered Middle School, but  to our surprise they did. The girls do a lot of volunteer work; they have visited nursing homes, they collect food for the food drive (mostly in the rain it seems) , they hand stitched pillows for cardiac patients, they march in the Memorial Day parade and put flags down on our local Veterans Cemetery along with the hundreds of other Girl and Boy scouts. With all this they are only known for ...cookies. That's a shame. Today I read in our local paper about a young man who made Eagle Scout. There he stood tall and proud of this wonderful accomplishment. Now, did you know that the girls Scouts have their own award? No? I'm not surprised. It never makes the papers. Ever. It's called the Gold Award. A few years ago while driving to the Vets Cemetery we followed the signs that read Boy Scouts Entrance. No acknowledgement of the girls at all. The girls  didn't seem to mind . While they placed the flags careful not to disturb anything a family came over and thanked them for what they were doing. This family had lost their soldier. The girls accepted their thanks and returned to task at hand. I was so proud of them. The girls took the time to read the tombstone names out loud. The next time the paper came out there was a nice picture of some Boys Scouts at the ceremony. The girls are gracious and they are giggley and they are loving and they are kind. Next time you buy a box of Girl Scout cookies please know that that's not all they do. That's not all they are. Goodnight ,  tomorrow after school we will be off to see if anyone wants to buy some thin mints or trefoils.

Imagine if.........

          Have you ever played the imagine if game? You might have played it in your mind or maybe with a friend...Ex imagine if you won the lottery what would you do? I play that mental game at times when I'm bored or waiting at an office waiting room. so here goes....

Imagine if snow wasn't white. What if it were blue? or green or even brown? Then the weather person could actually say it looks like S#it out there and it would be true!

What if men had periods....then all the maxi-pad ads on TV would show someone pouring that blue liquid into a big cylinder tube shaped pad.

Imagine if there were trees that bore whole meals "Hey Hun, could you go out and pick some meatloaf  I thought I saw some ripe ones " a dream come true.

Imagine if passing gas took the place of hand shaking "Nice to meet you Mr. Smith paatratatatatatatatat."
"Like -wise Pisssssssssssssssssaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

Imagine if high fashion meant walking around in pj's and a robe...bliss

Imagine instead of a turkey for thanksgiving the bird of choice was Emu.

Imagine if there was one day a year where you could smack someone with all your might without fear of retaliation or punishment of any kind? The I.R.S.dept. would have a line from here to the moon. But think about it what if?..then everyone would be kind, sensitive, caring and respectful; because if they weren't come January 19th  you could just walk up to that rude s.o.b and smack the teeth right out of his gums.

Imagine if work was like nursery school  "OK people it's time for snack and then nap-time!"

Imagine if it were mandatory for the wives of world leaders to take part in all meetings.  The number of sons sent to war would diminish greatly. And we'd have all the scoop about leaders personal lives.
 "Oh yes, Barack does that too...I almost fell into the toilet just last night!"
"Please girl, I can't even remember when was the last time Shimon bought me flowers ."
"Well at least you can take a vacation now and then; Benjamin won't even take me to the movies!"
"Well, Hujuntao's  Mother is just driving me crazy!"   What can I say women share.

That is just some of the nonsense rattling around in my head this morning. Hope it made you smile. or at least say hummmmmmmmmmm.

Can you add some of your own? I bet you can.

Something to make you laugh

Found this video on youtube and thought it was hilarious! Notice how the baby is looking at the dog...its like the baby is saying "hey this is my gig!" The dog seems to say "anything you can do  i can do better!" Hope you have a great day. Blessings, Joanne

Simple Girl

Stand Back Guys...I'm Goin' In!!

       I'm a simple girl. No, not simpleton...simple girl. Yesterday I had to go shopping for clothes. Jeans. Now before I dive into a rant about jeans (Been there done that see post "Jeans ") I was looking around and I saw this woman who looked so tired. She was a bit unkempt ed, slumped with the weight of the world it seemed. She wore no makeup and her hair was gathered back in a haphazard ponytail. Holy Fa-moleys its me. I was looking at my own reflection!.
"What happened?" I asked myself. How did I go from a girl who wouldn't leave the house without make up to a girl who has gone to the school bus in the morning with two different shoes on....OK my daughter was in kindergarten and I had a toddler in tow...good excuse..hardly. I bet Michelle Duggar from 45 kids and counting never did that...explanation...I'm a MESS.  I used the excuse "Well, I'm a plain Jane, simple girl"....wrong no plain Jane here. In my twenties I was hot....smokin' even. (OK...notice how when you're in your twenties and say "Oh I hate this about myself and that about myself" You nit pick about flaws that are barely there or just dissatisfied with the whole look in general...but when you see those old pictures now you say..."Damn I looked good! I was a fine hot mama." Well, That whats happening here.) Going down memory lane makes me feel old and tired. So new day? New me sort of. Today I'm breaking out the make up, dusting it off, pushing away the cob webs and slappin' on some goo. I fixed my hair and put aside my sneakers for some cool heeled boots. Before I go out I take ten minutes to assess the situation. My feet hurt already and I think I have mascara in my eye but I'm off. Not smokin...but maybe smoldering just a bit.  ;0)

January....The Start of "Dream Hunting" Season

        OK, I have taken the month of January for alot of reflection and to tell you the truth for alot of "dream hunting." I call it that because I want to actively go out and try to make these things happen. First, I want to have my work published. Late last year I started to send out my manuscripts again (after a long long time between submissions) and about a week ago I got the the first rejection of the year. I am not going to lie; whenever I send out my stories I have an almost giddy sense that maybe this time.....but inevitably my S.A.S.E comes back to me. This time the story pages seemed as crisp and untouched as when I sent them. Made me sad for about a minute (or ten). Can't get discouraged right? Just like every year I enter an open call at an art museum. The delight that I get preparing and choosing a piece that I will submit is exciting to me. I join all of the other hopefuls in filling out the entry cards. A few days later I call and ......well lets just say I have quite a collection growing. My Husband, as much as he'd like to understand ...doesn't. He is supportive, and delights in my happiness but he doesn't get why writing in general or even in this Blog is so important to me. That makes me a bit sad. The best thing about January is that it's the beginning. The year can turn into anything but right now its a clean page with all the possibilities of an awesome story.  I want adventure and love, suspense and victory. Will it happen? we shall see.  Lets see Chapter one....
       
                                           She went to her mail box and found that instead of her story hiding behind a kind but boring form letter, there awaited a dream come true.....................

One day.  What does your story read like?   Blessings, Joanne

Sleepover tonight?....There Goes The Last of My Hearing

        Since there is no school tomorrow my daughter has asked if she could invite some of her friends over tonight.

I said.....wait let me see if I have any Advil left from the snow day last week. ...yep. good to go.


         What is it about pre-teen girls and the volume of their voices? Is it the emerging hormones that make them go up several octaves and increase the volume?

 One day my daughter had just one friend over. The phone rang and my own friend thought I was hosting a party with a whole gaggle of girls. " Nope, just the one." I said.

My Daughter had a birthday sleepover last year; I told her she had to keep the number at six. We went ice skating and then back to the house. It was quieter at the ice skating rink that was packed with people.

Throughout the night I kept envisioning opening the cupboard doors only to find all the glassware shattered under the pressure of mere sound.

Were birds at that moment dropping dead from their nesting slumber?

           Were the high pitch squeals being measured on some Japanese seismograph machine?

Wait maybe that's why whales are beaching themselves. Thats it!

The fault lies not on global warming but on some pre-teen girly sleepover nearby. Anyways....So They laughed and screamed and giggled their way to finally sleeping at...( I don't know the time cause my ear plugs and I were in la la land by 2am).

My sister-in-law once told me about a poem she read about the last time....The last time you change a diaper; The last time they need their  blankie...the last time they take a bottle...and how sad it is because a lot of the time we don't know it's the last time and we yearn to turn back for just a bit. I know that one day these sleepovers and the sound of their high pitched giggles will be echoed only in my memories. I'll try to remember that tonight as my eardrums bulge and head pounds with the sweet sweet sounds of pre-teen Opera.  I need at least ten minutes to pray.............help me Lord

Time To Remember a Laugh

  Since it's that time of year when people get the blahs and blues... I have compiled my version of some of the funniest scenes in films. My own opinion naturally and if you have any others please feel free to add.

 The first one that come to mind is Porky's. It was a dumb teen comedy that I saw on a date a long long long time ago and cried my mascara off at the scene when  a few male teachers and a female coach are all in the Principal's office to discuss the recent flashing of one of the male students. How the female actress did not laugh is beyond me. They all end up laughing hysterically as the principal considers a line up to examine  "Tallywackers".

Next has to go to one of my all time faves. Animal house. It was the scene when John Belushi's character is walking down the stairs to hear a guitar playing beatnik singing to a bunch of girls. He proceeds to destroy the guy's guitar. Then there's the scene with the horse that dies in the dean's office. That was so odd..you didn't want to laugh but it was so ridiculous you just had to.
 "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!!!!!"

"Germans?????"

"Forget it he's on a roll."

Blazing Saddles was such a guy flix but there were two scenes...the first is when all the cowboys are sitting around the campfire eating beans then proceed to  fart away indiscriminately. And my favorite...the I'm Tired song from Madeline's khan's character.

Uncle Buck...the giant pancake that was flipped over with a shovel.

Planes trains and automobiles when Steve Martin's character dries his face with John Candy's huge underwear left in the bathroom to dry.

There's something about Mary scene when Ben Stillers Character gets his private parts caught in a zipper and his date's father asks him what is stuck

" Well, is it the Frank or the Beans?"

Young Frankenstein...The scene when Gene Wilder's Character tell the others..."No matter how much I beg or scream..Do not let me out." He goes into where the Monster is. One grunt from the Monster and he is begging to get out.

"Whats the matter with you people? I was only joking! Don't you know a joke when you hear it? Open the door or I'll kick your rotten heads in!!!!!!!!"

Hope this brought back some funny memories. Maybe you can remind me of more?

Evil Little Mario

Innocent looking....It's not my friends

             For Christmas my son got a few video games for the wii;  one of which is Mario. I watched him play and marveled at how cool it looked on the screen. It is one of the few games I can look at with out feeling nauseous and dizzy. I don't like the 3D stuff. So there he was playing the Mario game and I enjoyed the different sound effects and all those levels that he is able to successfully finish. Well, last night he left the game in the wii console and I must have past it several times as I made my rounds checking the house before bed....check the doors...hum..there's the Mario game........check all the windows...hum mario.............check the kids...........mario...make sure the dog goes out one last time.......................................Mario. OK OK so I sat down and started the game. Right off the bat my heart is racing 'cause I got some little brown gremlin guy coming after me. ahhh!!!! he got me!!! .......I let the dog in...........................race back to the game.......now I have some turtle guy after me too...My leg jumps every time the character jumps.  What the.... what are these pipes? oh ...coins ....cool! ONE HOUR LATER I've lost all feeling in my hands I'm sweating and cursing the castle  for having so many traps.This game is evil...I tell ya EVIL... oh it lures you in with it's cute little Italian character, but it quickly turns you into a slobbering cursing maniac whose only concern is how to get Mario up across a lava lake without being attacked by some Venus fly trap plant. I mean who thought of this game anyway....satan? or some Military genius from another country bound to trap our consciousness and sanity into wanted only one freakin' thing......that damn flower power thingy so you can kill cartoon turtles!!!!....I'm OK....I'm OK......breathe.......ANYWAYS......so the next day as I groggily prepared breakfast my son says "Hey has someone been playing with my game?" before I can deny it my husband says "your Mom has...and I think you should give her a time limit on it because she is getting addicted."
"Very funny." I said "I turned it on to see what the fuss was all about, That's all." total lie.
"Oh, wow you did good mom."  he looks at me with suspicion in his eyes.
My husband looked at me and smiled and I simply rubbed my wrist....damn if i don't have carpal tunnel ......I looked over at the wii........'til we meet again you evil little Italian cartoon....'til we meet again.

I Love Norman Rockwell



Triple Self-Portrait Post Cover 2/13 1960

       Today I have a million things to do....so of course I'm procrastinating and I have decided to share with you one of my passions. Art. Not just any art. Art from one of my favorite artist ever...Norman Rockwell. We were fortunate to go to The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass  three times. and every time I saw something new and interesting. They say that he painted America the way he wanted to see it. I don't know what it is about his paintings...is it the fact that they tell a different story every time you look at them? or is it because he was such a detailed artist that it takes your breath away to view them? Gives me a sort of lump in my throat to see the heart felt love and dedication that he had for his art. Here are a few examples of the work of  my Most awesome Favorite artist. The first one above is truly amazing. He is painting himself painting himself using a mirror! genius.


The BodyBuilder, Post Cover, 1922



Just look at the way the boy is standing. Doesn't that remind you of every gawky teen kid? Even the socks are falling down on this poor skinny guy; and take a look at those feet! He truly captured that age when we would rather be anyone but ourselves.




Traffic Conditions. Post, 1949



 This one tells several stories. There's the truck driver that just wants to finish his route. If you look on the left there is an artist that is excited about the scene and wants to paint it. Upper right there is a woman beside herself with fear...perhaps its her dog? and then there's the poor pup wondering what all the fuss is about. Hope you enjoyed the art. Blessings, Joanne

Silent Snow

   I was up early this morning and looked around at the quiet transformation of our back yard. Winter wonderland is here. Here are some pictures and a short video.

Fresh snow...not a foot or paw print in sight





               

My Kid's swing set waiting for spring



Max was overwhelmed by the amount of snow that fell. I guess he'd never make it in Montana!

              

Snow Day!

YAHOO!

            Tonight the automated message from my kid's school district called to say that tomorrow is a snow day. Hey no fun! They are taking all the fun of lying awake in the wee hours of the morning waiting for that phone to ring. Remember the phone chain? There were always those few people that would break the chain and call all their friends first then inevitably you would wind up getting three or four phone calls instead of one or worse .....not get a phone call at all! A woman I worked with ( at a Pre-school for Children with special needs) got her call then went right back to sleep prompting all the people after her on the chain to trudge in through  a snow storm only to find the school closed. Needless to say she was not very popular after that. My kids are already planning their day out on the "hill" where all the neighborhood kids go to try out their sleds and inner-tubes. It takes forever to climb up (feels like ten minutes?) and just seconds to zoom down, but what a rush! Oh heck I may take a couple of turns too. Isn't that what you're supposed to do on a snow day? Fling yourself off a mountain and scream with delight as you go careening toward the bottom? I just hope I have extra strength advil on hand 'cause I'm gonna need it. Wanna join us? I'll see you at the top!!!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!