Monday, July 30, 2007

I am still here...

Good Monday to you! I have not fallen off the face of the Earth, though if it were quiet there I might consider it! Since last week Thursday, life has been incredibly hectic and we have been home to sleep and leave again! We did make it home by 6 pm yesterday, and our cats are wondering who these people are that wander in and leave again! Hopefully this week will be considerably more calm. We took Mina and Taylor to the Adams Co. fair in Hastings Thursday night to ride the rides at the carnival. Friday night Chris and I did our shopping (Mina so hates grocery shopping). Saturday, Chris took a lampworking bead class in Grand Island and Mina and I finished our school shopping. We left home at 7:40am and returned home at 9:40pm. LONG DAY! Sunday brought church and we helped with the Faster Pastor race at the fair. Our pastor was one of 8 pastors that raced golf carts on a very muddy track (we had lots of rain Sat and Sun) to raise money for the Greensburg, Kansas tornado fund. That was very entertaining to watch.
Chris has made quite a few beads and I will get pics up for you today. He is a natural! Last night he made me a set with a large focal bead and 4 spacers. He also made a bead just for me! It is lime green and black swirls. I can't wait to work it up! Have a great day!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Wednesday Morning

Hello again! Just a few quick thoughts for you this Wednesday. As I wrote last time, we attended a funeral Monday for a college friend who lost his battle with cancer. Though we were very sad to lose Kevin, his funeral was very peaceful and soothing. The music chosen were the hymns "On Eagle's Wings" and "Hymn of Promise" and they were beautiful. The words of the songs caused some deep thinking for me and I will share some with you. I have death issues. My counselor says it is a control factor, and that due to problems in my past, I have to try to control things in the present because I had no control over what happened in my past. I fear dying and yet at the point in my life when I was closest to dying I was not afraid. (I had an ectopic pregnancy in which my fallopian tube ruptured and I lost two liters of blood in my abdomen. While in surgery a surgery to fix it, a surgical sponge was left inside me and it abscessed over the other ovary and fallopian tube. I was in the hospital for 10 days fighting infection that very nearly killed me.) The hymn of promise had a strong message for me, speaking of seeds that bloom in God's time and I see that so much in my life. I am not the same person I was before October of 1998. It has taken me many years to work my way through things that have happened, and with the help of my counselor Cindy, I feel I am in a very good place now. I still have a ways to go in dealing with a couple irritating issues in my life, but I feel more centered than I have in a long time. I realize this sounds very "new agey", but sometimes just having a person to talk to that is not personally involved in a situation really does help, and they can point out things that you can't see when you are bogged down in the feelings and turmoil. I am now stepping down from the soap box, and want to tell you that Mina had a fabulous birthday. On Sunday (we celebrated on Saturday) she opened a gift we held back for her, and at church everyone wished her happy birthday. She is now 10 and getting ready to take on the 5th grade. School starts August 14 for her, and I certainly don't know where the summer has gone. Chris is taking lampworking bead class on Saturday, so Mina and I will probably do some school shopping. Monday at the funeral, it was wonderful to see our friends and catch up on our lives. My good friend Doug is designing my business logo for me and had some lovely pixies drawn up to show me. I will show you as soon as he gets them finished up and sent to me. I can't wait! Thanks Doug!
P.S. I stayed up late last night (this am) and finished my Harry Potter book! I really enjoyed it and though I was sad that the characters did not all finish the story, I did enjoy spending time in the "lives" of some of my favorite people! It is so amazing when a story and author can flesh out a character to the point that you feel they are real and a part of your life! What's your favorite book?

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Life and Loss

We survived Mina's birthday celebration yesterday at Hastings Aquacourt. I am once again sunburned, though not to the extent of a couple weeks ago. I always end up with these weird spots (like the crease where my arm and chest meet right above my armpit) that fry because I missed them (or didn't think to put sunscreen there!). Oh well, I will struggle through the haze of pain! I only hurt when I put my purse on my shoulder or raise my arm! We found out Thursday that one of Chris' roommates in college, died due to cancer. We are going to the funeral in Beatrice tomorrow. I have a bracelet almost done so I will get some pictures up as soon as possible.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Happy Birthday, Mina!

Today (Sat.) is Mina's 10th birthday party. We are swimming (wow what a surprise!) at the Aquacourt in Hastings and having pizza and DQ blizzard cake to follow! Chris and Mina were going to go to the Harry Potter party in Hastings last night, but Mina was already pooped and we thought the bday party beat out the Harry Potter party. That said, my copy of the final book should be here soon, and while I can't wait to read it, I am also sad to see a favorite series end. A great number of people have had good and bad things to say about the series, but in my opinion, ANY book that is printed in many languages and gets millions of kids to pick up a book and be captivated by reading is a GREAT THING! Thanks J.K. Rowling for the years of entertainment, and for giving my family a topic we can discuss intellectually. I love to read, and love to get kids to read, so I'd say she has done an awesome thing with her stories. Also, look how much more science fiction/fantasy is available since the Harry Potter series came out! Hooray for imagination and sharing it with your favorite kid!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Pictures at Last!

These beads were made by Jodie Marshall. Aren't they gorgeous! I made Jodie significantly more wealthy than she was at the beginning of Art in the Park on Sunday in Grand Island!
This is my "Football Widow's" bracelet. Since I am not officially licensed to call it anything else, that is the title I have settled on.

This lovely natural stone necklace was made by my very talented husband. I made the sign. He has a multi strand necklace almost done (I just have to find him the cording in one of my many piles) and it will be done also. I have a gorgeous fall leaf necklace and earrings almost done, I am just struggling with a clasp for the ribbon strands. Photos soon!


Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Sorry, Pictures Didn't Happen

Yeah, it's Wednesday! Okay, maybe that was over the top, but I am rather tired this morning so my judgement may be a bit off. Last night we did laundry, and I almost have a bracelet finished. The pictures will be coming, just never when I expect to have them! Mina went with her friend Taylor and Taylor's family last night to Mina's first rodeo at a local county fair. She had a ball, and was so not ready to go to bed when she got home at 11pm. Mom and Dad were though! (This is the explanation for the fuzzy judgement!) Have a great day, and I will get pics up soon!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Beads, Beautiful Beads

Happy Tuesday To You! We spent the weekend hitting a great bead sale at Beads and Botanicals' sidewalk sale Saturday, loads of beautiful strand beads and awesome buys! Sunday, again found us hunting up beads at the annual Grand Island Art in The Park event. We bought some gorgeous lampwork beads from Jodie Marshall (my box of Jodie beads was getting pretty low!) and a few from Maudie's Stained Glass. Chris took a big leap on Thursday and signed up to take a lampworking class from Maudie's a week from Saturday. He is frightened but excited. I figure, whatever he makes I can find a use for! Things to look forward to this week: Mina is having her Aquacourt birthday party on Saturday afternoon with a pizza party in the park to follow the water frolicking! She turns 10 on Sunday, and this is my "when am I supposed to have time to cook and clean" party solution! You should try it sometime, it is very freeing! I can't believe I have a daughter hitting double digits in age already! She got good news over the weekend, she doesn't have to wear her glasses anymore! We took some beautiful birthday pics a Sears on Saturday. I hope to contact my friend Michelle to see if she and her kids would have breakfast with Mina and I on Thursday. I hope to get some pictures up of the jewelry projects I have almost finished and of the pile of beads I bought on Sunday, this afternoon after work. Keep your eyes peeled for them (wow that is a really weird saying when you stop to think about it)!

Friday, July 13, 2007

It's a Mad, Mad, Life...

Good Friday the 13th to you! I love the 13th of each month, it is the day we celebrate at our house. We celebrate because January 13th, 1988 was the day that my sweetie first kissed me! So in our house it rates special merit and it is just an excuse to wish each other happy day, and to do something special for each other. I wished my sweetie happy day this morning at about 5:30 am while we were out for our morning walk! Sorry I have slacked off in the updating department, my life has gotten pretty crazy in the last 3 weeks but I am hoping that things will settle down now and get back to our "normal" routine for a couple weeks before school starts August 14.
Top 10 reasons my life has been even crazier than normal:
10. Summer-it is irrigation season and that means that we buy more fuel at work and sell more, making lots of book work for me.
9. Mina has been off gallivanting-She was gone 4 days last week, and 4 days this week.
8. Family commitments-my Dad had to have stints put in his heart, off from work 1 1/2 days (see #10), we took Mina to her Grandpa and Granny's house for 4 days last week (see #9) and picked her up on Saturday after we attended the annual 4th of July get together, my parent's car broke down in Hastings on Wed. and we had to go pick them up and take Dad back on Thurs to pick his car up when it was fixed.
7. Jewelry-I am trying (though not always successfully) to get jewelry made for the fall craft show I going to in September.
6. Girl Scouts-We took the girls to camp Monday, dropped them off and picked them back up on Thursday, 2 round trips to Camp Cosmo near Grand Island.
5. My daughter's 10th birthday is next week. How is it possible she is hitting double digits, wasn't I just pregnant?
4. Appointments, to get Mina's eyes checked, to go to counseling, to get Mina's birthday pics taken, dentist, etc...
3. My house is an absolute disaster~I think it might be easier to sell the house with the stuff and start over fresh at this point!
2. Work, have I mentioned work?!
1. Work, HAVE I MENTIONED IT?!
Well, since work ranks several spots, I had better start trying to find the desk I spend most of my life at! Have a great weekend, we are going to get away to yes Grand Island (!) and go to see Harry Potter 5 and go to Art in the Park on Sunday.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Granny's Bracelet

This is the bracelet I made for Mina's Granny Carol. She has 21 grandkids and they still didn't hit all the months. So it just mixes them all up and the "Granny" bar was made by Carla at Beads and Botanicals (her silver work is by her Red Eagle Silverworks company). Pretty, don't you think?

Friday, July 6, 2007

New Earrings

These are some new earrings I got made up the last couple days. I have had a strange week, so I am sorry that the blog hasn't been updated. My Dad went in on Monday, and had to have 2 stints put in his heart, so he had to stay overnight at the hospital. On Tuesday, we picked him up from the hospital, took Mom to the Dr and I got my allergy shots. Chris and I took Mina to her grandparent's house near Fairbury, NE to stay until we have our annual 4th of July celebration. So we will pick her up on Saturday, do the church thing on Sunday, and then Monday we take the GS to camp and drop them off for a 4 day camp, that we are not staying for. They are very excited about camp. They will go canoeing, to a water park, to the Hastings Museum, but the thing they are most excited about is that we are not staying with them. Crazy, huh?! Talk about feeling unnecessary! If I don't get back here 'til next week, have a nice weekend!

Monday, July 2, 2007

Is There A Medic in the House?!

Hello! Chris and I took the GS to camp Saturday am for Celebrating the Red, White, and Blue camp. We had 3 girls that went with us, and had a wonderful time. We decorated Mason jars with 4th of July fabrics and glue and made them into candle jars. We also learned the proper way to retire worn out flags, how to fold flags, and the meanings of the stripes, and the stars. It was a wonderful experience right before the big 4th of July celebrations get under way. We then took those girls and met up with our co-leader Donna, had lunch and spent the rest of the day at the water park in Hastings. This is where the medic part comes in. When Donna and I go to the water park together, we float the lazy river and spend time catching up with each others lives. Evidently, we floated longer than I thought because I am SO sunburned! I, mistakenly so, thought that I could get by without the sunblock because I wouldn't be in the sun that long! So what is the valuable lesson we have learned from this? ALWAYS APPLY SUNBLOCK! Mina now sees why we make her wear it! I hope your Monday is much less prickly than mine will be! Does anyone have any sunburn tips for me? HELP!

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