Shel Silverstein Sunday

I found myself (in the last few days) thinking about how much I loved Shel Silverstein and how he could put things, both silly and otherwise.  I don't know exactly what triggered that thought, and yes, while it's not often, believe it or not, occasionally book related, semi-educated thoughts roll through my noggin.

I went to my bookshelf to grab my favorite "Where The Sidewalk Ends" to thumb through a few poems, only to be completely surprised that while I thought I owned that book, turns out, I don't.  However, I do have it in audio form, read by Shel himself, and that brings a whole new life to the words.  Hmmm...I see a trip to a bookstore in my future.

In the meantime, massive Googling (thank you to amazon.com for listing every poem in the book on the website, that definitely helped!) ensued and while I know there are other poems I love in that book (Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout and Peanut Butter Sandwich comes to mind), for some reason, these ones stick out to me today.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti

Spaghetti, spaghetti, all over the place,

Up to my elbows--up to my face,

Over the carpet and under the chairs,

Into the hammock and wound round the stairs,

Filling the bathtub and covering the desk,

Making the sofa a mad mushy mess.

The party is ruined, I'm terribly worried,

The guests have all left (unless they're all buried).

I told them, "Bring presents." I said, "Throw confetti."

I guess they heard wrong

'Cause they all threw spaghetti!

No Difference

Small as a peanut,

Big as a giant,

We're all the same size

When we turn off the light.

Rich as a sultan,

Poor as a mite,

We're all worth the same

When we turn off the light.

Red, black or orange,

Yellow or white,

We all look the same

When we turn off the light.

So maybe the way

To make everything right

Is for God to reach out

And turn off the light!

Work In Progress...

So last night, I went to get my tattoo fixed, as I have wanted to get it fixed since 2006, not long after I got it.  There is a bit of a story here, because Sister went with me yesterday to get it fixed (she was there when I got it the first time), however the gal who I had the appointment with, had a client suddenly change what she wanted which ended up taking a LOT longer than expected, plus she didn't have the right materials clean she wanted to use with me.  So, instead, she asked if I could come back the next day.

I have had my appointment for about a month.  I won't lie, I was MAD.  Sister wouldn't be able to be there, she came down specifically for this.  (Insert mad pouty face here.)  We went to dinner instead, and then on to trivia night as usual for a Wednesday night.

Thursday, C went with me to get it fixed, and the gal who asked me to come back was more than ready for me.  Once we got going, it took her less than 20 minutes to fix what needed fixing, plus add some shading that was definitely needed.

Here I am with Jeannie, who honestly is awesome, and, you would never guess, but she KNITS!  That's where I met her, was across the street at the shop where I get all my knitting stuff!  Yes, there were times I did wince like this, but rest assured, this picture is indeed, staged.

So, I won't show the fixed version, because it's in the healing stages, however I will show you the initial, my tat as of last night, and then as soon as it's healed, the finished product!

So, here we go:

Day I got it:

Finished product after infection pulled out half the color (and 5 years later...this picture was taken Wednesday night) :

Do you see why it needed to be fixed?  It was driving me crazy.  Right now, it is really pissed at me not happy with me.  When it calms down and decides to play nice (gimme about a week or so), I promise a finished post with (hopefully if I can manage to figure out enough html) all three side by side for a progression shot...no promises yet though!

Happy Friday!!!

Hodge Podge Post

Ok, so I've been a wee bit absent since the end of the photo challenge...apparently I need something daily to keep me posting!  However, since that can't always be the case, time to start stockpiling ideas, and daily nuances to tell my peeps about!

Wrapping up the photo challenge...

It was a LOT of fun!!!  If you were bored by it, I'm sorry, look at it this way, it could have been MUCH longer!  In doing a little research, I found out that there is not only a 60 day, but a 100 day photo challenge too!  30 days was more than enough for me.  Especially when I started looking at the rest of the 100 day challenge list...and realizing that I think a high schooler took the 30 day list and started adding things randomly that most grown adults either wouldn't have pictures of or have done in the last few years...so time to resume regular blogging.

Regular blogging...ummm...right...time to start looking for topics!  Any suggestions?  I know it's a lifestyle kind of blog that I'm doing here, and I'm sure I'll have some events (knitting and crochet projects etc) to post.  I was given a few links (this blogger that Maggy introduced me to, broke it into a three-part series on her blog: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) to look at for blogging tips, and I've already implemented a couple of them, but am still working on a few.  I'm still getting a grasp on the whole formatting thing.  (Thanks, Jenni at Story of My Life!!)

I recently started running the Facebook page for a local knitting shop (Knit Knack in Arvada, yes, that was a shameless plug for you to check it out), and wanted to get a bit more info, so I went in search of some "for Dummies" books at a local Barnes and Noble.  They had the books on their website, but I wanted to look at them before ordering.

(Because sadly, they were much cheaper through amazon...Samantha...that was for you, oh, by the way, she's doing a GREAT little giveaway on her blog right now...click, go...I swear, her cookies are THE BOMB.)

I went with my best friend, Cheryl, and in an entire bookstore, not only did they not have the two books I was looking for, but when I looked for a couple other guides on writing, styles etc.  Nothing.  Nada.  ZIP.  Instead, there were 3 wall sections of THIS:

REALLY??  3 whole wall sections on "Teen Paranormal Romance", yet I can't find a book on writing? What, is Barnes and Noble afraid people will start writing instead of reading?  Good grief.

So, to get back onto topic, yes, I went and bought not only Facebook Marketing for Dummies (um, holy cow, the thing is littered with post it notes already...and I thought I already knew a lot about Facebook!), which led to also buying the Blogging for Dummies book.  Now, to put them both to good use.

I have to give a couple shout outs...my sister in law, Maggy, has been a great help with learning HTML and photobucket, and is a plethora of blog knowledge.  (PS: Check out her blog HERE.)

My next shout out is to my cousin Anke, in Germany (Hi Anke!!).  She has written me a couple sweet comments and sent me an email the other day, so I just thought I'd give her a special hi.  :)

Not much else is goin' on right now, however I am getting my tattoo touched up tomorrow/today (it was supposed to be tonight while my sister was here but that story will be for when I get it fixed), so I am excited about that!

Since I don't have much else to share at the moment, I'll give you a "before" picture of the tat...when I initally got it.  Then tomorrow I will (hopefully) have 3 pictures for you...initial, oops, and the fix.  Until tomorrow!

(You'll have to forgive me, the pic is 5 years old, and was taken on either an older camera or cell phone, so the quality isn't exactly stellar.)

Toooomorrow...tomorrow...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 30

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

I know that this is a photo challenge, and trust me, there will be pictures (no judging, it was the late 90's, and yes, I'm aware of my hair)...however, please allow me to tell some backstory on my friend before you see what a beautiful woman she was.

Julie (Fawthrop) Telfer

Julie and I were randomly paired as roommates my junior/her senior year in college.  Never have I had such an amazing roommate.  (No offense to my senior year girls...we had fun...Julie was just...Julie.)

I saw her a few times after her grad, my family went to Albuquerque to see the hot air balloon festival, and she and her husband (boyfriend at the time) came with us.  She came back to my grad the next year, and not long after (I think it might have been the next summer), my family and I went to the wedding.  At that point (if timeline/memory serves...) she was 29.

We kept in touch via email, postcards (she went to Europe for a summer), and the occasional phone call.  Through Christmas cards/letters etc, she told me about how she had been getting her migraines checked out.  Things weren't looking good...it was brain cancer.  She went through the traditional routes of treatment, and the tumor seemed to be responding.  She had gone the holistic route as well, thankfully with good response.  In 2002, the tumor stopped responding to treatments.

In early 2003, I had this feeling I needed to call.   I called and happened to get Chris.  We exchanged pleasantries...and then I asked how things were.  He said "It's bad.  I'm glad you've called when you did...Julie is on her deathbed...if you are able...you should come now."

Um...holy $h!t.  I asked him some basic questions, made some phone calls, and thanks to dad, had myself and 2 friends booked on a flight to New Mexico within the week.  Tobi and Cheryl knew Julie, Cheryl had become our adopted roommate, and Tobi knew her from her brief stint in one of the shows we did that year in the theatre.  

Cheryl and Tobi were amazing, and provided a welcome relief from the sadness of the trip.  (A certain trip to Wal-Mart for bathing suits, games of Phase 10, the hot tub and Cheryl laughing so hard she fell off the bed are all happy memories from that trip, but those stories are for another blog.)

That trip was emotional hell.  We got to the house, and saw Chris, and I will never forget beautiful Julie, and what cancer had done to her...I know that sounds terrible and sad, but other than my pictures I have from our time in college, it's what is burned into my brain.  We spent time with Julie, who was in such a comatose state, I only pray that she was able to hear everything we said, and returned to Denver with heavy hearts.

Julie passed the next weekend.  She was only 31.

I think of her often, and have a picture I took of her and Chris, at their wedding, hanging on my wall (it was one of the few I don't have digitized) and forgive me, but you're just going to have to take my word that it is one of my most treasured pictures.

On March 4th of this year, it was 8 years ago that she passed away...I can't believe it's been 12 years since we met and already been 8 years since she passed...

Julie...I miss you...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 29

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.

"Auntie Jonene, what are you doing?"

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 28

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.

*DISCLAIMER* Do NOT click on the link in the paragraph below if you do not like spiders either...I've already been scolded...so now if you do, you've been warned!  :)

Do you know how hard it was to go find this picture, and put it here?  Even the picture FREAKS ME OUT!  (Plus, thank you Google Images for the oh so terrifying picture of camel spiders...that is something I will not be able to shake for a while now.)  *full body shudder*

PS: Normally I enlarge pictures, today, I can't shrink this sucker small enough...YUCK.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 27

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.

I'll do you one better...here's me with all of my immediate family members...accompanied by Baxter's behind...thanks Bax...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 26

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.

Where I've come from...

Where I am....

And where I'm yet to go....

PS: No stock photos today...boo-yah!  :)

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 25

Day 25 - A picture of your day.

Sunday lazy Sunday...

So, today was/is (because it's not Monday yet) a relatively lazy day, and I have loved every minute of it.  For the photo challenge, I have found myself finding stock images for a lot of the days instead of using ones I have.  Granted, I haven't had good ones to use for most of the days, so Google Image Search has been my saving grace.  Today, I wanted to use as many real pictures as possible, and between my iPhone and my camera, I feel like I got some decent shots.  Here we go!

Oh hey, look, today's blog post is supposed to be about pictures of my day...well, today is likely to be rather boring, but hey, I'll have a bit o'fun with this so...ok...

*sound of my phone going off*

Hmmm...how the heck am I going to make a word with no vowels...

Sheesh my place is a bit messy...so I should really pick up and do some laundry so I'll have clothes for the week.  Oh, and I haven't run the vacuum in a bit, so probably should do that too.

    

*sound of my phone going off*

Well crap...all vowels...I wonder if I can make a few weird additions to something...

LUNCH!  Italian Pasta salad...love that it keeps for a few days after I initially make it...

Hmmm...lazy day + cleaning + lunch = naptime...zzzzzzz

*yaaaawn*  *streeeeeetch*  hmmm...I'm thinking a movie...but which format...DVR is caught up, so maybe some Netflix goodness.

George gave me a super fun present last night...I might have to crack the spine today...

Evil Easter Crack...I shall resist your temptation...(well, I'm going to try to anyways...)

Rawr...can't figure out side by side photo placement in the blog, my sister in law, Maggy (and researcher extraordinaire) informs me she's figured it out (have I mentioned you should check out her blog?  You really should...) and came over tonight to help me out.  She taught me about html embedding (I was a bit more intimidated by this than she was) and I taught her the tricks I learned with regards to some photo downloads.  We cracked open my book I just got (Blogging for Dummies) to get a few more tips here and there.

What you don't see...well, mostly don't see (on purpose) are two girls who are in pj's/sweats, surrounded by 2 laptops, 2 iPhones, a bunch of cords, the Blogging for Dummies book and there may or may not have been some consumption of the above mentioned Evil Easter Crack.  Yay for teamwork!!

After Maggy left, I tuned in to my weekly Sunday Sobfest...the lineup of Secret Millionaire, Army Wives and Coming Home.  I have gone through 2 boxes of Kleenex in 3 weeks...ugh.  I either need to start crying less (doubtful) or buy cheaper Kleenex for the living room...

Normally yes, I'd be a bit grossed out by used Kleenex, but rest assured, they are all damp only from tears, no boogers.  

Well, since I can't bring myself to end a post talking about boogers, then I have to wrap up today by  talking about what's I'm excited about for tomorrow:  Dinner at The Melting Pot with three great friends!  

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 24

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.

Something I wish I could change, or something I'm really trying to be better about changing?

I wish there were a magic pill to make it easy, but I guess I also don't want something that is that easy, because of the possible repercussions when you stop taking a med...bounce back and gain it all back.

In the meantime...I continue the process of brainwashing myself (again) into eating food that's better for me and moving more...not because I feel this need to be super skinny, but I want to be healthy.  I mentioned this before, and now I just have to make sure I actually DO it.  :)