Photo A Day Challenge-Day 1

Today is the first day of our Photo A Day Challenge.

Our prompt today was 'up'

When I went outside into my back yard on this

pretty sunny afternoon and looked 'up'

this is what I saw.

A beautiful blue sky.

There was not a visible cloud.

And the loctus tree in the yard is bare.

But at the very ends of the branches there is evidence of swelling.

Do that mean that spring cannot be far away?

Tee Shirt Crafts

We have gone kind of crazy here at our house with tee shirt crafts.

I made this adorable scarf yesterday for grand daughter

Happy 10th Birthday

Piper Elizabeth

March Photo A Day

I have decided to help me with more regular blogging about our lives I will join up this month with Fat Mum Slim for the March Photo Challenges. Here you you will find the list of prompts and then just follow her instructions. And don't forget to link up at her site so that we can all follow along. I am a relative new photographer so hopefully this challenge will help me out....Get ready, smile, click

Here's how to play:

♥ Starting on March 1st take a photo each day with inspiration from the prompt. For example prompt 1 is 'up', so take a photo looking up. Or of the word 'up'. Or something that lifts your mood 'up'. It it totally up to you how you want to interpret it.



♥ Once you've taken your photo you can share it on Instagram, Facebook {on your own profile or business page}, Twitter, Flickr, your blog, Pinterest, Tumblr or even just keep them in a folder on your desktop. If you're sharing on Twitter or Instagram add the hashtag #Marchphotoaday so others can find your photos too.





Note: For day 20 you'll see that it says 'before / after'. Again, you can interpret this however you like. I thought it would be cool for people to use an app like picframe to show two photos in one. It could be a meal before eating and the plate after. It could be anything! If you don't have any iPhone or don't want to buy an app - just use your imagination and either take two photos or work it into just one

Head on over here to link up.

Sunday Stealing

Welcome to my Sunday Stealing....a crazy meme that I do once in awhile. Come here if you want to join in.


Cheers to all of us thieves!



1. Where are you from and where do you live now?
There are days when I am still trying to figure out where I came from. I currently live in Kansas. Right smack dab in the middle of the good old USA. And yes, Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore. Believe me I have heard that enough to last me a lifetime.




2. Favorite childhood story/book/film?
There is not much about my childhood that I remember as a 'favorite'. But I do remember reading all the Nancy Drew books. They helped me to 'escape'.


3. If you could change gender for a day what would you do?
This is an interesting question. I don't think I am at all interested in being a man. I am content with being a woman. But what the heck, it's only for a day. What I would do is stand to pee and see if it is at all possible to do that without peeing all over the floor.



4. Do you feel you family is complete or would you like more/some children?
OMG! I am past 60 years old. My family was complete years ago. But here I am now raising a 12 year old girl and a 14 year old boy. And I am screaming now......WE ARE FINISHED. PLEASE NO MORE KIDS!



5. What do you do/Where do you work and do you enjoy it?
I am a registered nurse. Currently I stay home and give full time care to my husband who had a stroke in September. For most of my 25 year nursing career I enjoyed being a nurse. However, things have changed. Young girls and BOYS are coming into the nursing profession now for the MONEY and being a nurse is not what it used to be. They don't care if they give quality care or anything at all about the profession. They just want an easy, do as little as possible shift, and hurry up and give me my paycheck. (This doesn't apply to all people, and it is not just in the nursing profession. I think it is a new generation attitude.)



6. Which three words do you think sum you up?
JUST PLAIN TIRED.



7. If you were a fairy what magical powers would you possess?
I would fly over the world sprinkling my 'heal all' powders over people. No more sickness.



8. If you were invisible, where would you go and what would you do? Why?
I would love to be a fly on the wall of the office of my former Director of Nursing when they finally figure out that SHE is the problem and they fire her. Oh, what sweetness that would be. And I am not at all vindictive.



9. What song can’t you listen to without crying?
Through the Years by Kenny Rogers. The song that will play someday at my dear husbands funeral. (That is, unless I die first)



10. Which book changed your life – or at least made you think a lot?
The Holy Bible....it is still changing my life.



11. Why do you blog?
For a record of what goes on at my house and in my life.



12. What is your top ‘me-time’ tip?
What the heck is 'me-time'? Not something I get anymore. My biggest tip, is that if you get me-time, they enjoy it to its fullest.



13. What can’t you live without?
I cannot live without my computer. OMG where would I be?



14. Which of all your blog posts are you most proud of and why?
Heck if I know...go read my blog and tell me in the comments section which one you like best. Go on.....I'll wait for you.



15. Have you ever met a famous person? Who and where?
Not personally met them....I saw Oprah Winfrey strolling through a casino in Las Vegas but she was surrounded by security and not very friendly at all. And my friend and I chased Paul Newman through the same casino, but we couldn't catch him!!!!!!



16. When did you last have a full nights sleep?
Before September 16, 2011. When my husband had a stroke. Back then we had separate bedrooms (which I would advise for all couples) and I took sleeping pills. Now I sleep, lightly, next to him so that I can help him when he needs it.



17. What would you think is harder: Going to work or staying at home with children?
I think going to work is much harder.....cause you still have to do all the same things a stay at home mother does once you get home. Just in fewer hours.



18. What are you doing for Easter?
We will probably go to church and then have dinner at home.



19. What is your favorite drink?
I love to drink a tall screwdriver, but orange juice now gives me heart burn. And I love frozen margaritas...but the same deal. Heartburn. So I will stick with an ice cold bottle of water.



20. Do you play any sports?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No.



21. What is your most embarrassing moment?
My most embarrassing moment of all time was when I was a nursing student and we had just finished our clinical on the psych ward. We had a 'roundtable' that included the psychologist, psychiatrist, nurses and us. There was a psychologist by the name of Dr. Didlo.........and I called him.....yep, you're right. I did! Embarrassing.



22. How clever are you?
Depends on the day. Not very, lately.



23. Name a new favorite TV show?
NCIS, CSI, CSI LA, Survivor, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss, The Gifted Man, Person of Interest, and Big Bang Theory. (You can tell I am a CBS girl)



24. Any guilty pleasures?
My one guilty pleasure is Bret Michaels.....he plays on my IPOD. It is sometimes amusing when there is a religious song sandwiched on either side of Bret.



25. If you could have chosen your own name, what would it be?
Paula Hughes......Howard's long lost daughter.



26. Who do you most admire in life, and why?
I most admire my mother. She raised 5 kids after my dad died. She did not have a high school education. And we all stayed out of prison, no drugs, and are good people now.



27. What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is a little gold RN necklace that was purchased for me by my youngest son with his first paycheck when he was 14 years old. I don't wear it much anymore but it is very special to me.




28. Tell your favorite funny joke…
I am not much of a joke person...I usually screw it up.



29. What is your biggest fear in life?
Mice......I have dreams of them chasing me. I should see a psychologist. Wonder what Dr. Didlo is up to now days.



30. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? What does it remind you of?
My favorite is vanilla and it doesn't remind me of anything.



Today's Favorite Quote

That is so true! There are so many people in my life who matter. I wonder if they all know who they are? And there a, unfortunately, quite a few people in my life who don't really matter. And I am positive they don't really know who they are. But there really are some people that aren't going to be a part of my future because as of today I have decided that it is time to

DE-

CLUTTER

And to all the people who are with me today and going into the future with me..

I LOVE YOU EACH AND EVERYONE

What has been going on at my house

Happy Valentine's Day

My Daybook

FOR TODAY February 11, 2012




Outside my window...the sun is shining but it is bitter cold. Only 9* this morning with a wind chill of -14*. The kind of wind that slices right through you when you are outside. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!



I am thinking...about the kids today as they are out pursuing their out of school interests. Harley is at an Honor Band day and Darian at his first Junior Varsity Wrestling tournament. Grandma stayed home with a 'not feeling so well Papa.'



I am thankful...for big brother Chuck who has taken an interest in Darian and is with him at the tournament.



In the kitchen...I made monkey bread this week. The kids love monkey bread. I even did a garlic monkey bread on Monday to go with our baked spaghetti.



I am wearing...my bright yellow-orange pj pants and a grey tee shirt.



I am creating...learning to do fabric flowers. Fun



I am going...to load the dishwasher when I can tear myself away from the computer.



I am wondering...what I did all the time before I owned a computer. I have had my computer for a little over 10 years now and I can't remember life before it. Of course I worked full time night shift back then.



I am reading...a book on my NookColor. Have I mentioned how much I love my NookColor?



I am hoping...we soon start to warm up around here. I am ready for spring.



I am looking forward to...this next week. It won't be as busy. Wait, I think we have something scheduled everyday. Okay. I take that back. We are busy.



I am learning how to make fabric flowers and it is FUN



Around the house...I really need to do some cleaning and washing bedding but here I sit. In front of the computer.



I am pondering...What to make for dinner this evening. Harley won't be home. But Darian will be starving after a day of wrestling.



A favorite quote for today...

One of my favorite things...is sleeping in. And I don't get to do much of that anymore. Only when youngest son is here. He is so good at saying, "go back to bed, mom, I have things covered."



A few plans for the rest of the week: Looks like 4-H and Scouts on Monday, Justin and Paige will be here on Monday and Tuesday, church on Wednesday, an appointment with the tax man on Wednesday, Harley goes back to the doctor on Wednesday, Darian has away wrestling on Thursday, my cousin and his family are coming on Friday to stay the weekend and Darian goes to Camp Alaska for a Boy Scout weekend......now there I said we were busy.



A peek into my day...

Come and join us  Just click on the picture

Remember the 50's

     What do you remember about the 1950's? I was born in 1951, so there isn't much I really remember about the early 1950's, but I have been reading and researching this and I will share what I have found. My husband graduated from high school in 1950 so he really DOES remember all this. I know, I know he is older than me a bit.
     Anyway...........................
Do you know what the number one song of 1951 was? It stayed on the charts (I can't believe they even had charts back then!) for nine weeks starting on December 24, 1950 and stayed there until February 4, 1951......Patti Page singing 'Tennesse Waltz.'

I didn't know her back then.....cause I was a baby and all, but she was beautiful and boy could she sing.

But, the most popular song of the whole year in 1951 was Perry Como singing 'If'. Sorry, Perry, I don't think I have ever heard it.

     The hairstyles of the 50's were soft, curly, and short for women. Short hair was really in then. But if you had long hair, you wore it in a pony tail and tied a scarf around it. Chic! But it was the men's hairstyle that was the talk of the town.



Can you see it now!

Fashion in the 1950's took a real change because the women were going back to being housewives and men wanted their women to look like women. Can you imagine. They emphasized their waists. Tiny! I don't know that I have seen many pictures of women who were fat in the 50's. If they weren't wearing pencil slim skirts they wore them tight in the waist and full skirts that billowed all over the place. And poodle skirts....that is what is thought of today when you think of the 1950's. I am pretty sure I would never get my grand daughter today in a poodle skirt. Now I do remember those saddle shoes.....

I HATED saddle shoes. We didn't get to wear the cute little soft saddles. Ours were hefty and BIG and made to last for a full year. Cause Mom only bought shoes for us one a year. But we didn't have them in the 1950's when they were 'in style'. No..................we wore ours in the 1960's. When they were cheap and chunky and no longer in style....oh how I hated those saddle shoes.

     Television was becoming a hit in the 1950's. Not many houses had them and if you did then you must be RICH. Anyway, that is what we thought. Grandma and Grandpa had one. It had a tiny little screen and we all sat on the floor around it on Saturday night to watch The Ed Sullivan show. And you better not let out a peep cause this was Grandpas favorite show. I HATED Ed  Sullivan back them. I don't think we got our first TV until the 1960's.

     We played outside. That is what kids did back then. You left the house in the morning and you didn't come back until dark. Except to eat. And then you didn't hang around long, cause mom would find chores for you to do.

     By the late 1950's Elvis came along. And American Bandstand. And parents thought this was all EVIL and not good for their kids. But the teens of the 1950's loved it. Not me....by the end of 1950 I was only a snot nosed 9 year old. Heck I don't even remember most of this.

     In my family the end of the 1950's decade began badly. It was in January 1959 that my dad committed suicide and we lived for a bit with grandma. And mom went to work. And life for us changed forever. 

      I might have to look into the 1960's. Too bad I was such a baby in the 1950's. I think I could have really rocked a poodle skirt

Happy Birthday to Harley

Happy 12 years old!

My little girl turned 12 on February 4.

We celebrated with a shopping spree.

Which is what she loves to do.

I love you!