More Paper Please: Operation Write Home!

More Paper Please: Operation Write Home! That card is stunning. I am new to OWH, and have made 5 cards so far this weekend. Now I am inspired to get busy!

This week I...

1) Cleaned the house 2) Bought fizzy balls for Cora 3) Received a beautiful thank you note from my friend 4) Took care of my sick daughter 5) Saw the movie Oceans -- and loved it! 6) Went to eat lunch at King Chef 7) Scrapped 2 pages 8) Made 4 cards 9) Bought a swimsuit for Cora 10) Found I had purchased Children's Motrin which was recalled 11) loved my new green and red glimmer mists 12) cooked 13) watched the Kentucky Derby with my family 14) Got more scrappy mail 15) Planned a short trip to Steamboat Springs with Greg in July 16) Stayed up way too late in the middle of the week 17) Followed three new (to me) scrappy blogs 18) Cleaned the house again 19) Watched it snow in May 20) Wore a skirt at the same time as I wore slipper socks 21) Saw the high school's production of 7 brides for 7 brothers 22) Talked about my Kindle with some who were interested 23) Ordered new capris 24) Slept in and... MOST IMPORTANTLY... 25) VISITED WITH ART & JO-ANN, MY LOVELY AND LOVING IN-LAWS!

Five Random Faves Today

Today I am loving: 1. Handmade flowers Lately I love to add various embellishments, especially flowers, to my scrapbook pages and cards. Here is a tutorial to an easy and beautiful dimensional flower. I make mine with patterned papers to save the step of stamping. www.dailymotion.com/video/xabujm_handmade-flower-tutorial_creation 2. Facebook I love reuniting with friends here! 3. Brothers and Sisters 4. Girl Scouts 5. Date nights!

Fun, A Mother's Pride and A Remembered Fallen Building

It is April 18, 2010 and the clock is rapidly moving towards the change in date to the 19th. Tomrrow marks the 15th Anniversary of the Murrah building bombing. It was a day of shock, sadness and worry for me. I was well familiarized with that building. Oklahoma City was my home for four years and Norman for another four. I have people I love there ... people for whom I was worried. I felt the bombing as the media coverage began in Michigan. It rocked me. That day 15 years ago also preceded my wedding by only three days. So, though tomorrow will be a day filled with memories of a sad and tragic day I am also looking towards the day three days later when I can celebrate with my husband. It is such a blessing to be here, together, all these years later. On a lighter note it was a weekend filled with lovely moments for our family. Cora and Greg had a daddy-daughter dance date, Cora and I had a mother-daughter 'tea' date, Owen competed and won the Public Forum Debate tournament yesterday, AND I spent 8 hours crafting with friends! It was a lovely weekend and I am grateful for family and friends. My word this week: GRATITUDE.

I Gave up Brad Pitt for Grandchildren.

Back in the spring and summer of 1996 I was expecting my first child. Lets be honest though the fun part of having children is having grandchildren. Right? While I loved the fact that I was now a mommy, my body did not. I spent much of that time on bedrest. And during the time when I was not on bedrest my activity was still restricted. Greg was working at Blockbuster Video as an assistant manager, and so I spent much of my time sitting behind the counter alphabetizing movies to be restocked once they were returned. It was mindless work but it allowed me to be 'in the world', not secluded in my home by myself. I loved it. One day I walked into the store to see a life-size cardboard cutout of Tristan Ludlow -- the incredibly beautiful (HOT) character played by Brad Pit in the movie Legends of the Fall. Oh geez! I had to have that thing. Immediately! I told the manager that when it was time to take down Brad he was mine. For weeks I reminded him that he could not give that poster to anyone else who asked. And many asked! One night I was home sleeping before Greg got home after closing the store. (The fact that I slept was a miracle in itself, but that is another story.) Greg brought me the gift of Brad Pitt! Now that is love! Unfortunately I was pregnant and fighting pre-term labor. Pregnant women need to make many, many trips to the restroom. And that night was no excepting. Around 4am I made my second nightly trip, and as I entered the hallway I caught a glimpse of a man standing in the doorway of the nursery. It startled me so much that I nearly wet my pajamas. Then I realized it was not a stranger; it was Brad. "OH, its only Brad", I said to myself. Lovely. He was lovely. The next trip to the restroom, I was equally as frightened by a man in the nursery. "OH, its only Brad", I repeated, smiling. However, I never remembered. I never stopped being startled. Brad made me smile during my waking hours, but at night he scared me to death. Who would think that would be possible? I mean really! Brad in my house at night. That should make me smile! Finally I realized it was time to say goodbye to Brad. If I kept Brad... well, I would give up those grandchildren. And that could not happen! So sadly Brad left my home and I havent seen him since. I have looked for him on eBay, but he is not there. I suppose no other woman was forced to make the choice between Brad and her future grandchildren. And, so, Brad is staying in those homes. I may never see Brad again. But Owen has been given his orders. He will give me grandchildren. :)

LOVE: Elizabeth vs. Dorothy

Two takes on love. Both poems resonate with truth. Which is most true? How Do I Love Thee? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with a passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. by Elizabeth Barrett Browning To A Much Too Unfortunate Lady He will love you presently If you be the way you be. Send your heart a-skittering. He will stoop, and lift the thing. Be your dreams as thread, to tease Into patterns he shall please. Let him see your passion is Ever tenderer than his.... Go and bless your star above, Thus are you, and thus is Love. He will leave you white with woe, If you go the way you go. If your dreams were thread to weave He will pluck them from his sleeve. If your heart had come to rest, He will flick it from his breast. Tender though the love he bore, You had loved a little more.... Lady, go and curse your star, Thus Love is, and thus you are. by: Dorothy Parker

Sunshine & Warmth OR Snow & Wind?

BOTH. Every place I have lived in the world (and those places are many) it has been said, "If you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes." But it isnt really true. Anywhere. Except in the mountains. This afternoon I soaked in the sunshine while I ate my lunch on the front porch. It was a glorious taste of spring. An hour later the snow was blowing horizontally and the sky was gray. It fell and blew for 15 minutes and then the sunshine took over again and I longed to be outside. The weather changes often here. HOW WELL DO YOU WEATHER CHANGES IN THE CLIMATE OF YOUR LIFE? Change is an essential part of our life experiences. We can fight it but the fight is always in vain. There is nothing as constant as change. Some change is welcome but much is not. My faith tells me that my Father in Heaven will always guide me through life's storms and help me weather those changes. Still I find myself fighting the process. For me the greatest change occured when I began my battle with health problems many years ago. I am grateful for the 'healthy' days, and I fight through the tough ones. It is my personal snowstorm. Some days I fight it. I know that a positive outlook is my sunny day, and that when I fight and grieve I am battling my own personal blizzard, and yet I do fight. Sometimes. Recently I have been fighting. Today's changeable weather reminded me of the futility of fighting... I am looking into my heart and toward my family to renew my resolve to go throught the changes of my life with grace. It is likely that I will forget and fight again. Hopefully the crazy Colorado weather will provide another reminder when that happens.