Gem Miner's Jubilee...

What a fantastic weekend! Four of us Susquehanna Sizzlers spent three days up in Lebanon, PA selling beads, laughing up a storm, and telling people about how addicted we are to fire!

Here I am looking pretty geeky with my beads. (Man, I really need to do something with that crazy hair!)



We had one table set up for our beads, which didn't seem like enough with all the cool beads that Ann brought, but we filled the space up nicely. To the side of us we had another table set up with a Hot Head torch so we could demonstrate bead making. Fire really attracts a lot of people! It was fun to explain the process to people, and by Day 3, I was taking requests! I made a roller skate for one person. That was an interesting experiment!

Here is Maryanne showing off:


We plan to be here again next year...bigger and better!

My favorite Davidisms...

Davidisms make me smile. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. "Amadoo" -- As in, "I want to play with the stuffed amadoos!"
2. "Space Shovel" -- As in, "I want to fly in the space shovel."
3. "Keesel" -- As in, "Be keesel not to drop your cup!"
4. "Stinky Beans" -- As in our favorite pizza place, known to everyone else as Stevi B's.
5. "Possadoo" -- As in, "It's hot. Can I eat a possadoo?"
6. "And Nemo was his Dingle!" -- Ah, yes, a true classic childhood song... "There was a farmer who had a dog and Nemo was his dingle, D-i-n-g-l!
7. "And called it Macadoni!" -- Another childhood song... Yankee Doodle and his Macadoni.
8. "Flush a mote" -- His Papaw's fault... back in the day when toilets were called commodes.

And my favorite of all favorites....
"Mommy, I really miss-ed you today!"

Crazy Whirly Squirrely Time!

Okay... I'm trying something new... the art of managing time.
HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHA!!! Yeah, right! Somehow though when things get whirly squirely, I kick butt. But when I have plenty of time on my hands...nothing gets done! How is that possible?

Some of you may know this already...some of you do not... but I'm going through a big, big change right now in my career! What has transpired over the past week and a half, (Yes, that was really fast!), has been really exciting for me. I am joining a very reputable court reporting firm in Baltimore, MD. Even though it means 58 miles of driving each way, the rewards are so much more. I will be stretching and improving my skills by taking cases that are more technical or medical in nature and more demanding in terms of attorney expectations. I will also have a greater need to bring my equipment closer to current industry standards. Yes...more bells and whistles on my steno machine and more powerful translation software for me! Woohoo! I am so excited because this is the opportunity for me to become the court reporter I have always known I can be.

Kiln-fresh beads!

I managed to make more than just three beads yesterday...and I also managed to stay awake!! Yes, my finger is healing nicely, for those of you who may have heard about how I dozed off while making a bead and put my hand in the flame! That's what I get for trying to make beads that late at night! It is not something that normally happens, and I have to be really careful with my hands -- especially since I have a deposition to record on Monday morning!

So here are a few of the kiln-fresh beads from yesterday's session...

Laura gave me a rod of this beautiful blue. She said it is a Moretti/Effrete alabastro. I have avoided alabastro because most people call it "alabastard", and it usually is followed by the grumbles of having a difficult time working this glass. Even though the viscosity is a little more challenging on my torch, I found that it did not pop, boil, bubble, or burn for me at all. I was being very cautious with my heat though, keeping a nice medium flame. I think I may have to order me some of this lovely color.

I don't usually do holiday or seasonal beads, but with Gem Miner's next weekend, and Halloween just around the corner...heck, one little ghost won't hurt, right? Last year I made two matching bats, and that was the extent of my Holiday Collection. I don't know what I was going for with the lime green heart...something mod and funky maybe. What do you think?

Kitty-tastic belly laughs!!!

If you need something to make you smile...no wait....if you need something to have you rolling on the floor.... visit:

http://www.stuffonmycat.com

A nice way to end a Saturday...

Thank you, Mr. Clokey...

I remember as a child waking up early on Sunday mornings... very early! Mom wasn't ready to move yet. So I plopped myself down in front of the television and watched Davey and Goliath. Anybody remember that? It was a little animated series about a boy named Davey and his dog Goliath. It always had a moral lesson to teach. I can't say for sure what those were, but I'm hoping they rubbed off on me without my knowing it! ha ha

Later as a child I would be in the living room of my grandmother's house in Gardena eating quesadillas and watching Gumby. I actually was about 14 at the time... but Gumby was still pretty funny. I think what made me laugh was the movements. One episode that stuck out in particular was one where Gumby was holding onto a run-away lawnmower. The way he crashed through the wall of his house and ended up head first in his TV had me rolling on the floor. My grandma thought I was crazy.

A month or so ago I came across a $2 DVD at Wal-Mart of old Gumby classics. David and Sammie thought they were hilarious. This morning Samantha asked me to put Gumby in for her. She has been mesmerized... long enough for her to forget all about the fact that her brother is away from home at a friends house. I haven't heard, "Mommy, I miss Da-did," in about 30 minutes now! Thank you, Mr. Clokey for giving the world Gumby and Pokey! LOL!

Chalky Hoppy Children Smiling

David somehow knows all about the art of hopscotch, but I have no idea how! He made a crazy kind of zig-zag hopscotch on the sidewalk. He drew boxes all the way up to 14, and they went in all sorts of strange directions.



He even tested it out to see if it worked! He's such a sweet little guy!



Samantha's interpretation is a lot like how she writes her name..."Squibble Squibble Squibble". Her version is much easier to hop on though.

More eavesdropping...

Disclaimer: I swear, I did NOT...repeat...I DID NOT... stage this picture! I was walking by the recliner and just saw this! The last post was just kind of funny... but now I'm starting to get a little worried about Samantha! LOL!

Eavesdropping on the damned...

Some of Sambina's POWs:

Calling all chefs! Calling all chefs!

Your pathetic friend who only has a kitchen because it came with the house is in need of help! My mother-in-law brought me this:



I know it's a squash. She called it a "Patty Pan". Is that what it is? My motto is, "If I can't shove it in a tortilla, then screw it!"

I suppose I can go to Google to find some high-tech recipe for what to do with this thing, but I was hoping one of you creative cooks out there might be able to give me a quick idea for this odd squash. I reckon it will be good for a few days or so. If I don't hear from anyone in time, it may just end up being a good object to fling at passing cars. Help me stay out of jail by sending me some good ideas! he he he. Whoever comes up with something yummy that is not too complicated will receive a surprise from me.

Sweet relief....

I've been grumpy the past couple weeks... mostly because I have been wanting to poke my eyes out with a stick!!! I've been getting these episodes of allergies. Aaagh, they have been driving me nuts! I rub and rub....itch and itch... and rub some more... It has been debilitating! It keeps me from editing my depositions... Actually...it keeps me from doing anything more than scream and rub my face. Remember that scene from Pulp Fiction when Uma snorts the heroine thinking it's cocaine... and she starts rubbing her nose and her eyes roll back in her head??? Well... I felt like a junkie rubbing my nose and eyes like crazy...It was like a bug crawled up there that I couldn't get out...and the burning!!! Oh, and if your name is David or Samantha... you dare not start any sentence off with, "Mommy..." while I'm going through one of these fits.



Samantha came in with her Bathtime Betsy doll and said, "Here, Mommy, this make you feel better," and squeezed the doll's tummy to play her goofy little song. I have to admit...it did make me smile...but not enough to make this burning go away. I broke down and called my doctor begging for mercy...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... sweet relief!!! Life is good again! Thank you, Alcon!!!!

Have you hugged your kitty today?

"Becoming"

There's a song I love...only I don't listen to it often because the CD is in Keith's car. So when I occassionally drive his car, it's the first track I go to...

"Becoming" - by Jewel

"Listen, heart. Listen close -- listen, to the melancholy melody of your own voice. I am weary of my own dreaming. I am tired of waiting, so this time, I'm leaping.

I reach -- beyond myself to see what I find, beyond my mind, there's no time, in this place beyond my sight my heart knows what is not yet seen. I'm witnessing my own becoming.

Lash myself to the mantle of my desires -- I will turn from its temptations, but the wanting takes me higher. I am hurting. Oh, I am not yet born. I am the mother and the father of what is not yet known."

You know.... I am tired of waiting. Tired of being scared to fail... tired of hesitation and deliberation. Today I really will reach...not just dream about reaching. It only gets better from here.

What I love about David....

Buckle up for an emotional roller coaster all centered around a mylar balloon. First he is having a total meltdown because the balloon broke free of its string and is up at the ceiling. Three days later the balloon is losing air and comes down from the ceiling now and then... so here he is jumping up and down and waiting for the balloon to float back down again.... worth about two hours of entertainment.

The Princess is Three...

May I have your attention, please... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...HER LITTLE MAJESTY SAMANTHA HAS OFFICIALLY BECOME A THREE-YEAR OLD. BOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY BEFORE HER!


On Friday the 8th, we celebrated and ate some interesting cake... (Note to self: check the Jell-O color before mixing it in with the cake mix! Who knew that "Wild Berry" was going to be blue? It made for a lovely shade of mauve though!) One more note to self: Don't decorate a cake while on the telephone, even if you are on a deadline!

While parading around Toys R' Us with her crown and balloon in hand, we spotted the perfect gift to buy with Grandpa David and Grandma Gloria's money! LOL! She got to drive it around for a little while after Daddy lovingly assembled it... but soon it was off to the shop where the battery would charge for the next 18 hours.

Later that evening we took the birthday girl out to the movies where she dumped popcorn on her own head, learned how to make the chair squeak in quite a perverse way, and decided that floor popcorn tastes even better after it's been in your hair... and of course we just had to visit the restroom during the most exciting part of the movie! (Oh, and the kids and I have been dancing around the house singing, "I like to move it, move it," off and on since we left the theater! (On the Madagascar website Click on "Video", then under "Movie Clips", Number 7 is "Move It, Move It!")

Ah, yes... watching my baby girl grow up is proving to be quite the thrill ride!

Happy Birthday, Sammie!!

Happy Freedom!

As viewed at the York Fairgrounds, a lovely show!

Mystery frog???

Ummm...I just published the post before this one...and as usual, I looked over the finished post to check for typos and stuff. I just realized there are four frogs in my picture...but I only made three! I remember pulling the three of them out of the kiln this morning...cleaned them up... took them outside for a photo... When I put them down on the table to get a picture, there were three! I snapped the pics and came back in the house...with three in my hand!

Returning to the kitchen table where I left them, the three frogs are sitting on my bead box in the same position I put them down in:

Here are the pink, purple, and blue frogs. The pink one came out funny, so the blue and purple ones are going to be used for the frog exchange. But I don't see the second pink frog that was in my picture in the last post! I looked around the table, but couldn't find any trace of it! Maybe I imagined it.

Nope... I just went back to look at the first post again, and there is the fourth frog. I even pulled up the picture from the file on the computer, and there it is.

Here is a close-up of the mystery frog:



I'm going outside to see if I can find it out there.

Frogs-A-Poppin!

Last night was the first time in a couple of weeks that I have been able to sit down at the torch. I signed up for a frog exchange project on Lampwork Etc., and needed to come up with a pair of frogs. What I like about swaps and projects is that it gives you an opportunity to try something new. I have never made a frog before.... wait...that's not true. When I first started out, one of my first 20 beads I ever made was a little frog head. It was pretty goofy and simple. I haven't tried a frog since!

Yes, I know, frogs aren't really pink, purple, or blue... but I figured green was an expected color -- so why not be different? I made three frogs last night...even though I only needed two. I usually try to make an extra bead just in case something happens to one, or in case of fugliness.

A Necessary Evil....

I'd try to post some snappy thoughts about this subject...but my hands are sticky. Need I say more?

What it is....

Well... it could either be a flaming asparagus or a lightning bug... Hmmmm....

I'll have to go with Z's guess...she is a native Pennsylvanian...so she should know all about lightning bugs.

On the other hand...there's me. This August I will have been here in PA for four years! I still feel like a tourist sometimes though.... especially when the lightning bugs come out. Maybe it's too many rides on the Pirates of the Carribean... you know, the faux lightning bugs in the beginning of the ride.... They are so magical... how they just hover in the air... glowing quietly from here to there. So there I am twisting around in the yard snapping my camera at the air. People driving by probably think I'm nuts. This is the best picture I have been able to capture so far. What a challenge! I don't think I'm done trying yet. Check back with me in four more years.

Thanks for guessing, Z and sillyduckie!

Splishies!

Thursday we had a nice surprise... Jen had a free afternoon and wanted to know if we were up for a last-minute play date. It's not too difficult because Hanover is just about 30 minutes away (slow roads... in terms of distance, it's just a close neighbor.) Unfortunately it took her well over an hour to get to our house due to traffic! Yikes!

After she finally arrived, the kids got to have some fun in the pool.

Here are the Splishies: David, Sammie, and Paden:

What is it?

Let's play a little guessing game. What do you think this is a picture of? Let's see what kind of crazy ideas you can come up with!

Random intrusions of thought...

Does this ever happen to you? You are just going along minding your own business...your brain is chattering to itself in the background about, I dont know, some discussion about observations, which usually you kind of just ignore and keep on with what you are doing. Then you hear, "Sometimes I feel like I'm just existing." -- WHAT?? HOLD ON A MINUTE HERE! What in the world are you guys talking about in there? So you stop a moment to try to figure out what that was all about, only to hear the following discussion:

"Sometimes I feel like I'm just existing."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, it's already Wednesday, and I haven't accomplished a damn thing! I blink and suddenly the week is over, and what have I done?"
"True, you have been a little slow at getting things moving, but that doesn't mean you accomplished nothing at all."
"Oh, yeah? What did I do then?"
"Well yesterday you played in the pool with the kids."
"So! What did that accomplish?"
"You made them laugh."
"Yeah, well that was only for an hour or so. What about the rest of the day?"
"Well then you dried them off and took them back outside to play in the sand box. You sat there for at least an hour building a sand castle with them and making a mess in the watery turtle sand box!"
"Okay...but my work still didn't get done, so what did I accomplish?"
"You let them make a mess and enjoy the feeling of wet sand between their toes."

Sometimes when these little debates happen inside my head, I tend to take the side of the voice that is saying, "Yeah, but," and being stressed out. I'm still learning that most of the time she's wrong.

Things that go BANG in the night...

I was awoken early this morning to a haunting BANG outside. It was like I was dreaming. It was a little after 1:00 a.m. The main street we live off of has been having plenty of accidents lately...the most recent of which was this past Wednesday morning when a tractor trailer took out an electric pole up the road about a block. We were without power for a few hours that morning.

So I stumbled out of bed and looked through the bathroom window. I could see an older car had run into a pole on the corner and smoke was coming out from under the hood. Keith woke up and wondered what I was doing. I just said, "Accident! Bad! Come on!" I was dialing for emergency services when I noticed there was already a volunteer fire police guy with the blue light on his car on the scene. "How did he get there so fast???"

There was a spooky feeling about it, and I half expected to see a dead body, so I was surprised when I saw the driver was shoving some stuff into his trunk. He then yelled, "I'm going home to clean up my cuts! I live at XXXX East X Street!" Then he just walked away! I couldn't believe the volunteer that was mysteriously there was letting him walk away from the scene!

Soon authorities were there getting a handle on the situation, and not too long after, the man returned, shirtless and carrying a towel. He sat on the curb talking, then I heard, "Stand up and put your hands behind your back!" Needless to say, he got a free ride across town.



And where was Mr. Kitty during all of this? Sound asleep on our door mat, hoping we would come back and give him some attention when all the commotion was over! Silly cat!

A monster of a Father's Day!

In celebration of Father's Day, Keith decided to enjoy his special day instead of going in to work... and go to see monster trucks at William's Grove in Mechanicsburg instead!! Since he is still on the call board though, we had to wait to see if they would actually call him in first before he booked off... well, they called all right... right in the middle of the National Anthem!!! (How embarrassing!) Keith tried not to be disrespectful, but he couldn't ignore the call.

Here is David wearing his ear protectors, which he was very anal about! At first he didn't want to wear them, but once he had them off, he was so persistent about keeping them on, even during intermission!



Here's a shot of a truck called "Bad News" doing a jump. David enjoyed the show...when he wasn't begging for merchandise, that is.

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The raceway is part of William's Grove Park, which has a small little amusement park across the street. We have taken the kids there on several occassions, and they always have a great time. It is an older park that has some pretty ancient rides, mostly for small kids, but is perfect for picnics and inexpensive entertainment. David is a little taller now, so I was able to take him on the few bigger rides that they have there, like the Tilt-A-Whirl. Here he is with his daddy at the park:



It was nice to treat David and Keith to a Father and Son day. David has not really had either of us to himself since Samantha was born, so he needed some "alone" time. I love it when both of my boys are smiling.

Rainy day at Knoebels...

We ventured out to Knoebels on Thursday for some amusement park fun. This is a quaint park about two hours or so north of us in Elysburg, PA. It's nestled in the hills. The cost is really a family value. There is no charge for admission or parking. You can buy individual ride tickets or an all-day arm band. We brought my in-laws with us. The food is good and reasonable as well. You really can't go wrong there for a day of fun. They also have a big pool area, picnic pavillions, and camping. We think we may return again later this season, enjoy the pool for the day, then do some rides in the evening with a twilight ride pass. The kids really have a blast on all the exciting rides that are just their size... but Keith and I had some fun too! My in-laws tended to the kids while we got to enjoy some big-kid rides! LOL! The challenging part of the day though was the three episodes of pouring rain. It poured buckets! We had a great time anyway.

Here are Samantha and David on the Kiddie Whip:


All four of us enjoyed the log flume. I thought I'd zoom in though on the faces of David and Sammie. Samantha looks terrified:


And here we are on the teacup ride. Luckily this one doesn't spin as much as Ernie's World Twirl at Sesame Place:

Five years...and counting....

Looking back on five years ago today... that was such a different place in our life together. It seems so intangible... so long ago. At first, approaching our 5th Anniversary, I was in awe that this much time has already passed us by. It happened in a blink. I was about to say, "Where did the time go," but then sat down and realized all that has happened in this time. We were not just sitting still while the world turned on without us. We really have moved forward WITH time! It didn't just pass.

We became a family... There is no room to be selfish anymore because our population has doubled! There are four lives in this circle now, and every decision made affects all four of us.

I won't say it has been a perfect five years. There have been challenges and struggles... all of us trying hard to figure out what we are doing and how to work best with each other. We are still learning.

Five years is just a small slice of our lives. We spent that much time just being infants, then toddlers, then getting ready for kindergarten... so how can I think that five years is sooooooo long? We are still just babies, and we still have so much to learn together...two of us leading this family forward...and trying hard to balance the perfect combination of love, patience, frustration, understanding, faith, joy, and heartache. We're getting there! For the most part, our hard work is paying off, and I reflect on this time as being full of thousands and thousands of smiles, tears, and laughs. Here's to the last five years, and the many more years of opportunity for us to create something fantastic!

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Gimme shade!!!

The last few days have been humid and miserable... but Mr. Kitty found a cool spot on our porch to nap...

Flicka flicka flicka flicka...

"You flicker and you're beautiful...you glow inside my head...you hold me hypnotized...I'm mesmerized..."

A picnic at Rocky Ridge caught the attention of this little guy, and he wandered onto our table. After some maneuvering, we managed to get him back to the foliage where he belonged.

Happy Birthday, Keith!

Yesterday, June 7th, my Keith turned 35. Just thought I would embarrass him by putting up a picture of him. He he. Happy Birthday, you pain in the butt! I love you!

Not sure what might come next...

My mother is all the way in California, while I'm out here in PA. Most of the time, I feel pretty good about being out here so far away from everyone.... but there are moments when I feel so helpless when certain events are happening out there with my family.

For the past few weeks, my mom has been dealing with uncertain female medical issues, both upstairs and downstairs, if you know what I mean. I think it's safe to say that breast cancer runs in my family. This is but only one concern my mom is dealing with right now. She has also been experiencing strange bleeding and pain. At first she thought maybe just a bladder infection was coming on... conversations and tests even had brought her to the conclusion that she needed a hysterectomy. Well today she went for a consultation with an OB/Gyn... who didn't think she needed a hysterectomy... he gave her a biopsy in the office.... because he suspects she could have cancer.... in her kidneys.

I didn't know what to say or do. I can't give her a hug. I can't hold her hand. All I can do is wait here for her to call me in a week when she gets the results. She has an appointment with the same cancer doctor that treats my grandmother. I am not sure what might come next... just wanted to vent. Thanks.

"Flutter-bys", "Farfalle", "Vlinders"... any way you say it, butterflies are just plain gorgeous!

We loaded up the kids and my in-laws this morning with butterflies on our minds! The butterfly house in the Children's Garden at Hershey Gardens was open! I thought I would share some of their beauty with you, and maybe a couple of the sweet roses. Their lovely smell was just wavering on the breeze.

Sweet butterfly banana breakfast:


Butterfly love:


As bright as the sun:


Simply majestic. This type of butterfly always makes me think of Bambi. Maybe it's a Bambifly:


Waiting to emerge:


My mother's favorite color of rose:


Peachy perfection:


Of course, I could have written down the names of everything I photographed today so that I could sound somewhat educated on roses and butterflies... but alas, I am only capable of walking around with a camera saying, "Well now aint that just the purtiest thang ya'll ever did see? Hold my purse, Rufus, while I snap myself off a picture with this here picture taking machine!" :P