Picture Tag

I was recently "tagged" by my friend, Jamie. The object of the picture tag is to:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3) Explain the picture

4) Tag 4 people to do the same

NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing, etc!)

Here is mine!Zack (left) and Brandon (right)
May 2008

My identical twin sons graduated from high school in May 2008. We hosted a graduation party for them at a local italian restaurant and I made a cake to celebrate the occasion. The bottom of the cake was decorated with the name/logo of their high school, and then the upper portion was split into two sections and decorated with the logo/colors of their chosen universities. Each side had a graduate figurine passing from the high school section into the university section.

As it turns out, they spent one semester at different universities, and late last week, we emptied Brandon's dorm so that he can transfer to attend college with Zack beginning in January 2009. It all started about 3 weeks into the semester with "It's kind of weird not having him around," and by the end of October changed to "I miss him." So, the jury is still out on how well they will do sharing a dorm room given the last few months apart. Even though they are twins, they are still brothers......

I'm a very proud Mom!

I'm not sure how many blogger friends I have that haven't been tagged by someone else. Play along if you want and be sure to post your blog address in my comments.

My favorite Santa

Many of you know that December 2006 was a very difficult holiday season for our family. My younger brother (I was 6 when he was born) was diagnosed with a relapse of lymphoma which had first been treated in the Spring/Summer of 2005.

Prior to his diagnosis, he had agreed to play Santa for his company's annual Open House. Although he was not well, he fulfilled the role and had an absolute blast. Between Christmas and New Year's, I travelled with him and his wife to MD Anderson to begin his treatment. He graciously agreed for me to be his primary caregiver which would allow his wife to be home with their children during the week. On weekends, she came to see him, and I returned home to my family. He underwent harsh chemo and suffered all of the standard side effects. In April 2007, he celebrated his new birthday when he received a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor. As part of this process, he underwent another difficult round of chemo and full body radiation in order to totally destory his immune system prior to the transplant. After receving his new donor cells, his immune system was equivalent to that of a newborn baby.

He was a model patient and tried so hard to do everything he possibly could to encourage a full recovery. He would walk laps around the nurses station several times a day, even when he really did not feel like getting out of bed. I met so many caregivers that endured difficult attitudes from their patients most of which were driven by the severe illnesses, steroids, etc. My brother was super. Never once did he say a cross or inconsiderate word to me. I would never wish this experience on anyone, but am so thankful that we had this time together.

After a difficult but successful recovery from the transplant, he was dismissed from the Houston area in July 2007. He wished so badly that he would be well enough to be Santa for 2007, but seriously doubted that the doctors would allow him to be in close contact with so many young children. When the time came, he sought approval from his doctor and was pleasantly surprised when the doc said "Yes!".

I was not able to see him in this role in 2007. For Christmas last year, my mother gave him a Santa suit pattern and promised to make him a custom Santa suit in time for his 2008 appearance.

Mom worked very hard and made him a beautiful suit. I was fortunate to be able to see him this past weekend as he once again portrayed Santa. He absolutely loves it. I know I'm a bit prejudiced, but I think he is the best Santa ever!

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas"

Santa and Me

Santa and My Daddy

Santa and My Mom

Patriotic Project

In the guys' Senior year, they took a Government trip to Washington, DC. Brandon came home with a parchment poster of the "Congrefs of the United States". Of course, the size was not a standard format and needed a frame that was 24" X 28". I searched high and low and could never locate a frame of this size that wasn't custom and .....yea, very pricey.

So, this nice parchment poster has been stuck in the corner waiting for its opportunity for a proper display. Finally, I hit upon a solution.

Supplies:

24 X 36 poster frame
2 spools of patriotic ribbon
2 glue sticksI glued three rows of ribbon horizontally across the top and bottom of the frame mat and one row vertically along each side. Then I placed the parchment poster over the edges of the ribbon. Here is the finished product.
Pretty decent result for less than $30 versus the cost of a custom frame!

What Have I Done?

I found this while reading Cyndy's Blog, and thought I would follow suit and post mine here as well!! Mine are in GREEN.

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
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
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 Michelangelos 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
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) Camp Fire Candy
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
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 (does introducing them to Christ count?)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
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
100. Read an entire book in one day

Now.............................

If you get a chance ~ check out Cyndy's too, then go do your own (and link it back - if you want)!

Chalkboard Mats

When the boys were babies, I purchased my first serger. Over the years, I have played with it, but never really learned to "use" it. So, over a month ago, I signed up for a "Serger Savvy" class offered by a friend of mine at her Granbury quilt shop. Following the class, I just had to do a bit of shopping in her fabric boutique. I discovered chalkboard fabric. Debbie had a project sheet detailing the instructions to make a "Chalkboard Mat".
I bought the supplies and several weeks later, finally sat down the week of Thanksgiving to make these for my youngest nieces and nephews who range in age from 2 1/2 to 9.
These mats hold several pieces of chalk and a sponge eraser. They roll into a nice bundle with a carry handle. All of the kids seemed to enjoy them!

LA trip #3 - Pistachios

My flight to LA was fairly uneventful. The plane was about 60% occupied so there were plenty of empty seats, overhead storage etc.

However, the return flight from LA was a different story. It all started with the long security line. One security line serviced AA gates 40-49 (A and B) and the wait was, shall we say, lengthy. I arrived at the airport in plenty of time, but the long security line delayed my arrival at the departure gate. Passing through security, I proceeded to the gate, one last stop at the restroom and as I walked to the gate, the attendant announces "If you are holding a boarding pass for Flight XX, you need to be on the plane now."

The plane is full as are the overhead bins. I find a place for my suitcase several rows back from my seat, and slide past the aisle passenger to the window seat. It is almost time to depart from the gate, and the middle seat between us is empty. Whew, maybe this won't be so bad after all. The aisle passenger looks at me and says "Hey, looks like the seat between us will be empty."

It could not have been 2 minutes later, the stewardess walks by and eyes our empty middle seat. Next thing we know, she is back with a female passenger middle eastern dress. Full head wrap, etc and reading a book about Allah. So much for our empty middle seat. Seems there was a row in the back of the plane that all 3 seats were occupied and one had a lap child. So, I totally understand that it made sense to move one passenger to this middle seat.

We have backed away from the gate and guess what our middle seat passenger does? She digs in the seat pocket for the barf bag! I'm thinking, "Great. Now have we not only lost our empty middle seat but this is going to be a fun flight home!" I literally prayed, "Dear Lord, I know that she probably does not even believe in you, but please settle her stomach for the duration of this flight."

We continue to taxi down the tarmac and the entire time she is still reading her book. I am thinking that is a bit unusual as most people who get really motion sick will not read while the vehicle is moving. We accelerate, clear the ground, gain altitidue and the whole time, she is fine. Never grabbed the bag.....yea!

Once we have leveled, she reaches for the barf bag, leans over and grabs a huge handful of pistachios from her carry on, and proceeds to drop the empty shells into the barf bag. Never in my wildest would I have predicted this outcome! Upon telling my DH of this story, he has declared that he will never again travel without his pistachios!

LA trip #2 - Don't forget your razor!

I'm in LA. Solved my blow dryer situation and am preparing to meet a gentleman for breakfast who I have never met before. We planned to have breakfast together in the hotel lobby restaurant prior to meeting all day - just the two of us.

I arrive at the restaurant entrance and two men are waiting. I ask if either of them happens to be "Bob" and one says, "Yes, that's me." I reach out to shake his hand and immediately notice that he has a piece of tissue on his face, just above his upper lip and below his nose with blood clotted on it. Obviously, he had a shaving issue that morning.

Now remember, I've never met this man in my life. Should I tell him he has tissue on his face? Surely, he must know it is there/ Did he fail to make the one last "mirror check" before leaving his room. I opt for slience on the matter and attempt to carry on normal conversation. You would not believe how difficult it is to maintain eye contact for an entire meal. Several times he rubbed his nose and I felt certain he must have felt the tissue on his face. We finish breakfast, and move to our meeting room. I had several glasses of water during breakfast so I excuse myself for a potty break.

Thankfully, upon my return, he has somehow realized he has a tissue issue and removed it!

Fast forward a few hours. I realized on that morning that I had left my razor at home. No big deal as I was wearing a pant suit but I decided to get a spare razor from the front desk so that I could shave my legs the next morning. Of course, the gimme razors are pretty basic, but hey its just a single use item. No worries.....

The next morning, I shave the left leg and bam......nick myself just below the knee. So, on to the right leg and guess what? Another nick in the almost the same place. Isn't this lovely!


I'm betting Bob forgot his razor too! Moral of this story - don't leave home without your razor!

LA trip #1

In mid-November, I made a two day trip to LA for business. For those of you wno know me well, you know that I NEVER leave home without my blow dryer. I even have one that I take with my to Hong Kong that is wired for their standard electrical outlets.

On this particular trip and given the airline industry's decision to charge extra for checked baggage, I decided that surely I could make it with the blow dryer that the hotel provided. I cram all of my stuff into one bag plus my computer bag and I'm off. I arrived in LA late evening before my 8:00 am meeting the next morning and began to unpack my clothese toiletries, etc.

Upon first glance in the bathroom, this is what I see:
Beautiful vanity with towels, tissue, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap, etc. Do you see a blow dryer? Nope, me neither. So as mild panic begins to erupt, I grab the hotel information binder and search for information on "blow dryer", "hair dryer", "appliances" etc searching for some clue. NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. Now I'm thinnking, "Great, this is going to involve a taxi, finding a 24 hour drug store and the purchase of a blow dryer so that I can manage this mop tomorrow morning."

In a last ditch effort before heading to the hotel drive, I call the front desk and inquire. Surely they provide a blow dryer. RELIEF. They do! Want to guess where it was?

Here is the door to the area with the toilet/tub/shower......





and the blow dryer is:


hanging BEHIND the bathroom door in a nice black bag!. Is that where you would have looked?

Christmas Edition of "Get to Know Your Fellow Bloggers"

OK Ladies and Gents. It is the Christmas Edition of "Get to know your fellow Bloggers". How this works...I will answer the questions and then I will "Tag" a couple of my fellow bloggers for them to answer these questions on their blog. And then they will tag someone else, and so on and so on. So here we go.

1) Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper and handmade bows!
2) Real or Artificial tree? Artificial. When the boys were younger, we would cut a real tree.
3) When do you put your tree up? Early December.
4) When do you take your tree down? Shortly after New Year.
5) Do you like eggnog? NO!
6)Favorite gift received as a child? Baton wrapped in a long, tubular box decorated like a candy cane. My brother got a BB gun the same year and Mom decorated his long rectangular box like a toy soldier!
7) Hardest person to buy for? my nephews.
8) Easiest person to buy for? Mom, Mel and Jeanne.
9) Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.
10) Mail or e-mail Christmas Cards? Mail.
11) Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The gift was fine - a new lens from my camera from David our first Christmas. He forgot to bring it to the family gathering. Rushed home to get it, and gave it to me wrapped in toilet paper...and I still married him!
12) Favorite Christmas Movie? None really.
13) When do you start shopping for Christmas? late November.
14) Do you hang mistletoe? No
15) Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My dad's fudge.
16) Lights on tree? pre-lit tree with white/multiples colors. David likes multi. I like white.
17) Favorite Christmas Song? Away in a Manger
18) Travel at Christmas or stay home? both families live within 60 miles, so only short distance travel.
19) Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Only 7.
20) Angel or Star on top of tree? Angel
21) Open the presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Christmas Eve with David's family, Christmas Day with our sons and my family.
22) Most annoying thing about this time of year?So much of the time we no longer exchange gifts but rather gift cards....why don't we just get together, sing carols, eat junk food and pass on the exchanging of $$?
23) Favorite ornament theme or color? one solid color and either gold or silver.
24) Favorite for Christmas Dinner? Ham, baked potatoes, broccoli rice casserole, huge salad, beans of some variety, pies and cookies.
26) What do you want for Christmas this year? Good health for my family and all my friends.
26) Who do you Tag to answer these on their blog? Brad

Dear Hubby update

An update to the previous post:

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?

60s and 70s muscle cars, 21st century high end sports cars, and lots of garages!


11. What would he never wear?

He says he would never wear a skirt in public. Suppose he thinks I would like for him to wear one at home...go figure. But sounds like time for a dare to me. Anyone up to the challenge?

My Dear Hubby !

As borrowed from my friend, Jamie. See her site here.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Survivor, House, CSI, ER, just about anything.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Blue Cheese or Ranch

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
PEANUT BUTTER although he will eat Reese's pb cups. He won't even kiss me if I've eaten PB.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order?
Margarita or Long Island Tea. At home, Crown and Coke.

5. Where did he go to high school?
Western Hills High School in Fort Worth

6. What size shoe does he wear?
Size 10 1/2, usually.

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
I have no idea!

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Turkey and Swiss.

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Sweets.....anything lemon.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Honey Bunches of Oats, or Wheaties

11. What would he never wear?
I can't think of anything. He would probably even wear a skirt on a dare!

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Dallas Cowboys, UT Longhorns

13. Who will he vote for?
He voted McCain/Palin.

14. Who is his best friend?
Me, I guess, with the kids coming in a super close second.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Overcommit myself!

16. How many states has he lived in?
Colorado, Kansas, Japan, Texas

17. What is his heritage?
His dad has done the research, but I'm not sure!

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be?
Stripe it Rich Cake with white cake and chocolate pudding, or Apricot Lemon Pound Cake.

19. Did he play sports in high school?
Not in high school, but was on the swim team in junior high.

20. What could he spend hours doing?
watching TV, hanging out with his sons!

21. What's something cool about him?
David loves me and his kids with all his heart. He gets along well with almost everyone. HIs nickname in our family is "Uncle Silly," that pretty much says it all!

There you have it, folks. Any questions?

New Name!

I sent the link for my blog to my DH and my son today. After a couple of hours, I received a message from Brandon that said "You might want to consider changing the name of your blog." He very correctly pointed out that some might interpret my previous title to mean something other than I had intended. Yea, I'm nuts, never even thought about it like that. So, my blog has a new name!

Treadmill Desk

A couple of weeks ago, my trainer asked me if I had seen the news report of the treadmill desk. I had heard mention of such, but not seen the report. Check out this link.

As many of you know, I spend hours upon hours sitting at the computer. And within the last 6 months, David and I had purchased an elliptical machine rendering our existing treadmill virtually useless. We had anticipated selling it, or even giving it away, but it is still occupying space in our gameroom.

So, last Thursday morning, I begin to ponder how I could convert my treadmill into a treadmill desk. Another Google search generates the "$49 treadmill desk."

We have book stands for the treadmill that we purchased a few years ago. I'm looking at it on the console of the treadmill thinking...."I bet my laptop would sit in the book stand." So, I set it up, plugged it in, and this is the result.Suprisingly enough, I was able to spend over an hour reading and responding to emails and other responsibilities not requiring a work surface. But now I'm thinking, how can I add a work surface?

My trainer suggested buying a piece of shelving at the hardware store to lay across the hand rails and under the edge of the console. I head to Home Depot after my workout and buy a white shelf. I set the shelf on the handrails, and it was just not very stable. A trip to the garage resulted in 2 rubber tie downs. Now I must tell you that I've had the shelf sitting on the treadmill running for a few minutes, maybe 15, when I decide that I need to add some stability.

And my calculator, pencil, erase, a few papers, etc are on the shelf. As I close the back door and walk around to the garage, I hear a crash and think to myself...."I hope the shelf did not fall off of the treadmill....." Yep, I was right. It was all in the floor when I get back from the garage.

So, moving along, now I have this.
and it works. I am finding that walking at about 1.5 mph is the right speed for me. However, for exercise, I typically walk much faster and I have found that I must work up to spending several hours on my treadmill desk. My hamstrings and lower back get really tight if I walk for much more than 1 1/2 to 2 hours at a time.

Ultimately, I would like to move the treadmill down this wall such that there is wall in front of the treadmill instead of a window. Then I will mount another small shelf on the wall, and purchase a flat screen computer monitor which will be larger and easier to read than the laptop monitor. This should also enable me to move the laptop to a side table which will free up the console area and be a little less tricky to adjust the speed, etc.

For now, I am just getting used to the whole concept. It will be interesting to see if this really works for me long term both to be effecient at work and hopefully dropping some pounds.

Halloween 2008

Brandon was invited to an adult Halloween party and decided on a character/costume. He found a picture and Mom exhausted her creativity to produce some resemblance of the original. A few yards of unbleaced muslin, chocolate brown washable felt and two patterns meant it was time to fire up the dust covered sewing machine. The basic robe was easily constructed following a bibilcal character pattern, but the hooded overlay was a bit more complicated. A creative modification of a hooded pancho pattern, and the overlay seemed doable.

But he needed props to make the costume complete. A trip to Wal-Mart netted a few stryofoam balls, craft sticks, gold metallic spray paint, white braid and a wicker basket. Next lesson learned by Mom......does anyone know what happens when you try to spray paint styrofoam? IT MELTS! I should have saved the finished product for a picture, but too late now.

So, second lesson learned in this endeavor after a quick Google search is how to make paper mache paste. A few cups of water and flour along with some salt and it is time to make a mess in the kitchen. The 3 remaining styrofoam balls were covered in layers of messy newspaper and allowed to dry for 24 hours. Then adorned with the craft sticks, painted gold and decorated with braid.

The finished product is Brandon's costume. Ultimately the adult party was cancelled, but he still hit the streets of Keller with his cousins ranging in age from 2 1/2 to 9. Can anyone guess what his character/costume is?Is everyone ready for the answer........? Brother Maynard and his Holy Hand Grenades from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." David was certain everyone would think something different which is probably best left unwritten here!

And for those of you wondering about Zack, he did not dress up for trick or treating with the cousins. Zack is pledging a fraternity at Tarleton. One pledge event required a costume. Of course, he forgot about the need for a costume until the very last minute. When I asked him later if he had found a costume, he replied, "Yes, but I will never be see in it ever again!" When I inquired further, seems his pledge buddies convinced him that they should all go as "Fraternity Nerds". He had black walking shorts (above the knee) and a pink and black checked polo shirt, black cardigan sweater, black dress shoes.....can you imagine how special this was? I begged him for a picture but he says none were taken. The fraternity leadership failed to see the humor. Not that Zack can tell me anything about it, but I suspect that he and his pledge buddies paid for this flash of wisdom!

Free Counter

My first blog!

I have been considering starting a blog for some time now...but just never seemed to get around to it. So, here goes. Sometimes I will post about the random events in our lives, and at other times I may blog about crazy ideas, beliefs, etc. Please feel free to post comments. I'm always curious to read/hear another person's perspective on any given issue.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching. Before I go further, I will back up and share a life experience. Several years ago I was responsible for reviewing medical insurance plans available for employees of an international company. In the process, I had significant contact with agentleman, Jay, who worked in New York....in one of the twin towers. This particular international employee group had many unique medical issues and Jay was extremely diligent in assistance in claim resolutions, etc. He was one of those guys that always went above and beyond. I knew from experience that Jay was always in the office early. On that fateful day in 2001, I was fearful that I might never again have the opportunity to speak to Jay. And my thoughts ran endlessly about all the things I should have said to him about how much I appreciated his work ethic, his friendship, etc. I tried several times that day to reach him - email, cell phone, etc. No response. About midnight on 9/12, I received an email from Jay. He was very fortunate that he had rescheduled a postponed golf date to 9/11 and even though the weather forecast was gloomy, he took off to play golf with an insurance broker friend. When I finally had the chance to speak with Jay, I told him all those things that I should have said before but never did.

So, now my point. As the holidays approach, I challenge every reader of my blog (and please feel free to share) to take a few moments and think about the special people in your life - family, friends, business associates, etc. Think about what you would say about them if you suddenly found yourself facing life without that person. How does he/she inspire you, make you feel special, fond memories, etc. Carry a tablet with you and jot notes as you are waiting in the pick up line at school, at ball practice, doctor's appointments, wherever you happen to have a few minutes for your mind to wander.

Then prepare these thoughts into a customized letter to each individual as a fantastic present this season. Write one or several. Its up to you. Then if you don't mind, post a comment or email me about how it made you feel writing the letter and the response you received from your special person.

My sister (in-law) Jeanne did this for me a few years ago. A handwritten note thanking me for things I had done for her, many of which I did not even recall. If you know Jeanne, she is one of those people that ALWAYS has on lip gloss or lipstick. At her wedding to my brother, I apparently had a tube of lipstick ready to hand her at all times. I didn't even rememberl this, but it was special to her.

So, put thoughts to paper, and let's see what happens!