Finally Scrap Creative!

So finally, I created some cards and I'm posting them here! I took a class with the very talented Lisa T (her blog is called Stamp with Lisa T). There were only two of us there with her; our 3rd classmate took sick (feel better, Jo'Anne!).

Lisa cut and scored all the paper for us, so we were able to jump right in! She's a great instructor - she had a finished set there for reference and is a big help when you get stuck! The great thing is that this project will make an awesome gift for someone! And I almost always need an awesome gift for someone, and I never have one home! [So I suppose I should take this home and not leave it on my desk at work...]

The colors are so soft and complement each other so well. And I got to practice my blender pen technique, and I used some SU Crystal Effects (which I've bought but never used! Now I'm hooked!), and I like the 3-D effect of cutting out and raising some of the flowers...

I know this isn't the best picture, but... no one ever said photography was my thang!!!

Rest in peace, Michael

Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest yesterday.

This shocked me. He was 50. He would have turned 51 in August.

This man, this boy, I'm almost at a loss for words.

He was not one of my favorites, but I did admire his talent. He was bigger than life, he created that image for himself, and he created, in my humble opinion, all of the bad press he got, too.

I don't know if he really did all of the terrible things that hit the newspapers, but I can say I did sympathize with him, to a degree.

I went to college at age 16-1/2, after my junior year in high school. It was a Freshman Honors Program at the University of Delaware, and the group of us, 133 in all (I think) were housed on the campus of Wesley College, a small nursing college in Dover, DE. We were a group of strange children, some of us very bright, some of us bright enough, some of us struggling to find out who we were, some of us convinced we were "different." Some of us were on the straight and narrow path, some strayed and experimented with drugs and alcohol. Some of us tried suicide, some of us quit the program, some of us stayed and succeeded and moved through the rest of our college years.

I liken us to the kids in The Breakfast Club, a small group of misfits, all of us very different, each in their own way. And we had to learn, about ourselves, about each other, about life.

Michael Jackson reminded me almost of an amalgamation of a bunch of my classmates. You could describe him as shy, retiring, reclusive, smart, bright, a genius, talented, kind-hearted, big-hearted, generous, easy to take advantage of, unaware of the real world, protected, sheltered...

I don't know if I believe he did those horrible things; I wouldn't be surprised to find that he just didn't think things could be misinterpreted, that his intentions were not criminal or sick, that he just had a big heart and couldn't say no to children.

I could be wrong: he could have been all of those terrible things of which he was accused.

I just don't know.

I do know that he was very talented, whether I personally liked his style or not, and there's just no one around to take his place. I did like some of his work, and always admired his abilities.

If it turns out he was abusing drugs, with or without the enabling of his family and friends and medical staff, well then, I'm sorry for that. Ultimately it's always our own responsibility. But that won't take away from his legacy.

Rest in peace, Farrah

How very sad. Farrah Fawcett passed away today.

Cancer sucks.

No one is safe.

Every time I hear about another loss, it brings it all home again. I suffer all over again. I feel the pain all over again. I feel the loss all over again.

I didn't know her. But I truly feel a loss with her passing. Seems a bit strange, even to me, but over the past few years, since she announced that she was suffering from anal cancer, she did what she could to raise awareness. She released a video she filmed while taking treatments, while suffering. She did this to help others. She proved herself to be a strong, wonderful, passionate fighter.

She was more than just Jill Munroe from Charlie's Angels.

Rest in peace, Farrah.

Whatever happened to polite?

I found this blog entry at Ordinary Courage. All I can say is "thank you" to Brene! Thank you for speaking so eloquently to this very real lack of respect that is permeating society today.

Is it really so hard to be polite? To say "thanks" or "you're welcome" or "excuse me"??? She was prompted to write about the rudeness of people on cell phones, how self-absorbed some of these people are, how they ignore everyone around them, how they ignore others and treat them as if they're not even there, how rude and ignorant they are to those who are working for them or doing something for them...

One of my pet peeves, and, yes, it's one of many and it's not going to save the world... one of my pet peeves is when I drive through a tollbooth and I hand that person my hard-earned money (we don't have an EZ-Pass), 9 times out of 10 they don't say thank you. Now I know they're getting paid to be there, and I know that I'm not giving them money out of the kindness of my heart (I sort of have to, if I want to go any further on the road!), but would it kill them to say "thanks" or "have a nice day" - especially when I say (and I don't know why I do this!) thanks to them (for taking my money????)? This will ALWAYS prompt me to make a nasty little comment like, "How RUDE!" as I drive off to finish my trip.

I hope I remember to always be polite and considerate and not take anyone for granted. And please, remind me I said this if you see me treat someone like the dirt on the bottom of my shoe!!!

I'm worried about what's going on here...

If you're concerned about the US, read The Man on the Edge today.
I like the way he thinks.

Books.

Books.

I love them.

I love reading them.

I love being surrounded by them.

I love the smell and the feel of them.

I would rather read than do almost anything else in the world, and that includes eat. (Yes, believe it or not!)

Books are part of my life, part of my home, part of me.

I am always reading one, sometimes several at a time.

I learn from books. I teach with books. I decorate with books. I buy books. I share books. I borrow books.

I collect books. Signed books. Unsigned books. Books by certain authors. First editions. Reprints. Old copies, damaged copies, annotated copies. Books about certain subjects. Books about books.

I have become recently obsessed with the idea of creating a book. Designing it. Writing it. Binding it. Making a book that is "me." I've been crawling through the crafting sections of a few B&Ns, looking for a specific book that was recommended to me: How to Make Books, by Esther Smith. Two stores said they had it in stock, but it was nowhere on the shelves. I'm thinking of ordering it online, sight unseen, even though I'm a bit leery about doing so. I'd really rather see it, touch it, know that I want it because I see it and love it.

I've browsed through other books in the store, other books about the same topic, but I wasn't thrilled with them. What if I don't like this one? Just because someone recommended it to me doesn't mean I won't be disappointed in it.

Lord knows I've bought other books sight unseen. What makes this one different? What makes me hesitate about buying this one? I've spent $80+ on a book about libraries, sight unseen. Why am I so uncertain about buying this one? It almost makes me think I should buy it, just because I have no real reason not to... (Sorry about that ending preposition...)

But I'll try a few other stores first. There's a Borders at the lake that I'll be passing en route to the beauty supply store, which is the only place I can now find my favorite hairspray. Which is another story, for another day...

Three Good Deeds and a Wildlife Suicide...

Intriguing blog post title, don't you think?

So here's the kind of weekend I had...

On Saturday we had our annual family picnic. In the rain. 'Cause we've been doing everything in the rain lately 'cause it hasn't stopped raining for it seems like three weeks! But anyway, the picnic was at the home of one of Jack's cousins, and we hadn't seen the house yet. They bought it about a year and a half ago and were able to take advantage of the housing market before the official slump began... It's a $1.4 million dollar home that they got for the bargain price of around $750K! Anyway, they have an absolute dream of a master suite, a beautiful kitchen, and absolutely gorgeous landscaping (including a screened in porch and a multi-tiered koi pond!). Of course, I didn't have my camera with me...

After the picnic we went on to the lake, only to find that thanks to the conversion from analog to digital, we have ABSOLUTELY.NO.RECEPTION.AT.ALL.AT.THE.LAKE. And I refuse to pay for cable for a home we spend 1-2 nights in each week, so we will either watch movies, or find some other way to entertain ourselves.

On Sunday morning, we got up, went to church, went for breakfast at Bagels on the Hill, and then drove back home. Surprisingly, the sun, that big warm yellow orb in the sky we haven't seen in years (okay, I'm exaggerating!) was out. So Jack fiddled around outside while I went upstairs and started some more cleaning/purging of my scrapping room. At 10:30 we left for a rally at Kabob's. It was a rally for the Lake Hopatcong Alliance. The lake isn't in too good a shape this season - there are a lot of businesses failing 'cause there are very few tourists 'cause the lake is almost 2' below normal. This is and will continue to seriously impact the environment and the economy in the lake communities. The state is apparently letting 4.2 million gallons of water out of the lake a day, to feed the rivers and streams. After releasing 1.26 billion gallons too much water in December alone! The weeds are a problem, the town's budget was cut so the weed harvester operators were let go, there's no funding to operate the harvesters and the weeds are already high. With the water low, you can just imagine...

Anyway, off my soapbox...

We went to the rally and I went inside to buy a sticker for my car. They asked for a $5 donation so I paid with a $20 bill. As we turned to walk out, Jack asked how I paid for the sticker. I said, "With a $20 bill." "Well, they gave you $100 in change!"

????????????????????????????

I quickly turned around and gave them the money back - I hadn't even looked at the change and probably wouldn't have noticed 'til I got outside... I told the girls at the table what happened and they were so grateful; that was probably a 1/4 of their take for the whole rally! I got the correct change and we left. [Good deed #1]

We got back in the car and drove home. It wasn't far but it was up and down a couple of very steep hills so we drove. We turned onto our street and as I came around the first bend, there was a turtle crossing the road! I stopped the car and Jack got out, grabbed his gloves from the back of the truck and picked up the turtle to move him off the street. [Good deed #2] He needed gloves 'cause we have snapping turtles in the lake; better safe than sorry! Of course, being a scrapper, I wanted pictures so Jack walked over to the side of the car so I could take a picture or two. All of a sudden we heard a "tick, tick, tick, tick" from my engine. Our eyes met - I'm married to a part-time certified mechanic - my car just doesn't make strange noises for no reason!!! He thought perhaps there was a stick or something caught in the fan.

We drove home and I parked the car and went inside. I went back upstairs to work a bit and after 20 minutes or so, Jack shouted up at me, "Come down here now!"

Now, those of you who know me, well you know I took my sweet time 'cause I could tell he wasn't injured and I'm not one to come when called like the family pet... I got downstairs a minute or so later and went outside. He asked me to guess what was stuck in the car.

I immediately freaked out - "It had better not be a bird 'cause I've already had a bird stuck in my grill and that grossed me out!" "It's not a bird. Go look at the fan."

So I walked to the front of the car and looked down at the fan, but couldn't see anything. Jack said to just pull the shroud forward and peek down in there, so I did but I couldn't see anything.

As I bent closer to see if I could see, he said, "It's a snake."

Well, I must have jumped and screamed 'cause he started laughing and I started getting completely grossed out. I demanded (not my usual persona!) that he get that effin' snake out of my car 'cause I'm not effin' driving home with a snake wrapped around my fan and he'd better get the front end of my car off 'cause he's a mechanic and he can effin' do it....

Who knew Hyundai Santa Fes were so well-made? The pieces he needed to remove to get the snake out were all welded together! He called KD, our friend and the most awesome body shop guy on earth, and KD told him that all he could think of, if Jack couldn't get the front end off, was for Jack to take a knife and...

YUK! I told Jack to wash up for lunch, even though I was totally skeeved out! I told him to sterilize himselg - "I didn't touch the snake, Krys!" - but I wasn't buying it and said he'd better wash up the best he ever did...

We had lunch, then Jack took a wire hanger outside while I sat in the dining room and enjoyed some Roasted Pineapple and Poblano salsa with some chips and read Dean Koontz's Relentless. All of a sudden Jack called me outside again.

He had managed to hook it with the end of the hanger and get it out of the car.

IT.WAS.TWENTY-NINE.INCHES.LONG.

WITHOUT.ITS.HEAD.

YUK! [Wildlife Suicide referred to in blog post title.]

After we went home, I took Mom to Shop Rite and while I was waiting for her, I noticed that a woman was shopping in the same aisle as I was, with her twins in a double stroller and a toddler in the oversized shopping cart with the plastic car on the front end which is supposed to entertain your child but really only serves to get in the way of every other shopper in the store... She had her husband along to help but I heard one of the babies crying and I heard something fall out of the cart and she was looking but couldn't see what it was. I told the lady that the baby had dropped his rattle. She thanked me and said that the rattle wasn't really a problem but that he had lost his blankie somewhere and he was never going to go to sleep again 'cause he couldn't sleep without it.

"Was it small and green?" I asked. YES! I had seen another customer pick it up off the floor in the last aisle but I didn't know if she'd put it on the shelf or taken it to Customer Service... It didn't matter - that lady took off so fast! Mom and I moved on, but then I realized the mother hadn't come back in a while and the father was standing there with the three kids, one still crying. I walked over and asked if she'd found it, and he said not yet, so I went to the other aisle to look for it. (I realized I hadn't told her where we were standing when the other lady found it...) I saw it on the shelf, and returned it to the dad then went to find the mom who was still searching aisle by aisle. [Good deed #3]

And after that sunny day, three good deeds, and a wildlife suicide (who'd have thought a snake would crawl up into my car?!?), it's been raining ever since and nothing outstandingly good has happened since - except that I haven't had a pressure headache all week (and I probably just jinxed myself good!).

BO, Stephen Colbert, and the Troops

Please visit Jessica at It's My Life. She has a clip from Stephen Colbert's show, where he shaved his head in support of the troops in Iraq, and at the order of BO!!! This is a fun clip and for once, I have to say I enjoyed BO's appearance via satellite!

She should be so embarrassed!!!

This is a blog entry that my sister posted after she clicked on the link below. Please read her blog entry, then click on the link, then read my comments below...

"June 10
Federal promise to keep the rich - well, rich!
http://dailybail.com/home/there-are-no-words-to-describe-the-following-part-ii.html

Had to paste this link here Krys, I may have to send it out to a more global audience! While I have been all for change, I was against bailouts before the election & still am. This is a disgrace. If this interview took place at one of my corporate meetings, her pink slip would be on her desk by Monday. Imagine her resume?

"Hi, I'm responsible for overseeing the Federal Reserve. I do so by reviewing on a general basis that does not include specifics that say where the money has gone to. It is highly efficient, as I prevent all kinds of scandals from being disclosed, I make sure the wealthy have the capability to remain wealthy by whatever anonymous means necessary. I waste no money, as I take it & do not pour it into actual work. All money that comes my way ends there. My office does review non-specific uses of federal money without actually learning anything. We hesitate to "investigate" as the connotations that term implies may not be favorable to our clients. Oh, excuse me while the young intern behind me tells me what to say -- err, I what Imeant to say, my advisor is informing me of another trillion from our balance sheet that is accounted for by a number of non-specific transactions that are under review but we do not have to actually identify specifically, as this office is not obligated to do so.""


Okay - it's Krys again. Oh.My.God.

Are you kidding me?????

Now my sister voted for B.O. She had numerous reasons for doing so, some political and some, in my humble opinion, not so political. While I disagreed with her and her reasons, this is America and she had every right to vote for the candidate of her choice. (As did I.)

And I am encouraged by a couple of her sentences: "While I have been all for change, I was against bailouts before the election and still am. This is a disgrace."

Who's bailing YOU out? Who's paying off your credit card debt? Who's paying your mortgage or rent when you can't afford it? Who's giving you a pass on paying college tuition? While, I might add, you spend all your money on parties and clothes and travel! Is someone giving you a big chunk'o'cash so you don't have to worry about paying your bills? Bills that you incurred by your own actions?

Trillions of dollars. More money than ALL PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS HAVE SPENT COLLECTIVELY. Did you hear that? MORE MONEY THAN ALL PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS HAVE SPENT COLLECTIVELY. In his first 100 days!

You're right, that is a historic accomplishment! Not one I'm all that happy about, though!

This video is just atrocious. It made me literally feel nauseated to watch that woman sit there and avoid answering the question. She basically said she can't answer because they're investigating but they haven't found anything out about what they're investigating while they're investigating and she can't answer the question she doesn't really understand (can you repeat the question?) because the investigation is ongoing and they haven't investigated that yet.

C - you're right. I'd certainly have gotten fired for answering our previous boss like that. In fact, I'd get fired now for answering my current boss like that.

That woman should be ashamed of herself.

As should this country.

Please read this and think about it.

I just read a blog entry on one of my favorite blogs, The Man on the Edge. Fred is a Navy man, on the cusp of retirement. He is a family man who loves his wife and children, and loves and honors his country. He has served his country, happily, voluntarily, despite the sacrifices he had to make to do so.

He has a remarkable way with words and created this blog a while ago, in response, I suppose to what he saw coming down the pike here in America. He loves America. He doesn't love what he sees happening in and to this great country.

And I agree with him. Wholeheartedly.

His post yesterday scares me. Please read it; click on the link at the beginning of this post.

This is America, people. Land of the free, remember? With the right to assemble, where we've been promised freedom of religion?

Tag, I'm It!!!

I've been tagged by Shazza at Shazza's Craft Connection. Here you go, Shazza!

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. Retirement
2. Lunch
3. Going home
4. My niece's wedding
5. Our 10 year anniversary cruise! (Just booked it this weekend!)
6. Reading
7. Scrapping - don't know when I'm going to get around to this again - so busy!
8. A quiet weekend at the lake

8 Things I Did Yesterday
1. Went for our weekly cake and coffee at my sister-in-law's house
2. Bought some lemonade from our little neighbor's lemonade stand
3. Cooked a couple of hamburgers on the George Forman grill
4. Bought a pair of orange striped flip flops off the Land's End website
5. Balanced my checkbook
6. Made Mrs. K's salad
7. Sorted through the clean laundry
8. Caught up on my email and blog reading

8 Things I Wish I Could Do
1. Play the piano
2. Sing well
3. Dance well
4. Swim
5. Teach
6. Take a trip each year to one of my dream destinations
7. Write well
8. Cry pretty

8 Things or Shows I've Watched Lately
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2. Footloose
3. CSI Miami
4. Star Trek, the Movie
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
6. Extreme Home Makeover
7. America's Funniest Home Videos (I could watch this every day!)
8. Without a Trace

Now I'm supposed to tag 8 other bloggers; I can't do this - my friendly bloggers are all so busy these days, what with summer vacation almost in full swing, impending moves and job changes rapidly approaching, a combination of all of the above... How about if you want to participate, just leave me a message that you've made your list of 8s on your blog and I'll come and visit!

Things I Have Done - or Not Done, depending on where you're standing...

Okay, I was reading Miss Stephanie's blog, Pike's Pickles, and I saw this - so here you go:

Things I have done, or not done, depending on how you read this and what you're more interested in... I've bold-faced the ones I HAVE done...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris - does the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas count???
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - duh! Who wants to waste a sick day on being sick???
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - again, I ask, does it count if I did it in Vegas???
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - not on purpose!
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous: Ann Margaret, Sarah Ferguson, Nancy Reagan, Vanna White, Richard Simmons, Danielle Steel, Stephen King, to name just a few...
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one - too many of them.
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee