The Pine
Underneath the limbs of your branches,
Surrounded by your fragrance,
I was sheltered from the world around me.
Safely hidden in your cool shade,
I felt safe, secure, calm,
and... sticky??
Stupid sap!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thursday Thoughtlings
Yes, thoughtlings. It's been a very busy week, so my thoughts are not fully developed - still in their childhood, in fact. Hence the term, thoughtlings.
- Last night I went out for the most AWESOMELY LOVELY walk, ever. We had just had a big storm, and as soon as it ended the sun came out. I grabbed some comfy shoes and treated myself to a long walk around the local park. With my new (and deeply beloved) digital cam. Pics will be up soon!
- I discovered that I have a phobia about being alone with other people, especially females. I have NO clue why... and the fear disappears gradually as I get to know the person. I should probably analyze this more... Very deep glitch in my programing. I'll update you all after i finish my analysis.
- I finished my two swaps that I'm involved in! I'm really excited about seeing my swap-pals reactions to their goodies! And glad that the projects are done... I REALLY tried to do too much, this time. But I learned a ton in the process, so that's an awesome thing! And one of the projects even inspired me to create something new, which I'll be putting on Etsy to sell as soon as my pal gets her gift and is appropriately surprised. Oh, and I'm excited about getting my swap stuff too, of course. *giggle* I love mail.
- I'm fighting a lot of anxiety and depression this week. But at the same time, there have been moments of deep peace. A lunchtime visit to an old-time store... the smell of a pine tree... Bliss is easy to find, when we take the time to look for it.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Conversations with Jana
Have you ever stopped to listen, really listen, to what people around you say, and how they say it? That's been on my mind this week, as I've blogghopped around here and there (when I found the time, which was actually pretty rare).
I noticed that we all speak differently! I first noticed it when I talked to one fellow blogger on the phone, as she played with her children in the act of getting them to stop jumping on her bed. It made me think about how I talk to Jakey... "Jacob, get OFF the bed!" would have been my most likely response... but probably not the best response (though, I should probably get some bonus points for my directness, right? lol) And it made me think of a lady who works with "my kids" with me. She always uses fancy words, even to the kids... and wonders why they stare at her blankly. She doesn't realize how much more education she has than these children (and most of their parents), or how incomprehensible her fancy-phrased thoughts are to their little brains.
This all made me think about how I communicate in general... I really don't do it that well. I'm known for being short (my words, AND my height lol) and to the point. But when it comes to supporting others, or sharing love with them... I feel like my words are inadequate. Yes, I have a large vocabulary, but I still feel like I can't express what I'm feeling. I hate that feeling! But I also don't feel comfortable speaking like someone I'm not. (Like when I used the word "speaking", instead of "talking")
I have no idea what my point is today... except that I want to learn how to explain myself better, while still being understandable to everyone. Does that make sense?
I noticed that we all speak differently! I first noticed it when I talked to one fellow blogger on the phone, as she played with her children in the act of getting them to stop jumping on her bed. It made me think about how I talk to Jakey... "Jacob, get OFF the bed!" would have been my most likely response... but probably not the best response (though, I should probably get some bonus points for my directness, right? lol) And it made me think of a lady who works with "my kids" with me. She always uses fancy words, even to the kids... and wonders why they stare at her blankly. She doesn't realize how much more education she has than these children (and most of their parents), or how incomprehensible her fancy-phrased thoughts are to their little brains.
This all made me think about how I communicate in general... I really don't do it that well. I'm known for being short (my words, AND my height lol) and to the point. But when it comes to supporting others, or sharing love with them... I feel like my words are inadequate. Yes, I have a large vocabulary, but I still feel like I can't express what I'm feeling. I hate that feeling! But I also don't feel comfortable speaking like someone I'm not. (Like when I used the word "speaking", instead of "talking")
I have no idea what my point is today... except that I want to learn how to explain myself better, while still being understandable to everyone. Does that make sense?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Stupendous Quiz of the Week - Fill-in-the-blank Silly Songs!!
Silly songs! Some from camp, some from Larry the Cucumber (and friends)! See how many of the following blank words you remember...we do appreciate family-friendly creativity, so feel free to guess silly things in our silly songs quiz. This week, we kept thinking about all our favorite camp memories, which was a blast! Whether you guess any words or not, please feel free to tell us about your favorite camp song or silly song memories!
Lookups are not encouraged on this quiz, so give your brain a good nostalgic workout! :-)
The quiz will close likely Thursdayish, around noon Eastern time, and sometime later we will post the answers and announce the winner in the comments section of this post.
Have fun!
love,
Princesses Jana and Jami
1. Hi! My name is Joe.
And I work
in
a ______ factory,
I've got a house and a dog and a family,
One day the boss came up to me and said
"Hey Joe, Are you busy?" I said "No!"
2. Archibald (King Saul): Yes, but Goliath, he's ...
Junior (Dave): He's big! But _____'s bigger!And when I think of Him, that's when I figure
With His help, _____ guys can do big things too!
3. Little bunny Foo-Foo, hoppin' though the forest,
Scoopin' up the _____ ____ and boppin' them on the ____.
4. Larry: "Everybody's got a ____ _______, yours is fast but mine is slow. Oh, where'd we get them? I don't know, but everybody's got a ____ _______.
I took my _______ to the store, got his head stuck in the door, spilled some lima beans on the floor. Oh everybody's got a ..."
Archibald: "Stop it, stop, stop right this instant! What do you think you're doing? You can't say everyone's got a ____ _______ when everyone does not have a ____ _______! We're going to get nasty letters saying, "Where's my ____ _______? Why don't I have a ____ _______?" And are you prepared to deal with that? I don't think so! Just stop being so silly!"
5. "Be kind to your ___-______ friends,
For a duck may be somebody's mother
Be kind to your friends in the _____
Where the weather is very very damp
You may think that this is the end...Well it is!
6. All: "'Cuz we're the ________ Who Don't Do Anything! We just stay at home and lie around. And if you ask us to do anything, we'll just tell you ... We don't do anything!"
Larry: "Well, I've never plucked a rooster and I'm not too good at ping-pong, and I've never thrown my _____ _________ up against the wall, and I've never kissed a chipmunk and I've never gotten head lice, and I've never been to Boston in the fall!"
7. Just a boy and a girl in a little _____
With the ____ shining all around
8. Phillipe Pea: Keep walking! But you won't knock down our ____
Keep walking! But she isn't gonna _____!
It's plain to see, your brains are very _____,
To think walking will be knocking down our ____.
You silly little pickle! You silly little peas! You think that walking 'round will bring this city to its knees? The awesome powers of this ____,We've clearly demonstrated But out here in the hot, hot sun ... perhaps you're _______?
9. last verse:
There's a flea on the wing on the fly on the frog on the bump on the log in the hole in the bottom of the ___...
There's a hole, there's a hole,
There's a hole in the bottom of the ___.
10. The ____ go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
...The little one stops to suck his thumb
And they all go marching down
To the ground
To get out
Of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
11. Archibald: "Larry, tell me about your childhood."
Larry: "When I was just two years old I left my lips out in the cold and they turned blue. What could I do?"
Archibald: "Oh Dear. They turned blue, what could you do?"
Larry: "Oh they turned blue. On the day I got my tooth I had to kiss my Great Aunt Ruth. She had a beard ... and it felt weird."
Archibald: "My, my. She had a beard and it felt weird?"
Larry: "She had a beard. Ten days after I turned eight, got my lips stuck in a ____. My friends all _______. And I just stood there until the ____ __________ came and broke the lock with a ____ ___ and I had to spend the next six weeks in lip rehab with this kid named Oscar who got stung by a bee - right on the lip - and we couldn't even talk to each other until the fifth week because both our lips were so swollen, and when he did start speaking he just spoke Polish and I only knew like three words in Polish except now I know four because Oscar taught me the word for lip: Usta!"
Archibald: "Your friends all laughed ... Usta? How do you spell that?"
Larry: "I don't know."
Archibald: "So what you're saying is that when you were young ..."
Larry: "They turned blue, what could I do? She had a beard and it felt weird. My friends all laughed ... Usta!"
12. Larry:Oh, where is my _________? Oh where is my _________? Oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where,Oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where,Oh, where ... is my _________?
Narrator:Having heard his cry, Pa Grape enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of Larry in a towel, Pa regains his composure and reports...
Pa:I think I saw a _________ back there!
Lookups are not encouraged on this quiz, so give your brain a good nostalgic workout! :-)
The quiz will close likely Thursdayish, around noon Eastern time, and sometime later we will post the answers and announce the winner in the comments section of this post.
Have fun!
love,
Princesses Jana and Jami
1. Hi! My name is Joe.
And I work
in
a ______ factory,
I've got a house and a dog and a family,
One day the boss came up to me and said
"Hey Joe, Are you busy?" I said "No!"
2. Archibald (King Saul): Yes, but Goliath, he's ...
Junior (Dave): He's big! But _____'s bigger!And when I think of Him, that's when I figure
With His help, _____ guys can do big things too!
3. Little bunny Foo-Foo, hoppin' though the forest,
Scoopin' up the _____ ____ and boppin' them on the ____.
4. Larry: "Everybody's got a ____ _______, yours is fast but mine is slow. Oh, where'd we get them? I don't know, but everybody's got a ____ _______.
I took my _______ to the store, got his head stuck in the door, spilled some lima beans on the floor. Oh everybody's got a ..."
Archibald: "Stop it, stop, stop right this instant! What do you think you're doing? You can't say everyone's got a ____ _______ when everyone does not have a ____ _______! We're going to get nasty letters saying, "Where's my ____ _______? Why don't I have a ____ _______?" And are you prepared to deal with that? I don't think so! Just stop being so silly!"
5. "Be kind to your ___-______ friends,
For a duck may be somebody's mother
Be kind to your friends in the _____
Where the weather is very very damp
You may think that this is the end...Well it is!
6. All: "'Cuz we're the ________ Who Don't Do Anything! We just stay at home and lie around. And if you ask us to do anything, we'll just tell you ... We don't do anything!"
Larry: "Well, I've never plucked a rooster and I'm not too good at ping-pong, and I've never thrown my _____ _________ up against the wall, and I've never kissed a chipmunk and I've never gotten head lice, and I've never been to Boston in the fall!"
7. Just a boy and a girl in a little _____
With the ____ shining all around
8. Phillipe Pea: Keep walking! But you won't knock down our ____
Keep walking! But she isn't gonna _____!
It's plain to see, your brains are very _____,
To think walking will be knocking down our ____.
You silly little pickle! You silly little peas! You think that walking 'round will bring this city to its knees? The awesome powers of this ____,We've clearly demonstrated But out here in the hot, hot sun ... perhaps you're _______?
9. last verse:
There's a flea on the wing on the fly on the frog on the bump on the log in the hole in the bottom of the ___...
There's a hole, there's a hole,
There's a hole in the bottom of the ___.
10. The ____ go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
...The little one stops to suck his thumb
And they all go marching down
To the ground
To get out
Of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
11. Archibald: "Larry, tell me about your childhood."
Larry: "When I was just two years old I left my lips out in the cold and they turned blue. What could I do?"
Archibald: "Oh Dear. They turned blue, what could you do?"
Larry: "Oh they turned blue. On the day I got my tooth I had to kiss my Great Aunt Ruth. She had a beard ... and it felt weird."
Archibald: "My, my. She had a beard and it felt weird?"
Larry: "She had a beard. Ten days after I turned eight, got my lips stuck in a ____. My friends all _______. And I just stood there until the ____ __________ came and broke the lock with a ____ ___ and I had to spend the next six weeks in lip rehab with this kid named Oscar who got stung by a bee - right on the lip - and we couldn't even talk to each other until the fifth week because both our lips were so swollen, and when he did start speaking he just spoke Polish and I only knew like three words in Polish except now I know four because Oscar taught me the word for lip: Usta!"
Archibald: "Your friends all laughed ... Usta? How do you spell that?"
Larry: "I don't know."
Archibald: "So what you're saying is that when you were young ..."
Larry: "They turned blue, what could I do? She had a beard and it felt weird. My friends all laughed ... Usta!"
12. Larry:Oh, where is my _________? Oh where is my _________? Oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where,Oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where,Oh, where ... is my _________?
Narrator:Having heard his cry, Pa Grape enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of Larry in a towel, Pa regains his composure and reports...
Pa:I think I saw a _________ back there!
The Dream
Last night, I dreamed about Bridgette. (You'll have to read the poem about her for this post to make sense.) I was at her grandma's farmhouse, and was so surprised to see Esther (that's the grandma's name) still in there. We talked for a while, and I went into the kitchen with the others (no idea who they were). But soon I slipped off to talk to Esther again, alone. We talked for a moment about shallow things... and then she asked me if I had a question for her. I felt ackward, afraid to ask what was really on my mind.
But she knew. "What happened to her (Bridgette)?" she said sadly, and then answered her own question. She said that the teenage years were so hard... all that had happened.
And then I woke up, feeling so sad. Please say a prayer for Bridgette today. She's 2 hours away from me, floating around a city where no one cares about her... no idea how I could find her even if I tried.
But she knew. "What happened to her (Bridgette)?" she said sadly, and then answered her own question. She said that the teenage years were so hard... all that had happened.
And then I woke up, feeling so sad. Please say a prayer for Bridgette today. She's 2 hours away from me, floating around a city where no one cares about her... no idea how I could find her even if I tried.
Monday, June 25, 2007
I Love My New Cam
Woo hooo! The first blogged post from my new cam!
This is a clover flower. It grows wild in the part of Indiana where I grew up, and it's flowers are edible. I haven't eaten one in a while, but I seem to remember them tasting rather sweet?
Busyness!!!!
Note to all quizzers: Due to the business of Jami & I's Mondays, we have decided to change our quizzes to Tuesdays!!!! So stay tuned for tomorrow's quiz: Camp/Silly Songs!
Anyway... speaking of busy buzzing...
Whew... busy weekend!
Cleaned the bedroom, sorted all of my bills and arranged them by date due, made surprises for my swap pals, cleaned out my old computer, hooked up the new computer, had company, won at a card game called "Big Fish, Little Fish", lost at another card game called "In a Pickle", drove to Indianapolis with James, hung out with his friends for a while, and just generally had fun adventures! Oh, and church last night was WAY amazing... definately what I needed.
Today the other office person at my job walked out, so this means I will not be able to blog much for a while... doing extra work and such. I'll pop in when I can at work, and occasionally at the library, until they decide to fill the other office spot.
In the meantime... I'll show you all a pic or two from my new digital cam.
Or, well, I'll try to... if I can figure out... so maybe for now, you can just look at my flickr account? I think that link will work... maybe...
Anyway... speaking of busy buzzing...
Whew... busy weekend!
Cleaned the bedroom, sorted all of my bills and arranged them by date due, made surprises for my swap pals, cleaned out my old computer, hooked up the new computer, had company, won at a card game called "Big Fish, Little Fish", lost at another card game called "In a Pickle", drove to Indianapolis with James, hung out with his friends for a while, and just generally had fun adventures! Oh, and church last night was WAY amazing... definately what I needed.
Today the other office person at my job walked out, so this means I will not be able to blog much for a while... doing extra work and such. I'll pop in when I can at work, and occasionally at the library, until they decide to fill the other office spot.
In the meantime... I'll show you all a pic or two from my new digital cam.
Or, well, I'll try to... if I can figure out... so maybe for now, you can just look at my flickr account? I think that link will work... maybe...
Friday, June 22, 2007
Happy Weekend!!!
Well everyone, it's almost the weekend!!! What are your plans?
I plan to send out my two slightly-belated swaps to my partners, go through my bills & make a budget, catch up on laundry... and of course play with my NEW COMPUTER!!!!
Yes, wierdly enough, I do have a computer on order. I find it really funny because Tammy V, in her infinate wisdom, told me the right thing would come along...
Well, I went to Circuit City, browsed their computers for a while... went on to Walmart, browsed there... and as I was leaving the Walmart computer department, highly frustrated, ... along came my personal computer man!!!! (His name is Toby, and he builds computers for fun & profit.) I hadn't seen him in forever!!!
I'm now almost-officially the owner of a $350 computer, with super kick-butt graphic system and super-fast processing! AND GAMES!!!! (It was his son's computer.... lol) Wooooo!!!!!!!!!! I'm beyond excited. I can't wait to wake up Saturday morning and play CSI in my jammies! (Assuming he gets it to me tonight, which he may not... that's the reason I hesitated. He's kinda slow sometimes, despite not being paid til the computer is IN my hands.) Either way... new puter is on it's way!! Wooooooo!!!
And of course, since my digital cam will be plugged into it... that means LOTS of new pics to show you all! Woo hoo!
I plan to send out my two slightly-belated swaps to my partners, go through my bills & make a budget, catch up on laundry... and of course play with my NEW COMPUTER!!!!
Yes, wierdly enough, I do have a computer on order. I find it really funny because Tammy V, in her infinate wisdom, told me the right thing would come along...
Well, I went to Circuit City, browsed their computers for a while... went on to Walmart, browsed there... and as I was leaving the Walmart computer department, highly frustrated, ... along came my personal computer man!!!! (His name is Toby, and he builds computers for fun & profit.) I hadn't seen him in forever!!!
I'm now almost-officially the owner of a $350 computer, with super kick-butt graphic system and super-fast processing! AND GAMES!!!! (It was his son's computer.... lol) Wooooo!!!!!!!!!! I'm beyond excited. I can't wait to wake up Saturday morning and play CSI in my jammies! (Assuming he gets it to me tonight, which he may not... that's the reason I hesitated. He's kinda slow sometimes, despite not being paid til the computer is IN my hands.) Either way... new puter is on it's way!! Wooooooo!!!
And of course, since my digital cam will be plugged into it... that means LOTS of new pics to show you all! Woo hoo!
I Had a Dream...
Yep, I did! I've had dreams almost every night this week in fact... but this one was extra-specially interesting, so I thought I'd share.
In my dream, a serial-killing non-human entity lived under my kitchen table, and murdered people who were eating there. Evidently I was already dead, since i was watching the scene from afar... calmly enjoying the show.
(For those of you who are wondering, I ate ice cream before bed.... LOL and not just ANY ice cream, but Fried Ice Cream flavored ice cream, which basically tasted like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal... SO SO SO SO YUMMY!!)
In my dream, a serial-killing non-human entity lived under my kitchen table, and murdered people who were eating there. Evidently I was already dead, since i was watching the scene from afar... calmly enjoying the show.
(For those of you who are wondering, I ate ice cream before bed.... LOL and not just ANY ice cream, but Fried Ice Cream flavored ice cream, which basically tasted like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal... SO SO SO SO YUMMY!!)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
A Little of Everything
Still so much to tell you all!!!
I saw James last night, and we have a date for Friday (not a REAL movie-dinner type date, just a date to drive to Indy seperately, give his van to his brother who is at camp right now, and drive back together. It's a 2-hour drive or more though, so.... *swoon* Time with James!)
M and I had a long talk last night... OMW she broke my heart. Why do people have kids if they aren't going to love them? I just don't get it!! And to top it all off... my emotions were "off", and I couldn't even cry with her!!! She broke my heart, and i couldn't even cry with her!! I hate my emotions sometimes... shutting off when they should be on... Turning on at random times... ahhhh! Why can't they just WORK?!
Which reminds me that I meant to post about anxiety... I actually took the time last week, and looked up some websites on anxiety. (Anxiety is the reason why my doctor put me on happy pills...) But the post isn't ready yet, so... I'll do that in a second post, in a sec.
And speaking of things that refuse to work... I bought an AWESOMELY COOL new digital cam this weekend... only to find that it's software won't work on my computer, cuz my computer is a piece of junk. Which is my final expenditure of my money saved... a computer, with an awesome graphics card, and all the cool stuff one needs to have on a computer you're going to keep for a good long while. Then it's back to saving the rest and being responsible with my $ again! Woo hoo!
Any computer-shopping advice?
I saw James last night, and we have a date for Friday (not a REAL movie-dinner type date, just a date to drive to Indy seperately, give his van to his brother who is at camp right now, and drive back together. It's a 2-hour drive or more though, so.... *swoon* Time with James!)
M and I had a long talk last night... OMW she broke my heart. Why do people have kids if they aren't going to love them? I just don't get it!! And to top it all off... my emotions were "off", and I couldn't even cry with her!!! She broke my heart, and i couldn't even cry with her!! I hate my emotions sometimes... shutting off when they should be on... Turning on at random times... ahhhh! Why can't they just WORK?!
Which reminds me that I meant to post about anxiety... I actually took the time last week, and looked up some websites on anxiety. (Anxiety is the reason why my doctor put me on happy pills...) But the post isn't ready yet, so... I'll do that in a second post, in a sec.
And speaking of things that refuse to work... I bought an AWESOMELY COOL new digital cam this weekend... only to find that it's software won't work on my computer, cuz my computer is a piece of junk. Which is my final expenditure of my money saved... a computer, with an awesome graphics card, and all the cool stuff one needs to have on a computer you're going to keep for a good long while. Then it's back to saving the rest and being responsible with my $ again! Woo hoo!
Any computer-shopping advice?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Whirlwind Weekend
(To see this week's quiz, go here.)
I can honestly tell you all that this was one of the best weekends of my life. I have a MILLION things to share... how I remembered my dad Friday night and couldn't sleep... how we all had a ton of fun Saturday... how James's car broke down, again... how peaceful the cemetery was when I visited my dad Sunday... how much I love my new "toy"...
But really, more than those things (which I hope to eventually share), I want to tell you about my bliss.
This weekend, things went out of my control completely. We took the kids (Jakey & Phoenix) to an event at a park in town... the sun was beating down on us, and I got SO SICK. I had to call James, and tell him I would miss his family cookout... again. (The third family event in a row that I had missed.) I felt like SUCH A LOSER... but he said he would come over later, and bring Ghost Rider with him for us all to watch.
So he came... as soon as we sat down, we relaxed into each other... I couldn't believe how much I missed him, and how easily we fit back together. We watched Ghost Rider (OMW! SO GOOD!!!!!! I love it.), and then James, Kim & I stayed up talking until about 2 in the morning... they kept on talking, but at 2 I fell asleep on the fold-out couch beside James. (No, we weren't doing anything dirty.. it's just more comfy as a bed than a couch. lol) I woke up at about 4, when James went to leave.... and his van wouldn't start.
He thought it was just flooded, so I sat out in the van with him... Kim went back inside to sleep... and we talked. REALLY talked. About how I had curled up so deep inside myself... how I felt my friends didn't understand about my grief... how I'd shut everyone out. He held me... he asked me my ring size... (*grin* I think he's thinking of a promise ring for the moment.)...we talked about M and the things she's doing... he had no wise advise either... which made me feel better. It's much better to be clueless together, than apart, ya know? lol
So, I'm trying to stop curling up inside of myself... to really live IN my life, and enjoy it... to connect with others without fear... to create... and to relax, and enjoy the amazing things I've been blessed with.
I can honestly tell you all that this was one of the best weekends of my life. I have a MILLION things to share... how I remembered my dad Friday night and couldn't sleep... how we all had a ton of fun Saturday... how James's car broke down, again... how peaceful the cemetery was when I visited my dad Sunday... how much I love my new "toy"...
But really, more than those things (which I hope to eventually share), I want to tell you about my bliss.
This weekend, things went out of my control completely. We took the kids (Jakey & Phoenix) to an event at a park in town... the sun was beating down on us, and I got SO SICK. I had to call James, and tell him I would miss his family cookout... again. (The third family event in a row that I had missed.) I felt like SUCH A LOSER... but he said he would come over later, and bring Ghost Rider with him for us all to watch.
So he came... as soon as we sat down, we relaxed into each other... I couldn't believe how much I missed him, and how easily we fit back together. We watched Ghost Rider (OMW! SO GOOD!!!!!! I love it.), and then James, Kim & I stayed up talking until about 2 in the morning... they kept on talking, but at 2 I fell asleep on the fold-out couch beside James. (No, we weren't doing anything dirty.. it's just more comfy as a bed than a couch. lol) I woke up at about 4, when James went to leave.... and his van wouldn't start.
He thought it was just flooded, so I sat out in the van with him... Kim went back inside to sleep... and we talked. REALLY talked. About how I had curled up so deep inside myself... how I felt my friends didn't understand about my grief... how I'd shut everyone out. He held me... he asked me my ring size... (*grin* I think he's thinking of a promise ring for the moment.)...we talked about M and the things she's doing... he had no wise advise either... which made me feel better. It's much better to be clueless together, than apart, ya know? lol
So, I'm trying to stop curling up inside of myself... to really live IN my life, and enjoy it... to connect with others without fear... to create... and to relax, and enjoy the amazing things I've been blessed with.
Stupendous Quiz of the Week - Book Couples
We are back this week, to give you a NEW quiz, featuring couples in literature!
Each clue will give you the name of one person in the couple. Your job is to name the OTHER member of the couple.
Lookups are NOT allowed on this quiz, so give your brain a good workout! :-)
The quiz will close Wednesday, around noon, and sometime later we will post the answers and announce the winner in the comments section of this post.
Luv,
Princesses Jami & Jana
And now.....
THE QUIZ!
1. Eve Dallas & _______
2. Anne Shirley and _______ _______
3. Juliet Capulet & _______ _______
4. Eve Duncan & _______ _______
5. Robin Hood & _______ _______
6. Othello & _______
7. Nancy Drew & _______ _______; Bess Marvin & _______ _______ ; George Fayne & _______ _______
8. Tom Sawyer & _______ _______
9. Ivanhoe & _______ _______
10. Laura Ingalls & _______ _______
Each clue will give you the name of one person in the couple. Your job is to name the OTHER member of the couple.
Lookups are NOT allowed on this quiz, so give your brain a good workout! :-)
The quiz will close Wednesday, around noon, and sometime later we will post the answers and announce the winner in the comments section of this post.
Luv,
Princesses Jami & Jana
And now.....
THE QUIZ!
1. Eve Dallas & _______
2. Anne Shirley and _______ _______
3. Juliet Capulet & _______ _______
4. Eve Duncan & _______ _______
5. Robin Hood & _______ _______
6. Othello & _______
7. Nancy Drew & _______ _______; Bess Marvin & _______ _______ ; George Fayne & _______ _______
8. Tom Sawyer & _______ _______
9. Ivanhoe & _______ _______
10. Laura Ingalls & _______ _______
Friday, June 15, 2007
GTKY Day & Shades
Wednesday was Getting to Know You Day at the CAC blog! Here are the questions we were given this week:
When did you begin your first blog and what inspired you to do so?
I started my blog in the summer of... umm... 2004? I had seen my friends Moni and Wendy blogging, and was like "hmm... what is a blog?" And then I started one! Woooo!!!
Do you have more than one blog? Why? How are they different?
Yes, I do... I have this blog, and my Poetry Place... they are different because I wanted a blog space JUST for the poems I write. (Hmmm... The word poetry just reminded me that I dreamed about writing poetry last night. My old pastor was asking me for a copy of a poem, and of course I had lost it... )
How would you characterize your blog?
Creative
Political
Informational
Community-oriented
Or something else?
Creative? Sometimes... Political? NEVER. Informational? Rarely! lol Community-oriented? I'm not even sure what that means....
I'd describe my blog as... an extension of Jana... a part of me that I take out of myself and show to you all.
To paraphrase Oprah, what is "one thing you know for sure" about blogging?
I know that blogging has changed me deeply... I've met all kinds of new people, learned new things,... my life has expanded SO MUCH since I began blogging!
Is it important to you to get feedback in terms of comments or pings? Why or why not?
I can't imagine blogging if no one commented... I would feel like I was pouring out my soul to the world, and no one was listening... that would be horrible. But as far as HOW MANY comments I get... that's not important to me. I just love having any that come my way! :o)
What 3 blogs would you recommend to our readers and why?
Big Ideas - I found this blog last week, when I noticed the company name "Me & My Big Ideas" on an order at my company... well OF COURSE I had to see what on earth this company did... (we do that often... every time we see a company with an unusual name, we look it up online and see what they do/sell) Not only did I find their company website (they create products like fancy papers, stickers, iron-on transfers, and things like that) but I found that the company owners have a BLOG!!! Way cool to see a woman doing what she loves and making money in the process. She's my current creative hero.
Be Alive, Believe, Be You - Melba's blog is filled with colorful journal pages, images, and all sorts of wisdom that will get your creativity going!!
Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together - Tammy V's blog... she has advice for artists, daily wise thoughts, interviews with new artists, tales from her life... and her presence, which is way cool, since Tammy V is just awesome beyond awesomeness!
And now, for Photo Thursday, we are supposed to share a pic of ourselves in shades!
When did you begin your first blog and what inspired you to do so?
I started my blog in the summer of... umm... 2004? I had seen my friends Moni and Wendy blogging, and was like "hmm... what is a blog?" And then I started one! Woooo!!!
Do you have more than one blog? Why? How are they different?
Yes, I do... I have this blog, and my Poetry Place... they are different because I wanted a blog space JUST for the poems I write. (Hmmm... The word poetry just reminded me that I dreamed about writing poetry last night. My old pastor was asking me for a copy of a poem, and of course I had lost it... )
How would you characterize your blog?
Creative
Political
Informational
Community-oriented
Or something else?
Creative? Sometimes... Political? NEVER. Informational? Rarely! lol Community-oriented? I'm not even sure what that means....
I'd describe my blog as... an extension of Jana... a part of me that I take out of myself and show to you all.
To paraphrase Oprah, what is "one thing you know for sure" about blogging?
I know that blogging has changed me deeply... I've met all kinds of new people, learned new things,... my life has expanded SO MUCH since I began blogging!
Is it important to you to get feedback in terms of comments or pings? Why or why not?
I can't imagine blogging if no one commented... I would feel like I was pouring out my soul to the world, and no one was listening... that would be horrible. But as far as HOW MANY comments I get... that's not important to me. I just love having any that come my way! :o)
What 3 blogs would you recommend to our readers and why?
Big Ideas - I found this blog last week, when I noticed the company name "Me & My Big Ideas" on an order at my company... well OF COURSE I had to see what on earth this company did... (we do that often... every time we see a company with an unusual name, we look it up online and see what they do/sell) Not only did I find their company website (they create products like fancy papers, stickers, iron-on transfers, and things like that) but I found that the company owners have a BLOG!!! Way cool to see a woman doing what she loves and making money in the process. She's my current creative hero.
Be Alive, Believe, Be You - Melba's blog is filled with colorful journal pages, images, and all sorts of wisdom that will get your creativity going!!
Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together - Tammy V's blog... she has advice for artists, daily wise thoughts, interviews with new artists, tales from her life... and her presence, which is way cool, since Tammy V is just awesome beyond awesomeness!
And now, for Photo Thursday, we are supposed to share a pic of ourselves in shades!
HAPPY FRIDAY!
Hello my lovely blogger friends!
IT IS FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooooooo!!!!!!!! I am SO ready!! A new tradition at my blog... here is my Friday Happy Dance Avatar:
We've had company at our humble home this ENTIRE week. No idea when they are leaving (SuperRoomie's fam & friends, having farewell visits before she leaves) but we've had a ton of fun so far. I have slaughtered them at Monopoly 2 times, and won Skip-Bo once. Bwahahaha! I'm the undefended champion of Monopoly!
Telephone service to my house has been shut off (Vicki didn't want to pay for the rest of the month, and I don't want a land line at all...) so I officially am internetless at home now. That means I may be behind on bloghopping and stuff for a while.
I have a million things to take pics of for you all... I've been knitting & stuff like crazy... but just haven't gotten pics taken yet. Meant to do that last night, but maybe I'll get them done tonight so I can pop into a library & send them from a computer there. We'll see.
Tonight is Stay-At-Kim's-House Day, followed by a cookout with James family on Saturday, and Father's Day on Sunday. No idea how I'll deal with that... but my pastor's wife also lost her dad in the past year, so at least I won't be alone.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
A Single Moment
On my way to the pharmacy
Just grabing some eye drops
But a single moment,
A chance encounter
(Or was it really chance?)
Made all the difference in my day.
Walking into the store
A woman caught my eye
As she zipped along before me
In her power chair
With a bright orange flower
Hanging from the headrest.
I complimented her on the flower
And we began to chat
About the flower
And the friend who gave it to her
She told me how many times it fell off of her chair
How many times she put it back on
And the superglue she finally used
In a moment of desperation,
To keep the flower attached.
Now she looks at the flower,
Whenever she is sick
It used to make her smile
But now it makes her laugh
As she remembers the superglue.
We went inside the store together
I went on with my life
Waiting at the counter
Lost in thought
The woman passed by me again
Her eyes were red now
And I asked if she was okay.
She said she had a funeral
For a close friend later today
She dreaded going to it
The first funeral since her sister's death
But he was a close friend.
In that moment I remembered
The strong arms of my Dad's best friend
As we stood beside my father's casket
How he held me close
When I was so weak.
He told me how much my father loved me
How his face lit up when he talked about me.
Words I'll never forget
They were exactly what I needed to hear that day
And what I needed to hear today too.
As Father's Day approaches
Ads with fathers and daughters are everywhere
Each one bringing a stab of pain
But in the midst of the pain,
A single moment
A reminder of a hug from long ago
Makes all the difference.
See more Poetry Thursday entries here.
Just grabing some eye drops
But a single moment,
A chance encounter
(Or was it really chance?)
Made all the difference in my day.
Walking into the store
A woman caught my eye
As she zipped along before me
In her power chair
With a bright orange flower
Hanging from the headrest.
I complimented her on the flower
And we began to chat
About the flower
And the friend who gave it to her
She told me how many times it fell off of her chair
How many times she put it back on
And the superglue she finally used
In a moment of desperation,
To keep the flower attached.
Now she looks at the flower,
Whenever she is sick
It used to make her smile
But now it makes her laugh
As she remembers the superglue.
We went inside the store together
I went on with my life
Waiting at the counter
Lost in thought
The woman passed by me again
Her eyes were red now
And I asked if she was okay.
She said she had a funeral
For a close friend later today
She dreaded going to it
The first funeral since her sister's death
But he was a close friend.
In that moment I remembered
The strong arms of my Dad's best friend
As we stood beside my father's casket
How he held me close
When I was so weak.
He told me how much my father loved me
How his face lit up when he talked about me.
Words I'll never forget
They were exactly what I needed to hear that day
And what I needed to hear today too.
As Father's Day approaches
Ads with fathers and daughters are everywhere
Each one bringing a stab of pain
But in the midst of the pain,
A single moment
A reminder of a hug from long ago
Makes all the difference.
See more Poetry Thursday entries here.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Oh look!
I found a border I might possibly like for my living room!
You can see it here!
I also found a cool Jungle Animal border, a tiger border, and another awesome black & white jungle border.
In short? I have no clue what I want that room to look like. *sad sigh* Oh well, at least the kitchen has a theme picked out!
You can see it here!
I also found a cool Jungle Animal border, a tiger border, and another awesome black & white jungle border.
In short? I have no clue what I want that room to look like. *sad sigh* Oh well, at least the kitchen has a theme picked out!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Stupendous Quiz of the Week
Welcome, our friendly neighborhood Quizzers! We are back this week to give you a fun new quiz theme: Fill-in-the-Blank Poetry!
Lookups ARE NOT allowed this time, so please only use your brain. :-) Post your answers in the comment section, and the person with the most answers will be our winner! (Or, if two people get the same number of correct answers, the first to post them will be our winner.)
If you don't have any idea about the answers, go ahead and be creative with your family-friendly/wacky guesses (like Mad Libs!).
The quiz will close Wednesday at noon-ish. Have fun!
1. I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a _____
Note from Jana: I love this poem!!!!
2. I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of _______ _________;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Note from Jami: I love this poem!!!! ;-)
3. Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one ____ _____ by,
And that has made all the difference.
4. O my Luve's like a ___, ___ ____,
That's newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
5. But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed.
"I am half sick of shadows," said
The ___ __ _______.
6. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny ________,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
Bonus: Name them all...
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, ________! now, ______! now _______ and _____!
On, _____! on _____! on, ______ and ______!"
7. The _____ bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The _____ bird sings of freedom.
8. Let me not to the ________ of true _____
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
9.Once upon a _____ ____, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."
10. "Beware the __________, my son!
The jaws that ____, the claws that _____!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
Lookups ARE NOT allowed this time, so please only use your brain. :-) Post your answers in the comment section, and the person with the most answers will be our winner! (Or, if two people get the same number of correct answers, the first to post them will be our winner.)
If you don't have any idea about the answers, go ahead and be creative with your family-friendly/wacky guesses (like Mad Libs!).
The quiz will close Wednesday at noon-ish. Have fun!
1. I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a _____
Note from Jana: I love this poem!!!!
2. I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of _______ _________;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Note from Jami: I love this poem!!!! ;-)
3. Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one ____ _____ by,
And that has made all the difference.
4. O my Luve's like a ___, ___ ____,
That's newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
5. But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed.
"I am half sick of shadows," said
The ___ __ _______.
6. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny ________,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
Bonus: Name them all...
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, ________! now, ______! now _______ and _____!
On, _____! on _____! on, ______ and ______!"
7. The _____ bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The _____ bird sings of freedom.
8. Let me not to the ________ of true _____
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
9.Once upon a _____ ____, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."
10. "Beware the __________, my son!
The jaws that ____, the claws that _____!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
Weekend Randomness!
I thought that I'd share with you some random things that happened to me this weekend!
- I found an AWESOME sale on kids clothes!!! Jakey's b-day is coming up in July, so I stocked that kid up on clothes for kindergarten! 6 or 7 Pairs of pants for $2 - $3, two pants + shirt outfits for $4.50, and one WAY COOL outfit with a Spirderman t-shirt, button-up casual shirt with spidey design to go over the t-shirt, and way cool pair of jeans! The last outfit is for his first day of school!
- I had a bad grief weekend... someone I know lost her dad about 13 years ago, and while shopping this weekend, decided to pick up and read aloud a section of "Why ever girl needs a Dad"... i asked her if she could stop, jokingly saying "c'mon, have some compasion..." she seemed to think it was ridiculous that the book would upset me... she lost her dad too, and is raising a daughter w/o a dad. I apologized later in case I sounded grumpy when I asked her to stop... and she still seemed totally... oblivious? compassionless? Am I just being oversensitive? Or should friends pretend to care about (or at least respect?) the fact that he's been gone less than 4 months?
- Finally got to spend a day at Kim's again! We went to IHOP, (pancakes smothered in maple syrup... mmmm...), shopping (she is NOT the un-compassionate friend mentioned above), church, shopping, home, laundromat, home. LOL
- Jakey can count to 12!!!! We thought he could only count to about 7 or so, until we got out the Sorry game, and I told him he had to count if he wanted to play... he got a 12-card, and counted out his little moves... all the way up to 12!!! I was SO STINKIN' PROUD OF HIM!!! He also knows all his shapes except rectangles, diamonds, and ovals. I drew him some rectangles and ovals, and made faces on them. :o) He specifically requested angry eyebrows and a smiley face... made for a very sadistic looking Mr. Rectangle! *giggle*
- I started making a pair of baby booties, and bought supplies for some new things to make... I'll show & tell more soon!!!
(Just so you know, the Monday Stupendous Quiz WILL be posted soon!!)
Friday, June 08, 2007
CAC GTKY Day & Photo Day!
Wednesday was Getting to Know You Day at the CAC blog! Charlotte gave us some fun questions, so here are my fun answers!
Where were you in 1987? In school? Working? Single? Married? Attached? What was important to you? What were you doing creatively? Tell us a bit about your life then. I realize some of you were children then...all the better!
In 1987 I was... 7 years old! Little and cute, always giggling (wait, that all describes me now! hehe). I was kinda dirty (my parents didn't teach the greatest hygene habits back then), made fun of a lot, but loved by my family and random strangers... like the cashier at our local grocery, who called me Giggles... and my first grade teacher, who gave me her daughters way-cute hand-me downs, since we were both size 6-slim, which was very hard to find. Creatively? I drew a horse for my mommy.
Where were you in 1997? What would you like to share about the nineties?
Oh, yikes, I was 17 then. Scary time... driving around in my mom's old car... just getting out of my wild stage... struggling with severe depression and thoughts of suicide... converted... lost most of my friends... made new friends... joined track... a very eventful year!
Where did you plan to be or think you'd be in 2007? Have your realized your goals? What is one thing about your present life you love and one you'd like to change?
Where did you plan to be or think you'd be in 2007? Have your realized your goals? What is one thing about your present life you love and one you'd like to change?
In 2007 I planned to have children... my goal through my teenage years and early twenties was to have a baby by age 25, or else adopt, and to travel to at least one foreign country. I haven't accomplished either of those... I am definately not ready for children right now... and I still haven't left the USA. However, I DO have "my kids" that I work with on Thursday nights, and M-the-unofficially-adopted-daughter. I'm making a difference in the life of children, even if they aren't from my womb. And travel? Well.... I'm traveling where I can, when I can. Slowly but surely, I'm seeing more and more of the USA... and setting NEW goals for my future.
How do you see your life in 2017? Do you have any goals or dreams for your future?
How do you see your life in 2017? Do you have any goals or dreams for your future?
My life in 2017? I definately want to have children, or if not, I would like to start doing foster care. I want to be less deeply in debt (just the mortgage would be nice!), and hopefully to have figured out a way to make money through either something creative, or through my computer skills. (I create a lovely MS Access database!) Or at least work in a job that is far less stressful.
PHOTO DAY!!!!
Yesterday's Photo Day theme was "celebrations". I thought that was SO FUNNY, because I had just decorated (and taken a picture of) this envelope:
when I read what the theme was! Yes, seriously, I decorated this very happy-looking envelope with no idea what the photo theme was!
So what IS this wonderfully decorated envelope? It's my registration form for Just Be!!!! I am OFFICIALLY going! Wooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone else want to join the fun? Check out the website here!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Introducing... Da Family!
Last Friday night, as I was quietly hanging out at home working on my house, a neighbor came to ask me if I had a black and white striped cat. I told her I did... 
(Tiger - aka PsychoKitty - aka Kitty Capone is pictured above) Actually, I have TWO of them... Tiger (da mama) and Stripey (her now-grown kitten).
She (the neighbor) had come to introduce me to SIX new members of the family:
(Six cute fuzzy kittens curled up in a ball, above. They are NOT lizards, as my friend Kim first though when she received their pix message.)
They are already old enough to eat on their own! It's fun to watch them put their ENTIRE BODIES into the bowl as they eat. *giggle*
And of course, it IS our solemn duty to cuddle their little furry selves! Isn't Phoenix cute holding the kitty?
M is holding our favorite one... he is SO LOVEABLE!!!!!
And here I am, holding him...
(Tiger - aka PsychoKitty - aka Kitty Capone is pictured above) Actually, I have TWO of them... Tiger (da mama) and Stripey (her now-grown kitten).She (the neighbor) had come to introduce me to SIX new members of the family:
(Six cute fuzzy kittens curled up in a ball, above. They are NOT lizards, as my friend Kim first though when she received their pix message.)They are already old enough to eat on their own! It's fun to watch them put their ENTIRE BODIES into the bowl as they eat. *giggle*
And of course, it IS our solemn duty to cuddle their little furry selves! Isn't Phoenix cute holding the kitty?
M is holding our favorite one... he is SO LOVEABLE!!!!!
And here I am, holding him... We're currently working on naming them, since two look VERY distinctive, and the other four are almost identical...
We decided on The Mummy as our theme.
May I present to you...
Imotep (black and white kitty held by M and I)
Anuk-sun-amun (bottom kitten in the kittens-eating pic)
and....
The Magi (four identical kitties)
Law-abiding kitten families beware... Kitty Capone and Da Family are on the prowl!!!
(Oh, hey! We could give them Mafia/Mob names... anyone got suggestions?)
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Interview & 7 Things
I asked Melba to interview me, and she gave me the MOST AWESOME QUESTIONS EVER!!! She really thought hard about the questions she asked (which made me feel warm & fuzzy), so I took time to think about the questions before answering... and now I have a VERY LONG blogpost!! lol
~You just bought your house.Hooray! Smart decision. I saw your post about the wall paper. We had wall paper in EVERY room of our house from the 70's. It took us some time to get the walls ready for paint.
What is your strategy for tackling how to make your house more you?
(I am still working on this and we have lived here 6 years!)
My first step will be changing the colors on the walls. That's by far the cheapest modification I can make, and it makes such a HUGE difference. My bedroom, the laundry room, bathroom, & the office area are beautiful as they are mostly. The kitchen is okay, but NOT ME at all... and the living room is horrible. I'm currently stripping the wallpaper off of the walls in the living room (70 % done!!!), and halfway through painting the kitchen. I've bought off-white and red paint for my new Coca-Cola kitchen, and soon be buying some light blue-green paint for the living room.
Also, the THICK heavy dark drapes are being taken down, and replaced by thin whispy curtains over venetian blinds! For the kitchen, I am thinking about making the curtains out of material like this.
~I know you go to church on Sundays. What role does religion play in your everyday life? Do you think there is a difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious" ?
What role does religion play in my everyday life? I've struggled with that question... what role SHOULD it play in my everyday life? I'm still trying to find how to allow my faith to impact my life in the right ways... I don't want to be a fanatic, who is just plain wierd... but I also want to truly live the way I say I believe. So, what that means for me now is... I read my Bible, and try to apply scriptures to my life. I pray, and try to listen to the voice of God... what can I do to change my world, ya know? I try to be real... I don't believe that being fake has ever helped anyone, and I don't believe others will trust me when I try to hide who I really am. And most recently, I'm learning to love people... which the Bible says is one of the greatest commandments. Not "I love you cuz God says I have to." or "I love you, so would you like to convert?" (words can't even begin to describe how much that attitude annoys me!!!!) but just "hmm... you're a human, and I'm supposed to love you... I wonder why? Oh look! You are ___ (insert awesome quality here) ___. How cool is THAT?!" Basically, I'm learning to love people just because people are SO STINKIN' AMAZING! We're all so different! And yet so alike! And we can learn so so so much from one another! Human beings rock. (How did I not ever notice this before?)
Okay, I think I will!!!!
1. I have a habit of knitting or crocheting when I can't sleep, and I wake up in the morning tangled up in yarn.
2. I LOVE to travel!!! I've riden to Washington DC, and Orlando FL... I've driven to Nashville TN, Cedar Rapids IA, Milwaukee MN, and Chicago IL I want to see the WEST though, and New England.
3. I live to hike, and take photos as I go. We are supposed to all go hiking soon... I can't wait!!!
4. I LOVE languages!!!! I can speak English, (obviously) and Spanish... tho my Spanish is getting a little rusty. I have tried to learn ASL, Arabic, Hindi, Italian and French... i remember some Arabic, a little bit of French, one phrase in ASL ("I have to pee".) and a few assorted words, and one word in Hindi. ("Elephant")
5. I have a papercut on my finger, and it is itching very badly.
6. I finally am starting to meet some of my neighbors! Woo hoo!!! They seem nice, mostly.
7. I started shaving my toes, and love the way my feet look now! They are so much prettier!! I might even take a pic of them sometime!
~You just bought your house.Hooray! Smart decision. I saw your post about the wall paper. We had wall paper in EVERY room of our house from the 70's. It took us some time to get the walls ready for paint.
What is your strategy for tackling how to make your house more you?
(I am still working on this and we have lived here 6 years!)
My first step will be changing the colors on the walls. That's by far the cheapest modification I can make, and it makes such a HUGE difference. My bedroom, the laundry room, bathroom, & the office area are beautiful as they are mostly. The kitchen is okay, but NOT ME at all... and the living room is horrible. I'm currently stripping the wallpaper off of the walls in the living room (70 % done!!!), and halfway through painting the kitchen. I've bought off-white and red paint for my new Coca-Cola kitchen, and soon be buying some light blue-green paint for the living room.
Also, the THICK heavy dark drapes are being taken down, and replaced by thin whispy curtains over venetian blinds! For the kitchen, I am thinking about making the curtains out of material like this.
~I know you go to church on Sundays. What role does religion play in your everyday life? Do you think there is a difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious" ?
What role does religion play in my everyday life? I've struggled with that question... what role SHOULD it play in my everyday life? I'm still trying to find how to allow my faith to impact my life in the right ways... I don't want to be a fanatic, who is just plain wierd... but I also want to truly live the way I say I believe. So, what that means for me now is... I read my Bible, and try to apply scriptures to my life. I pray, and try to listen to the voice of God... what can I do to change my world, ya know? I try to be real... I don't believe that being fake has ever helped anyone, and I don't believe others will trust me when I try to hide who I really am. And most recently, I'm learning to love people... which the Bible says is one of the greatest commandments. Not "I love you cuz God says I have to." or "I love you, so would you like to convert?" (words can't even begin to describe how much that attitude annoys me!!!!) but just "hmm... you're a human, and I'm supposed to love you... I wonder why? Oh look! You are ___ (insert awesome quality here) ___. How cool is THAT?!" Basically, I'm learning to love people just because people are SO STINKIN' AMAZING! We're all so different! And yet so alike! And we can learn so so so much from one another! Human beings rock. (How did I not ever notice this before?)
On more hum-drum everyday things... My faith affects how I treat others, how I view the world (hey, there is hope for the future! Who knew?!), what I watch & read ("smut", which is what I call stuff - books, movies, etc - that is entirely focused on sex, sex, and more sex, is NOT beneficial to a single woman trying to live a morally clean life, ykwim? lol), the things I wear, and the life I live.
BIG DIFFERENCE between being spiritual and being religious. To me, being spiritual means that you are searching and paying attention to spiritual things. Praying/meditating, searching, learning... those are what, to me, make a person "spiritual." Religious is more about actions... DOING what you consider to be right. I think you need to have a good balance... if you are all about being "spiritual", but don't let it change your actions... you're kinda hypocritical. And if you're all about being "religious", but don't search for spiritual things... you get self-righteous and fanatical.
~ I know during tax season you "do taxes" Was there a course you took to learn? Why? Do you like it?
Well, the company I work for trains their own employees. I started working for them through a temp agency about 5 years ago, simply because I needed a job. I tried it the first year, as a "floater" who worked in whatever office they needed me each day. I liked the fact that it was a job where I can work with computers (I love electronics) but still get to really chat with my customers. (Life stories are often shared over a tax table... many made me laugh, a couple made me cry, and the just-released-from-jail burly-as-heck guy with the beautifully manicured fingernails really frightened me!!!) The next year I ended up getting a supervisor position when another lady was fired. Year 3 I started teaching tax classes, and managed an office... and the last two years I've just worked there part-time, since I have a day job.
~What is your day job?
I work in the office of a small manufacturing company, doing Accounts Payable... at least that's my official title. I answer phones, type orders, type up forms for national & international orders, file, and other random things. I am also the official installer of my boss's screensavers.
~What is your creative dream for yourself?
My creative dream for myself is to find my place in the creative world. I always wanted to express things through the creative side of me, but have never really had a lot of luck with that... it's like there's stuff inside me, that I don't know how to get out!
I want to experiment and find art that I can create, and excell at. I really enjoy writing, but I still feel a bit unfulfilled. I enjoy knitting, but that isn't it either. I love to collage, and want to spend more time exploring that. So at the moment... my creative dream is just to find my creative dream! LOL And eventually find a way to make enough money to work from home.
SO, would any of YOU like to be interviewed? Here are the guidelines:
Want me to interview you?
1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
After doing my interview, I remembered I'd been tagged for a meme a while back!! (Did I mention that I absolutely *heart* being tagged?)
Okay, I think I will!!!!
1. I have a habit of knitting or crocheting when I can't sleep, and I wake up in the morning tangled up in yarn.
2. I LOVE to travel!!! I've riden to Washington DC, and Orlando FL... I've driven to Nashville TN, Cedar Rapids IA, Milwaukee MN, and Chicago IL I want to see the WEST though, and New England.
3. I live to hike, and take photos as I go. We are supposed to all go hiking soon... I can't wait!!!
4. I LOVE languages!!!! I can speak English, (obviously) and Spanish... tho my Spanish is getting a little rusty. I have tried to learn ASL, Arabic, Hindi, Italian and French... i remember some Arabic, a little bit of French, one phrase in ASL ("I have to pee".) and a few assorted words, and one word in Hindi. ("Elephant")
5. I have a papercut on my finger, and it is itching very badly.
6. I finally am starting to meet some of my neighbors! Woo hoo!!! They seem nice, mostly.
7. I started shaving my toes, and love the way my feet look now! They are so much prettier!! I might even take a pic of them sometime!
Monday, June 04, 2007
Stupendous Quiz - Name that Show!
Welcome, beloved Quizzers! We are back this week to give you a fun new quiz theme: NAME THAT SHOW! Each clue will give you the a description of an 80's TV show. Your job is to name the show that each clue describes.
Lookups ARE NOT allowed this time, so please only use your brain. :-)
The quiz will close Wednesday at noon-ish. Have fun!
Love, Princesses Jana and Jami
1. TV Show following the adventures of a private investigator in Hawaii, and his dignified but humorous butler, Higgins.
2. Seven-year-old (and very cute) African-American child is adopted by the Papadopolis family after his parents were killed in a car accident..
Note from Jana: The episode where he catches the house on fire with his Chemisty set still gets me right here. *pointing dramatically at heart*
3. Comedy television series about the Huxtable family: Doctor Heathcliff Huxtable and Clair Huxtable, a happily married couple, and their children (Sondra, Denise, Theodore, Vanessa, and Rudy).
4. Intro to every episode: "In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire ___ _______"
5. Writer of crime novels seems to solve more crimes than she creates!
6. Crazy antics of a group of high school students: Zack, Kelly and Lisa were the "preppie, in-crowd" types. Slater was the "jock". And let's not forget Screech, the lovable nerd! Mr. Belding was the firm, but caring school principal.
7. A new angel named Jonathan Smith gets help from ex-cop Mark Gordon (Jonathan's first success). They drift from place to place carrying out the heavenly missions as instructed by "The Boss", an entity who only speaks to Jonathon.
8. In a continiation of the film of the same name, Virgil Tibbs returns home to Sparta, Mississippi from Philedelphia with his wife Althea for the funeral of his mother when he is offered the position of chief of detectives for the town's mostly caucasian police force. At first their is tension between not only Virgil and Chief Bill Gillespie, but also between Virgil and Sgt. (and later Captain) Bubba Skinner. However, not only do they learn to work together, but they all eventually become very close friends against the backdrop of the "New South".
9. Steven and Elyse Keaton were two hippies with liberal viewpoints who married during the 1960s. The young couple hoped their children would adopt the same values. How wrong they were, especially in the case of oldest son Alex.
Note from Jana: I can't STAND Alex! He drove me nuts! (The character AND the actor!)
10. Cute little girl in generally mis-matched clothes is abandoned (with her doggie) by her mother at a supermarket. She hides in an abandoned apartment, and is found by Henry Warnimont. Henry adopts her, and the adventures begin!
Note from Jana: I remember when her friend Cherie hid in a refrigerator and almost died... so sad...
Lookups ARE NOT allowed this time, so please only use your brain. :-)
The quiz will close Wednesday at noon-ish. Have fun!
Love, Princesses Jana and Jami
1. TV Show following the adventures of a private investigator in Hawaii, and his dignified but humorous butler, Higgins.
2. Seven-year-old (and very cute) African-American child is adopted by the Papadopolis family after his parents were killed in a car accident..
Note from Jana: The episode where he catches the house on fire with his Chemisty set still gets me right here. *pointing dramatically at heart*
3. Comedy television series about the Huxtable family: Doctor Heathcliff Huxtable and Clair Huxtable, a happily married couple, and their children (Sondra, Denise, Theodore, Vanessa, and Rudy).
4. Intro to every episode: "In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire ___ _______"
5. Writer of crime novels seems to solve more crimes than she creates!
6. Crazy antics of a group of high school students: Zack, Kelly and Lisa were the "preppie, in-crowd" types. Slater was the "jock". And let's not forget Screech, the lovable nerd! Mr. Belding was the firm, but caring school principal.
7. A new angel named Jonathan Smith gets help from ex-cop Mark Gordon (Jonathan's first success). They drift from place to place carrying out the heavenly missions as instructed by "The Boss", an entity who only speaks to Jonathon.
8. In a continiation of the film of the same name, Virgil Tibbs returns home to Sparta, Mississippi from Philedelphia with his wife Althea for the funeral of his mother when he is offered the position of chief of detectives for the town's mostly caucasian police force. At first their is tension between not only Virgil and Chief Bill Gillespie, but also between Virgil and Sgt. (and later Captain) Bubba Skinner. However, not only do they learn to work together, but they all eventually become very close friends against the backdrop of the "New South".
9. Steven and Elyse Keaton were two hippies with liberal viewpoints who married during the 1960s. The young couple hoped their children would adopt the same values. How wrong they were, especially in the case of oldest son Alex.
Note from Jana: I can't STAND Alex! He drove me nuts! (The character AND the actor!)
10. Cute little girl in generally mis-matched clothes is abandoned (with her doggie) by her mother at a supermarket. She hides in an abandoned apartment, and is found by Henry Warnimont. Henry adopts her, and the adventures begin!
Note from Jana: I remember when her friend Cherie hid in a refrigerator and almost died... so sad...
Friday, June 01, 2007
Alive, In Pain, & Keyless
I'm still alive! *using best Monty Python voice* I'm not dead! I'm still alive! I feel happy!
Sorry, that quote always amuses me!
Anyway... I just wanted to post (and actually FINISH the post, unlike the 4 not-quite-done posts I have saved) and let you all know that I really am alive. My life has become a very strange routine...
8:00-4:30 - Work @ work
4:45-6:00 - Work on house
6:00-7:00 - Eat supper, watch Stargate, knit
7:00-10:00 - Work on house (watching TV for a max of 1 hour during that time, usually while ripping wallpaper off the living room wall)
10:00 - Shower, call Alison, pray, read Bible, read a book, sleep. (Not necessarily in that order.)
As you can see, the words "computer" and "blog" do not occur in the schedule, which is why I haven't posted much lately... I start a really deep post, and then can't finish it... so today you get a shallow whiney-butt post from me! Whoo hoo!
*whining will begin here*
I woke up this morning with a Charlie horse in one leg (lower leg muscles tighten up horribly and hurt like heck!), and then in the other leg... went back to sleep after a while, and woke up again later, with ANOTHER Charlie horse in one leg!!!
So now my leg muscles are still WAY tight... it's kinda painful to walk... (My coworker said I need more potassium, and should eat a banana. Yum... Peanut butter & Banana sandwich!)
And to top it all off...
I can't find my car keys. Again. *sad sigh* I was 20 minutes late to work after searching all over creation for them, and then finally hitching a ride with SuperRoomie. I think they were moved as I shuffled things about so I could paint yesterday.
So.. me and my already-very-achey legs will be walking home tonight.
But, in happier news... I plan to stay in my OWN HOUSE this weekend! Whooooo!!! My own bed... lots of jammies... quality time with my puter... sleeping in tomorrow...
*happy sigh*
There are advantages to lost keys! lol
Sorry, that quote always amuses me!
Anyway... I just wanted to post (and actually FINISH the post, unlike the 4 not-quite-done posts I have saved) and let you all know that I really am alive. My life has become a very strange routine...
8:00-4:30 - Work @ work
4:45-6:00 - Work on house
6:00-7:00 - Eat supper, watch Stargate, knit
7:00-10:00 - Work on house (watching TV for a max of 1 hour during that time, usually while ripping wallpaper off the living room wall)
10:00 - Shower, call Alison, pray, read Bible, read a book, sleep. (Not necessarily in that order.)
As you can see, the words "computer" and "blog" do not occur in the schedule, which is why I haven't posted much lately... I start a really deep post, and then can't finish it... so today you get a shallow whiney-butt post from me! Whoo hoo!
*whining will begin here*
I woke up this morning with a Charlie horse in one leg (lower leg muscles tighten up horribly and hurt like heck!), and then in the other leg... went back to sleep after a while, and woke up again later, with ANOTHER Charlie horse in one leg!!!
So now my leg muscles are still WAY tight... it's kinda painful to walk... (My coworker said I need more potassium, and should eat a banana. Yum... Peanut butter & Banana sandwich!)
And to top it all off...
I can't find my car keys. Again. *sad sigh* I was 20 minutes late to work after searching all over creation for them, and then finally hitching a ride with SuperRoomie. I think they were moved as I shuffled things about so I could paint yesterday.
So.. me and my already-very-achey legs will be walking home tonight.
But, in happier news... I plan to stay in my OWN HOUSE this weekend! Whooooo!!! My own bed... lots of jammies... quality time with my puter... sleeping in tomorrow...
*happy sigh*
There are advantages to lost keys! lol
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