My Quote of the day

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable
superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are
able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.

-- Albert Einstein

I thought Mr. Einstein summed it up pretty well for me this morning~
Yes- I suppose I could add something...but I'm not :)
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My quote for yesterday-

Love begins when the needs of someone else become more important
than your own.

-- Lao Wei
Someone blessed me this morning-
And I return the blessing to you~
I hope the sunlight streams in and fills every corner of your life.
I hope that someone will love you in an unexpected way today.
Thank you for taking the time to reach out- I needed it more than you know.
:)

Billy Idol? Wooo Hooo! I'm gonna party like a rock star!

My good friend X.Dell found something fun to play with :)
I had a ball with this- but the last shot was the best, it included one of my favorite rock stars- and said I favored him a little. LOL!

Have fun with this- it's free and will whittle away the better part of your day if you're not careful!

A Beautiful Day~ and my first HNT

My daughter and I got up early this morning to go out for breakfast. She needed some assistance on a Haiku (3 actually) she was working on. I didn’t have a chance to help her last night- so she brought her notebook with her.

The poems were supposed to be about nature, and we talked about a walk her class had taken through a field for inspiration. My darling girl was not terribly inspired! She did not like this assignment, she did not like the structure of the Haiku, and it was hard for her to see the purpose in it.

Structure for structures sake…I guess it is hard to understand why that would be necessary in a poem. I understand the need for structure in a building, and in parenting, and in a marriage- and I LIKE the structure of a Haiku…because it is something of a challenge to write.

My 5th grader was less enamored with the process- to say the least.

I thought the best one we wrote, and yes- I did help her, was this one: (5. 7. 5)

Music in the air
Bluebird singing in the tree
Up above my head

She declared that unless she was instructed to write another Haiku for homework, she would never write one again…so I asked her to write one about me :)

I’ll let you know what she comes up with~

For Juli~

Bright, insightful, warm-
Freckles and a smiling face,
Stubborn just like me


My therapy today was to spend sometime outside with my camera…I was inspired by something I saw over at “Iamnot”-

All of the shots on this post were taken in my back yard this morning.
Good fun, and a few good pics :)

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HNT HNT HNT HNT HNT HNT HNT HTN HNT HNT HNT HTN HTN!!!!!! LOL!

These were inspired by /t- sans moustache ;)

Shadow me...

Bright eye

And one more- not an HNT! :)

Saturday night~

It is SO good to feel better! :)

-

First- Thank you for all your thoughts and well wishes :)
I tried to answer each of you- I hope I didn't miss anyone!

My son moved up a step in his Karate class today- his first step towards a yellow belt. Both he and my daughter can now do things that I can not- or haven't ever learned to do. It's a wonderful and strange feeling to hear her play the piano, or to watch T go through the moves of his routine. Someone else taught them these things, and in a way, they are now teaching me...but truthfully, they've been teaching me since the day they were born!

I admire them both in many ways.

At dinner tonight my daughter asked me this question:

"Mom, where do you think the 'soul' is in our body? And do you think the heart has feelings- or do all feelings come from the mind?"

I didn't give much thought to those kinds of questions until I was in my late teens, or in college!

I told her that I liked the idea that the soul is not so much inside of us, as it is something that surrounds us, kind of like a forcefield, but was also connected to us.

I also explained that hundreds or thousands of years ago people used to think that because the heart was at the center of the body (roughly) that it was the source of all emotions and feelings. Nevertheless, modern medicine tells us~

The heart is an organ, no emotion generates from there.

The above sentence hung in the air for a moment, as my mind raced through all the thousands of ways I had expressed my love to another- in terms of my heart.

I love with my mind, with my actions, and my words.
The heart appeals to what's sentimental, or fluffy, or unsubstantial.
My mind is determined, aggressive, and sometimes over-active.

It sounds funny to say, "I love you with all my mind"; and yet at the same time it seems somewhat more profound. To love someone with my mind indicates that I'm conscious of what I'm doing and active in my caring for them.

On the other hand- if you've ever had to say good bye to someone you love, or held your first child, or can remember your first (good ;) kiss...you know the heart is involved. It races, or tightens, or aches...

So much for "no emotion generates from there"...

My daughter and I will have another talk- real soon :)

You are all in my thoughts tonight~ thank you for all the times you've let me know that I'm in yours :)

See what happens when I stop blogging? :)

This is a scarf I made for Libby :)
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And I've got another one halfway finished- but it's for a male blogger! (oooo- whooo???)

Not to mention this week I've made Spaghetti with a red sauce of pork, beef, crushed tomatoes, basil, garlic and Italian seasonings~

And a "fall apart pot roast" with creamy brown gravy, green beans, buttered peas and rice...

Tonight- leftovers and more knitting! Whoopieeee:) LOL!







I was hesitant to post this pic- I had my braces tweeked on today and I'm in a fair bit of pain tonight...I think it shows in this photo :(
I'll be fine- lots of Advil will do the trick! :)

What's in my head this moring~

---
"You see, greatness for a state (or a person) doesn't require some huge monument for all to see. It is not a journey to a particular destination - but a commitment to follow a course of constant and never-ending improvement. " (my insertion)

-Sonny Perdue
Georgia Governor
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I love this quote- and it helped me to see some things I wanted to (wrongly) make monuments of in my life. Being true and consistent with the people I am committed to, and always striving to improve my home and my relationships brings fulfillment like nothing else can.

It's so easy to be distracted from the little things each day that make life worthwhile.

One day I'll hold a copy of my book in my hands- hopefully one day I'll have a whole bookshelf full of them...but until then, being the best "me" I can be makes me a success.

And you- being the best that you can be- makes you a success too~

Have a great week friends :)


(PS- I love this new look-
Blue is my favorite color! I don't think I'll change it :)

Not sure about the change...

I'm playing with Beta...

I thought I'd say I was "fooling around", but after all the speculation at
"One Girl in a Big World"- I figured I'd better be careful!

So- be prepared to see it change again.

The one thing I do love is that this version lets me use my "Absolut Mayden"
photo- but to be honest- I really loved the look of the other blog.

The green is beautiful on Lux. I'm not sure it's for me though...

Thanks for your comments while I work this out :)

Cleaning house

I know- I know...I have to cut back- but---

Today I got MAD. My daughters room was a disaster. No- REALLY a disaster.
She's almost 11 and is a worse pack rat than I am. Not good.

I almost cried when I looked under her bed. The papers, toys, clothes, one shoe- socks- uggghhh! Every square inch was covered with stuff. I tore it all out.
I took one large trash bag and 2 boxes and cleared everything away. I threw out alot of stuff.

I was furious- and then I remembered being 11, and my room being similar.
But my mom never cleaned my room...she Yelled- she Fussed- she hid my stuff- she spanked me- she put me on restriction- she punished me...but never, not ever, did she help clean up my mess. "Sigh"

My "mess" was overwheming to me- then, and now. However, my daughters mess, even though it was bad, was managable. I could handle it. I could fix it. She would have to sort through the 7 baskets of stuff and keep only one basket full of favorite things- which was going to be hard for her, but I could help her have a fresh start.
I could show her- even though I was angry because she had been irresponsible- that I was here to help her- not condem her. She does have a consequence, one I won't share here- but she also knows she has someone who loves her enough to face the trash. Someone who can look at a big mess and say, "Ok- we can fix this."

I thought I cleaned up her room for her, but in reality, I cleaned it for the 11 year old inside of me- who was stunned by the mess she made and dearly wanted someone to help make sense of things. I cleaned it up for the frightned 16 year old in me, who had a terrible choice to make, and no one to help her make it.

And no matter what...my daughter will know that I am here to help and guide her.
I can handle a mess, and even if I'm mad...I love her more than all the world.

At the end of the afternoon- she came to me, with tears in her eyes- and she said,
"Thank you Mom...I'm sorry my room was such a mess. I love you. I will do a better job of keeping it clean. It's so wonderful now."

Now, I need to clean out MY closet!

If you see this girl...

Of course it's me :) I switched over to Beta and have to leave you a note with this blogger acct-



I suppose the photo gives me away- but I could have an evil twin out in the world somewhere~
Wait!
Maybe I'm the evil twin and the good one is still out there???

Maybe...

lol :)

Holidays are coming :)

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Wow!
Take a look at this gourd!



This season is a busy time for me-
Today I've been weather stripping doors, and yesterday I was caulking things outside the house- and there is loads more to do.

In early November I begin all my baking- making the various cookie dough for all the cookies I bake and I put the dough in the freezer, makes December baking alot easier. I often make breads, cakes, pies, choc. covered peanut butter balls, home-made fudge and many other treats- mostly to give away to friends and neighbors...but it's no wonder I have to walk all year! :)

Anyway- this is not a farewell post- but I realize how limited my time will be in the coming weeks and it will show at Mayden's Voyage. I've also got a few scarves to make that I would like to give away- I haven't knitted anything since February!
Been blogging too much :)

If you have a favorite color (or 2!)- let me know :)

I will finish the serpent story and post it.

Hugs to everyone :) (smooch to K9- of course :)

MSN.com story I read this morning...

I wondered if anyone passed this story along to Denis Rodman, or Boy George??? They must be ovulating all the time!

Rrrowwr!

Ovulating women dress to impress

Females wear more jewelry, flashier clothes when they're fertile, study says

WASHINGTON - Women dress to impress when they are at their most fertile, researchers said Tuesday in a study they say shows that signs of human ovulation may not be as mysterious as some scientists believe.

A study of young college women showed they frequently wore more fashionable or flashier clothing and jewelry when they were ovulating, as assessed by a panel of men and women looking at their photographs.

“They tend to put on skirts instead of pants, show more skin and generally dress more fashionably,” said Martie Haselton, a communication studies and psychology expert at the University of California Los Angeles who led the study.

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Ummm- This is a news story? Did someone get paid to do this research?

Women who dress to impress are sending out a signal that they want to procreate?

What? They're not just putting their best face forward? We dress up because the eggs are ready? What about all the women on Birth Control? Why are they wearing skirts and jewelry?

Is everyone at the Oscars ovulating? How about at church on Sunday? Or the Temple? Or a Mosque (wait- sometimes women aren't allowed in a Mosque)

And in the media, the women of child-bearing age are so skinny they can barely keep themselves alive, much less support life for a pregnancy! But they have on dresses and jewelry!

WHY DOES THIS MATTER???

Why did this article irritate me?

Because it's silly. And because women who are looking their best are being equated with their most basic biological function...they dress up because they want to carry a child.

And men dress up because they want to get lucky.

Oh- wait...I see it now...

Equality at last!!!

A Blue Mood~

--
One of my most favorite paintings ever...



I found this quote today- written by a woman who's had a blog for 3 years now.
I needed to read this...

"It was the one place where I could be true to myself and remember who I am- a creative being. If you are in a rut shake things up for yourself. Start a creative venture. My life is what I make it each and every day. It's as dull or as interesting as I make it. Blogging showed me that."

http://www.urbanaddiction.com/home.htm

For dinner I was creative-
I cooked fresh baby lima beans, sweet peas in butter sauce, country fried pork chops with a brown gravy that will make you lick your plate, and gold and white corn with a pinch of sugar and a pad of butter.

And now I'm going for a walk- and hope this blue fog that's settled in on me lifts sooner than later!
Maybe the moon will be out??? I hope so :)

The Inside NYC scoop- (last NY post)

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I think this will be my last NY blog- and I wanted to answer some questions and pass along some things I learned.

1) I did not know it only takes 55 minutes to get to NY from RDU airport! WOW!

2) LaGuardia was a very easy airport to get around in- It's not as big as I expected.

3) We stayed at the Paramount hotel- I would give it a 3 out of 5 score.
Next time I go I will look for a hotel that either has a complimentary breakfast- or at least a coffee pot in each room. I love to drink tea and actually brought my hotwater electric kettle, tea, and mugs. It was a lifesaver for me.

4) If you want to see museums and tourist attractions- look into getting a "City Pass" booklet of tickets. It covers 6 or 7 attractions for half of what you would pay if you went individually- and the pass is sold at each of the attractions, such as the Empire State building, the Circle Line cruise, MoMa, American Museum of Natural History, the Intrepid (closed for now though), the Met, and the Guggenheim.

The restaurants worth mentioning were
A) Mandoo Bar (Korean- AWESOME) Near the Empire State building
B) John Allen (Classic American- 46th street)
C) The Amish Deli (Had everything- from subs to sushi, no beer)
D) Pizza place- right next to the Paramount. (I forgot the name- and it was sooo good- sorry!) They had wonderful ravioli- pizza looked tasty- but the guy who works there made it a lovely experience. He was 100% New York- and I just loved him. He treated me like a queen. I saved the take-out menu- I just have to find it!

Personal stuff~

X is a fairly private person and I didn't take a pic of him- he asked me not to.
He is a super guy. He is very tall (6'3?) He is as intelligent and well spoken in person as he is on his blog. My son liked him right away and they both connected, I think, in the Nintendo store! :)

While in the city we happened upon one of X's former students- and what I found remarkable was X's ability to recall the students name- even though he had not seen him in few years! Also, it was obvious that this student respected and liked his former teacher. It was a nice encounter.

X has a wealth of information about the city of New York- and it was great fun to hear him say, "That building used to be so and so", Or "They filmed part of such and such movie in this spot". He even showed me where the "Soup Nazi" restaurant used to be from Seinfeld- one of my favorite TV shows.

Overall- I know Timothy and I would have found our way around NYC- but it was such a pleasure to be with someone who knew their way- and had so much to share with us.
Meeting X was a real treat- and he honored us with his time, insight, and friendship.
I hope one day he will come south and let us show him around.

What I learned~

Keep walking- and double check the traffic before you cross the street!

Have a plan, but if you are overtaken by the need to take a nap- take a nap!

Eat dinner early. Real NY bagels are wonderful.

If you have to eat at a McDonalds...the one in Time Square is pretty cool.

A picnic in Central park at 4:30 pm was the highlight of our trip.

Face value has no real value. The contents of a persons heart can not be seen, only experienced.


If you ever have the chance to meet one of your favorite bloggers- do it!
Drop all expectations of how you think they will look- even if you've seen a photo. (this definitely includes me! :)

I've discovered that the person you read- is pretty close to the person you will meet.
One of the coolest things I experienced was having a kind of past experience (from reading his blog and vice versa) with a person I had not met before. That was fun.

Thanks to each of you for sharing in this journey with Timothy and me. I appreciate your encouragement in our going, and your interest upon our return.
As I look back on this trip- I realize it would have been sorely lacking without the blogging component...so thank you again :)

The rest of the pictures...(some of them anyway!)

A parting gift from X~ Thank you! Timothy and I both love our New York t-shirts :)



Empire State building- a view from the 80th floor




Southern Manhattan


Timothy in Central Park


Moonlight over the park


A great son and his mom in a great city :) (In Central Park)

In the Paramount Hotel lobby :)



New York City and the Hudson River


Lady Liberty



















On the Liberty Cruise

















A mirror on the observation deck of the Empire
State building...this pic didn't quite turn out it
the way I'd like, but it was fun :)













































I loved the sail boat against the back drop of the city~
































New York "Rat"...lol! I still think they are pretty- but I haven't been pooped on by one either! :)
















A bridge...I forget which one! LOL!


The USS Intrepid was/is an aircraft carrier that served in WWII, the Korean war, and the Vietnam War. Our visit was the last day the Intrepid would ever be in the water- she is being moved to dry dock and will continue to be a museum that will awe and inspire everyone who sees her.









My favorite doll in FAO Schwartz :)


This Barbie ballerina outfit- for some reason, made me think of Lux :)
I took this pic for her, and for my daughter~ Isn't it fabulous? :)



Hagrid- 100% made out of legos! He is one BIG guy! :)


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FAO Schwartz was FUN!




Home again! :)

Home and rested?


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These last pictures are in honor of K9 and his photos from his train ride :)
I was on the observation deck- being observant.

















These people were NOT on the phone- they were listening to an audio tour. At least some of them were...and we were all amazed by the view.
It just seemed right, after looking at the sights together- that I took a moment to look at them :)