As fresh as it gets! Day 7 photo

As fresh as it gets!, originally uploaded by hurricanemaine.

These are eggs from chickens on our small farm. Unless you have had farm fresh (day old), you have no idea what you are missing!

Still of winter - Day 6

SSPX0009.jpg, originally uploaded by hurricanemaine.

This tree is just so still, conserving energy, waiting till Spring...

Winter leaf impression

SSPX0008.jpg, originally uploaded by hurricanemaine.

Hats off to my son, Ryan who saw this great shot on a walk with the dogs. This picture was taken on 1/5/09. The leaf must have originally been on the ice but as warmer temps caused it to melt, it fell below . Cool effect!

jake

jake, originally uploaded by hurricanemaine.

Share the road

Share the road, originally uploaded by hurricanemaine.

Enough said.

Farm fence line

Farm fenceline, originally uploaded by hurricanemaine.

After the edge of our woods is a great fence line along my in-law's property. On the edge of the woods (behind the photographer), is an old stone fenceline that is very old as well as remnants of old barbed wire fence.

Happy pups

Happy pups, originally uploaded by hurricanemaine.

This is really how the dogs walk. They line up this way and turn quite a fair amount of heads in the process. The larger brown dog on the left is actually my nephew's dog.

Joined the 2009 365 photos group on flickr

As part of a 365 photo challenge posted on twitter, here are a few local pictures. This challenge will be a great way to get back into taking pictures. I used to take loads of pictures but have fallen out of not only picture-taking, but scrapbooking.

These pics are actually from my sister-in-law Jennifer Sizemore, though...

1. I will post more than 365 to make up for them not being mine.
2. consider the one of the dogs as "mine" as I had to walk the dogs in order to keep them in their line.

Wow!

Many of what I have been reading online and digesting these days is summed up well by Colin Powell on Meet The Press.

Let me say that as a teacher who is making great gains in 21st century learning and creating critical thinkers who can look at both angles of information, annotate, and think, I am impressed with Barack Obama's campaign. Let's face it, his advisers are transparent yet a definite force in his campaign. He has surrounded himself with the best thinkers. He would do the same as president if given the chance. Those of us who know what a personal learning network is can understand that. The Republican party on the other hand has not learned this lesson and resorts to strategies that are grasping to the air.

I found Colin Powell's speech to be well thought out and heartfelt.

I have too much going on...

Has it been two months since I blogged here? I know I have blogged here and here and here since then. I know, 4 blogs, am I nuts? Yes, actually, but I am trying to maintain on several fronts to open doors in future areas. Nuts, I know.

However, I am attempting to leverage the great web 2.0 technologies I talk about day in and out to help me. I am also focusing on things I know work (that are not revolutionary) to help as well. So here goes:

• Finish going through the rest of my house and declutter (I actually did a lot this summer). Have 3 bins: Trash, Donate, and Maybe (sell or donate is probably where they will go)
• Create a no distraction zone - it was the couch but the TV sometimes interferes, it can be the breakfast counter (my last use was the time I fell off the bar stool - don't ask - and was in a cast for 6 weeks), it can be my craft room provided I follow the next step...
• Use Remember the milk to automate my schedule for keeping the house clean (and my craft room). I currently have tasks set for each day - it is easier to keep the house clean this way instead of spending a whole weekend morning. I am also learning to put in even small tasks to manage business, home, and work items that need to be done. The little woohoo messages they give you as you cross items off your list is great too!
• Make a short list of 4 or 5 things I love and include one a day
• Single task - I really thought I was good at multitasking but that is not the case. Spend enough time to get to a certain point and then put aside for review if not possible to finish. (If my work makes me think of an idea for another project, note it but do not go and work on that one too.) Add also that this task should be timed so loss of focus does not increase time spent on it.
  
• Start my day with peace. I try, and I actually get there a little bit. After my husband leaves and the dogs have been fed and potty-ed, I may read, sit in silence with coffee, mull the news, read blog posts, exercise, etc.
• Eat nothing from a box - okay we aren't counting cereal, but eating whole foods makes you think twice about what you eat and is not so ready that you grab without thinking. Don't ask my kids or husband what they think about this.
  
• Go paperless. I am close to this. Need to automate a few more things but sometimes it is necessary for me to print off in order to read and mull over properly.
• Have 3 tasks for the day. Tough for me. I generally think I can get 20 things done in a day. Realistic until family, students, and others start interacting. I think i can handle this and perhaps create a maybe list in case extra time comes my way.
• Get rid of two things for every new thing that I bring in to my house (exception: food. We have to. We live out of town, can get really poor weather in winter, and I have a large pantry for storage). This will help with the first strategy.

These are not new or revolutionary but a focus on these may make a difference in my ability to manage tasks and time. Do you do any of these strategies and how do you feel about them?

Taking the Rock band guitar up a notch

As a Pazzles design team member, I get to play with interesting materials as well as designing new cutting files. Our June task was to use vinyl on anything in our home. Waiting to the last minute (that is not a trait of mine - I just could not get an idea I loved), I stumbled upon a DOA Xbox guitar and the idea hit me. I used a quote that my SIL Jennifer Sizemore used on a past layout: "Life without music would be a mistake."

Well, it was chosen for Design of the Month at Pazzles. I am so excited. Now to decorate the other guitars in the household.

Tags: Pazzles, Rock Band

May technique kit - Grungeboard

The Scrapaholix technique kit is Grungeboard. I made this cute layout of my son't new furniture. It was tough to see the hand stamped dinosaurs being painted over by the sand colored painted - or should I say buried over!? It was great to see him pick furniture and see his style emerge.
The grungeboard was fun to work with. It is much different than chipboard, much like leather. After using an ink pad on it and spraying it with glimmer mist, it only curled up a little and flattened out as it dries. The color was actually more vibrant on the grungeboard as well. The grungeboard was used to make two of the squares on the left page (top right and bottom left square) as well as the tag, "R" and "O" in the title. It is tough to see the glimmer mist and this looks much better in person.

Tags: grungeboard, scrapaholic-usa, scrapaholix

First attempt at a header

So, I should have done this last night after Jen showed me how to make a custom header. But, it is okay as a first attemp on my own. Not sure what I am missing but was unable to drag the digital paper down to a smaller size, so instead I cut and pasted a section of it. I know it is not balanced and great, but a first attempt. Mostly I don't know exactly what I want here yet. So, here it will stay until I do decide (and I learn again how to manipulate the paper - maybe the way I opened it?)

So, after almost a week of company, the dogs are all sleeping and I might not be far behind them. We had a great visit from Dave, Jen, and Jacob (and Beau), heard some great news (!!!), and ate some good food.

The kids are not looking forward to school tomorrow though they won't admit they are bored. I am not going to school as I have a Drs. appointment. After dislocating my little finger, I tore ligaments. Unfortunately it is my right hand which had me rewrite my "to do" list for the holidays - I have no use of fingers in that hand. Oh well, maybe there will be good news tomorrow but I think there is another two weeks in a cast.

So, Happy Holidays to all! Anyone make a resolution? Mine is just to continue to improve. Since there are so many areas that can occur in, I can just choose, right?

Design team submission

I made this layout for Pazzles Design Team using cosmo cricket papers and my pazzles pro cutter. Normally I don't take pics of my layouts, but this one I like. Well, I would change things now, but it is done. The picture is from saturday night. Becca went to her Winter Formal. She did not get her hair done, buy an expensive dress, etc. I a actually glad - she is less materialistic now. She does not fit the mold of everyone else. I was stressing about it last week as she would be underdressed, but was told that was what kids were supposed to do (choose the best dress in their closet). Why call it a Winter FORMAL then? Oh well. She had fun!

Green Christmas...

Alright, I already have a pile of presents under the tree. We have a loose budget. Wouldn't it be great if we just did tradition without the spending. I can't help but think of Little Women and Amy saying that "I am desperate for drawing pencils" but then they are still so thankful anyway. I know it is a different time and era but if the kids weren't around, it would be different. So why can't we just stop buying? Because it is not normal. I ran across Don't Buy anything for Christmas. Once you get to their ideas it is really great.
for example, my in laws are always a gift problem. Not only do thy have everything, they probably have two of everything! I may get them the stuff they would have to go out and buy on a shopping trip instead. Maybe throw in a few things they might not consider. Still workng on that list - I guess I need to hurry!

Also visit Ten thousand villages. Helping the environment and changing the world are ideas I discuss in my classes but do not completely follow. By buying from companies such as Ten thousand villages, you give a hand up to some of the poorest areas of the world. On top of that, you start to change society by giving value especially to women where they have not been valued before. Not sexist but true: If the value of women around the world were to change, then many of the problems that exist there will begin to change.

Christmas party pics

Celebrating the holidays in style!

I had the best time at my husbands Christmas party last weekend. He works for Reliant Energy at the Keystone station. The party was held in the London Ballroom at Chestnut Ridge Resort in Blairsville. It is a beautiful place, tastefully decorated, and an unbelievable facility. I need to make my way back there some time in the future. Now that I see you can go eat there, it would be a new place to try and a great change of pace.

We had beef, chicken (which was wonderful), a great assortment of vegetables and sides as well as a chocolate mousse cake. Dancing was great and the DJ emceed many of the games that night, played our requests promptly and was very attentive.

But most importantly was the attention to detail provided by Paula and Cheryl from Keystone Station. I have been in charge of Christmas parties before and know the work required. These ladies' outdid themselves. I really want them to know how much their efforts, time, and talent that they put in to the event was appreciated. I hope everyone had a wonderful time - I know I did! I really want them to know what a great job they did.

Everyone I met was warm and wonderful and I had the best conversations with those at our table. I especially am glad that everyone was so good about getting out there to dance. It was a fantastic evening and would love to get together with them again. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of us - especially since I was all dolled up in a knockout dress! Next time, I'll bring the camera - but doubt I would have as much time to have fun.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Technorati Profile

Happy Thanksgiving. It is hard to believe it is already here and that Christmas is just around the corner. It has been a tough fall emotionally. Too many things going on in and out of the family. I look forward to moving on and this is a great time to do so. I want to stop and truly appreciate what has been given to me.

1. Unconditional love. Lord knows I have tested my husbands patience and yet he still does all the little things that shows he loves me. He is such a great guy and I love him. I need to say that more often!

2. The bridge between past and future. AKA, my kids. It is exciting and challenging to watch them grow up. They change and sometimes I am not sure if the change is good or not. But they are their own person and will always remember the bigger lessons from the past, I hope. I remind myself when faced with the teenage challenges that they are actually put here to teach me something.

3. True friends. I have a lot of contacts but have just a few really good friends. That is all you need.

4. My health. Lately that has been a complaint but I am also at my lowest in fitness. Seems to me there is a connection. I had less sicknesses and ailments when I was fit. Time to get started again (oh, age really does not matter).

5. My SIL's. As I don't have a sister, I do love them like one. I wish we lived closer and we did not have so much going on all of the time. I can't wait until Christmas to see Jen and in February I see Sunni!

More reflection to come...

So now we have a problem, where have you been?

I hear a lot of people talking about prices of gasoline, fuel oil, electricity, natural gas, etc. The next logical increase is the cost of all of the goods that are made from fossil fuels (90% of what we use daily is made from oil) and have to be trucked across the country. My only response: Where have you been?

My beef? Those who for decades talked about how all of the conservationists were out of their minds. How they discussed the downfall of the environment and their solution would destroy all of our ways of life and raise taxes. Are you kidding me? When are we going to learn to be proactive and stop the nonsense? The cost of changing/cleaning up, etc. is enormous.

So everyone is complaining and I know that we can't change the past, but what are you doing now? Are you going to continue to complain or are you going to do something to make a change for the better, model a better way of life for the future, and teach the younger generation that you do care. By the way, they think you don't. There are a lot of very angry young people upset about the state of the world. The problem seems enormous but everyone working together can accomplish much. We all have to give up a little now or we stand to have to give up a lot more in the future. It is all too easy to think it will just work out by itself. Ask yourself, what do you believe? What will you do?

So what do I do? For me, I have been concerned about this since the 70's. Sure, I still consume my share but take a definite stand on many issues. I have used my own cloth bags for shopping long before it became popular (is it where you are?). As a matter of fact, certain family members did not want to be seen with me when I used those bags. I have recycled as long as well (BTW I do not live where there is curbside recycling), I limit trips in a car (one with better gas mileage), combine my trips, grow my own produce and even make our own dog food. I can go on and on about computer use, using resources and electricity, but will actually be doing this for my high school classes soon.

As for my classes, I educate. We are researching, we are understanding viewpoints and problems around the world, and we are hoping to make change. The same message here I am giving to them. They have a voice and they want to be heard. I am encouraging thoughts turning into action. I hope it becomes contagious.