Giddy

Feeling Giddy today as I start to plan out an upcoming travel trip we will take.

Giddy/Silly/Crazy Love

This has been a good year for us and we have had the opportunity to travel more than normal.

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I am looking forward to our next adventure.

Hint of where we are going!

Does anyone else get the giddies when starting to plan a trip or is that just the obsessive part of me kicking in (in disguise)?

Ice Packs in Bras

I know you are wondering..where is she going with a title like that.

Mollycules

Any female who has ever undergone a breast biopsy, probably knew right away what I was referring to.

But for those of you that don't know that joy...whenever you have a breast biopsy, you will spend a few days wearing an ice pack in your bra to try to alleviate the pain. You will also find...that you have to wear your godforsaken bra 24/7 for a couple of days to help alleviate discomfort. Not something I find pleasurable.

So as I sit in the office today, with my fairly tight bra on and my ice pack safely tucked in, I am uncomfortable, sore and yet thankful that my breasts are still my own, even if they don't want to play well with medical society.

One cannot find a comfortable position when the breast is sore. Move your arm too much and you get a reminder. Do too much (because you feel pretty good) and you will get a reminder in a bit.

I'm guessing my uncomfortableness probably ties back to trying to do a little too much this AM. Putting a raffle basket together, putting things away, bringing up the crock pot for the corned beef, trying to carry everything into the office. And not being able to find a comfortable sleeping position last night. If I had slept on my back, the cat would have been laying on my chest. Not acceptable. Laying on the left side-too much pressure. Laying on the right side..just can't get comfortable.

I know it will all pass soon, but the irony of having to put an ice pack in my bra while at the office just struck me as funny and odd at the same time.

Happy Tuesday! Cheers to you all

November Days

We went from being in the 60's on Monday to waking up with some snow on the ground on Tuesday. But you know what...I'll take it. I love the sudden changes, even if they leave me with cold hands.

The loves of my life! 

Sudden changes allow for more spontaneous opportunities!

This is Scooby showing off her listening skills. 

Mommy being a goof! 

Woo Hoo Hoo! They let me ride in the car w/ the windows DOWN!

Francis Slocum State Park

Life....

I have thought for days, even weeks, how I wanted to start my message to you. I know I have not written in some time, but yet I do not feel the need to apologize either.

Jessica in contemplation

Life got crazy, Life got hectic, Life got busy.
Life was happy, Life was sad
Life was EXPERIENCED!



To bring you up to date. Miss Winnie ended her earthly journey with us. It still brings me to tears to talk/write about it. Miss Winnie was a bright spot in my day and even more so as I became her caregiver towards the end. I can rest assured knowing she was very loved and that she knew we did everything possible for her. She had a few more seizures toward the end and we believed they robbed her of some mental capacities. Her quality of life was no longer. RIP Miss Winnie.

 In July we celebrated hubby's milestone birthday w/ a small party in which we debuted our home-built monkey hut. The monkey hut was built for our (at that time) upcoming journey to Burning Man. (I'll make a seperate post w/ pictures of the Monkey Hut)

August brought about crazy, hectic weekends. Busy work loads. Than packing up the truck for the 2400 mile drive (each way) to Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada.  Never heard of Burning Man? Don't worry, I hadn't either until hubby started showing me videos & playing a song called "Home". Want to know more about Burning Man...google it. You'll be pulled in...I promise!

Burning Man

We returned only this week from Burning Man and words cannot describe for you what an experience it was. Life changing, a journey, a pilgramage. New friendships were formed, love rekindled, uniqueness appreciated. Hubby and I managed the cross country drive in approximately 52 hours each way. Sleeping at rest stops, experiencing truck stop showers and lots of giggles.

a Hubby Original

I don't know what the next few days or weeks hold in store for me but I welcome whatever it is with open arms. I met so many wonderful people in the last few months and feel my life is graced to have felt their presence.


I look forward to the future with love and open awareness. No longer fearful. Not nearly as anxious. Open to new experiences. Open to new possibilities. Finding the expressive side of myself, once again.

Cheers!

a Hubby Original

Daydreaming...

Daydreaming about new projects I can work on,
Daydreaming about projects recently completed,
Daydreaming about the future,
Daydreaming about the past,
All the while smiling to myself and being thankful for the happiness I am filled with.
-Jess-

Cute project idea/s and some pics.

vintage-pictures-and-mason-jars
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i actually made this one for my grams last month..Really fun project.paper flower terrarium

Paper flowers terrarium

Jess & Grams 5-2012--Sunday Mornings

Grams enjoying all the flowers she got for her 87th birthday

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Sun in a jar..my friend Stacey in Texas is making these.

Cheers my friends!

a woman of few words tonight.
my thoughts are with friends and family.
but i would like to share a photo blog with you tonight.

Dog Days Of Spring!

Azalea in Bloom

Finch preparing to feed the young

Iris at a local farm

Old Brick Building

Richard 

OOPS!

Well...the pool had been open for exactly 24 hours. Slimy green, gosh only knows what floating in it and Miss Winnie decided to go for a dip!

This poor pup is not a swimmer. She really does not care for the pool at all. Well I am sure after her icy, cold dip followed by a shower to get the chlorine and slimy junk off of her, I am sure she will continue to not like the pool.

So needless to say Maggie ended up getting a bath as well. Both girls got a washing with Zum Doggie Soap and smell so much better.

Now mommy has a sore back and is ready for bed!

Beautiful Women!

I am blessed to have so many strong, beautiful women in my life who wrap me in love, support, strength and confidence.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of dinner with 17 of these beautiful women. Some of these women have been having a mother's day dinner for the last 33 years, others were attending for the first time and yet others like myself have been invited for the last few years.

Many laughs were shared, tears were shed, love was encompassed.

My many thanks to Janet Carey & Diane Adam's mom for making my heart glow. She sat across the table from me. Before leaving she made it a point to tell me that she had enjoyed seeing my smile the whole evening and hearing my laugh.  She said that I should carry that smile thru the next day because the following day (5-6-12) was to be world laughing day. I remembered her comment & did indeed carry that smile & laughter thru.

Diane, their Mom, Janet

Sharing some of the pictures from the dinner with you.

Janet was so excited to get a Mother's Day Card!

Janet & Grammie Miller

Our Matriarchs

My most favorite picture of the evening. This one shows the pure laughter that occurred. 

Grammie & Nancy-LOVE

40..IT FINALLY HAPPENED!

Well, for weeks I have been fretting over turning 40.  How would I feel?  Would I greet the day with trepidation or welcome it with open arms? Would a meltdown occur?

I am happy to say that the day has been wonderful. I woke up feeling more comfortable in my skin than I have for a while now. I greeted the day with a sense of calm and came to terms with some issues that were bothering me. I look forward to engaging in a new decade. The decade of my 30's was good to me and I wonder if some of my trepidation wasn't just sorrow over leaving that decade.

The day has been a beautiful day. The weather was rainy & overcast, which for me is a blessing. When it is sunny and warm, I feel like there is so much I should be getting done. I want to absorb every minute & every molecule of sun that I can get. A rainy, overcast day causes me to slow down, be house bound and just take some time to relax. Little did I know that rainy, overcast day was being caused by a nor'easter that by the time I wake up in the AM will have either dumped 10-12 inches of snow on us or 2-4 inches of rain. Late April Showers....Hoping for May flowers.

My husband is a wonderful guy and I am so thankful for him. For weeks I took my anxiety out on him. Explaining that I didn't want my 40th birthday to go by unnoticed. That I didn't want it to be just another birthday. But than the next day the anxiety would change to me fretting about what I considered to be failures in my life. Milestones that I hadn't reached by 40. Milestones that had been ingrained into me and that I couldn't reconcile with.

He did a great job in the weeks leading up and today. His patience with me is a blessing. The cupcakes, the photo album, the cards that made me laugh & than cry (and cry again now that I am thinking about it), the over the top gift of the DSLR camera and a beautiful dinner out at a restaurant I have been wanting to try for a long time now. It was a wonderful day and I look forward to a wonderful year.

My mother said that I should be receiving cashmere & diamonds for my birthday..to her I say..my husband got it just right!

To my husband I say..THANK YOU SO MUCH. It was a perfect day. Made even better when you told me you got me my points at the Hallmark store! What other guy would be so thoughtful to realize his wife is a Hallmark addict & be sure to get her the bonus points! You Rock!

And just one more 40th birthday story, because this is just so typical of who I am. I was rushing to pee before we headed out for dinner. I tried to slide behind John in the bathroom. Well slip is what I did. I slipped on the rug near the tub & twisted my ankle. Not to be deterred, I kept on going. I am a gal & I did have to pee after all. So being the multi-tasker that I am, I figured that while peeing I would fold up the rug that I tripped on. In such slow, slow motion, I managed to reach over for the rug, fall off the toilet, catch myself halfway on the edge of the tub and more or less fall into the tub. Than I couldn't get myself up because my pants were down. Oh My Goodness. What a sight I must have been. I couldn't decide wheter to laugh or cry. I am happy to say I am okay & as of right now nothing is too sore. But just typical for me. That makes 2 full out accidents I've had in the new bathroom. Someday I'll learn to slow down.

Cheers and Happy Earth Day!

Long Time....

No apologies this time. Life got busy, Spring has sprung, I lost some of my ambition. But no worries. I have still been taking pictures & exploring.

I finally got the new point & shoot camera. I went with a Canon and am so impressed with it. It's the perfect size and takes perfect quick pictures. I love being able to carry it with me everywhere I go. The first few days I had it I fretted because I couldn't find anything to take pictures of. I assure you that is no longer an issue. One of my challenges to myself has been to find something motivating, inspiring or thought provoking to take a picture of each day. That way when I finally get around to downloading the pics, I have a memory to go with them. It brings a smile to my face.

So there is a local blogger that I love to follow. Her husband is our local baker & makes some awesome products. A while back Zoe posted about her parents leaving there farm due to the uprising of gas drilling in our neck of the woods. Zoe wanted to share a piece of her parents farm with anyone who was willing to partake. She was kind enough to send me a beautiful packet of seeds and instructions on how to plant them. So for Zoe, I am posting a picture of the new seedling growth in my patch of woods.

For Zoe...they are sprouting! 

For everyone else..check out Zoe's blog (click the highlighted name Pearled Earth).

Pearled Earth Blog


Just wanted to share a recent pic of Winnie & I. She has good days & bad but we seem to have gotten the seizures under control. And for those of you who didn't know. Emma (fat cat) Carey passed away. We miss her greatly but are happy knowing she is no longer suffering.

RIP Miss Emma! 

40 bags in 40 days

So I am going to start this post off by stating a few things:
1) I am in no way trying to push religion down your throat-If you know me, you know I am not that religious
2) You don't have to be catholic, religious, or even believe in a higher being to take on this challenge. If you need to justify wanting to do this...do it for the greater good of the world.
3) I am aware that Lent started 6 days ago. But I just found this thread today & thought it sounded like a cool thing to try.

So here we go...40 bags in 40 days challenge. Google it!
Here is one of the links I found: http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/40_bags_in_40_days/

The basic premise is..that during the 40 days of Lent (now 34 days) you dispose of 1 bag from your home each day. Basically a way to declutter your home, your life, your everything. You can donate to Goodwill, another worthy cause or put it out for the trash. It's simple enough that you can get your kids to help or even join you in the challenge.

Let me know what you think & let me know how you are making out.

I know I will not get 1 bag each day but this challenge will help me to be more conscious about what is surrounding me and what I bring into my life.

Cheers!

P.S. An update..Miss Winnie is doing much better. The seizures seem to have subsided. She is back to running the woods with her sister and chasing small critters-that they never catch.

Miss Emma (our fat cat) was diagnosed today with cancer. She has gone from 23 lbs down to 12 lbs. We are making her as comfortable as possible.

Point & Shoot

Hi.
Wanted to share this beautiful scene I captured today on my drive out of the office parking lot.
The deer were walking out of the woods & down to the pond for a drink.
In all I counted 5 deer coming down. To the right & left of the 2nd bench are one deer each.

It must have been an active day for the creatures today. Hubby had to stop to let the turkey cross the road and than after I got home we were sitting on the side porch & 3 deer came walking out of the woods towards the pool.

Beautiful Sights!

And all the more reason why I need to pick up a point & shoot camera to carry with me. I did actually get a picture of the deer drinking out of the pond, but the memory on my phone was full and it wouldn't let me send it anywhere. AUGH! So I think this weekend I will go on the search for a point & shoot, under $100, that has a good zoom, clear pictures & easy uploads. Than I'll be overwhelming you, my loyal blog followers, with lots of lovely pictures.

Kisses!

Redneck Wine Glasses

I love our local Hallmark store and can be found in there on an almost weekly basis. Either to buy cards or check out the latest clearance updates. 

So today I had a good laugh when I stopped in to pick up a few cards after work. I took a path I normally don't & stumbled upon these. 

This, my friends, is a generic red solo cup on the wine glass base! Check out what they are charging (picture caption)

Found in the Hallmark store for $10 EACH!

Found something similar in Hallmark store for $20 EACH!

So I know you are thinking...why are redneck wineglasses so funny?

Because John and I have been making Redneck wine glasses for a few months now. We gave them out as Christmas Gifts this year and we made a special batch for kielbasa fest! 

So while out walking Miss Winnie today it occurred to me that I am missing out on a great opportunity. 

Our redneck wineglasses are now officially for sale! 

A set of 4 for $30! (Shipping is available if you are out of the area. You pay for shipping)

How can you go wrong! 

Hallmark is charging $20 FOR1 glass wine glass. I am charging $30 for 4 glass wine glasses. 

Mine come with ribbons, a pretty cool tag and a pretty fabric topper. Hallmark did not have any of that. 

So check out my wine glasses & give me some feed back!

Momma made us a quilt!

What an honor to have mom make us a quilt, made from the fabric of America & one of my favorite patterns to boot!

The Traveling Log Cabin maker-Fabric Acquired traveling across America

I'll let the pictures tell the story, but the quilt arrived shortly after John's knee surgery with a note that it was to aid in his recovery. He was almost as excited as I was.

Currently on John's bed is a quilt from Nonie's house, a mexican wool blanket & than a store bought comforter.  A day or two before this quilt arrived, John mentioned to me that we needed to find a new quilt for him because the Nonie quilt was getting pretty battered. What Luck!

The Traveling Log Cabin maker-Fabric Acquired traveling across America