It was a long night.

Not exactly what you want to hear when someone relives a party for you. Vicariously asked earlier, I am still not sure if the person asking really wants to know. It was a long night.

It starts out fun... she begins ominously....

A night before the big event I've been planning for weeks, my family spends six hours setting up several totes full of Halloween decorations. There are things in the bins that were long forgotten in the heaps of over excess that piled up over the years. Most were welcomed presents from after holiday sales that were lovingly 'thinking of you when I saw this' gifts and so forth.

New squeals and coos over the fun things procured echo around the large cultural hall as each one is displayed. That 'bewitching sign' needs a spot, and hubby rushes around to find a hook strong enough to hold it. The girls are in a corner giggling over the spider web they are attempting to smother the walls in. It will need to be redone, but they're harmlessly preoccupied so they aren't disturbed right now.

After I finished unloading the bins, I realize that there is still much to do. Luckily I have someone helping. And she has her husband, too. We scuttle around merrily in quite the festive mood.

But it is late and the kids have school in the morning.

I grudgingly get up from my cramped position, still excited for the party I spent hours starting to decorate for. We pile into the van with a promise to return after the kids are dropped off the next day. I privately vow to come armed with much pain medicine as I am determined to move around the next day whatever my insides decree.

Somehow the next day starts off busier than we wanted. The breaks on the van failed last night on our way home and we drifted down a steep hill on the way back to our street. Dangerous, hubby immediately sets to work to remedy the fiasco before we have to use it again. Thank goodness the kids ride a bus to school.

The van isn't finished until the kids get home. We saved two hundred dollars because of hubby's diverse and, never ceasing to amaze me, mechanical ingenuity. He really is quite diversified.

The kids' homework thrown aside, we rush to the store to pick up the last minute perishables for the dinner that night. Salad, dressing, and bread get shoved into a cart and hastily rushed through check out only to find we are late. The decorations are only half up and guests will arrive in twenty minutes.

It takes twenty five to get to the church.

Luckily I have a co-hostess for the event. She has wisely stuffed half my decorations in a classroom and finished setting up what was pulled out. her husband spent hours setting up the giant crepe paper spider web that hangs over all the tables. It is fantastic and adds an ambiance that is perfect.

Salad is thrown in the mammoth bowl and rushed to the table with the skeleton hand claw tongs only to find that the ranch is missing. Hubby takes off with the girls. I was needed to start labeling chili and cornbread for the contests. The judges would be eating out of numbered bowls and each crock needed to be filed and listed properly.

I am halfway through numbering the bowls when I frown. I'm a little upset to think we can judge the chili, but we weren't allowed to pass out best costume awards. In fact I'm really upset as I had some cute light up hats I could pass out for the four winners.

I sigh and finish cataloging the chili grudgingly.

A seventeen year old wins second place with her first ever chili. It was really good I remember. She should have won first. The other one had too many beans.

I am in severe pain despite the many pills I had taken, so hubby takes the girls on the walk around to the cars outside. As I hand over the camera I beg him to take lots of pictures of the girls. He rushes off with a kiss, promising me.

An hour later I'm wondering why I'm looking at photos of people's trunks. Some didn't even decorate.

Flicking through them I immediately ask "Where are the girls?"

I don't get an answer as he rushes off to help cleanup, grumbling that someone took his food while he was away. He wasn't finished yet apparently. I honestly don't even remember anyone removing it. They were very good.

We stay until ten thirty packing up the decorations and mopping the floor. We are the last to leave in my effort not to feel too guilty about not being the first to arrive. I take the time to properly sort the decorations into the totes. They will be able to go straight to the basement when we get home.

Home at last, I remember the appointment I made earlier to call a friend to discuss the giant package I received in the mail that day. Apparently it is my birthday present and I can't open it until she is on the other line to 'explain' it for me. The highlight of my day, I find not just fascinating treasures for myself, but a few things to add to my ever growing girls' wardrobes. But even better, I'm sitting down and relaxing. My friend is pleasant company.

Too tired to push an all niter, I reluctantly say goodbye and crawl upstairs. I don't even remember falling asleep. It was a long night.

Note to self: don't be in pain, and watch the car for possible attempts of self inflicted treachery in efforts to ruin parties.

The van tried hard, but I had fun in spite of its ill-timed shenanigans. I have my own power to rise above. And the next day was my birthday, so I may have used those powers a little on my behalf! ;)

.......................

Oh, and on a side note, the girls still have plenty of room to roam around in the basement after those nasty totes were stacked beautifully away. Success!

........................

I just saw a post about how you should look for ways to 'volunteer' to your friends. It hit a nerve.

Friendship should never be forced. To feel like you are volunteering to help someone you call a 'friend' is far outside my way of thinking. Friends are there for each other because of the love they have in their heart for you. And you for them. Friendship should not be contingent on how well you help them.

So a friend needs someone to bring them the spare set of keys at three in the morning because they accidentally locked theirs in the car in that dark parking lot. After doing this several times I can still honestly say that the poor person is still very much my friend. It wasn't service to rescue them, it was a need to make sure they were okay. You should care for a friend so much that you don't see their trivial mistakes before you see how much pain they're in at that time. You should not be tallying what it is costing you by having to drag yourself out of bed at that ungodly hour, but succoring them in their plight.

I have actually never thought of helping friends as volunteering. I was merely attending to an acquaintance in their hours of need. We all have times that need outside help, whether we ask for help or not things happen that are sometimes out of our control.

And a true friend should never think of helping as performing some sort of divine service. This is not a game to see which one of you are the better friend. Tally marks will just create awful angst toward the person you are calling friend. When people do that, one of two things happens; either they feel bitter resentment in all that they have done more for their friend and not received in return, or they feel like they owe their friend more than they can give sometimes and end up feeling inferior in what should be a harmonious and wonderfully balanced relationship. Neither are healthy things to be thinking or feeling.

Friends do need help. People need people. That is how life is, that is how God intended it to be. Whether you believe god is a supreme being or a chance of nature, there is a reason there is not just you on this earth. Having others around gives you a chance to grow and become a better person. Whether it is seeing that perhaps you are the more helpful or the one that needs more you can become better. Keep helping and stop keeping track, or start helping back. Find ways to be the friend that you weren't in the past.

Remember this is not a race. It is a way to truly have a relationship beyond mere acquaintance. I can assure you, it is a nice feeling to know that you can be depended on to help when things get rough. And the better friend you are, though you shouldn't be a friend for this, but it is very true, the better friends you will have in return. People do return the favor better when you reach out to them with unjudging and truly pure, open arms.

Stop giving volunteer work to those you call friends and start giving your heart. Better friends come with better intentions.

.....................

I'm committed to letting you know I still care.
No matter the distance: time or space.

Old rhyming songs we used to sing when we were younger were fun. There are many that followed me through to adulthood. Let me sing one in particular for you right now... I'm sure you remember it:

Make new friends, make new friends.

But keep the old.

One is silver and the others are gold!

Over the years people fall in and out of touch. There are many reasons I believe this happen, but my favorite is this:

Some people are in your life some of the time. Some people are in your life all the time. But whatever the reason they pass into your existence, I believe that there is a meaning behind the acquaintance; however brief. They need you for that amount of time they share with you. Perhaps sometimes you need them back. But I choose to know that it is not coincidence that they are there.

Friends everywhere have told me how important I am to them and their lives. Sometimes we have spent time apart after developing our friendships, but many have found their way back and declared how wonderful it was to have me around. It baffles me, but at the same times makes me happy to hear it. (Though I cannot be as cool as they say I am.) They have been so important to me in my life, it is hard to see them seeing the same thing from me in theirs.

I recently got in touch with several friends I knew way back when. I missed many of them very much. I am glad to hear from them again. There are those that are truly gold. Many silvers I knew and know, but the golds had me really sad to think of all those years away. I know they feel exactly the same. That just makes our reunion that much sweeter.

It makes me wonder what we have in store for each other in the present. Can our friendship get back to that old flame of great brightness? Are we able to do that? Or have we changed so much that it will be a simpler friendship? Commonplace and just recent events spoken in brief passing? Can we truly have the real, meaningful, heartfelt conversations like in days long past?

Only time will tell, but I am excited to find out. Friends and Family mean so much to me. I am truly blessed with such a large treasure trove of precious spirits around me.

To everyone out there that now considers me a friend or ever did consider me a friend; know that I love you and I feel blessed to know you now and back then. I will always keep a special place open in my heart that is and always will be just for you. After all, a heart can just keep growing, and mine has grown around you, enveloping you in the many chambers and rooms that I open up as I meet others. That place that you helped me create will always be there. It is, and will forever be yours. So believe me when I say that you are a part of my heart. You truly are.

Whether that room multiplies is up to us, though. I'm willing to do a little remodeling to add chambers for the new things we bond over.

Are you?

Please remember, if you aren't that's okay too. You will always have your place within. Just in case. ;)

...................

Dream basement: empty

Ahhhh!

There is something wonderful about a job well done. The feeling of empowerment it gives you is something not easily acquired and thus the end result leaves you feeling spheres above where you were when you started.

Imagine with me please, a crowded overflowing basement with boxes, totes, and trash everywhere. In one corner is the laundry room, in another the office that was forgotten when this lovely laptop was gifted, and in the third corner is the foot of the staircase you came down to behold this black hole that claims the many neglected items within.

In the last corner, filling up three quarters of the basement and practically growing like a cardboard and plastic weed, are the majority of those totes and boxes. You sigh and start with them, knowing the fastest way to find what you want is to go through them one box/bin at a time. It's going to be long and grueling, but it has to be done, and now is better than never.

The first bin you find has forgotten, but never been used, scented candles. They are not what you need. You set it aside. The second bin has the wedding pictures and other displayable items unused in such a small house. It gets stacked on the first one.

The third bin holds promise as it has been properly labeled. A quick peek inside and you know it is some of the vast collection you are down here to dig up and reveal. It gets sent up the stairs in the arms of eager toddlers willing to help mommy in her silly pursuit among dead spiders and nose-tickling dust. The tail ends of the flu already have you coughing though, so it is nothing and you proceed to the next box.

Hubby stops by quickly and you explain you need some things for the event you are doing for church. He worries that you're going to hurt yourself, and takes several very large totes with what you want up the stairs for you. The girl's couldn't lift those... He leaves after a heavy admonition and rushes off to a computer job for a member in the ward. You know he won't get paid for this one, but are grateful he has the opportunity to serve as it will help some people who really need it.

Thirty seven totes and twenty four boxes later you collapse exhausted in the living room one floor above where you started. Twelve of the totes and one of the boxes have followed you up here. You look through them knowing you only need a few things from some of them and pack the rest into totes that will go back down to the cold basement. You keep the box and nine of the totes. These will serve you well at the event you are organizing.

After a few hours (you have the flu, so you need to have some real rest), you have fed the kids and are ready to reorganize the mess you left behind and venture once more into the large, chilly room. It looks a little emptier with the missing totes and boxes, but there are no paths among the mess and you know your work is cut out for you again. You were told not to do this by loving hubby-to stop once you got what you needed-, but you know he will be upset when he finds he can't reach the laundry room, so you proceed anyway.

You move one box into the only empty floor space left and are pleased that there is still just enough room for your feet on the cold cement. The house shoes protect you enough that you aren't shivering in the crisp October weather.

Another box is lifted and stacked neatly on top of the first. Those yearbooks and wedding bits won't be sought after for a while, so they are rightly against the furthest wall. They will be buried very well.

A few more boxes get put on top of them and then a few more. Precariously the stack is now six tall and roughly your height. You begin another stack, aware of the drain pipe you must not cover at the request of the land-people. A third stack completes the hollow circle and a large space as been cleared for it. The children are now in your way as they dance in the created space like faeries celebrating midsummer's night. You smile and continue to move around them.

After a few more hours, you have placed all the Christmas decorations on one side, the dishes that serve sixty in another nook, and the rest divided according to pleasure. Empty boxes are flattened, freeing up more space, but saved as you know this is not your home and may need to move eventually. They barely take up any space and are tucked between a wall and a few stacks of totes. You frown at the totes as you remember that most of them are filled with misshapen candles; heavy, and not the splendor they were when purchased. You pull a few out and have the girls take them upstairs to be used later. They do still smell wonderful and that at least pleases you.

You look around and decide to clean up all those papers your husband promised were important but had thrown precariously into toppling piles. The file cabinet is found and dragged out, and hours more are spent filing things properly.

Needing to be fed again, you take a break and prepare a small snack for the girls. You aren't hungry for anything the kitchen has to offer and head back down to your dungeon. Those papers exceed the file cabinet and end up getting stacked near the computer. Your husband can figure out later if they really were that important after all; you've had enough.

A few more moved boxes and some trash pick up, including fly-away dryer sheets from the laundry that gets hauled through, and you find you are done. the largest sigh painfully, but happily escapes your labored chest. You are pleased you are getting over the flu and decide the renewed energy you used was well spent.

After a little more rearranging, you have a small playground in the middle of that crowded basement. The horse rocker is set on pink carpet with large hibiscus flowers, and you smile pleasantly as you watch the girls take turns and play in the wide space. They have room to run this winter. The overhaul was definitely worth it.

Exhausted for the last time you fall into that same comfy seat in your living room. You feel like you are flying despite your aching body. A little advil and even that is not so bad. You have the girls get ready for bed while you take your breather.

Minutes later, the kids are kissed and tucked in with a small story to start their dreams with. Your day has been full, but you know you aren't done yet.

You head back down to the computer to edit at least one chapter in the last novel you finished. Then write two blogs on two different sites and make sure you critic a few blogs for that weird site you just signed up for a few days ago. You rub your eyes after about thirty or so and close the laptop with a yawn.

You think you are going to bed when your husband gets home. His late dinner and conversation follow. He has two interviews lined up for tomorrow and several calls from people today. A check is in the mail for the computer he serviced yesterday and you smile happily when you think that groceries will be bought this weekend.

He wanders downstairs for the printer as he makes sure his resume looks perfect. You attend to his virtual farm because he asks you to. He needs to harvest really badly. You start clicking away at the crops, trees, and animals as your sleepy mind drifts.

You find your forehead being kissed gently and open your eyes. The farm is done being harvested, but your husband is staring at you queerly.

"Yes?" you ask groggily.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" he asks tenderly, a look in his eye.

"Not tonight," you answer with a groan, rough cough, and yawn.

He chuckles. "Not what I meant, but okay." He's still smiling.

You're too tired to try to figure what the look means if it's not the other thing.

"I saw the basement," he says after a bemused second. "You did a great job, thank you."

You continue to look up at him blearily. "Oh yeah. Well you said you needed to store the bikes inside this winter, so...." You don't finish.

"Thank you," he repeats. He gives you a grateful smile, and moves back to his laptop to make sure everything is in order for the interviews tomorrow.

You wish him luck. He asks you to find him some dark blue dress socks for his suit and the right tie is lost. You shuffle around the house until they are located. He offhandedly mentions you're a finding things genie, but otherwise ignores the efforts.

You wander down to the basement with one more tote you found you didn't need and stop on the bottom step. You can't believe what you are seeing.

Such a sense of accomplishment on your part makes a very tired person cry silently. The things accomplished today really made a difference and you know you will sleep well tonight, even if you didn't have to take that nyquil to breathe properly.

After a moment of silence and an errant thought about why you have so much stuff, you put the tote snugly away and return upstairs with one last tired conclusion.

I should get better from the flu more often.

.................

Beware!

I am on the activities committee for my ward and have the privilege of decorating for the church trunk or treat and chili cook off. I am quite excited.

Usually we have booths that we go around and earn candy and have a small meal before getting more candy out of elaborately decorated mini vans in the parking lot afterwards. This has worked for many years.

This year my partner in crime for ward party planning has decided not to do the booths under the pretense that we don't need to sugar the kids out. The kids really didn't like the booths the other years, so this is okay with me.

Instead we are focusing on the chili cook off as the main event and doing round tables decorated with the posh center pieces that basically take up most of my basement all year. I am doing cartwheels in the excitement that they will be used. I have a small place and most of my decorations end up staying in the basement even this time of year. Now they will be pulled out in all their glory and shared with hundreds of people at an event befitting their spooky decor.

The whole cultural hall will be transformed in to a 'happy' haunted house. My partner even hes the great idea of hanging fishing wire from one end to the other to hand lights above the guests gathered. It will be very pretty.

I will be printing out haunting songs to sing and there will be several prizes for the chili; hottest, sweetest, tastiest, lumpiest, scariest, etc. After which we will still wander outside for the trunk or treating in our various costumes. The kids will have candy, just not gobs of it.

The cost for my many decorations total somewhere in the thousands and I am pleased that our event will be so well covered. It won't be bad for a humble church gathering.

Beware of fantastic decor and delicious food!

......................

Soooo COOL!!!

My favorite Halloween poem was given to my children by my sister. It is about five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. You all know it. If you don't, may I suggest you stop by Barnes and Nobles and read Five Little Pumpkins Sitting On A Gate. It is a simple poem and really gets you in the spirit for spooking people with an innocent air.

It seems weird to me that I don't like April fools, but I heartily participate in jumping around corners this time of year to catch a love one unaware. It is so much fun to watch them giggle at me and try to reciprocate the love-given token only minutes later. Adorable!

Of course I'm not a vampire, werewolf, witch or wizard that is lurking to put evil spells on them. It's just a fun scare. Nothing sinister is allowed within my walls. I like the happier, lighter side of Halloween. I don't appreciate or condone any thing less happy than a smiling Jack-o-lantern. The skulls at the top of this page are a little too much for me. I don't like gruesomely displayed body parts. That takes all the fun away for me. Body parts are not scary for me, just sad. I'm always thinking that if I was a doctor I could sew the poor fool who is laid precariously all over the place back together before the heart finally faltered or something. My inner Frankenstein wants to practice with lightening to see if I can save the decapitated zombie. So not scary, just unfortunate.

Haunted houses are fabulous. If they were cuter I think I would like them better, but the jumping out with a hearty "BOO" is the best part. Oh, and the dry ice. I love dry ice! Just don't corner me with blood all over your face and a real-albeit unplugged-chainsaw in your hands in the last chamber and try to ask me out. That was scarier than I EVER wanted! Thank you Kristilyn for saving me!

So I like the cute side. Maybe I'm too old, or too weird, but blood isn't scary so much as something to make me want to rush you to the hospital. I don't think the blood or the body part can really "get' me. Nor do I get them.

Can't we all sing around a campfire with the pretty sheets we stole and dance like the pixies meant us to?

hehehehe. I digress. i do love this holiday... as long as it's kept clean. That means the eggs, too. It's my birthday for goodness sake. Don't destroy my house on my special day or you're going to get the same in April... or June or whenever. It won't make sense, but you deserve it for being so cruel to me on mine.

The only comstume I own is Tigger. If I could I would also have a homemade princess one, but all this only goes to prove I like the lighter side.

BOO!!!

Did you jump? ;P hehehehe. Thanks for letting me scare you!

....................

Fall de rol de fiddle deedee, fiddle dee faddle dee foodle

All the dreamers in the world are dizzy in the noodle!

Let me count myself as one of those wonderful dreamers.

I am in the prime of my life and enjoying it immensely. Writing was a wonderful form of expression for me in junior high, but has been lost to me these last fifteen years or so due to a rude English teacher. Luckily I can now look at her unkind words and am able to recite the proverb: Those who cannot, teach. Those who can, do.

I am a doer. I am diving back into the wonderful world I embraced as a child with bright and excited eyes and a whole lifetime for my itching fingers to express for me. My grammar and punctuation may be a little off as that nasty teacher pointed out, but my story telling skills are not.

More than any writer, I am a storyteller. Whether fact or fiction, long novels or quick anecdotes, I have much to share and embark on this journey with enthusiasm and hope and eagerness unrivaled by any of my past. Indeed this is the amusement park I have left behind, and much more fun for me.

I hope to create worthy pieces for people to read with this old-found pleasure literally at my fingertips. Read on and enjoy fair world. And be taken to worlds created from the depths of my very imaginative mind.



I am a dreamer. And very proud of being such.


.................

I enjoy the fall again...

There are so many reasons to love having to pull out the heavier wardrobe and waterproof shoes.

An Arizonan for most of my life, it is refreshing to finally be in a place that boasts the four seasons in such absolution as they do in upstate New York. For two years I have been privileged to watch the whispers of the seasons find me before bursting with the finality of finally submerging the landscape in its brilliance only available to the owner of that time of year. The four owners of course are spring, summer, winter, and fall.

And now latter, Autumn, is upon us. I knew it was here with that first nip at my nose during my morning walk a few weeks ago. A nip like that would have meant winter in Arizona. Now it is just a promise of what is to come with two full seasons not yet represented this year. After roasting in the hot sun for decades, I am relieved to feel such comfort throughout the year in my new home. I enjoy the cold, and a new experience, snuggling in the cold. I never would have dreamt that I would seek the comforts of blankets to help me feel good, but I am grateful as I seem to have more time to read when there aren't many outdoor activities to call to me.

My favorite are the magnificent colors that this season flaunts so surreptitiously until shown in vibrant radiance on the day it decides to fully make itself known. Indeed the season creeps in overnight it seems. Reds, golds, yellows, lime greens, and oranges throw their colors against the dark greens of the never changing evergreens around them as if showing off that they boast more than the one color of their quiet neighbors. These neighbors bow humbly in their friends' grandeur ingeniously knowing that they will have their own season to boast their own splendor in the dead of the next season.

And of course with the fall comes Halloween.

Fat pumpkins, beautiful squash, apples of every kind, and the harvest of summer's hard work comes out in colorful abundance this time of year. It is very hard indeed not to find myself singing happily with the cornucopia of such a bountiful harvest around me. I share the wealth as it gets shared with me. Presents appear on doorsteps and shrill exclamations reach hiding ears as people let others know they care. I enjoy both sides of this clandestine tradition and many people benefit from my escapades among thick bushes in my eager anticipation to see them exclaim their audible jubilation.

It leads me to this conclusion; with bounty brings open hearts. Mine grows every fall. Truly I seek opportunities to continue to let it grow all year, but never do these opportunities seem to be everywhere as it does in the fall and start of the holidays.

This is truly a season to revel in.

...........................

I'm everywhere today. Forgive me for rambling.

I wonder how you can tell if you have a really bad flu when they all feel terrible. *sniffle*

I am having fun diving back into my second book. It is new almost and I love seeing where the story takes me. Sometimes I find that it goes in the wrong direction, or I have a better idea where should go and it gets fixed. I also notice that I use too many commas. The pauses that occur naturally I feel I need to add physically all the time.

Ron let me take over his farm on facebook. My OCD took over as I organized half the chaos he left for me. He doesn't have enough cash for the rest, so I'm left feeling inadequate and unfinished. My farm looks the same and it lost about 14,000 coins due to a glitch in the game. :(

I like to watch Monk and Psych when I write. The last season of Monk is on right now and I'm seeing all the new episodes. He's so funny. It's sad that I can relate to some of his phobias. Thankfully I'm not as crazy as he is! ;) But amusing nonetheless. I think Shawn and Gus are hilarious.

I think its funny that my body can be tortured so terribly, but if my mind is happy I can still be having a good day. I wonder how to make my mind happy everyday. Its hard when people cuss at me or ask what Im on when I say the wrong thing. With the flu more weird things come out of my mouth and what I think is funny in my demented state gets taken wrong and offensively. I realize now that the reason not to infect people is not the only reason people stay home when you're sick.

My girls are having growing pains. This means that they're going to be ready for the new size tens that their godmother bought them before I thought they would be. *sniff* They're getting so big!

My birthday is almost here. My mailbox had to remind me when it boasted several giftcards to various restaurants. I have yet to recieve Outback and Red Lobster as they are my favorites. My hubby and I used Denny's today for a lunch date because I thought I was better. Denny's is great for those days when I crave hasbrowns or nachos.

I continued to feel great until I got home. Now I'm a full blown sickie and so much worse than the last few days. The Nyquil will be used tonight. Hopefully it is a short flu.

My cousin is giving away kittens. I want one, but we can't have one here. I also want a dog. I thought I was a one animal only kind of gal until I really thought about it. My dog has to be huge, friendly, have short hair, and be able to pull me on my rollerblades with the proper dog harness. My cat has to have a flat face, very long hair, and love to cuddle in my lap. I miss Marble....

I notice I say oy a lot when I'm sick. I don't know why that is. I've been doing it for years now that I think about it. It's like a part of the sickness; oyness of the mouth. And again I'm sick, so I'm not very clever right now.

So fun how Nyquil works. I can actually feel when it kicks in. That was several seconds ago. I am off to bed. Hopefully I won't feel like drowning this time and will be able to sleep.

I just hope you know how awesome you are. Thank you for being in my life.

Hugs and luvs.

.........................

The world needs to smile a little more!

I was up late last night and IM-ming with my sister in law in Utah, and being tired and unable to sleep for various reasons including work, we had fun taking breaks and figuring out what fun faces we could make on the IM combining keys. This is what we came up with, granted there may be more combinations out there, but these took us hours. Enjoy!

press: get:

:) a regular smiley face

:D big grin teeth etc.

^_^ is a closed eye happy smile

;) winking man

:P tongue sticks out

:O that's an 'Oh' not a zero and the jaw drops on your character

:( sad face

>:( angry man! hehe his eyes squint. we laughed about this one for a while

>:O opens angry man's mouth.

:'( an actual blue tear is on the yellow face with this one

alt 13 or alt 14 makes music notes, but only if you use the #s on the keypad

*writing inside* anything inside asterisk makes the writing bold; asterics disappear


and then my favorite!


:* kisses you! awww how cute!

<3 makes a pink heart! adorable! These certainly helped wile away the hours when I was feeling awful and my sil was doing medical reports. I hope you can enjoy these as much as we did. Next time you IM someone have fun putting emotion back into your conversations! LUvs and hugs and faces, OH MY!!! ...............

And the cold sets in.

Yesterday was mildly chilly. Today we woke up to find the thermostat at forty-eight degrees. Brrr and very chilly, winter is here.

Sure the ground may be bare and the leaves on the trees may be vibrant in oranges, reds, and yellows, but I think that impatient winter dropped by in the night to remind us he was on its way. And it most definitely is.

I am sure we will have a warmer week next week and that it may last until Halloween, but the frigid temperature does more than make me groan. Indeed, it makes me happy as well.

With the start of winter brings sparkly lights and singing choirs and smiles from strangers. The smell of evergreen, spiced pumpkin, and vanilla cookies greet you in every room. Bright colors, crisp apple pies, and an all around good feeling really put me in the best of moods.

And moods are very contagious. I love how people's hearts open up this time of year. It makes the food and clothing drives very profitable and I always feel better when the totes to the shelters get wide eyes and thankful tears. I am blessed that I can be if but a very small part of that. I don't deserve all that I have and I really need to be able to share, even if it is just my time this year. But hand-me-downs are always in great shape and my girls will be the ones giving what they have this time. I am grateful they can learn why people are so happy this time of year. They know of course that this feeling can be felt all year as last June we also donated. Luckily my kids grow like weeds.

I love the turns of the seasons. God really knew what he was doing to mix up the weather a bit. It keeps us from taking things for granted.


Of course I think He was incredibly smart to give us neighbors friends and family, too. Where would I be without people? Not very happy. Not that I'm the social butterfly I was way back when, but people make me smile. And laugh and cry and feel sad, but it's the gems that I speak about. You know who you are. Thanks.

As you pull out those jackets and boots and mittens and scarves remember that there is more to this time of year than losing a few toes. It is a time when the warmth retreats to hearts. Open yours and you will be amazed. If it is already, then you know exactly what I mean. And I salute you.

As the cold sets in my heart will remain warm.

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I pulled out a few of my Halloween decorations today. The ants in the basement are still dead so the stuff is working. Luckily the bulbs in my giant kitty and ghost pumpkin set still work too. They are beautiful accents to my front porch right now.

I love decorating. It's so much fun to rearrange my house every month or so. My hubby indulges me and will even move the furniture sometimes. I can't move everything, that entertainment center is pretty much a part of the wall now, but couches, chairs, end tables and lamps are shuffled periodically according to my whim.

Some people call it feng shui. I call it a refreshing view. Either way the house is happier when I can make the tiny box a little less tediously familiar. Though our stuff is the same, so it is just familiar enough to be comforting.

As my birthday approaches more things will be creeping out of the basement for the delight of the neighborhood. Smiles will be shared and screeches enjoyed with each new character and silly spider. I wish there were more holidays than just the ones this time of year. But I know why people decorate more in the winter now that I've moved up here. It is cold and when you have four walls to look at, they get splattered! Also, who wants to stay indoors when the weather is fair and perfect? Not me.

So as the birds flock south and the air nips my nose be sure that there will be a smile on my face. After Halloween is Thanksgiving after all. And then Christmas and... well you get the picture. My fourth of July stuff will work for president's day, too. I do so enjoy decorating.

I know it is against the grain, but even with my fortunate birthday, Christmas is my favorite holiday to decorate for. Indeed the collection for my house is insane. Luckily most of it was free. I did have my brother-in-law buy Christmas tree lights for us one year out of my own pocket (he was very kind to run errands for the pregnant sil when her husband was in the navy), but most things were presents; even our tree was a gift (thanks fairy godmother M!).

I think I just remembered where the talking skull head is. I'm off for its retrieval and then hanging. Only on Halloween is a 'hanging' accepted!

Happy Decorating!

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To be fair, this was not inspired by atari.

Oy! Those games they have online are horrid! So many ways I can take that sentence! Honestly I think they're there simply to make you go insane!

I just started yoville and farmville. I have only seen them for four days now, but I think I've seen enough!

First lets explain. My rant is needed.

The first is primarily for socializing with people you never would have met before. Okay. That might be nice for some people, but I don't have time for that. My day is filled with REAL stuff and REAL people! I have more things to do than sit around talking to whatever nameless that starts a chat with me! I had to sign off after a half an hour (honestly I'm still asking myself why I was on there so long!) and found some hurtful notes when I came back because they were mad that I had to go work! Maybe I wasn't nice enough when I explained that I had some errands to run and a book to write, but that is no excuse for name calling! I should have just left instead of taking the time to apologize! And the rest of it is stupid; decorate a room; I do that in real life! Why would I wan to do that there?! And I dress myself everyday! And my clothes are much more interesting! Oy! This drove me CRAZY! There was no point, you didn't level fast enough, and it was stupid!

The second was a little easier. Things happened, my farm grew and you could level as fast as you got coins. Okay. I also got a ton of people accept to be my neighbors and that helped me level too. But I really don't understand why people spend so much time on there. The reward would be so much better if they went outside and planted one for themselves. Sure it takes longer in real life, but it is REAL in real life. I do like the Halloween tree you can add, but it doesn't do anything but sit there. It didn't call to me as I know it did and does for other people.

I had to spend a lot longer on Sorority Life to get bored with it. I hated the mean girls that took my hard earned money and points, but the worst was the hurtful comments they left when they took it. They screamed. Actual cussing, and... just awful. I think I was the only girl who stayed on there for as long as I did and never fought back. I picked no fights because I hated it when my stuff was gone and couldn't bring myself to do it to someone else. This one was the most painful because I kept at it so long. The wardrobe here WAS much better than mine. I'll miss that part only, but will quit because the rest was so bad.

Mafia wars... yeah, I did that on a friends and never had to sign in on my facebook page. It was lame. I was impressed with the organized crime layout, but I wanted to be kingpin high boss or whatever and it was too hard to level up. The violence lasted one day and I never returned. My friend laughed at me, but I'm not a violent loving person.

I haven't tried castle age. It looks intriguing, but after all these other ones I'm afraid.

I've done all the nonclicky ones like bejeweled and stuff, but they all are such time wasters. In the end I found that my brain actually stopped working and writing became very hard. I've spent the whole of the last week feeling numb where I'd rather be buzzing. The games promoted laziness and practically did all the thinking for you. I hated that. I wanted to create and live and explore. Instead I was being hit with dull, lame, brainkilling scenes that hurt so much the indolence became physically painful.

I can see how video games kill brain cells. I actually saw it working. I am glad I don't let my kids play this stuff. They are much younger than me and need theirs for life.

Now I do have a discrepancy in this post. I was very sick several years back and on bedrest for months. Hooked up on IVs and moved back in with my mom for help, I was a space mutant on all the drugs I had to take just to keep me alive. My mom introduced Spyro the dragon and my sister introduced Freecell and Spider Solitaire. If not for these I would have gone mentally crazy. They challenged me enough to remain coherent and get me out of bed. Yes, I wasn't supposed to leave the bed, but you try staring at the ceiling of a box for hours on end. Not fun!

So I see how these games can be helpful. But for someone who would rather create worlds around her I was brain-stumped with the worlds created for me. At least with a good book I get to create something with the words on the page. And I find that my worlds always vary from the author's or a friend's reading the same story. I overproject and have a very vivid mind.

In conclusion unless you are already a deadhead, stay away from these virtual evils. Real life is much more rewarding! I have to admit that the word evil comes to mind with some of these apps. I will still send hearts because they don't take any of my time and I want you all to know I LOVE you and care and think about you even from so far away.

The rest of you not on facebook, you're not missing much. The blogs are so much more thought provoking! :D

Thanks for letting me post this, and as always, thank you for reading!

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Playing in the rain!

It's raining, it's pouring none of us are snoring. It's after eight, we'll stay up late and sleep in in the morning!

Being from Arizona, or living there most of my life, I have a healthy love of the very wet rain. When it falls, when it spritzes, when it pours and when it lets you walk through it (clouds are very wet!) I get excited! Everywhere outside my house is covered in white fluffy clouds. AND it is raining still! Umbrellas don't always help when you walk into the floating droplets!

On rainy days it is a good idea to have activities for the young ones so they don't drive the parents crazy. In our front yard, just past the porch, we set up a tent. The tent has a water proof bottom so the water can flood outside of it up about four inches. Inside it's snug as a bug in a rug!

My girls take half the house out there. Coloring books, puzzles, barbies, ponies; you name it and if it isn't dress up it's out there! I send out snacks a spill-proof drinks when they get hungry, and then cram inside with them when a board game goes out. We have TONS of fun together!

Rainstorms are also nice for my migraines. The pressure changes so often I am in severe pain from it up here, but when that rain finally falls it is pleasant relief! I am happier, and the kids see that. I wish it would rain everyday!

Time for another dip in my very large swimming pool! *heads out door and grins*

Do any of you like the rain? What is your favorite weathery day? Is it all about the sun and the warmth of those perfect dry days? Let me know!

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Gratefulness starts with the heart that sees the miracles.
I won't stop looking for them.

Just when everything falls apart and the world appears to crash and burn around me, everything seems to be sown together again. I am always impressed when Heavenly Father responds immediately to requests. It is not nice of me to be happy when He does answer quickly, but I am. And very grateful.

Today help came in the form of friends, family, and even kind strangers. God's love truly came in so many forms I was praying prayers of gratitude several times in just a few hours to let him know how thankful I was.

My family is still waiting for the good news from a company in Texas that we are hoping to employ hubby. The company is sifting through many possible candidates and it takes months to fill positions in his line of work, but we have been reassured each week that he is still in the running and at the top of the list. It doesn't help to remember that on average it takes a month for each ten thousand you earn a year to be hired. That means that we still have quite a few to go.

Hopefully we will have news before the holidays, but not if the statistics prove accurate for us. The prayer for quick action here has gone unanswered for a very long time now. Speed will not be the case here.

But we are being taken care of. Efforts to keep food on the table have been rewarded and our bills are miraculously being paid. I am pretty sure that even though we made no money for a whole week this month and are drastically behind right now that by the time each bill comes we will have been blessed with exactly what we need to survive. Heavenly Father hasn't let us down yet. the miracles haven't stopped for short term help.

Yet the prayers for the job and long term help are still on hold it seems.

But we can't complain too much. The scary day yesterday was has been reversed completely today with all the good news today brought. Still want the high paying job, but we are surviving. And that means everything to me. I see His wonderful works all around me and it makes me happy to be a Christian so that I know whom to thank.

And I thank Him and all his wonderful servants with all my heart; in all their many forms and shapes and ways.

Thank you, brothers and sisters of the being who created us. Thank you God for them and your wonderful ways. I won't lose faith. Even if I do get scared sometimes, I know you are always watching and loving me. Thank you.

And thank those of you reading this that have helped my family. You know who you are.

My eyes are open and the miracles won't be forgotten.

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These friends always call first. ^ Aren't they pretty!

I think I have mixed feelings about uninvited guests. I love to have people over and I enjoy their company. They always have fascinating stories to tell and fun anecdotes about life. I usually like the people who stop by.

But I am not the most organized person in the world, and sometimes I wish they would have called and asked at least an hour before so I could 'stash' the things that would bother me to have out. Some people have kids, so I would like to make sure the porcelain and water globes and fragile candles were out of the way. Others want to have meals, so I would like the dishwasher to be loaded even if there really was only two or three things in the sink.

On other days I just feel terrible, and I wish I could have been warned to put on something a little better than my comfiest outfit. No one wants to see the pajama bottoms I lounge in when I'm in pain! And please don't make me try to climb those stairs to change when I can barely keep lunch down!

I was okay yesterday. The house wasn't where I like it to be, but thankfully she brought her three kids. And while they were hungry, they were all content, actually requested to just run around my enormous front yard. An acre or so, they were happy with the space provided and the crackers and cheerios I procured for their cute little tummies. Satisfied guests are always my favorite ones.

When they show up I even start out with mixed feeling. I am honored that they consider me close enough to do that. I am horrified that I have no time to get ready. Honestly the house is usually in great shape. Ask my mom, she actually complimented it to my siblings recently. Made me happy!

But I feel like I was given no time to prepare myself. What if it had been an awful day? I probably would have cut the visit short. Which makes me sad because I do want to chat and I don't want to hurt their feeling or make them feel like I don't like them. I love them! All of them! There are great people up here!

If life was perfect, and health fantastic, and houses self-cleaning, I wouldn't be so put off to the open door policy I wish to continuously put forth and pretend to have. My mom has one. She seems to handle it well. I envy that about her.

Like I said, I'm kinda on the fence. I do sot see their unannounced arrival as rude, or enjoy having my life halted unexpectedly. Perhaps I am too finicky. I hope they don't take it personally if I don't invite them in on those really awful days. Oh well.

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It is fun to pretend, dress up for a while and put on another's shoes so to speak. I like Halloween. It is coming up and the chance to parade myself as someone else again approaches. I have a full size adult Tigger costume. Perhaps it will be my masquerade this year.

But I am young and I am leaning towards wearing an old prom dress and claiming royalty for the day. I've done the witch thing. Maybe I can combine the two and have a goth-good faerie impression going on. I like wings. I wish I had some.

I want to know what you are all thinking of doing for Halloween. I am partial to the holiday because my birth fell on it. So I am naturally curious what everyone else will be doing while I turn another twenty-something (Honestly, I will be twenty-something for a long time now ;) ).

Let me know what you are doing, wearing, pretending to be as you step out of your skin for whatever else inspires you. I wish I knew how to let you add pics. That would be awesome!

Who do you like to be when you aren't you?

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