mindaTHINK

July Time Capsule

An Idea from either CK or SS, which Lisa and I have decided to implement:

1) A gift you gave: 8 boxes of goodies out to TallyScrapper friends

2) Something you apologized for: Hurting Julie M's feelings 

3) The last person you thanked: Joyce and Jeff for inviting us over to their new house

4) The last movie you watched: Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix

5) The best food you ate this month: Both dinners at Julie and Park's

6) The last place you ate out: Big Bowl with Vivian's clan

7) Something that made you cry: JK Rowling talking about Harry Potter fans

8) Something that made you laugh: Andrew in underwear at the scrapbook store

9) The last person you talked to on the phone: Lisa, on the way home from Elk River

10) Someone you're thinking about today: Julie M, Bob S

11) What have you created this month that you are proud of: My scrapbook pages from Saturday really tickled me

12) What is your mood today: unsettled

13) What is today's weather: Hot and Sunny.  Again.

14) Something you are thinking about: How to make 450 Squngees in one week without all the parts.

Finally was able to visit

When Erin and Lance announced their engagement two years ago, I realized that Lance was in our lives to stay.  That is the point where he was welcomed into my heart and I began thinking about his impending overseas assignment.  That is when I stopped listening to the news.  That is when I started to worry and had to stop myself from it several times a day.

It is also about the time that as I drove by the Ft. Snelling National Cemetery most days, I'd tell myself that I wanted to visit and take some pictures.

This is an amazingly large facility, with over 436 acres containing over 172,000 interments in the years since 1870.  It is a good reminder, whether you are driving by at 65 on the freeway, or roaming its avenues, of the number of lives that have been affected by the various wars our country has faced this last century.  Not everyone in that cemetery died at war, but every one there had their lives affected by the loneliness of active duty. 

Today I finally made it.  I wondered why it had taken so long.  Why after two years of driving by was I suddenly able to stop?  And then I realized the truth.  For nearly two years I have been afraid.  Afraid that by entering that graveyard I was allowing the possibility that I'd be attending a funeral there.  Afraid that somehow to become familiar with that place would mean opening a door of possibility that Lance would join their ranks.  Craziness, I know.

Now he is home, or nearly so, and it felt safer to go today.  I drove around, took some pictures, recognized some names, placed a few rocks.

   

I cried a few tears of relief though.  Guilty relief because I know so many others have not been so fortunate as we.

And then I went to the information center and looked up the location of my Uncle Roger's site.    Lieutenant, Jr Grade Roger William Esh was on active duty from June 23, 1958 until November 20, 1961 during the Vietnam war.  His daughter, Lucinda, served in the Navy as an aircraft test pilot and flew helicopters. Her husband is Commander Mark Montgomery, currently commanding 7 battleships in the Pacific Ocean.  Uncle Rog died 10/29/1992, and although I attended a memorial service, I did not attend the actual burial.  I've never visited his grave, which is amazing considering how close I live to the cemetery. 

This is a picture of my Uncles.  Uncle Rog is on the left.  His big brother, who served in WWII, is pictured here after his discharge in his North American (one day to become Northwest) Airlines uniform.

The kiosk allowed me to print a map and I headed to section 15 to find his stone.  To no avail.  There was the stone numbered right before his, and four after his, but his and three others were not there.

I can't believe how upset I was.

So, a morning of rejoicing that Lance is okay and will not be joining the ranks at Ft. Snelling from the war zone, and a day of wondering where my Uncle's headstone is.

Giggle, chortle, laugh, and...oops!

Totally off the hook day today.  Pressure to get out Squngees when I don't have the parts I need, rushing around like mad, taking photos of Dave and Lisa on the way to the airport, and then I don't know, I just broke. 

I've been pretty much chuckling, tittering, teehee-ing and guffawing ever since!  Erin and Lisa gave me a look several times.  I think they are both saying a prayer tonight that I am not about to tip over the edge of the world in a big polka dotted boat...

But really, I've not felt this bubbly/happy for a long time.  People like Lisa and Erin and Scott to love me and tease me into laughing, life that can be oh so funny sometimes, and did you know my car bit me?

Scott even sent me this great list that got me started all over again.

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

1.  When choking on an ice cube, simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.

2.  Avoid cutting yourself slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold while you chop.

3.  Avoid arguments with the wife about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

4.  To treat high blood pressure: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5.  A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6.  If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you will be afraid to cough.

7.  You only need two tools in life – WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the Duct Tape.

8.  When confused, remember, everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Daily Thought:

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Maybe my zanyness wasn't logical today, but it sure felt good.  Sigh.

Now I have to go change pants.

Minda Is

I haven't googled my name lately, and on a whim I did this morning, primarily because of the 22 blogs I visited, all owned by scrapbookers, not a single flippin' one had a scrapbook page on them.  Yeah, I guess they are all too precious and must save their work for publication.  Or maybe they don't really scrapbook anymore, they just buy and pimp the stuff. ARGH!

Anyway, back to googling...apparently my name is being used to run a dry cleaning supply business (since 1966, thank goodness it was AFTER I was born or I'd have to wonder again about how my parents came up with the name)

I am the name of a computer worm...nasty, nasty things, the computer owned by my friend Lisa has one, or did, her tech honey is home and he may have vanquished that particular enemy already. (yeah, I won't put a link to that, just in case it should invade your computer)

I'm a home in Australia for intellectually disabled folks. 

And Minda Webber is a native Texan. She has one son and a cat. She teaches college level history, has written for cartoons and has worked in Texas oilfields. She is also a sculptor who has several works on display at galleries. Minda is an avid reader and loves the absurd. She is also the author of The Remarkable Miss Frankenstein.

Here is a picture of Minda Webber...and a couple of other Minda's out there:

Oh, and after that rant above about no scrapbook pages on peoples blogs, guess I better include a couple:

If off to sign in to Yahoo in case Lance gets online and I can let him know we are thinking of him and praying for his continued safety on this Memorial Day 2007

Oh, I don't know...

Yesterday was interesting.  Scott was home and awake, which made for an unusual Monday.  We started off the day by going to the nursing home and a Roseville scrapbook store.  Mom-in-law is doing well in that she doesn't have a long memory and she is up and about in her wheelchair.  Still angry about her missing van...wanted to know if we'd gone and got it yet, as if we have any say.

The scrapbook store, Binding Memories, was a bust.  Its still crowded and chaotic, but now there isn't anything I want either.  Glad to know that is another store I can cross off my to do list, I think I can meet my needs better down here!

I did a little dishes and laundry and then spent the late afternoon helping D with a portfolio of her work she is designing.  This included a trip to Paper Depot in downtown Mpls, which I haven't been to in a while.  I picked up a few envelopes and got GREAT service from a guy there who loves paper and so works there for the discount.  I love getting great service, makes me want to run out and start a big business so I can hire him to manage it, you know what I mean?

Spent some time emailing the bro, eating Scott's yummy fajitas for dinner and finished one scrapbook page and started and finished another.

Hmmmm, I seem to have lost the picture of the latest layout....well, there is three from the last few days...the final one you can see by going here

Of course today is traditionally scrapbooking day, and I'm sure I will be doing some tonight, but I'm gonna go play Imaginext Pirates with Andrew now and then finish the laundry and get dinner in the crockpot early.  Oh, and homeschool.  Oh and mail a bill and a Squngee order...Oh, and give that sweet boy a peck on the cheek!  And Oh, order my photos from Seattle so I can finish my Seattle book..Oh and...just kidding!

It Has Been Too Long

Again, a long break between posts, you all are gonna give up on me (I mean both of you are gonna give up on me!)

Here is me today:

Erin cut and styled my hair again, ahhh, fresh hair just makes so many things better, eh?

I got an idea for a layout and we were taking pictures for it when this one got snapped by accident.

Turned out pretty decent so I saved it for another purpose.

I did finish two layouts and make good progress on a very important two page one that I'll finish tomorrow.  Let's just say, Mom, Scott and Lisa, its the redux of the one I threw in the trash the other day.  I like the new one better.  I'll post them all tomorrow when I've had a chance to photograph them.

The word about town (how weird is it that I go about town and hear people talking about other people talking about me) is that some of you don't know who Brendan is.  Brendan is my only and younger brother.  He lives in Eagan, and when we were growing up he was my closest friend.  We moved around alot and so the two of us were the only constant friends we had.  As adults we mainly see each other at family gatherings and have late night email discussions about music and movies.  DO NOT stick a label on him, but I'm telling you, the man KNOWS his music and movies.  We agree on Prince, disagree on Bob Dylan.  I did a layout about him posted on here a few weeks ago called Brendanisms.

For those of you who do know him, he is making progress.  If you're praying, more is needed.  He is an intensely private person and that is why I'm not writing more about him here.  'nuf said.

I found two cool scrapbook related websites recently:

www.scrapinstyletv.com

www.tallyscrapper.com

Tally Scrapper is a scrappers community that allows you to give away points as you view others layouts, instead of just comments.  You can "earn" points too, by having your layouts reviewed, buying things, winning contests and the like.  Its a more interactive place than 2Peas and seems less negative. 

Scrap In Style TV wants to be the next big thing and they have some great potential.  Some of my favorite scrapbookers are on the design team or involved in some way, and the group as a whole is an interesting one.  They have 11 webisodes to watch online, and frankly I am not overly impressed with these, but I think they show the possibilities.  The hostess is very dynamic, and I think she can make this work.  There is a lot of fun going on over there and so you might want to stop in.

I did some grocery shopping and made dinner tonight.  Trying to find normal again and hit my stride in my routines.  Tomorrow I'm gonna make a list as that seems to help me stay focussed.

I've fired up a few new tools for homeschooling that seem to be working well. 

Staying up too late again...I tried a SOBE energy drink that Jason recommended, and it puts the caffiene in coffee to shame.  I'm flying!!!!  Ooops!

Well, I'm off to at least lay down for the rest of the night.  Toodles.

Smish Smash

After selecting the category, "What's inside my head" for this post, I realized the answer is mainly snot and too dang much histamine.  We are in full on allergy season today and so I'm explosive and muddle headed and well, kinda sleepy.  Because face it, once you have too much histimine in ya, you pretty much either get sleepy or your tears and snot feel like acid.

And I don't mean the make you happy kinda acid. 

Anywooo...

Here is a link to a really pretty song that a cute young thing did with a posthumously famous chick.  You'll like it no matter what.  Oh, and you'll sing along.

Next on the docket is chalk tidbits.  More than you ever cared to know about chalk.

I studied up for four hours last night because I was in charge of entertaining the kids at the Echo-Eclectic homeschool group gathering this morning and because it was a great excuse to study sidewalk chalk.  I'm proud to say that NONE of those little brilliant nippers bested me.  Their mission was to tell me something about sidewalk chalk I didn't already know.  Heh.  Even full of snot I can lap a 7 year old!  We drew an entire town with sidewalk chalk, right there at the park.  And if you know anything, you know that in the City of Minneapolis (and in most other municipalities) it is illegal to defame public property without permission by using sidewalk chalk.  The coppers were appropriately paid off and they looked the other way for the event.  Plus, we erased most of our crime at the end with water guns.  Heh.

Sidewalk Chalk

Random, sometimes interesting tidbits about chalk:

• Chalk is an English word whose root is found in the Latin word “calx” which means limestone.

• It’s scientific name is calcium carbonate – made from foraminifera, or the shells of tiny marine animals.

• How long has chalk been around? Since before recorded history. Cave paintings were sometimes done with chalk!

• Artists were using chalk as a medium long before it became a classroom tool as combined with a blackboard sometime in the early 1800s.

• Warchalking is a term used to describe a secret code that computer geeks leave on walls or sidewalks near areas that have unprotected wi-fi access. )( is the symbol left to indicate free wi-fi in the area. Many businesses now offer free wi-fi access to the WWW. If you were going to have a secret symbol to tell your friends something, what would it look like and what would the message be?
• The color Prussian Blue cannot be found in chalk, because it is an alkali-sensitive pigment and there is unstable in a chalk mixture. What is your favorite chalk color?
• Julian Beever is my favorite chalk artist. He lives in England, but has done sidewalk chalk art all over the world. He lays on his stomach on a little chair while making his pictures, and employs the art techniques of trompe-l’oeil and anamorphosis in his work. It usually takes him about three days to create an art piece, and in a moment it can be washed away by rain or snow, and walked on by passers-by. How do you feel about making chalk art when you know you can’t keep it?

• trompe-l’oeil (trawmp 'leewy) is an art technique where very realistic two dimensional images create an optical illusion that they are three dimensional and real. Have you ever seen this type of art anywhere? Did it fool you?

• anamorphosis is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point (stand in a special spot) to see the drawing correctly. Page 63 of the Art Book. Hans Holbein the Younger’s The Ambassadors is the most famous example of this technique. Can you see the anamorphous image?

• Mr. Beever sets up a camera and constantly jumps up to look through the lens to see if the picture he is drawing looks 3D from that point. Notice from the examples I have brought that if you don’t stand by that spot the drawing looks totally different.
• Last year we attended the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival which takes place in downtown St. Paul. The art theme last year was Italian Street Painting, or sidewalk art! This year the festival takes place on June 2-3 and the theme is Kite Art. There is dance demonstrations, all types of music being played, several art tents where you can try your hand at different types of art for free or a small fee and food from all over the world to taste and try. It might make a fun outing for your family and maybe we will see you there!
• Sidewalks, what are they?  they are a throughway that runs beside a street or in a public area such as a park, often constructed of concrete and often constructed on private land the government has obtained permission to use (via an easement)
• Keeping your sidewalk clear of snow and debris is you, the property owners responsibility.  The government can tell you when it feels your sidewalk needs repairs, and then they will send you a bill for the amount it will cost to fix or replace it.  You get to smile and nod and pay for it.
• Snow must be removed from your sidewalk within 24 hours of a snowfall if you own a home and for our apartment building owners, within 4 hours of daylight after a snow.
• You can get free sidewalk sand from the city.  It won't make up for paying to maintain that sidewalk, but still, its free.
• In the Disney movie Mary Poppins the sidewalk chalk art comes to life and the characters jump inside the make believe world it shows.  I so dig that part.  I'm sure that is where my love of sidewalk chalk art comes from.

I got to see my bro last night.  He's out of ICU and feeling a bit better.  It was so good to see him and just talk for a bit.

And, because I know you are all now dying to get your chalk artist in full gear, here is a list of activities to get you started.

Sidewalk Town – lets build a town together, each of us adding an item that we will need to have a complete city. What do you want to see in our city? Who will draw that for us?

Sidewalk Safari – each of us should choose an animal that we like. Then draw their footprints on the sidewalk, about 6 steps should do it. After we line these all up on the sidewalk, let’s all march down the line, and as you get to each animal, you should pretend to be that animal!

Half and Half – draw half a picture, then let someone else finish the other side.

A big thank you to all those people all over the internet that I totally stole these ideas and facts off of all over the internet and totally didn't site a one of 'em.  Oops.

Pages and a new item for my wish list

So last weekend one of the items on my wish list was fulfilled!  I wanted to see Josie Lewis' new art work and she brought some with her to church on Sunday.  All during our meeting I got to sit between two 4 foot high works and study them from time to time.  Very cool stuff.

Her new work is not yet on her site, its totally different than her paintings and oh so very cool.

So since there seems to be an opening on my list, here's a new wish:  I wish to have an extra set of fullsized sheets and two nice new pillows so that I can put on new sheets in a moments notice for our guest bed.  Some really nice sumptuous ones that will make our guests feel right at home.

Okay, on to the artwork.

Erin and I had four challenges on our Tuesday scrap night.

1) Scrap a page about your grandparents relationship with each other

2) Scrap pictures I assign you

3) Scrap a page about a skill or attribute you love about yourself

4) Stars, hearts, circles, flowers and brackets. Blah.  Make a page with your own icon shape

Erin wisked away her pages before I had time to photograph them, but here are my results.

This one isn't quite finished yet.  a little label will be applied at the base of the photo detailing the dates of my grandparents marriage, but I haven't been able to reach my information source this week to get the dates.

This page is about how steadfast my paternal grandmother was in her relationship to my paternal grandfather, who started out the marriage being less than wonderful, but really turned it around and was fabulous right up until his death. I love those two!

Erin selected the center photo for me to scrap.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, who doesn't love scrapping those cute boys!

The other day Andrew had said they were like two peas in a bucket and so I knew just the title for this tribute to their great relationship.

This page was inspired by the brand new Hall of Famer Kristina Contes.  Thanks for the inspires Kristi!

I started this page last week not knowing where I was going with it. Its from the Monday Kits at Scrapbooks Too in Bloomington and I just loved playing with it.  Actually Andrew and I bought one kit and one extra piece of patterned paper and we both made a page from it.  Once the challenge was issued I then had my title and journaling done to finish it up.  Fun little page and a good reminder on this snowy cold day.

I found this quote, "A happy family is but an earlier heaven." and wanted to use it sometime.  I bought this inspirational paper online a few weeks ago and wanted to use it.

So I decided my icon would be a cloud.  I first cut it out of mulberry paper and it looked cool until I put it on the page.  Then I decided just plain paper would work better.  I used my Better Letter Templates that everyone was laughing that I bought, and I love them again, I do!  This was just a basic use of them, but I want to try some more advanced techniques with them soon. 

Turns out these were the pictures Erin wanted to ask me to scrapbook, but she thought I might think it was weird to scrap both families together.  Turns out I think it is cool!

What I want now

So a few days ago I posted a list of what I want.  Then my friend Phyllis posted her list.  Then my husband blogged his list.

Then I read my husband's list.  Then number five on his list freaked me out. 

So I need to add to my list.  10. Please help me be happy in my husband's home that has two hawks and two dogs. 

Now THAT is a tall order.  Because I know about hawks.  They take LOTS and LOTS of time.  Even if we had the absolute perfect set up, where neither of us had to work at all and Andrew's homeschooling continued to only take a couple hours a day and we lived right next door to an unlimited food source (impossible by the way, the animals aren't that dumb and they move on once they see a hawk is ruling the area) It would take hours and hours each day every day except in summer to keep two hawks. 

And dogs.  Hey wants hunting dogs.  Not cute little snuggly dogs, but lanky, boney, can-we-go-hunting-yet-can-we-can-we dogs.  Ugh.  So I'm in this home out by the food source (ie very far away from civilization) and there are two loud rawking hawks and two excitable focussed dogs and I'm happy.

Yep.  Tall, TALL order.

When dreams collide.

So is it evil to add a number 11. to my list?  11.  To live out the rest of my days in a comfortable, clean, 14th floor condo in downtown Minneapolis overlooking the river. 

See the problem is, I want time with my husband WAY more than the condo.

Any maybe this is why I don't ask for what I want.  Because it all seems so impossible to me.  And now I'm getting a little depressed.  If I got everything I ever wanted and Scott got everything he ever wanted we wouldn't be living in the same zip code.  That's not good at all.  Now I want to change my list entirely.

1.  Get to hang out with Scott and have more time with him right up until the end.

2.  I still want a Cricut.  I can't see how that would hurt anyone.

Flybabies can change the world too!

So this email in my inbox right after I posted this morning seemed so perfect.  Another party heard from.

Many of you know that I am a flybaby.  Some of you also are.  Some of you don't have a clue what I'm talking about.  If you ever struggle with staying on top of your life, FLYLADY is your gal.  Check it out.

Here's the email she sent that caught my attention:

Dear Friends,

For some reason I am feeling an overwhelming sadness in the world. I
don't know what the cause is but I can help you deal with it in a very
simple way. I think it is time that we turned off our TVs and Radios
and quit reading newspapers and tabloids. I am tired of the news media
trying to tell us what to think.

It is time for us to eliminate the negativity and fill our hearts,
minds and the rooms with of our homes with happy music!

We have minds of our own and we don't need anyone to help us form our
own opinions. Right now we need to step back and take care of
ourselves and our families. After all if Momma ain't happy then
nobody's happy!

Please take some time to fill your spirit with positive messages.

I love you all!

FlyLady