Castle in the Clouds

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future.

2012-01-25T15:24:00.001-05:00

This guy....

Day 19 - Nicknames; why do I have them?

2012-01-25T15:20:00.001-05:00

Well, my dad used to call me Peanut. It's been a long time since he's called me that, though, so I'm not sure it counts anymore. On the other hand, my hubby has finally settled on what he considers a keeper of a nickname: Weez. I don't know. Really. I don't. It's not like I have asthma or anything.

Day 18 - Plans/dreams/goals

2012-01-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

Plans: Scrapbooking weekend with Jessica, Carrie, Ronnie, and Margarett in March. Can't wait!! A weekend at an indoor water park with the family and my BFF and her (extended) family this spring. A week of camping at Silver Lake campground on Michigan's western shoreline this summer. Getting a puppy once the weather gets decent. I've been looking at pictures of Morkies. Oh, my. Signing up

Day 17 - Someone I would want to switch lives with for one day and why.

2012-01-25T15:06:00.000-05:00

Huh. This is fantasy at its best, right? Pick someone who has it all and project yourself into their easy, peasy place in this crazy world. Only I don't think there is truly such a thing as a life of ease. Sure, some people have it better than others. Some even appear to have everything a person could wish for: wealth, privilege, intelligence, personality, and luck. Yet, I really think that

Day 16 - A Pic of Me. Again.

2012-01-20T12:59:00.002-05:00

Thought I'd change it up this time. I have no idea how old I am in this picture, but I'd have to say its somewhere between 6-9 months. I wonder if my mom made the dress? It's possible.

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

2012-01-20T11:31:00.001-05:00

First, let's just acknowledge the obvious. I'm running behind. Today is January 20th, but I'm on Day 15 of the meme. Oops. Okay, so here goes...a random sampling from my ipod. These are the first ten songs the shuffle feature decided on. Apparently embedding is not allowed with this one, but here's number 3: Gotta Be Somebody by Nickelback Not official, but they try to get the

Day 14 - Family Photos

2012-01-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

I've got to start with these. This is the core of my family - my hubby, my boys and me. This is the most important family unit in my life. Of course, I have other family members that are important to me. People I love and care about. People who make me laugh and piss me off like only they can. Of course I was talking about my siblings. Can't have siblings without parents

Day 13 - A Letter to Someone Who Has Hurt You

2012-01-13T15:55:00.001-05:00

I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I can admit that I've been hurt, may even still be hurting, but that's not for public consumption. Instead, let's go with something cute and fuzzy...in theory. Besides, this one seems fitting as it's been snowing all day today.

Day 12 - Blogging

2012-01-13T15:19:00.002-05:00

I don't remember when I first stumbled across someone's blog. I don't even remember who that someone might have been. What I do remember, though, is when and why I decided to start writing my own blog. Many, many moons ago, I joined some online writing communities. Two of them. The first was a rather small, eclectic group of people. Although I wouldn't swear to this, I believe they were

Day 11 - Another Round of Me & My Friends

2012-01-11T16:06:00.000-05:00

I'm a picture-taking fool. Seriously. I am rarely without my camera, which means I'm usually pretty good about capturing pictures of other people doing things. I've got the sports, major life events and holidays covered. Granted, I don't always have the "good" camera with me. Sometimes lugging the DSLR around is either not an option or its simply not appealing, which leaves me with my

Day 10 - Songs for Every Season.

2012-01-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

And by seasons, I mean moods. Today's meme requires a list of songs that I listen to when I'm feeling angry, happy, bored, hyped, or sad. Oh my. I listen to a variety of music and my go-to songs vary from month to month, even week to week. I think the easiest to start with is hyped. This, in my mind, indicates that I should be dancing and singing along despite the fact that I have absolutely

Day 9 - Recent Accomplishments

2012-01-09T16:16:00.000-05:00

Hm. We're supposed to post something we’re proud of that has happened recently, as in the last few days. I'm going to stretch that time limit a bit to include the end of December. Why? Because I am damn proud of myself for getting through last semester. Life got complicated and ugly, it knocked us on our asses, but somehow I pulled myself together enough to get through final presentations and

Day 8 - Short term goals for this month and why.

2012-01-09T10:21:00.001-05:00

Goal #1: Exercise at least three times a week. Yes, this is a New Years Resolution, but it's also a necessity. I would love to wear even half of the clothes in my closet. Right now, I'm restricted to about 1/4 of what I own because I'm too self-conscious to wear the majority of what's in those dresser drawers. Toward this goal, I plan on doing the Zumba workout (PS3 style). I figure if

Day 7 - Biggest Impact

2012-01-09T09:53:00.003-05:00

These three fellas have definitely, hands-down, had the most impact on my life. They are my life, or at least the very heart of it. Me, the hubby, and our two boys. First, there's my hubby, Ken. We've been together for twenty-two years. We started dating when I was a sophomore in high school; he was a senior at a neighboring school district. Six years later we were married. There

Day 6 - My Favorite Superhero

2012-01-07T18:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm behind...I'm going to try to get caught up, but it could take a couple of days with multiple posts. Before moving on to the topic of what should have been Day 6's post, I thought I'd give you a brief update on what's going on in my life. Hey, it's an all-about-me type of month, right? A little sidetracking into current events shouldn't be problematic. Most noteworthy, my Yorkie

Day 5 - A Picture of Someplace I've Been

2012-01-07T17:46:00.001-05:00

Chicago, IL A couple of summers ago we took our two boys on a week long vacation to Chicago. We stayed at the DoubleTree Hotel, just off the Magnificent Mile. Although we didn't do more than sight see, it was quite fun looking at the wide variety of merchandise displayed in the shop windows. Moving away from Michigan Avenue, we found some interesting art. The Eye was new. In fact, I think

Day 4 - My Bad Habit

2012-01-04T11:33:00.001-05:00

There are a few things I'd love to change about myself. For instance, I'd love to not turn into a raving psycho when sleep deprived. It's not very becoming. In fact, it's downright embarrassing. After I've gotten a few solid hours of rest, I often realize I completely overreacted and went from a kind, compassionate person to a raging lunatic in about 0.5 seconds. The last few weeks have

Pictures of Me and My Friends

2012-01-03T15:01:00.002-05:00

I think the object here is to post one picture of me with all my friends, but that's simply not possible. We're never all in one spot at the same time. Instead, I've decided to post several pictures of me and my friends. That I have several pictures to post reminds me that I am truly blessed. Me, Terri & Angie. A night out with our hubbies, who were sitting just out of the frame. Me

Day 2 - My Blog Name

2012-01-03T11:17:00.002-05:00

Hm. I think I have my name right there for the world to see thanks to the integration of Google Plus with Blogger...probably not smart. My blog title, on the other hand, seems rather self-explanatory. I'm not sure what to say about it other than I sometimes feel as if I'd like to live in a castle in the clouds, somewhere far from earth and all the responsibilities of being an adult. I guess

Day 01 - A Picture and Some Facts

2012-01-03T11:09:00.004-05:00

Yep, that's me. This was early Christmas morning, fresh from bed. I don't think I've brushed my hair or teeth yet, to be honest. I was much too excited about opening presents to be bothered with basic hygiene. I guess that leads nicely into my 15 facts... Fact #1: Even though I pull off being an adult with some success, I'm truly a kid at heart. Christmas morning is a perfect example.

A Little Late to the Game, But I Want to Play

2012-01-03T09:52:00.000-05:00

I've been a terrible blogger. Random, rare updates have become the norm. I'd like to change this. So, while I know the challenge officially started on January 1st, I want to jump on the January blog challenge. Here's the list of daily writing prompts I will be attempting: Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself. Day 02- The meaning behind your blog name

Our December So Far

2011-12-13T11:53:00.000-05:00

December. It's crazy how fast this month has gone by. To think that Christmas is about a week and a half away is crazy! There's still so much to do, like finish my final paper for class, complete my holiday shopping and making sugar cookies for Santa. I figured since there's so much going on and I don't really have a lot of time to spare for the blog, I'd entertain you with some pictures.

He's Getting Better

2011-12-07T11:36:00.001-05:00

On Facebook I've posted a few comments about the outcome of the oral surgery our 3-year-old Yorkie underwent. After a few days of perfectly normal behavior, he had what the veterinarian believes to have been a stroke caused by a dislodged blood clot that traveled to his brain. He spent a week at the vet's being treated. We were convinced that by day two of his coma, we'd have to put him to

Poor Little Doggie

2011-11-24T10:28:00.001-05:00

The dog and I both had dentist appointments yesterday for teeth cleanings. While my appointment turned up a crack in a couple of old cavities, one of which will require a crown (ouch!), I was at least able to walk out of my appointment without feeling miserable. Not so for this little fella.. Cash's cleaning turned into a tooth-pulling frenzy. He lost a total of fifteen (15!!) teeth

Brittany

2011-11-08T11:44:00.002-05:00

This is our Brittany. She's been with us since the summer of 1995. We were vacationing "up north" the summer after our wedding and found a box full of puppies outside the local grocery store. She was so tiny then. And so shy. And we just had to bring her home with us. Three years later, she could no longer count herself the baby of the family. She had been overthrown by a dark-haired

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T12:42:00.001-05:00

It was a beautiful night for trick-or-treating. No rain, no snow. Instead, we had moderate temperatures and clear skies. A light jacket was enough to keep the chill off. Before walking around town, though, we made a detour to Grandma & Grandpa's house. For the first time I can remember, both boys let me paint their faces. I got quite a kick out of it despite the time limits I was given.

TGIF

2011-11-04T10:22:00.000-04:00

You know, all things considered, work hasn't been bad. In some ways, it's even been a blessing. It's forced me to continue the business of everyday life. Get out of bed, shower, get dressed, do my hair and makeup. One foot in front of the other until I'm out the door and on my way. It's provided routine and familiarity in a time of great sorrow and high anxiety. That being said, thank

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T11:18:00.001-04:00

This year's solitary Halloween decoration. It was a miserable September and it's been an even worse October, which pretty much made it impossible for me to feel any desire when it came time to decorate my house for Halloween. So much so, that we didn't even carve pumpkins this year. I posted as much on Facebook this morning. A couple of hours later, Ken showed up with this adorable

Re-assessing and Re-evaluating

2011-10-28T09:23:00.000-04:00

Tragedy has a way of forcing you to look at your life with a critical eye. It makes you evaluate between what you think is important from what is truly important. In the wake of Sean's death, I have found myself doing that very thing. Although this list is by no means comprehensive, it is a start. These are the things I am going to make every effort to do with regularity and enthusiasm.

Rest in Peace, My Friend

2011-10-26T09:49:00.001-04:00

On Thursday, October 20, 2011, my family lost someone very dear in a tragic hunting accident. The circumstances surrounding his death seem unimportant in the grand scope of things. All that really seems to matter to us, his family, is that he's gone forever. It hurts to look into a future without him. It hurts to think of all the things he's going to miss, all the things his family - his

Shiny Things

2011-10-12T09:38:00.003-04:00

I've been a bit blocked lately when it comes to the blog. It's not that I'm sitting on my thumbs with nothing going on. I'm plenty busy. Between work, school, the house, the kids, and the constant go-go-go that is our life, it seems as if I should have a lot to talk about. The problem is it all seems so mundane. Well, except for this. This seems pretty monumental... I got a new car! The

My First Week of the Fall Semseter

2011-09-08T16:54:00.000-04:00

I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but I had to drop my creative writing class this semester and register for something that better fit my schedule. I ended up in a British Literature to 1800: Medieval Women and Literature course. While there's a teeny, tiny part of me that is excited to learn more about this particular era, there's a much larger part of me that is freaking out over the

So close.

2011-09-07T11:50:00.001-04:00

DSC_6119 Originally uploaded by KrheiserHe made the catch. He was tackled. The ball went flying. His knee was injured. He was done for the night. Luckily, the knee seems better this morning.

I See Scholastic Achievements Straight Ahead

2011-09-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

It's almost that lovely time of year when it might not be uncommon to see our little white Malibu chasing down the road after the bus the kids just missed. Yes, that's right! School is almost back in session. Let the frustration and anxiety begin! Oh, wait. I'm supposed to be going for upbeat and positive in this post. Let me try again.. It's almost that time of year when the kids will

Cedar Point 2011

2011-08-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

When it comes time to plan our family vacations, Ken and I try to think of someplace we haven't yet taken the boys. With how fast they're growing up, we know our family-of-four vacations are fast approaching an end. It's a thought we don't verbalize too often, but it's an inescapeable fact that our children will eventually move away from home and start lives of their own. That is the goal, right?

Last Tournament of 2011

2011-07-31T20:46:00.001-04:00

Gage & MeThat's it. Another baseball season has come and gone. The boys ended the summer on a high note when they took home third place trophies from this weekend's tournament. Can't tell you how proud I am of every single one of them.

Confession

2011-07-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

I'm afraid I'm losing my mind, friends. The problem? I'm beginning to second guess my grammar choices. Not just occasionally, either. Oh no, I'm second guessing myself daily. I know the rules. I do! Yet, I find myself making stupid mistakes that irritate and embarrass me to no end. Moments like these make me wonder just how prepared I am to teach others how to properly use the English

Updates on Various Topics

2011-07-20T11:52:00.000-04:00

The Artist's Way - Going to need to write my three pages tonight while the munchkin is at baseball practice because I was too busy chattering away at my husband to sit still and let the words come. The kids - We have two weeks of practice and one baseball tournament left of the season. Then we start football. School - I should probably start keeping an eye out for back-to-school supplies

The Artist's Way - Day 3

2011-07-15T10:57:00.002-04:00

I know it's only Day 3, but, as they say, so far so good. I've been able to keep up with my morning pages. The first two days I managed to write them on my way into work. Today, I used a moment of downtime during the proctoring session I'm overseeing to get the words on the page. I still need to do my artist's date and complete at least two of the exercises set out for me this week. I figure

The Artist's Way - Day 1

2011-07-13T10:25:00.001-04:00

I read through the introduction and most of the Tools chapter last night. Because Ms. Cameron emphasized the importance of starting on the Morning Pages as soon as possible, I decided to start them today. First, I must admit I am not a morning person. As I told my journal, I don't wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I'm more sluggish than sprightly, if you will. However, I really am

Girls Night Out

2011-07-11T12:14:00.001-04:00

This was a first, but hopefully not a last. My sisters, niece, and I had a Girls Night Out this last Saturday. What made this particular outing unique was that it included my niece, who is only 8 years old. (Or is she 9 now? I should know this, right?) This meant our Girls Night Out was alcohol-free. Instead of drinking and dancing, which is usually what happens when us girls get together,

Book Review

2011-07-08T15:31:00.000-04:00

How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks My rating: 4 of 5 stars It's been awhile since I've truly enjoyed a vampire romance like I enjoyed this one. The humorous situation that brings the heroine and hero into contact was the perfect hook. The characters were likable and, more importantly because it will be the thing that makes me seek out the next book, they were memorable and

Moderately Geeky - Slightly Nerdy

2011-06-22T16:16:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure what the consensus is on the definitions of geek versus nerd, but I perceive a difference. It's a slight difference, though, because the nerdy often leads to geeky, or perhaps it's the other way around. My love of reading would be considered nerdy, right? Yet, when that love of reading transitions into a fascination with RPGs on my PS3 system, I think that takes me over into the

Summer Fun

2011-06-16T22:30:00.002-04:00

Although the calendar may disagree, summer officially began in our house on Monday. You see, for us, summer begins when the kids are out of school, when we no longer have to rush them through breakfast and the morning's standard grooming protocol, when we aren't stressed about missing that dratted bus that never seems to arrive at the end of our driveway at the exact same moment every day. Yes,

Goal Checking

2011-06-08T11:18:00.001-04:00

Remember these? I figured it's time to see just how much progress I've made... Complete the final edit on my alter-ego's first self-pubbed paranormal romance novel. Once this is accomplished, I will be releasing it on Amazon in both print and e-book formats. This should be the easiest to accomplish. I just need to sit down and go through the marked-up copies I have in my possession. So why

A Weekend in Review

2011-06-08T11:10:00.000-04:00

It doesn't happen very often, but for once we were free to do as we liked. Mostly. There was one little family obligation to attend to, but it was rather enjoyable, so all's good there. One of my many nephews turned five. Cute little bugger, isn't he? I think so, too. With the exception of his birthday party, we had a weekend to ourselves. On Friday night my oldest attended his first

Loving my Kindle..

2011-05-20T12:47:00.000-04:00

According to Goodreads, I have 192 e-books loaded on my Kindle. Seems a little crazy when you consider I've only had the thing for a little over four months. That breaks down to an average of 48 books a month. Wow. Of course, I've only spent a small amount of money on those 192 books. Why? Well, the most obvious reason is because of the free classics. (read) (read) (read) (Going to

Summer goals.

2011-05-13T13:50:00.001-04:00

In addition to reading my way through the insanely over-grown pile of books on my to-be-read shelf, I plan on getting some serious writing-related business accomplished between now and September. In an effort to hold myself accountable - to you, dearest Internet - I thought it might be helpful to actually outline my objectives. Complete the final edit on my alter-ego's first self-pubbed

Reading for Fun

2011-05-06T11:48:00.004-04:00

...school's out for summer... And that means, I'm reading for fun again. I can't tell you how much I enjoy selecting my own reading material. Since the end of class, I've already devoured the first book in George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy series, Song of Ice and Fire. It's been a long time since I've read this type of book. The world-building is intricate, but subtle. Like most epic

Kid's Spring Break

2011-04-14T12:50:00.042-04:00

This isn't the only thing the kids did while on Spring Break this year, but it was probably their favorite. This indoor water park is about three hours away from home. On the way "up north" we hit a white-out, as in a blizzard. It was insanely scary thanks to the semi trucks that seemed oblivious to the dangerous slush accumulating on the roads. Morons. I'm amazed there wasn't an accident.

Someone Turned 40

2011-04-13T16:07:00.002-04:00

And, no, it wasn't me! It was my darling hubby. I'd like to say the surprise party was actually a surprise, that I somehow managed to pull it off, but it wasn't. In defense of those who happened to let it slip, it's very difficult to hide anything from Ken. I knew he'd figure out something was up when the money started disappearing from our checking account. Here he is just after walking

They saved the finger..

2011-03-22T11:05:00.001-04:00

This was supposed to be an easy, carefree weekend. One of those rare weekends where spontaneity is possible because plans were not made ahead of time. We could lounge on the couch, work on our hobbies, or even do a little shopping. And, no, I'm not referring to the necessary evil of grocery shopping, but the much more enjoyable version where you get to buy things that actually make you happy.

A Brief Book Review

2011-03-14T10:06:00.001-04:00

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie My rating: 4 of 5 stars In a lot of ways Reservation Blues reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. Repeatedly I found myself thinking of the similarity in technique, the blending or bending of time and space. One significant advantage this book had over Marquez's, though, was the fact that the characters were at least easily

Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey

2011-03-02T13:27:00.002-05:00

Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey My rating: 4 of 5 stars It's been a long time since I've read anything set in the Pern universe. Oh, how I missed those dragons and their little Pernese brethren. This particular book is Todd McCaffrey's first solo foray into the Pern his mother created. While there's no denying there are stylistic difference, I thought Mr. McCaffrey did a fair job in

Tacos and Newspapers

2011-03-02T11:14:00.000-05:00

There are so many things I've already forgotten about my boys growing up, so I've decided I need to make more of an effort to record these fleeting moments of childhood. KC turned thirteen last Friday. Although his birthday didn't create the mythical teenage monster every parent fears, his personality has been gradually changing over the last several months. He's a bit more willful now and

Poor Aunt Kellie

2011-02-25T10:44:00.005-05:00

With children in different sports, it's not always easy to make sure everyone gets to where they're supposed to be. You know that saying "it takes a village to raise a child"? Well, sometimes it takes a village to get a child to wrestling practice, especially when his parents are busy watching his brother's basketball games. We've had to ask favors of friends and family alike during the

Rinse & Repeat

2011-02-24T11:36:00.001-05:00

Last night - or was it the night before - my husband commented on my frequent blog absences. I wasn't aware that he read the blog, but the comment got me thinking. Why are my blog absences becoming more and more frequent? Have I run out of interesting things to say? Did I ever have anything interesting to say in the first place? Or is it because I feel like I'd simply be posting the same

Kindle, e-books, and this consumer.

2011-02-04T15:31:00.002-05:00

So, I got a Kindle for Christmas. It's been a little over a month now, so I've had plenty of time to form an opinion. Mind you, this is the opinion of one consumer. Not a hopeful writer. A consumer. I feel the need to clarify that up front. Although I am confident that there will always be room in my life - if not on my bookshelves - for paperback novels, I must admit I am a fan of the e-book.

Snowy Days at Home

2011-02-03T16:53:00.002-05:00

If I had to guess, I'd say we got between 8-12 inches of snow from the big storm. Since the University and the boys' schools were closed, we didn't have to venture out onto slushy, snowy, and icy roads. Instead, we pulled on our snow boots and pants, found some hats and gloves in the hall closet, and did some shoveling.Well, the boys and I shoveled. As you can see, the hubby used his quad to

Busy, busy!

2011-01-27T10:11:00.007-05:00

There are three time-sucking, energy-consuming, blog-interfering things going on right now.SchoolWrestlingBasketballThree little words that seem rather unassuming on the page. Yet, believe me when I say, these three things are pretty much in control of my life at the moment.First, there's school. I'm only registered for one class this semester, but, like any other graduate course I've taken,

Christmas & the New Year

2010-12-29T12:01:00.022-05:00

According to Blogger, I began writing this post on 12/29/2010.Apparently, I was distracted. And then I forgot about it.I must be honest and admit I considered deleting it and writing about something a little more current, but then I realized I really want to document my holiday break.Did I mention that I had 2 and 1/2 weeks off work? It was heavenly. Well, most of it was heavenly. The first

3 out of 4

2010-12-08T10:57:00.004-05:00

That's where I'm at right now: I've got three out of four assignments completed. Just one more and the semester is officially over!Last night I finished reading the fourth and final Dickens book. While I must admit I have some issues with his treatment of the feminine, he's an amazing writer. Relatively easy to read for a Victorian author. As I read David Copperfield, Hard Times, Little

Not a Real Update

2010-12-06T23:11:00.003-05:00

It's too late to put much effort into this right now. In fact, I'm about twenty minutes past my bedtime. So, in brief, I miss writing. I'm so ready for school to be done. Not just this semester, but altogether done. I want to graduate and get my life back. Get my creative groove back.Okay. That's the end of the pity party.

Struggling to Keep Focus

2010-11-27T21:43:00.003-05:00

I can tell it's nearing the end of the semester. Homework is a struggle. While I've been pretty good about staying on top of my reading, I'm starting to daydream about all the books waiting for me on my to-be-read shelf.Not that I haven't been able to squeeze in a couple of fun reads over the last few weeks. I have. A few weeks ago I read A Wrinkle in Time and, a week or so later, The Sea of

I Am Thankful For..

2010-11-25T10:41:00.015-05:00

I am thankful for my family.I am thankful for the husband who cooks and cleans, who helps with homework, who takes my boys hunting and fishing, who lets me soak in the tub and enjoy a good book, who bites his tongue when he'd rather not, and who loves me despite all my faults.I am thankful for my oldest boy who plays the same games his brother wants to play, who doesn't argue with us when we

A snippet from Great-Grandpa's Writings

2010-11-23T22:50:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer: I did not write this story. As I did not write this story, it does not belong to me. All credit is due to my Great-Grandfather, Arthur E. Spencer. I write likeStephen KingI Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!If only the agents I've been querying would agree! Of course, they'd totally have to let go of the whole "horror writer" thing and settle for a paranormal romance writer/fantasy writer instead. But still. Stephen King. I could get used to his level of success. Now,

A Meme. Because I'm Waiting on Pictures From Saturday.

2010-07-13T15:54:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I have a story to tell you, but I really want the visual aids. Although, I may change my mind after I actually have a chance to look at the pictures. We'll see.So, in the interest of giving my readers something to read, here's a meme. As an English major, I'm thinking I should have better answers, but whatever.1) What author do you own the most books by?Anne McCaffery, Johanna

The Holiday Weekend

2010-07-07T07:08:00.024-04:00

Believe it or not, it's taken me three days to get this post up! It took that long to upload the photos. Just a few random pictures there of us chillin' under the camper awning. We were on a really small site this time, but it actually worked out perfectly. The awning brushed against the leaves of the cedar and maple trees bordering out little lot. This setup didn't seem ideal at first, but

Women Who Run with Wolves

2010-06-29T11:11:00.010-04:00

"The craft of questions, the craft of stories, the craft of the hands - all these are the making of something and that something is soul." - p. 14I've had this book for a couple years now. I bought it because it had the words archetype and wild woman on the cover. Sounded intriguing.I think I read the first few pages of the intro before I was distracted by...butterflies!Or was it squirrels?

Playing with Family History

2010-06-25T10:28:00.005-04:00

I don't know if I'm into family history because I'm a scrapbooker, or if I'm a scrapbooker because I'm fascinated by family history. The point here is that I can be a bit sentimental.Take, for instance, my determination to recompile my great-grandparents' family stories and poetry and make it available to my extended family in a more manageable form. I think the stories about covered wagons

A Story I Wrote a Long Time Ago

2010-06-24T16:30:00.000-04:00

The Hunted

Might Make You Smile

2010-06-24T16:13:00.002-04:00

So, About That Writing

2010-06-22T13:11:00.004-04:00

I haven't been writing very much lately.Wait.That's a lie.I haven't been writing at all. Not for several weeks. Months.I'd like to give you a laundry list of excuses, but the truth is that the excuses are only that. Excuses. The real problem is me. Not my busy schedule. It's not work, school, housework, or the boys' sports schedules. No, I'm the problem. Instead of pulling out the new

And Another Weekend Is Gone

2010-06-21T16:13:00.008-04:00

This weekend we had yet another Open House (a.k.a. graduation party). This one happened to be for Andy, the very first nephew to graduate! Can't tell you how proud we are of him. Or how grateful we are to have him for a role model to our boys. Seriously. This kid rocks.And I'm not just saying that because I love him. It's totally deserved praise. This kid is smart, sensible, reliable,

Crazy Busy

2010-06-17T09:30:00.005-04:00

I feel like that's my life's theme right now. Crazy busy. Go. Go. Go.This last weekend we took the camper "up north" so we could attend two open houses. And because it has recently come to my attention that not everyone will immediately know what I mean by that, I'm going to clarify. We had two high school graduation parties to attend. Second cousins on my side of the family.I've got some

Baseball pics

2010-06-11T07:04:00.006-04:00

No time to do a real post. I've got to be out the door and on my way to the dentist in the next thirty seconds. Therefore, I give you pictures.

Looking Forward to the Weekend

2010-06-10T10:06:00.004-04:00

I'm taking a long weekend, which means today is my Friday. I'll end my work day with a 9U baseball game, some scrapbooking, and a DVRed episode of Glee. Maybe some Final Fantasy 13, if I can outlast the rest of the family.Of course, outlasting the family means staying up way too late, which means I may not be at my most charming when I take the dogs in for grooming at 8 a.m. Why did I think

Another Book Review

2010-06-02T10:39:00.001-04:00

The Road by Cormac McCarthyMy rating: 3 of 5 starsA fairly easy read as far as the prose itself goes. The strange little quirks like omitted apostrophes and the use of pronouns in place of character names were only a mild distraction. After the first chapter or so, I was more concerned with the story than the presentation. First, I should admit I enjoy reading post-apocalyptic fiction.

Winter's Tale: A Book Reveiw

2010-05-26T14:58:00.001-04:00

Winter's Tale by Mark HelprinMy rating: 2 of 5 starsWasn't nearly as impressed with this book as I had hoped to be. While the premise was promising, the story didn't pull me in as it should have. I really had to struggle to get through the long blocks of description, but, more importantly, I failed to connect with the characters, which means I didn't really care what happened to them or why.