My Mad Mind

Frackin' Friday

2012-02-02T21:00:00.024-06:00

Yes, it's that time again. Dazee, at Crazy Daze and Night Dreams, needs to vent. She does every Friday and sometimes through the week. (She sure vents a lot). She made an official day for the rest of us to join her and that is What the Frack? So get your complaints together and link up with my buddy for a rockin' and rollin' good time in the depths of depravity while we all rant. (I may be watching too many crime shows). Just link up!

My week has been up and down. I'm having a hard time with school this week. It's dealing with graphs and charts for Project Management and I have no idea what I'm doing. This is the first class I've had that deals with all that. In other words, we are making our own charts. From scratch. On our own. No template. Yikes! And I'm still the Project Manager. Someone else needs to step up. Please!

Another issue that popped up was health issues for the daughter of one of my friends. She is going through a really rough time and I wish I could do more for her. Since it could be life threatening, I am so wishing I was there for her.

The last major problem this week dealt with my own daughter. She had a health scare I wasn't prepared to deal with. Thankfully, the tests turned out good and there is no immediate worry. So that was good and bad. The reason this was included is because I DO NOT LIKE THIS KIND OF SCARE!!! Okay, enough said.

What do you have to vent about?

I Spy - Glass(s)

2012-02-01T21:00:00.035-06:00

So who is ready for I Spy? I know I am! It is co-hosted by my fabulous partner in crime, Dazee, of Crazy Daze and Night Dreams. Did someone say it was illegal? Okay, maybe it isn't. I'll have to check that. In the meantime, get your camera out, snap, and link up.

I hope you all have had a great week so far. I've been having fun taking photos. Yeah, Dazee thinks that's all I do. Little does she know how much work goes into my photos. Don't tell her I said that. She might shoot me!

There are no real rules. You can pull your photos from your archives, take them with your phone, or wherever you have photos. We just want them to be your photos. Now sit back and enjoy the browsing. Next week's categories are Road(s) and Your Choice.

Here are my interpretations for the week. What do you have for us?

These are safety glasses believe it or not. I found them at a garage sale a few years ago and they seem to make people ask about them.

Glass(s)

Don't judge! They are glass. Just because there might be Mexican alcohol in them doesn't mean they don't fit the category.

Your Choice

Poor little guy didn't feel so well that day. And then he got shy about the camera.

This work by www.mymadmind.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Negativity

2012-02-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

I wrote this some time ago and it was one of my first posts. It kind of goes along with what's going on these days.

Negativity is a bad thing. I know, it sounds like a cliché. That’s because it has been said millions of time over thousands of years. The problem with negativity is simple. The more time you spend in that state of mind, the more likely you are to live your life that way. It colors everything around you in shades of gray instead of the vibrant colors that life should be.

So here is my advice for the moment. Do not find fault with everyone and everything around you all the time. It turns those people off. They will not want to be around you. You will not find true joy if all you see is the unflattering side of everything you look at it. Take off the screen that colors your world and take in the awesome colors of life. A little color makes a colossal difference.

This work by www.mymadmind.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Tuesday Train

2012-01-30T20:00:00.008-06:00

So this week in school we were assigned to a group. For all intents and purposes, it's like a team in a business situation. The instructor said that if someone did not participate, we were allowed to terminate their "employment". Interesting concept for a class but I had to take charge mid-week because they were all stalling. So I assigned each person a part and gave them a deadline. I think I'm in a group with a bunch of kids. Sorry to all the young people out there but sometimes it takes an old person to get things moving. I know, I know, stop calling myself old. Well it's true.

So how about we get things started? Are you ready for some blog hopping fun? I know I am. My co-conductor, The Survival Mama, and I are ready to get the train rolling down the rails. All aboard!

If you are in for a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "Glass(s)" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 8pm Central time each Wednesday and runs through at least Monday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

Latest Project

2012-01-30T11:24:00.000-06:00

I thought I would give this a shot and see how it turned out. Except for the fact that the burlap is a little on the skewed side, I don't think it's too bad.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-28T22:59:00.050-06:00

I know you are all waiting to get going for Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday. Well the time is now. Let's see what you all have. Here are my interpretations for this week.

Smile

A beautiful smile and I don't think I'm biased.

Stand Alone

And Hiawatha stands alone....

Rusty or Something Old

Yeah I live in the Rust Belt.

Artificial

I had no idea what to do with this. I just happened to find a wayward packet of Splenda in the cupboard.

Repeating Pattern

And the underside of the bridge I love to take photos of.

And next week's categories can be found here...

SOOC Saturday

2012-01-28T00:00:00.015-06:00

I haven't linked up with Marvelous Mommy for SOOC Saturday for some time. School took over my life for a long time. I was looking over some things on my blog and realized the button was still here and checked it out. She's still doing the hop! Good for me! I love taking photos so it works out for both of us. I thought I would share a couple of them with you.

What The Frack? (with Dazee!)

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

Oh my, oh my! My friend, Dazee at Crazy Daze and Night Dreams, really missed the Fawk You Friday posts we used to do and decided to have her own rant day. How cool is that? We will still have a rant day! Of course, you all know I do that occasionally anyway. Now I can plan for the day. You should grab the button and link on up. It will be fun.

I don't even know where to start. I'm tired of listening to the politicians beat each other up instead of making sure the right thing is done. For crying out loud! Stop acting like spoiled brats!

Other drivers should STAY AWAY FROM ME!!! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!!! The other day when the weather was a mess, I don't know how many drivers would be driving beside me and only be two feet away. Why did this bother me so much? I knew you would ask. Well there was obviously two lanes clear but they kept drifting toward my vehicle. How does that make sense? I made sure it wasn't me.

For now that's the end of my rant. I know it's short but not much has been happening for me this week. What are you ranting about this week?

I Spy - Date(s)

2012-01-25T21:00:00.044-06:00

So who is ready for the famous, or not-so-famous, blog hop called I Spy? It is co-hosted by my fabulous conspirator, Dazee, of Crazy Daze and Night Dreams. We are having so much fun with this it should be illegal! Oh, maybe it is. I'll have to check that. In the meantime, get your camera out, snap, and link up.

There are no real rules. You can pull your photos from your archives, take them with your phone, or wherever you have photos. We just want them to be your photos. Now sit back and enjoy the browsing.

Here are my interpretations for the week. What do you have for us?

Date(s)

Your Choice

Here's Hiawatha....

And the queen of the river in our area....

Well Here We Go Again

2012-01-25T00:00:00.010-06:00

I have to say that when I discuss politics I’m a little nervous about how people will receive my theories. And I have lots of them. Oh that’s right; you may have read some of them. Well I’m back.

I have been watching the coverage of the upcoming election this November and the craziness that has been the Republican primaries; or caucuses depending on which political pundit you may be. I’m unsure if the Republicans are aware of how behind the times they really are. There are a couple of points they don’t seem to get.

The Republicans are considered the “conservative” party. We all know that and we all accept that. But conservative shouldn’t mean blind to the changing times. I have heard Roe vs. Wade being bantered about again. Do they not realize it’s been 40 years since it was decided by the Supreme Court. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET IT OVERTURNED FOR 40 YEARS! DOESN’T THAT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHANGING TIMES?

Before any busts my chops about my opinion, don’t think I would have or ever have one. I wish we all had other choices. The fact is that not all of us have the support we need to make different choices. I just don’t think I have the right to tell someone else how they are supposed to live.

Probably the most frequently discussed topic s are gay marriage and our gay servicemen and women. I’m still trying to figure out why some people have such a problem with it. Our soldiers are dying while on active duty and I don’t think anyone is asking what orientation they are before killing them. I would also like to know what makes gays and lesbians less than me. If I have the right to marry, why do they not have the same right? What makes them less than me? You should check this link out to find out how at least one of the Republican hopefuls feels about them and how our President responded.

I have a deep-seated sense of fairness that will never be altered. It began a long time ago when I was a wee child of five. Yes, I remember an incident from such a tender age that helped shape my idea of what is right and wrong. And some day I will write about that. For now, it’s about one thing; human rights.

We have laws in this country that are designed to prevent discrimination based on race, creed, sex, or sexual orientation. There has been a consistent progression to include all different people no matter who they are. In other words, we are progressing with the rights of all people. The Republicans do not seem to understand that.

Listening to them we must still be looking at a time when the “good ole’ boys” ruled the country. The problem with running the country that way allows for the poor to become poorer and only certain people being allowed to have anything. Anyone who doesn’t conform to their way of thinking has no rights. And they aren’t recognizing what is happening around them.

As I said, Roe vs. Wade hasn’t been overturned in 40 years. More and more states are making civil unions between couples of the same sex legal. There were two states just in the last year and there were none ten years ago.

In other words Republicans……GET WITH THE PROGRAM AND THE TIMES HERE!!! NO DISCRIMINATION IS ALLOWED!!!

Tuesday Train

2012-01-23T20:00:00.011-06:00

I'm finding out that the class I have this term is really kind of easy. That statement may come back to bite me too. I've had that happen before. We shall see. I'll have to let you know.

So how about we get things started? Are you ready for some blog hopping fun? I know I am. My co-conductor, The Survival Mama, and I are ready to get the train rolling down the rails. All aboard!

If you are in for a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "Date(s)" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 8pm Central time each Wednesday and runs through at least Monday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

Children on the Playground

2012-01-23T00:00:00.004-06:00

I haven’t been writing much lately. I’m not sure why but I’m hoping to change that soon. Anyway, I found a couple of things to say about the political crap that I’m really tired of.

Let’s start with the Republican primaries going on. The bashing of the President needs to stop. Why you ask? Because those in Washington who seem to have a short and convenient memory think they can fool all of us. You know what I’m talking about. It began with the Reagan administration.

You are probably aware of something called the FSLIC which later became the FDIC. You see it on the bank window every time you go through the drive through. It guarantees each depositor is covered up to $100,000. When was this passed and why? It passed in 1987 under Reagan and had strong bi-partisan support in order to protect us normal people who needed to use a bank.

Over the next several years, the laws were changed to allow interstate banking and allowing banks to make up to 25% of their revenue from investments. This led up to 2000 where the Commodity Futures Trading Commission was no longer allowed to regulate certain contracts which included credit default swaps. Again, this was with bi-partisan support under Clinton.

Now let’s get to the final blow to the regulatory systems. In 2004, there was a little thing passed that was called Voluntary Regulation. It allowed investment banks to hold less capital. In other words, they didn’t have to have collateral for the loans they were making. This was not passed with bi-partisan support. It was without. This was done during the second Bush’s presidency. Let’s also not forget that he put us into two separate wars with all the expense that incurs. Lost loved ones and wars have a high cost.

The you know what really hit the fan in 2007 and came to a head in 2008 when subprime loans in the secondary mortgage market were being defaulted on and there was no collateral for the banks to fall back on. Both parties are responsible for the progression of deregulation.

What am I getting at? I am saying that from Reagan, to Clinton, and to Bush II, there has been a steady deregulation of the rules. We all know that if a big business man can get by with something, you better believe it will be taken advantage of. Duh!!!

Now we get to listen to those who wish to be President, blame the current administration for the mess we are in. Are they serious? I believe that the crisis came to a head BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED!!!! He has had to figure out how to clean up the mess where the last straw allowing it to happen, happened under a Republican president. But because he’s a Democrat, he gets blamed. HE INHERITED IT!!!

Listening to these men and their vitriol reminds me of children on a playground. One of them wants to make the rules because he’s the one who owns the ball. Can’t you hear that child? “If you won’t play by my rules, no one plays. I’ll take my ball and go home!”

They all need to grow up and work together to get it fixed. This debt we have as a country would not be as high if not for previous Presidents. There would have been no need for a bail out. Period.

I am so proud to be an American, yet I cringe at the idea that our politicians are on television. The entire world gets to watch as they fight like children on the House and Senate floors and listen to the Republicans slam our President in public forums. What will it take to get them to shut up and listen to each other?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-21T22:59:00.058-06:00

Are you ready for some photo hopping fun? Of course you are! Link up with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos and start having that fun! We will see if I came anywhere close to what she was looking for.

Sunset

This is what sunset looks like in the Upper Midwest during a snowstorm. Okay it might have been closer to late afternoon when this was taken but trust me, it didn't change much.

Black and White

I ran across this hollowed out stump in the park that had all these really cool ice formations in it. I'm not sure it exactly fits, but I love it. I may have to print this series.

A Day in My Life

Since I am unemployed right now, the opportunity to take photos is much more than normal. So I take advantage of it and this is what I tend to shoot. Landscapes and anything else that catches my eye. The first one was because someone was feeding the ducks at the park. They were practically at me feet.

Four

I really didn't know what to do for this prompt, so I chose to photograph the birdbath with snow from four different angles.

Colorful

At this time of year we seem to get a lot of monochromatic scenes. It's mostly gray and white. Sometimes the sky is really, really blue, but everything else is gray. So I thought this ice fishing shack was a really cool and nice burst of color against the normally gray background. This would also qualify for SOOC. I haven't touched this one.

And you can find next week's categories here...

Brick and Mortar

2012-01-20T00:00:00.025-06:00

Living in an old river town can be interesting if you're a photographer, or at least pretend to be one. This area is referred to as the Upper Mississippi River. There are several major dams in this area and there is also a huge wildlife sanctuary connected to the river. If you want to shoot water birds here, you are in the right place. There is another presence here that I overlook at times. That is the architecture.

This area is heavily saturated with descendants of Norwegian and German immigrants. Along with the people comes evidence of their architecture. We have a tremendous amount of brick buildings in the area. The first one is of quite simple design. But the rest of the photos show the strong influence of those Norwegians and Germans who settled this area after the French fur trappers left.

I hope you enjoy them!

I Spy - Rusted

2012-01-18T21:00:00.046-06:00

Yes it's that time of the week for the famous, or not-so-famous, blog hop called I Spy. It is co-hosted by my fabulous conspirator, Dazee, of Crazy Daze and Night Dreams. Yeah! You should hop on over to her blog cause if you're not a fan you're missing real fun. So go!

Now are you ready for this week's photo sharing? I know I am. Here are my interpretations for the week. What do you have for us?

Rusted

Your Choice

I debated on this one but decided to take advantage of someone feeding the ducks at the park. Yeah I'm on opportunist. So sue me! Wouldn't you have shot them?

Next week's categories are "Date(s)" and "Your Choice"

Tuesday Train

2012-01-16T20:00:00.021-06:00

This week has been kind of slow so far. The class I'm currently in is not nearly as intensive as the one prior to Christmas break. It was crazy. This one is much slower and easier to deal with. I have enough things to worry about right now without being buried in school work. Many things are going on and I can't be concentrating only on one aspect of my life.

So how about we get things started? Are you ready for some blog hopping fun? I know I am. My co-conductor, The Survival Mama, and I are ready to get the train rolling down the rails. All aboard!

If you are in for a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "Rusted" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 8pm Central time each Wednesday and runs through at least Monday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

So link up and take the ride!

From Slam to Slow

2012-01-16T00:00:00.055-06:00

I started class again last Monday and talk about a 180 degree change. My last class was absolutely brutal. This one is a breeze so far. I’ve looked through the upcoming weeks and it looks like it will most likely stay fairly slow for me. Since it isn’t as intensive, I may be able to get more projects done.

Most of you know I’ve been working with old windows and making frames out of them. That’s what I did for the kids for Christmas. I still have one to complete for another person. I just have to figure out which photos I choose to include for this one. I probably have some photos of her son that she doesn’t so I know she’ll like them.

As for the one that is strictly mine, I found one photo I have already enlarged but I can’t decide on the other one. This is one of them…..

But I can’t decide which of these two I want as the second photo. What do you think? Photo 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-14T22:59:00.075-06:00

Are you ready for some photo hopping fun? Of course you are! Link up with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos and start having that fun!

Stacked Up

I have stacked up some old windows for some projects I want to do. I don't like cookie cutter frames and found that old house windows can make great frames. These came from a house built in 1923 and is Craftsman style. There are leaded glass windows in this stack. I've used old windows before in a project that I did for Christmas this past year. You can see those here..... I think they came out pretty cool. They were for my kids.

Winter Wonderland

I could not make a choice of one. We really hadn't had any snow this year until this last week. My inner child was so happy to see this.

Sweet

Leftover Kisses from Christmas!

Hole

Yes, it's a hole in my jeans. Heavens to Mergatroid!

Frozen

The ice is here. We can see more and more ice fishermen sitting on buckets in the middle of an open area.

And for next week's categories go here.....

Leftover Photos

2012-01-14T00:00:00.012-06:00

These are photos that I've taken over the last couple of weeks that I haven't used elsewhere. I thought I would share them. They were all taken at my favorite park. I know, you all may get tired of seeing them but I don't and it's my blog. So there!

The first two were taken a few days ago. We had great sunshine and it was getting cold at night so ice was spreading everywhere.

These were taken on Thursday. We had our first major snow storm with actual drifts and bad roads. These were also taken out at the park. For those of you who know me, you all know I love trains. So I had to take one of the tracks with snow. Come on! You love it.

Photos and Friday Hops

2012-01-13T00:00:00.037-06:00

I thought I would share more photos with everyone this week as I love taking them.

This one was taken about a week ago. We've had rather mild weather in the upper Midwest for this time of year and it gives us the most beautiful and intense colors toward sunset.

The upcoming I Spy theme includes "Rusted" and this in one I took for that but won't be posting it there. I was able to get so many cool ones I couldn't share them all.

I took this photo a couple of months ago. I love the area this was taken. The water was so still that day I took advantage of it. The place is part of the Mississippi River so it usually shows running water. That's why this is so rare.

And for you photo takers out there, try Dazee, at Crazy Daze and Night Dreams, and me to share your photos with us. We start at 9PM each Wednesday evening and run through Monday the following week. This next week's categories are "Rusted" and "Your Choice". Grab the button and start shooting.

Memories and I Spy

2012-01-11T21:00:00.053-06:00

Today you would be 24 years old. I miss you every day because I think of you every day. No matter what I'm doing, something reminds me of you. It makes me happy more often than sad that I got to be your mom. I was so lucky to have known you and will always remember your laugh, your smile and your beautiful face.

This week's hop is special for me. Amanda would have been 24 years old. It seems impossible that it's been almost 8 years since she left us. In some ways it was yesterday, but in others, it was a lifetime ago. Almost as if another person lived it. So I hope this helps some search their archives and find those images that give them the most joy in photos. Join Dazee and me and share your photos with us. The following are mine.

Remembrance(s)

This was typical Amanda. Her smile and sense of fun was always first and foremost.

Since she also loved making others laugh, this was not unusual.

Aren't they the cutest little things? This is one of my favorites of all four of them when they were young.

You are looking at one of the last images I have of her. See how beautiful that smile is? It made all your troubles melt away.

Your Choice

These are my living kids. They are still the most important things in my life. As you can tell, they feel the same way about smiling and having fun like their baby sister. I think she was sent here to teach all of us that no matter how bad life gets, a smile can make your day.

Next week's categories are "Rusted" and "Your Choice".

It's Happening Again!!!

2012-01-11T00:00:00.007-06:00

Yes, it is. I heard it was true! Dazee, of Crazy Daze and Night Dreams, and I are having another I Spy. Oh yeah! It happens weekly starting at 8PM Central time every Wednesday evening. We give you a suggestion for one category and the other category is all yours. That's right! You get to choose a photo you want to share. The good part of it is the fact that you can choose one from your archives, take one with your phone, or pull it from your stash of 35mm photos you've taken from 20 years ago.

Now grab your camera, phone, or photo album and join in this week. The categories are "Remembrance(s)" and "Your Choice".

Come on, grab the button and show us what you see through your lens.

Tuesday Train

2012-01-09T20:00:00.019-06:00

I have been enjoying some time off from school for the last three weeks. That all came to an end on Monday morning. I am now in Successful Project Management. Sounds like fun right? We will see how it goes. It sounds to me like I'm going to have to complete another group project. The last two times I've done that, I haven't been happy with the leader of the group. Maybe that means I'm supposed to be the leader. Wish me luck on that if it comes to pass.

Enough about that now. Pay attention! It's time for the best train ride of your life!

If you are in for a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "Remembrance(s)" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 8pm Central time each Wednesday and runs through at least Monday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

Are Blog Hops Dead?

2012-01-09T00:00:00.011-06:00

I sure hope not. I just haven’t seen as many as I used to when I was a newbie at blogging. So I went on a hunt to see what was out there. And it’s difficult to find many. You can’t just Google them. Half the time I came up with only a few still current.

So what happens to blog hops? Do they run their course or do the hosts just give up? I think it’s a little of both.

Most of us get into the hops to expand our followers. I know I did when I first started. I also know that as I became more comfortable with my own writing and found my voice, I felt the need to join those hops less and less each week. I was also finding more specialized hops.

There are those who do reviews and giveaways with hops for other blogs who do the same. There are also those specifically for mommy blogs or faith-based blogs. I have seen a couple of book hops and photo hops. I’ve seen some that last a week, a month, or just a day. I love these because it gives us a chance to find similar blogs that we can truly enjoy.

For those of you who like to join the hops, here are a couple I think you should join in. Of course I’m touting my own! Did you honestly think I wouldn’t? Come on!

The first begins tonight at 8PM Central and is called the Tuesday Train. It is hosted by yours truly and the magnificent Survival Mama. Grab the button and link up tonight.

The other hop is called I Spy and is a photo hop. My super co-host is Dazee of Crazy Daze and Night Dreams. She is hilarious and no one should miss her. This hop opens up at 9PM Central on Wednesday evenings and runs through Monday the following week. This week’s categories are “Remembrance(s)” and “Your Choice”. What do you see through your lens?

It's Back.....Scavenger Hunt Sunday!!!

2012-01-07T22:59:00.015-06:00

The Hunt is back with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Aren't you all glad? I know she can challenge me every week. The first post for 2012 did again. I never can figure out how to make mine unique but I learn a lot from this hop. Let's get on with it and see if I was able to figure it out this week.

One Color

I had to take this one from the archives. I was not able to get out much this week.

Laundry

I will NEVER show anyone the whole pile of laundry.

Empty

These may be empty now, but they will have plants in them soon. My granddaughter painted them. Aren't they adorable?

One Dozen

What else but eggs?

Soft

I think the clouds and their reflection look soft. Don't you?

Next week's categories can be found here.....

Odds and Ends

2012-01-07T00:00:00.013-06:00

Since I don't really have anything to write today, I thought I would throw out a couple of photos. You know, the odds and ends of photos you don't use for hops. Okay, I have lots of those. I take a lot of photos. Yes, I admit it. I'm photophile. Is that a real word? I don't think so.

Anyway.......Here are a few I just thought I would share.

I'm not sure why someone would put a pumpkin there, but I had to shoot it. Yeah, that's me.

The blue of the water struck me that day. And, yes, it really was that color.

I love sepia. I think it gives a really old feel to whatever the subject matter is. For me, it's a landscape.

Winter Must Be Here

2012-01-06T00:00:00.049-06:00

Since we aren't doing the normal Friday hop, I thought I would post more photos I've taken. I'm not a professional so I just shoot away and hope for the best. Although I try to set up some shots, they don't always turn out the way I like. But sometimes I do.

For this post I thought I would show what the weather has been like here. We really haven't had much in the way of snow, but the cold is creeping in. You can see the ice coming. The temperatures have been fairly cold at night and with the last few days of high wind, the wind chill factors have been in the single digits. It is allowing the ice to start building up.

That allows more people to do the favorite past time of the upper Midwest. Yes, ice fishing! It sounds like so much fun. Sitting on ice with the wind blowing across the open area after drilling a hole so you can put your line down. Don't forget that you have to bait your hook and then just sit there.... For hours.... Sounds like fun to me. How about you?

This was my favorite of the ice shots I took. I'm not sure why, but no one knows why I like things. I'm even perplexed about that.

And for some blog hopping fun on a Saturday, check these out!

and

And for photo hopping fun, join the I Spy hop each and every Thursday. There is always one category given and the other is photographer's choice. Grab the button and link up with Dazee and me!

The upcoming categories are "Remembrance(s) and "Your Choice"

I Spy

2012-01-04T21:00:00.043-06:00

Hello! Hello! Did everyone survive the holidays? I did. And, I actually had fun. I chose not to go out for New Year's celebrations, but that's okay. Do you know why? I like my own company. And that's okay. Remember Stuart Smalley...cause "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." Now on with the hop with my buddy Dazee at Crazy Daze and Night Dreams. Do you realize how fun she is?

Next week's categories are "Remembrance(s)" and "Your Choice".

Project(s)

You may remember this as the project I completed for Christmas. There were actually three of them. I still have two more windows to work on. One will be for me and the other will be for my son's ex that actually understands family. I know, cheap shot, but it's true.

This will be a shadow box. It was a spoon display, but I like to change things up once in a while so now it's a shadow box. I just don't know what it will contain when I get done. I know it won't be the same color.

This is not my project. I do not have two teeth that protrude conspicuously from my mouth. Although I have front teeth, I'm sure they are not strong enough to do this. This is a beaver project. With all the water around here, they can be found almost anywhere. What? You thought it would be all about me?

Your Choice

This boy was so tuckered from coloring, he fell asleep right next to the crayons and coloring book.

Guess What Is Happenin' Tonight!!!

2012-01-04T09:11:00.000-06:00

Yeah you got it! At 9PM Central we go live for I Spy. You know the one. The one that has my buddy, Dazee at Crazy Daze and Night Dreams, and I have for the photo takers out there. We give you one category, the other is your choice. Tonight's are "Project(s) and "Your Choice". Come on! You know you want to. You can use a digital camera, a 35mm camera, or your camera on your phone. We don't care. They could come out of your archives too! I know I've posted a couple of those. We just want you to share. With that said, grab the button below and link up tonight at 9PM my time and 8PM Dazee's time (mountain) and lasts through Monday. We will see you there!

Tuesday Train

2012-01-02T20:00:00.005-06:00

I hope this finds everyone in good shape after all the New Year's festivities. I'm sure some of you stayed up too late, ate too much, and had a wee bit too much of the leftover egg nog. I can say I did not as I don't really partake of the real egg nog. So, I saw 2012 come in. Around here it means people are shooting off fireworks and making lots of noise. And I like my quiet. I know, I'm antisocial. Not really, but we'll leave that as our little secret.

We have to take a little time here and say adieu to our cohost, The House on the Corner. She is becoming a little overwhelmed these days and needs to take a blogging break. With any luck she will rejoin us soon and we will be happy to have her back. In the meantime, enjoy the ride.

Enough about that now. Pay attention! It's time for the best train ride of your life!

If you are in for a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "Project(s)" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 8pm Central time each Wednesday and runs through at least Monday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

Join the train ride with my cohost, The Survival Mama, and me, My Mad Mind. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012-01-01T09:19:00.000-06:00

And for all you foodies out there....

And just for my weird sense of humor.....

Hope everyone is safe from the festivities last night and I wish you all a great 2012!!!

No More FUF and.......Do Ya See This Car?

2011-12-30T00:00:00.009-06:00

For all the faithful followers of Fawk You Friday, Boobies and I would like to say thank you for the last year and a half. We have been able to share our misery with all of you and you shared yours with us. We have been most honored to have been your outlet when you needed it. Which brings me to the point.

Fawk You Friday has come to a close. We both are very busy with things in our lives that must come first which, unfortunately, means something has to give. I've absolutely enjoyed Fawk You Fridays but it is time to put it to rest. It doesn't mean we have to be strangers. We can still catch up with each other's blogs any day of the week. So we will see out there in Blog Land.

Now on to the reason I may miss this hop.

Do Ya See This Car?

I came out of the store to find this car parked so close to mine, I had to be VERY careful how I got into mine. Otherwise, I might have scratched the other car. And although I have a trusty, rusty, beast to drive I don’t want to put dings in it either.

So I left a note. It goes like this….

“Thanks to your awesome parking job, I almost couldn’t get into my car.”

I probably should have stayed long enough to see who came out but I didn’t have the time. I think from now on I will be leaving notes for rude parkers.

I Spy and Happy New Year!

2011-12-28T21:00:00.029-06:00

After Christmas

This just shows there are more people that have gifts from my house. One of them came the day after Christmas since they were out of town.

This was just a small portion of the mess.

Also a small portion of the mess. Yikes!

I found this tiny hair clip in the bathroom. I'm pretty sure a little girl left it.

I included this photo for one reason. There are gifts here for two little ones who probably will not get them. The only way we can see them is if a certain person has my son's phone number and we do EXACTLY as she says. The bottom line is this. She is refusing to let anyone else see the kids. This is HER doing, not ours.

Your Choice

I have never included my son-in-law in the blog, but I have to say this about him. He is a wonderful, awesome, and absolutely great dad to my granddaughter. This photo tells a whole lot.

We would really like to see what you have to share. Next week's categories are "Project(s)" and "Your Choice". Have some fun with us!

Tuesday Train

2011-12-26T20:00:00.013-06:00

Did everyone have a great holiday? I did. All my kids were here, along with one of the grandkids. Then we had dinner. And, of course, we all ate too much. Then this evening we had a couple more over and opened more gifts. It's been a long weekend but it was fun. I missed having others over, but, alas, it was not allowed. I guess not everyone is in the holiday spirit.

Enough about that now. Pay attention! It's time for the best train ride of your life!

If you are in for a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "After Christmas" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 8pm Central time each Wednesday and runs through at least Monday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

My Project This Year

2011-12-26T00:00:00.024-06:00

I always do a sentimental gift for my kids each Christmas. This year was no different. Sit back and enjoy the progress!

The first photo was before primer. The next two were post primer.

These are post paint. Trust me it was not fun. It was so humid I didn't think the paint would EVER dry!

And these are the finished products. Yes, I know they aren't perfect. I did repurpose the windows ya know! I think the kids liked them. The photos are of them when they were young.

Hope you all enjoyed my attempt at creating something. Most of the time it means a camera and lens not old windows. Oh well!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone has a great day! We'll see you tomorrow!

What Are You Planning For the Weekend?

2011-12-24T00:00:00.008-06:00

I’m sure no one is reading too many blogs today, but I was just curious to find out what everyone is doing for the weekend. I’d like to hear your plans.

Mine are simple. Tonight I will be visiting a friend’s house. He has a little soirée every Christmas Eve for family and friends to stop by and say hi. It will be fun. I’ll get to see his parents. I don’t get to see them often enough. It’s a long story, but he and his parents are very important in the life of the Mad Mind you all read.

I probably won’t be out too late as Sunday will be very busy. By 1pm I will have all my kids here plus one grandchild. We won’t eat until later though. We’ve all decided to open gifts first and then we will eat. That’s always nice for me because I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn.

And here's a little bit of advice for those of you who may have dysfunctional people associated with your family. The moral of the story is…….. Don’t accuse anyone of something horrible if you can’t respond to texts or phone calls.

So what are you doing the rest of the weekend?

No FUF, Just Fluff

2011-12-23T00:00:00.029-06:00

Once again we are having a bit of a FUF break. Too many things going on to keep up with this no matter how much we love it. So be prepared on January 6th because we will be back with a roar.

I thought I would share some of my photos once again. Just to bother you with my endless photos of landscapes. Yeah I know. Let's get it over with.

These first two were taken in the same park I usually take refuge in. The day these were taken the water was so still that the reflections are almost perfect. I love days like that.

The train that normally sits at this location is orange in color. In fact, I haven't seen any that was another color until a couple of days ago when I took this.

These two photos were taken in a park called Pettibone. It's a really neat spot, it is just a lot busier than Goose Island. The first is a gazebo that's really cool and the other is of a tree that intrigues me. It is smooth and you can see it is not a living tree anymore. But there is a cut toward the base of it that could not have been made just be using a pen knife. Interesting!

This one is just for laughs. Just as I snapped, she had to lick her chops. Isn't she funny?

So I hope you all enjoyed these today. If you want to have some fun and go on a hop with me and my buddy, Dazee, of Crazy Daze and Night Dreams, check out our I Spy photo hop. This coming week's categories are "After Christmas" and "Your Choice". Grab the button below and hop along. It will go live at 9pm on Wednesday, December 28th and every Wednesday after that, same time. We would love to see your interpretations.

I Spy

2011-12-21T21:00:00.018-06:00

Is everyone ready? I know I am! I love doing this hop. Dazee and I are glad you are here. This week should be fun. I love lights and since I can't do anything normal, I won't have the "normal" lights.

Now you know there are no real rules with our little hop. You can take photos with your camera, phone, or pull them from the archives you have on 35mm. I know I have a "few" of those. Okay, I have a lot. So sue me! Anyways.......that's about it. We just want you to have fun and enjoy our photos while we enjoy yours.

Next week's categories are "After Christmas" and "Your Choice".

Are you ready for the photos? I can't wait to see yours! Here are mine!

Light(s)

The first two are self explanatory. Christmas lights taken in the dark.

This one is a little different. It's the head"light" most likely from the Model T era. Love it! And, yes, it's mine.

Traffic lights fit the category too.

And this is the local convenience store. They are a huge presence in the tri-state area.

I just like how the lights show up from my Dept. 56 and Lefton houses.

Your Choice

This is now my desktop background.

Now I'm anxious to see yours!

Tuesday Train and Happy Holidays!

2011-12-19T20:00:00.008-06:00

Okay so last week I thought it was Christmas. Can you tell how school has been going? I'm so far off on time I don't know which way is up, down, or sideways. So let's try this again. I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend and you get to see your loved ones. I know sometimes we have to choose another time for getting together, but that's what happens when everyone gets older.

Have a great week and we'll see you after Christmas!

For a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "Light(s)" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 8pm Central time each Wednesday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

Not Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-12-17T23:00:00.019-06:00

I just didn't feel the categories for the normal Scavenger Hunt Sunday this week. So I decided to post five random photos that I've taken within the last couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy!

As you all know, I LOVE trains.

I woke up to this on Saturday. It's beautiful!

This is one of my favorite places here. I took this from a platform that has an old-fashioned water pump.

This was actually taken about a month ago. The ducks have all flown south now and we don't see many birds now.

And this is the hand pump on the platform. Pretty cool, huh?

There is no Scavenger Hunt next Sunday as it is Christmas. Have a great one!

FUF Update and The Great Candy Cane Caper

2011-12-16T00:00:00.022-06:00

Many of you may be wondering why there is no Fawk You Friday for a few weeks. Well, Boobies has been having some issues that need to be taken care of and as we all know, family comes first above everything else. With this being an extremely busy time of year, I'm swamped just with school alone so we will return next year. Wow that sounds weird. Okay it’s only 3 weeks. January 6, 2012 to be exact. But it is technically next year.

So you get an off post from me. How fun, you say? I knew you would love it. Here it goes!

The Great Candy Cane Caper

It happened a long time ago, in a life far, far past. There was a little girl named Amanda. She loved Christmas so much her mama would put up the tree the day before Thanksgiving just so she could see the lights a little longer than most. It would be decorated with all the lights and ornaments her mom had to make it special. She even added something extra just for Amanda and her siblings. It was something they could take off the tree and enjoy. They were candy canes.

From the time those kids were little there were candy canes on the tree every Christmas. For many years, those candy canes would disappear from the bottom two feet of the tree. It was a mystery that endured for about two days. That was until Amanda’s mom walked around the corner.

You see, Amanda was unable to walk without assistance. The result was that she scooted on the floor a lot so she could move around the house on her own. She played hide and seek with her brothers and sister by hiding behind a chair. And she was able to do that all by herself. She was very proud of that. What she couldn’t do was reach very high because she couldn’t stand on her own and she was a tiny girl.

One day, Amanda’s mom was working in the kitchen and went to check on her. She had been playing with Georgie, the awesome Boxer girl, in the living room that held the tree. Although Amanda’s mom could see most of the living room from the kitchen, she could not see the tree because it was in the corner. After a couple of minutes, she poked her head around the corner and saw something rather interesting and very sweet.

Amanda was taking the candy canes from the tree as high as she could reach and she was stashing them under the chair that was closest to the tree. Her mom thought it was so cute, she didn’t interrupt her. Every year that Amanda was alive, her mom put candy canes on the tree just for her. Her last Christmas found her too weak to scoot over to the tree, so her brothers snitched them for her and gave her a bag she could “hide” them in. Her mom was so touched she has continued the tradition of candy canes on the tree to this day. Until this year, it was common knowledge that kids were taking them off the tree.

This year the candy canes started disappearing without explanation. Grandkids were not taking them without someone knowing they did. Amanda’s mom would find a candy cane on the floor next to the tree and be puzzled. She thought maybe Amanda’s brother was doing that and just not saying anything. Maybe he was trying to recreate the fun that Amanda provided. That was not the case, however. It was a mystery.

That was until a few days ago. Amanda’s mom was working in the kitchen and basement. It was the normal dishes and laundry chores. When she came around the corner, she saw a curious site. There was another little girl snitching candy canes from the bottom of the tree. And her name was……Maddy. She was nosing them off the tree and carrying them off. Amanda’s mom realized that the ones she had found on the floor was the result of a caper in progress. She had foiled the perpetrator. Here’s her mugshot….

So if you find some Twilight Zone moments in your life, embrace them. It might just be a loved one channeling a cherished moment through an unusual and unsuspecting accomplice. It might just be one of these two jokers who loved to have fun.

I Spy and Happy Holidays!!!

2011-12-14T21:00:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! How's everyone doing today? We are having fun this week. I hope everyone is getting ready for the upcoming festivities. I know I am. Dazee is all done with her Christmas shopping and I am so jealous about that. But then she is very organized. Much more than I am. (Don't tell her I said that).

Now you know there are no real rules with our little hop. You can take photos with your camera, phone, or pull them from the archives you have on 35mm. I know I have a "few" of those. Okay, I have a lot. So sue me! Anyways.......that's about it. We just want you to have fun and enjoy our photos while we enjoy yours.

Are you ready for the photos? Let's see yours! Here are mine!

Texture

Texture in nature can be found anywhere. This one was given to us by a beaver.

And believe it or not, this is the surface of a rock.

I love food, don't you? Texture can always be found in food.

And this one is just for fun. I added a little antique finish to it.

Your Choice

In keeping with the texture theme, I thought I would give you more texture. These were taken on an industrial street in town. A little gritty, but I like it.

Can you tell I love texture?

Next week's categories are "Lights" and "Your Choice". We can't wait to see you there.

Does Anyone Read This Blog?

2011-12-14T00:00:00.001-06:00

I mean really! I’m asking because I have one person who consistently comments. (That would be Dazee Dreamer for those of you who are wondering. She will not be offended by this post.)

The concern that I have is that I have become a blog with nothing to say. All I am doing these days is posting photos and leading a hop. When I do make posts that are talking about what’s going on, I really don’t get any feedback. This has been going on for some time so I can’t blame it on the time of year. It just seems like no one is listening.

I know I don’t comment as much and that could be part of the problem. If I’m not commenting, no one is looking at my blog. For someone with over 850 followers though, it seems odd that only a couple comment regularly. Okay so I’m complaining. I’ll knock it off now.

What do you think is the problem? Have I somehow become irrelevant?

Tuesday Train and I Spy

2011-12-12T20:00:00.016-06:00

I'M ALMOST DONE WITH CLASSES FOR THIS TERM!!! Did I just yell that? YES I DID!!! This class has been brutal with all the writing that it has required. I'm still working on the final paper for the class, but I'm getting there. Then I can relax for a couple of weeks before it starts all over again.

Because of personal issues going on, I have decided to delay my graduation. I know it's a disappointment for me, but it will be better in the long run. Too many things are going on right now to put enough into school, so I need to slow that down and get more involved when I'm in a better position to do so. Hopefully, that will be sooner than later.

I hope you all have a great weekend with your families and we'll see you on the train after Christmas!

For a little more hopping fun, you should join me and my buddy, Dazee Dreamer, on the I Spy hop on Thursday. We love to share photos with each other and thought we would share with all of you. The rules are actually few. There is always one category we choose and one that is yours. You can take photos with your phone, pull them from your archives, or alter them in any way.

Just grab the button and have some fun. This week's categories are "Texture(s)" and "Your Choice." The link goes live at 11pm Central time each Wednesday. Come on! What do you see through your lens?

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

A Note About FUF!!!

2011-12-12T10:33:00.000-06:00

For those of you who have been faithful to Boobies and me, we want to thank you so much for linking up every week on Fawk You Friday. Because of time constraints and personal issues, we are going to take a break from FUF for a few weeks. At this time, we are scheduled to return January 6th. If there is a change to that schedule we will let you know. In the meantime....

Keep all your frustrations and irritations written somewhere and save up. You know as well as I do that the holidays can be very trying and we WILL need to let them fly. So remember, we will see you back in January.

Oh did you know you can schedule the post? For you blogging newbies, that is awesome. Start the post, write whenever you find something to tell us, and it will post when we are ready to do so.

Until then! Happy Holidays! And blog, blog, blog!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-12-10T22:59:00.007-06:00

What do you see through your lens? You should really link up and see what others interpretations of the categories are. Ashley at Ramblings and Photos has some fun ones. Come on and join the fun!

Less is More

I wasn't sure about this category but came up with a couple of things. The first is a Santa I've had for several years. I love his understated colors. He's more traditional colored. Now that I look at him a little closer, he looks a little like a Sasquatch.

And this was me playing with the settings on the camera. This is looking down the street from my house. I like that the main things you see are the lights and not much more.

Holiday Lights

I have a piece of Colorado driftwood that I decorate each year with garland and other types of decorations. This year I decided to add the poinsettia lights that I've also had for some time. It makes for a great night light.

Ornaments

This was given to me by friends for Amanda's last Christmas. It's been on the tree every year since.

Cup of Cheer

Yeah, I know the traditional is eggnog. Sorry, but Madagascar Vanilla Red is my cup of cheer.

Nativity

This is the Nativity in the park.

And next week's categories are here.....

We All Have a Petty Person in Us

2011-12-10T13:48:00.000-06:00

Oh yes…we do. I’ll bet even Mother Theresa had spurious thoughts about those around her. Can’t you hear what she may have thought about the rich jerks that didn’t help the world’s poor? One might be, “They should rot in hell for their lack of compassion”. Yeah, I’m sure she would think that.

You see, we are all human. We may not voice everything we think, but we do think them. Mine are just as bad as some I’ve heard out loud. When someone does or says something that is absolutely uncalled for, I think what I would like to do or say to them.

Let’s say someone calls me lazy, stupid, fat, a horrible mother/grandmother, or an old hag. What do you think my first thought is? Mine goes to the lack of intelligence shown by resorting to name calling. It’s like listening to children on the playground who have never been taught how wrong that is. So I did have a thought about how much I think of that person’s intelligence. See? I told you so.

And don’t tell me you don’t have those same kinds of thoughts. Human beings will naturally defend themselves. Some of us just do it in our heads so we won’t show everyone how ridiculously petty we are. Why? Because we have self control that others do not.

I know when to be civil and show some decorum. Do you have class….and a stop button?

FUF!!!

2011-12-08T22:00:00.001-06:00

Here we are once again and do I have some unloading to do. It has been another horrendous week that I've had enough of. This may be a little different than normal. So sit back, put your feet up, and read away. Join me and my buddy, J at Boobies, Babies, and a Blog, for some fun letting loose on those things and people that drive you up a tree with crazed eyes and scary thoughts. It's gonna be a fun experience.

Now you don't have to use our button. We understand if you or your readers don't find it particularly appealing. We got it! No problem! Just share your stories of frustration and irritation. That's all we ask! Really!

Now let's get on to mine 'cause I'm really ticked this week.

Fawk You to those who think they can dictate my life. YOU DO NOT DECIDE MY SCHEDULE AND IF YOU WANT HELP, YOU ASK, YOU DO NOT ORDER ME TO HELP YOU!!!

Fawk You to all the politicians who want to see themselves on television and just love to hear their own voices. NONE OF YOU ARE DOING ANYTHING TO IMPROVE OR FIX THE PROBLEMS!!! Everyone wants to blame the other side when THEY JUST FLAP THEIR GUMS!!! GET ON WITH SOLVING ISSUES AND WORK T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.!!!!!

Fawk You to Blogger once again. YOU WON'T LET ME DO ANYTHING BUT POST!!! I WANT TO CHANGE THINGS AND YOU ARE CAUSING ME TO GET REALLY TICKED OFF AT YOU!!! FIX YOUR ISSUES!!!

Fawk You to cancer. YOU SUCK!!! YOU TOOK HER AWAY AND THAT'S ALL I CAN THINK OF THESE DAYS!!!

I Spy

2011-12-07T23:00:00.010-06:00

I have so many decorations I had to decide which ones I was going to use this week. Let's see what you have and what your decorations are. I can't wait to see what everyone else is sharing with me and my buddy Dazee today. I know she's excited. We are having so much fun with this. So get your camera out and start snapping. We really want to see your vision.

Next week's categories are "Texture" and "Your Choice".

Link up with us today to share your photos!

Decoration(s)

These are my little snowflakes in the window!

Who doesn't need glitter on decorations?

I keep wondering which one this is because he obviously doesn't have a red nose.

Your Choice

I had to share this one because I thought it looked hilarious. I created a bokeh without meaning too!

I know I do a lot of landscapes but it was so quiet and peaceful the day I took this. It was snowing at the time but it's hard to see.

Tuesday Train

2011-12-05T20:00:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, I have been going to school online. In fact, I've been going since May of 2008. For the most part, I truly love it. It's been a blast. Except for one thing. A class I have will require a group project. I do not enjoy that. A group means more than one. It means sharing. For the full story on what I think of group projects go here. I still haven't heard anything from my group.

Enough about me and my failings! On with the ride!

I Will Be the Leader Next Time

2011-12-05T00:00:00.019-06:00

When you attend school online, you don’t really have the personal interaction you may have had when attending a physical classroom. So to enhance the interaction, once in a while there will be a group project. So far, it has all been writing research papers that all of us have a part in. Well, I’ve had my fill of not being the leader.

I’m not trying to brag, but I do really well with written assignments. It seems to be my forte, if you will. The class I’m currently in has been a lot of work, but I like the subject which is Leadership. We have had to write several 1500 word papers in full APA format with a final of 2500 words. The group project we just finished was 2500 words but with four of us participating it didn’t seem too overwhelming. That is until the leader, which is not me, decided to correct my work.

The problem that developed was after I submitted the work to the group file after I corrected their citations. None of them had used any correctly. In addition to that, the leader had changed some of my writing as though I had used a direct quotation and it was not a direct quotation. I’m the only one that had used the correct format for it. The reason I know this, you ask? Because I have turned in four different papers for this same class that are my own writing; with my own citations; and I have had a perfect score on all of them.

At the time of this writing, I don’t know if they listened to what I explained. I’ll have to fill you in later on that. I have learned my lesson though. The next time I have to be involved with a group research paper, I will insist on having the last say.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-12-03T22:59:00.022-06:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

Portrait

This is my buddy, Maddy. She is a great companion and loves the little ones. (You will probably not catch me doing a self portrait....ever).

Nostalgic

Found this on display at the park. You can get in and have your picture taken in a sleigh. How great is that?

Time

I've spent a few hours looking at this clock. It's across from where we sit during the Oktoberfest parade.

Full of Light

This was taken with my phone. I was picking up my grandson when I got out of the car and realized they were just turning on the lights at the field. I loved the color of the sunset in the same shot.

Motion

And this is my granddaughter. I'm not sure she ever sits still. The term "always in motion" definitely pertains to her.

And next week's categories can be found here.......

FUF!!!

2011-12-01T22:00:00.023-06:00

Here we are once again and do I have some unloading to do. It has been a horrendous week that I've had enough of. This may be a little different than normal. So sit back, put your feet up, and read away. Join me and my buddy, J at Boobies, Babies, and a Blog, for some fun letting loose on those things and people that drive you up a tree with crazed eyes and scary thoughts. It's gonna be a fun experience.

Now you don't have to use our button. We understand if you or your readers don't find it particularly appealing. We got it! No problem! Just share your stories of frustration and irritation. That's all we ask! Really!

Now let's get on to mine 'cause I'm really ticked this week.

Fawk You to people who think that once I say I'm tired of being walked on, i.e. being a doormat, and still do the exact thing I told them not to do to me. I am NO ONE'S DOORMAT!!! You don't get to treat me that way and get away with it. I will confront you. YOU GOT ME?!!? I'm done.

Fawk You to a certain Audi driver out there. How dare you flip me off when you were the one tailgating and had to slam on your brakes while doing so to me. I WASN'T SLAMMING ON MY BRAKES BECAUSE I WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND SLOWING DOWN ACCORDINGLY!!! YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME!!! AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE JERK ON THE ROAD, YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE YOUR PRECIOUS AUDI DOESN'T SMOKE LIKE A CHIMNEY STACK!!! SHEEZ!!!

Fawk You to the crappy weather we have right now. AT LEAST SNOW SO I CAN SEE SOMETHING PRETTY INSTEAD OF THIS DREARY, OVERCAST, AND GRAY BEYOND WORDS THAT IS OURS EVERY DAY!!!

Fawk You to cancer. THIS TIME OF YEAR REALLY SUCKS BECAUSE OF YOU!!! YOU ROBBED THE WORLD OF A SPECTACULAR LITTLE GIRL THAT DIDN'T HURT ONE PERSON!!! ALL SHE DID WAS LOVE THEM!!! DRY UP, BLOW YOURSELF TO OUTER SPACE, AND FIND A BLACK HOLE TO BE SUCKED INTO!!!!

I Spy

2011-11-30T23:00:00.018-06:00

Is everyone ready for today? I know I am. I can't wait to see what everyone else is sharing with me and my buddy Dazee today. I know she's excited. We are having so much fun with this. So get your camera out and start snapping. We really want to see your vision.

Next week's categories are "Decoration(s)" and "Your Choice".

Link up with us today to share your photos!

Up

This is literally up.

We have some really cool old buildings downtown. Most are brick and have all the fancy brickwork.

Up a tree!

Looking up to the angel on top of my tree.

Your Choice

Let's just say a bad setting on my camera and Christmas lights on the tree.

These guys are hilarious to watch. They fish all the time. Sometimes I find them with their heads underwater for what seems like forever.

There Are Certain Words

2011-11-30T00:00:00.013-06:00

There are certain words that are rather abhorrent to me. I’ll explain why with each one. My buddy Dazee thinks I just don’t swear. That isn’t entirely true. I have been known to use a couple. Of course, people usually look at me funny because it isn’t normal for me. It doesn’t mean I’m a goody two shoes either. It just means I use other words. Well here we go with my personal list of not-so-acceptable words. And out of respect for others, some will not be spelled out.

The “C” word that refers to a woman’s body part is absolutely disgusting to me. It isn’t like other words that have been in use for 100 years, it was first used as a vulgarity in the 1970’s. It is meant as demeaning to women and I find it so bad, I cringe when I hear it. A man first used the term and that tells me it is used for humiliation. That is not acceptable for me.

Another word is tolerance. We all have to tolerate certain things in our lives. We don’t like what we are subjected to with others but that is life. I am talking about the need to teach “tolerance” of others. This term is usually used when society tells us we need to tolerate those not like us. I am specifically referring to prejudicial issues such as gay or lesbian, or race. My question is simple. Why do we not teach children acceptance? There is a HUGE difference in the two terms. Think about it. What a person does may not acceptable, but who a person is, should be.

The last word that really gets me is used far more than should be. It began as a medical term and is now used to demean others. That word is “retard”. Even typing this I am cringing. I have a personal example of how this word can hurt someone. And it all begins with a little girl named Amanda.

Amanda’s health issues had left her virtually speechless. Two strokes, viral encephalitis, and damage from a brain tumor and subsequent surgery had left her with only a handful of words and you had to speak “Amanda” to understand most of those. The thing that took people by surprise was the fact that she understood everything that was said to or around her. It also meant that words could make her cry because she understood them.

One day at school, she was in the hall talking to her brother when another little boy came up to her brother and said he had a retard for a sister. Of course my son stood up for Amanda, but Amanda started crying. SHE KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT!!!

People should stop and think before they open their mouths and insert their feet. Some say that words cannot hurt if you don’t let them. I’m here to tell you they cannot be taken back once they have been put out there. Some things should just be kept to yourself.

Tuesday Train

2011-11-28T20:00:00.003-06:00

Wow! I almost spaced this one! Thanks to my girls (cohosts), they made sure I got the linky ready and didn't forget my own post. I've been gone most of the last two days and let's just say that the older I get, the more my memory shows its weaknesses. Anyway, I made it again thanks to the girls. Be sure you visit them and have some fun. They really are fun.

Enough about me and my failings! On with the ride!

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

What Is Happening?

2011-11-27T22:12:00.000-06:00

I know I’ve been gone for some time and can’t seem to write anything. I will tell you that the last week has been very busy for me. I fixed two big meals this week.

On Thursday, it was only four of us that got together because of everyone else’s schedule so we made the big meal on Saturday. The only problem was that I still had people to fix for on Thursday. So I thought I would do spaghetti. Well, I made a production of it. So it was almost as big a deal as Saturday.

My son requested meatballs. Not just spaghetti, but spaghetti with meatballs. And I can’t make just any meatballs. No, I have to make real meatballs and make them large. I figured out I didn’t have enough Italian sausage so I took an equal amount of ground beef and added garlic, oregano, and all the seasonings, then mixed it with the sausage. Then I could make some big meatballs.

That wasn’t all of it. I also fixed a huge amount of pasta along with garlic bread. Before I even started on that I made cinnamon rolls. I know I’m so awesome!

Now we can start on what happened on Saturday. A full Thanksgiving meal was had by all. My daughter brought a yummy salad and an even more yummy pie that was handmade. Had a couple of the grandkids with us too so it was fun watching them.

And what, do you ask, was the worst part of all? I don’t have a dishwasher! Yes, two full, large meals with no dishwasher. My hands are itching like crazy today. My skin doesn’t like dish soap very much. I feel like I washed dishes for three days straight. I know. Don’t cry about it. BUT MY HANDS ITCH!!!

So what is going on with all of you?

FUF!!!

2011-11-24T22:00:00.001-06:00

Okay no excuses now. We tell everyone the same thing. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, really don't care if you don't like or want to use our button. We really just want to share your irritations you've had for the past week. Really there is no catch. Just link up and let us sympathize with you. You might even have some fun.

I almost forgot. Okay, so the post went up with only the linky and the title on it. What? It's Thanksgiving! I was cooking all day. What were you doing? I thought so. Let's get on with it.

Here's my list. I'll be waiting for yours.

Fawk You to ME!!! WHERE WAS MY BRAIN? I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THIS AND POSTED ONLY THE LINKY!!! GET WITH THE PROGRAM KNUCKLEHEAD!!!

Fawk You to school and all the writing you make me do. REALLY? DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME DO SO MUCH?!!?

Fawk You to life right now. I know I used this one last week but it still fits. EASE UP ON ME PLEASE!!!

Fawk You to cancer. YOU HAVE MADE HOLIDAYS EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS OUT THERE WHO LOST A LOVED ONE NEAR THEM. YOU ARE THE LOWEST FORM OF LIFE I CAN THINK OF AND YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE ON ANY LIST THAT INCLUDES A LIFE FORM. YOU ARE VERMIN!!!

I Spy and Thankful Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T23:00:00.028-06:00

I hope everyone is having a great day. It's a little slow here for us. We are having the "big" get together on Saturday because of all the other plans going on. So I decided to make spaghetti. What does my son ask? Not just spaghetti, it has to have meatballs. We aren't Italian so I just put sausage in it. And he wants meatballs. Sheez! I'll be earning my chops today I'll tell you. Now are you ready for the hop? I am!

I know this is going to be fun! I look forward to this every week. Don't you? Are you ready to link up with me and Dazee at Crazy Daze and Nite Dreams? We are ready for you to link up and have some fun. And you know how it works. Every week we give you a suggestion for one category and it's your choice for the second. Take your photos with your phone, camera, or find it in your archives. I even have some 35mm shots in mine. That means you could have taken it years ago. It's okay! We don't care. We just want to see your vision. I can't wait to see what you have to show us this week.

Next week's categories are "Up" and "Your Choice". Link up and show us what you have. Here are my entries for this week!

Thankful

Let me just say that I have some funny kids. They always have to be goofy when I try to get their picture together. This was taken on the Fourth of July. It was one of the few times they are all in the same place at the same time. I will get that again on Saturday. I'm stoked.

Your Choice

I cannot get close enough to these swans to get a very good photo. They take up roost several hundred yards offshore. I can't get a good count on them either. I would have to say there are around 100 plus. They stay here every year for just a few days. It's so cool.

Tuesday Train and Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T20:00:00.008-06:00

Welcome to the Tuesday Train! I'm so happy to see you here. Since this week is Thanksgiving, I though I would start the week off by telling you all something I'm thankful for. The answer is simple. I know that when I die, they won't be talking about how much stuff I had. I'm going for the...."She really loved her kids". I am so thankful they are my kids I could not be prouder of them. I'm hoping that's what they talk about when I'm gone. It has been a privilege being their mom. And, no, I'm not dying. I'm just very grateful for my kids.

Enough about me! On with the ride!

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-11-19T22:59:00.017-06:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

It's been one of those weeks. I almost didn't get anything done for this. I just realized that 3 of these would qualify for SOOC!

Mainly One Color

An odd choice, but it is an outhouse.

Around the Home

Pumpkins and leaves mean autumn!

Reflection

It was a very dreary day the day I took this one.

Writing

I love calligraphy. I just wish I could do it better.

Water

Living on the Mississippi means water, water, everywhere.

And next week's categories can be found here........

Fawk You Friday

2011-11-17T22:00:00.002-06:00

Okay no excuses now. We tell everyone the same thing. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, really don't care if you don't like or want to use our button. We really just want to share your irritations you've had for the past week. Really there is no catch. Just link up and let us sympathize with you. You might even have some fun.

Here's my list. I'll be waiting for yours.

Fawk You to doctors and their constant nagging about your health. Okay, I know I need to be better. BUT HOW DO YOU GET BETTER WHEN ALL YOU HEAR IS YOU CAN'T EAT!??!

Fawk You to those who wish to "keep you in your place". WHEN YOUR PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR NEVER CHANGES YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE CONSEQUENCES!!! I WILL FIGHT BACK!!!

Fawk You to life right now. YOU ARE THROWING TOO MUCH AT ME AND I'M TIRED!!! I WANT A BREAK!!!

Fawk You to cancer. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSES!!! YOU TEAR PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEIR LOVED ONES AND ALTER THEIR LIVES FOREVER!!! DO EVERYONE A FAVOR AND DISAPPEAR!!!

I Spy

2011-11-16T23:00:00.000-06:00

I know this is going to be fun! I look forward to this every week. Don't you? Are you ready to link up with me and Dazee at Crazy Daze and Nite Dreams? We are ready for you to link up and have some fun.

Now you know how it works. Every week we give you a suggestion for one category and it's your choice for the second. Take your photos with your phone, camera, or find it in your archives. I even have some 35mm shots in mine. That means you could have taken it years ago. It's okay! We don't care. We just want to see your vision. I can't wait to see what you have to show us this week.

Next week's categories are "Thankful" and "Your Choice". Link up and show us what you have.

Chair(s)

I love this chair. I think it is a great looking chair and love the design. I picked it up a garage sale for about 2 bucks!

Your Choice

This is just a character. He makes me laugh all the time.

Tuesday Train Once Again!

2011-11-14T20:00:00.000-06:00

So I did something I've never done. I dropped one of my classes. Because of the book issue, I was unable to find things I needed to in order to learn anything so I made a decision. We'll see how this plays out. I will have to take the class again, but I am hoping they will have fixed the ebook issue by then. It's just ridiculous. How can you learn without the proper materials? I'm already challenged! You know what I mean.

Enough about me! On with the ride!

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-11-12T22:59:00.028-06:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

Before and After (processed image)

I don't do a lot of processing with my photos. I think I know why and it's a personal one. I want to remember what, or more precisely who, I shoot in full detail. So most of the time, you will only see a crop, maybe black and white or some other color change. These shots are of my favorite place in the area. So it may look familiar, just a different angle.

Here is the before...

And here is the after...

Opposing Lines

They are everywhere! I never realized it until I started looking for them. This first one was pretty obvious.

You can even find them in nature. No that is not a fallen limb. It is still living.

And gates always have the support lines. Lucky me!

Custom Bokeh

I could NOT get this to work so I did the normal Bokeh, at least as close as I could. We requested that everyone bring real plants and not just flower arrangements to Amanda's funeral. I divvied them up amongst those of us who actually have plants. To my knowledge, this is the only surviving plant. That was almost 8 years ago and this one is still going strong. WOW!

Which pair of shoes should I wear?

If I have a choice, it will always be these. We have walked many miles together. Merrell hikers are the best.

Little Features

My grandson's hands and feet. In the middle of winter he will be sans shoes and socks.

Next week's categories can be found here.........

I Had to Take One Day

2011-11-12T11:38:00.000-06:00

I had to make a real post today. A post that didn’t rant and rave or just show photos was needed. Here’s what I have to say.

Yesterday was Veteran’s Day, the day we show our gratitude to those who have served and continue to do so for the very freedoms we take for granted. I chose to extend that feeling through today.

I may not agree with everything our country does, but I will always be proud of this country. We are the first into natural disasters like the tsunami in Haiti and in Japan more recently. We not only brought in rescue teams, but supplies for those who needed them most. I remember when Mexico City had the massive earthquake in 1985. It was our search and rescue teams from the outside to assist in the efforts. We were first on scene.

We are one of the superpowers of the world and, yet, we are the youngest of all of those. With all the economic problems we have today, we are still here. We have survived wars, including one that could have torn us apart forever, but it only served to make us stronger.

What, do you ask, brought about this post? Well, I’ll tell you.

I was watching “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition” last night and they were focusing on our vets. One story has always made me proud of our soldiers enough to bring tears to my eyes. His name is Jason Thomas.

Jason was a Marine in Iraq. He came home without major injuries but continued to assist other Marines in his area that needed additional help. On 9/11, Jason, who was no longer an active Marine, put on his uniform and went to Ground Zero. He said he knew no one would stop him because of that very uniform. When asked why he did that, his answer was simple. “I’m a Marine. I have to go. It’s my duty”.

It is that sense of loyalty to our country that I find absolutely beyond words. Jason not only did this act of duty on his own, he is also responsible for finding the last two living Port Authority police officers during the rescue efforts.

On the same terrible day, retired Master Sgt. Max Beilke was working in the Pentagon. Master Sgt. Beilke was the last U.S. combat soldier to leave Vietnam. He lost his life on 9/11 still fighting for other veterans.

These examples are what I am most proud of in this country. Those that give so you and I can write what we want to, drive what we want to, and most importantly, live the way we want to.

Fawk You Friday

2011-11-10T22:00:00.016-06:00

Now I know some of you are worried about the button but you really shouldn't be. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, really don't care if you don't like or want to use our button. I mean seriously. We really don't. We just want to read what's been bugging you. We know you have some complaining to do. Why do we know this? Because we always do. Why not share and commiserate together? I say the more the merrier.

I was able to lighten my load a little at this time. I had to make a choice to drop one of my classes. Both classes were causing me to work 10 hours a day in order to make deadlines. Even my adviser was amazed that I had both classes at the same time. So I have a big "Whew!!!" to say this week. I know, you're used to my complaining. So let's get on with it.

Fawk You to food. DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO YUMMY?!!? I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT AND PAY ATTENTION TO MY HEALTH NOT THINK ABOUT YOU!!!

Fawk You to anyone who thinks I won't put my foot down. TAKE IT LIKE AN ADULT AND DEAL WITH IT!!!

Fawk You to the weather once again. I WANT COLDER WEATHER. NOT 40'S, IT NEEDS TO BE COLDER THAN THAT!!! I HAVE PROOF YOU ARE LATE THIS YEAR!!!

Fawk You to cancer. Still missing a little girl you took away from me. YOU NEED TO BE STOMPED OUT AND ERADICATED NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN!!!

I Spy

2011-11-09T23:00:00.034-06:00

Are you ready? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!! Are you ready to link up with me and Dazee at Crazy Daze and Nite Dreams? We are ready for you to link up and have some fun.

Now you know how it works. Every week we give you a suggestion for one category and it's your choice for the second. Take your photos with your phone, camera, or find it in your archives. I even have some 35mm shots in mine. That means you could have taken it years ago. It's okay! We don't care. We just want to see your vision. I can't wait to see what you have to show us this week.

Next week's categories are "Chair(s)" and "Your Choice". Link up and show us what you have.

Map(s)

This is one is of the places I like to spend time. It's very peaceful there.

And this one is my favorite set of maps. Yes, I'm a little old fashioned. I understand there are GPS units out there. This one is way more fun. Can you tell it's been used a bit? I used tape so it's good as new.

Your Choice

This was taken this morning. It's our first snow of the year. It will all be gone by the end of the day but I had to document it you know.

Get ready for the next I Spy! Next week's categories are "Chair(s)" and "Your Choice".

Tuesday Train

2011-11-07T22:00:00.003-06:00

Last week was just crazy! Right now my adviser at school is trying to figure out how to rearrange my schedule so my Finance class will come at a later date. The ebook I downloaded was so messed up I can't figure anything out and it is an intense class. I hope that by next week I'll just be down to the crazy writing class called Leadership. Both classes are very hard. Even my adviser is still in shock that they had me in both of them at the same time. I'm not working right now and I'm spending 10 hours a day on school. What would it be like if I was working? Not good I can tell you.

Enough about me! On with the ride!

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-11-05T22:59:00.000-05:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

Food

Chicken just doesn't look good on camera. Sorry!

Purple (Shades of Autumn prompt)

Let me introduce you to the "Purple Cat Monster".

In Disquise (Paper Heart Camera prompt)

Poor guy thought he could hide. I may have used this on another post but I have been so pressed for time this week.

Shapes (Ginger's prompt)

Kids toys always include shapes for puzzles and other things they play with.

Photographer's Choice

This was the view from my driveway to the park next door when I got up Friday morning.

Come on! Join the fun! You can find next week's categories can be found here........

Fawk You Friday

2011-11-03T22:00:00.021-05:00

Now I know some of you are worried about the button but you really shouldn't be. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, really don't care if you don't like or want to use our button. I mean seriously. We really don't. We just want to read what's been bugging you. We know you have some complaining to do. Why do we know this? Because we always do. Why not share and commiserate together? I say the more the merrier.

I honestly do not know where to start this week. It's been just crazy. Not a little bit, a lot. And I am not exaggerating in the least. You'll see.

Fawk You to home work. 1500 WORD ESSAYS IN FULL APA FORMAT EACH WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS WITH A FINAL DUE THAT NEEDS TO HAVE 2500 WORDS!!! I ALREADY HAVE WRITER'S BLOCK FOR THE BLOG. WHY ARE YOU ADDING SO MUCH MORE?!!?

Fawk You to those who like to say things about me and my family and then turn around and ask for help. Not just ask, expect. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I DETEST DOING ANYTHING FOR YOU?!!? AND I CAN'T SAY NO BECAUSE IT INVOLVES INNOCENT PEOPLE!!!

Fawk You to the weather. It is November and we still have blooms in places we shouldn't. JUST GET COLD SO MY ALLERGIES WILL GIVE ME A BREAK!!! I LOVE SNOW!!! IT KILLS THINGS!!!

Fawk You to cancer. THIS TIME OF YEAR JUST SUCKS FOR ME BECAUSE A LITTLE GIRL DOESN'T GET TO BE EXCITED OVER A PAIR OF SOCKS ANYMORE!!! YOU TOOK THE JOY OF WATCHING THAT AWAY FROM ME!!! YOU NEED TO BE EXTINGUISHED FOREVER!!!

Now it's your turn! LAY IT ON US!!!

I Spy

2011-11-02T23:00:00.022-05:00

Are you ready? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!! Are you ready to link up with me and Dazee at Crazy Daze and Nite Dreams? We are ready for you to link up and have some fun.

Now you know how it works. Every week we give you a suggestion for one category and it's your choice for the second. Take your photos with your phone, camera, or find it in your archives. We don't care. We just want to see your vision.

Next week's categories are "Map(s)" and "Your Choice". Link up and show us what you have.

Here we go with this week's entries.

Tree(s)

We have a lot of trees where I live. I'm going to guess there are more trees than people. So this one was easy.

Your Choice

This was taken the last day of the downtown farmer's market for the year. I'm so bummed.

Tuesday Train

2011-10-31T22:00:00.005-05:00

Well I got all the info on my classes this term. One is Finance and the other is Leadership. Now get this....The first 6 weeks in Leadership I have to write a 1500 word paper in full APA format each week. Then my final paper will be 2500 words. I'm not sure I'll survive. That's a lot of words. With the Finance class it may be putting terminology together that is my undoing. Some days I feel like my brains are just scrambled. Let's see if I can keep my head from exploding.

Now on to the show!

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

A Pet Peeve

2011-10-31T00:00:00.006-05:00

I know, I know. You think I complain enough. Well I’m sure all you ladies out there can relate to this one. It just baffles my mind.

I grew up in a house with 5 kids and I’m the oldest. That means that some bathroom etiquette doesn’t really bother me if it's ignored. I also grew up on a farm. Figure it out. I can talk to people through the door while I’m in there and if I’m using a two stall outhouse, someone can hear me tinkle and I don’t care. But there is something about public bathrooms and those who use them I do have a problem with.

When I use the public bathroom I look for the cleanest stall. You know how most of them have several stalls. When I’m the only one in there, I choose one at the end or at least close so others have several choices too. But I am always amazed at which stall another person will choose. And it never fails.

Someone else will come in and choose the stall right next to me! Why?!!? All those other stalls and they have to sit RIGHT NEXT TO ME!!! Well I don’t like it. I think there should be a law against it. If there’s no room, okay. If you have a choice, GET AWAY FROM ME!!!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

Macro/Close-Up

So which is his better side? His right? Maybe his left? It doesn't matter. It's too cold for him to be here so he was rather lethargic and sat there while I shot away. I hope the little guy makes it.

Found Texture

Stones always have texture. The leaves looked cool too so I included them both.

Home

This was Amanda's tray for her first wheelchair. She loved to have things on it so she was obliged. All the things you see were on there the last day she used it.

Cover

Tree cover on a gravel road is just cool to me.

The Tree

This category was a little tough seeing that there are very few trees alone around here. The upper midwest has more trees that open ground I think. This was as good as I could do.

Next week's categories can be found here.......

FUF!!!

2011-10-27T22:00:00.004-05:00

Now I know some of you are worried about the button but you really shouldn't be. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, really don't care if you don't like or want to use our button. I mean seriously. We really don't. We just want to read what's been bugging you. We know you have some complaining to do. Why do we know this? Because we always do. Why not share and commiserate together? I say the more the merrier.

Before I continue with my list, let's all wish J well. She had a wisdom tooth removed and as we all know, that is not fun. Now she has something to complain about. I only wish I could take the pain for her. I had mine out at 18. All four of them too. It was great. NOT!!! So I'm feeling really sympathetic for her today. Let's see what else I'm concerned about.

Fawk You to my favorite group of people. OTHER DRIVERS!!! STAY OUT OF MY WAY AND OFF THE ROAD!!! WE'LL ALL BE HAPPIER!!!

Fawk You to the city I live in. High taxes with no services and YOU STILL HAVE TO THREATEN MORE FINES IF I FORGET TO REGISTER MY DOG?!!? REALLY?!!? WHEN I NEED HELP WHERE ARE YOU?!!?

Fawk You to Walmart. When cleaning the bathrooms YOU DO NOT NEED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE BATHROOM CAUSING CUSTOMERS TO WALK ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORE!!! IT ISN'T ALWAYS CONVENIENT IF YOU GET MY DRIFT!!!

Fawk You to cancer. I DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR ABOUT YOU AGAIN. YOU RIP LOVED ONES AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES CAUSING THEM GRIEF BEYOND BELIEF!!!

Now it's your turn!

I Spy

2011-10-26T23:00:00.036-05:00

How is everyone this week? I know I keep asking that. Just wanting to know how the loyalists are doing. Are you ready to link up with me and Dazee at Crazy Daze and Nite Dreams? We are ready for you to link up and have some fun.

Now you know how it works. Every week we give you a suggestion for one category and it's your choice for the second. Take your photos with your phone, camera, or find it in your archives. We don't care. We just want to see your vision.

Here we go with this week's entries.

Just Like Halloween

I don't use the camera on my phone much. If I take one on there, it's usually for Facebook updates or something. So I though I would see what I could do with it this week. What do you think?

Your Choice

Since I grew up on a farm, I love old dairy barns. Where I live, they tend to repair and save them instead of tearing them down. I love that. Old silos are all over the place too. It is fun!

Next week's categories are "Tree(s)" and "Your Choice". Come on! Have some photo sharing fun! I'll see you there.

Tuesday Train

2011-10-24T22:00:00.009-05:00

I finished up with school this week and have a few days off before it all starts again. No, I'm not really looking forward to this term. I think I'm getting tired of the routine. I've been at it pretty much non-stop since May 2008 with short breaks in between. The economy has really been bad enough that my Associate's isn't opening any doors right now. It's frustrating because I really want to get a job in my field. I know it will come eventually but my patience is wearing thin.

Enough of that! On with the show!

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

I had a better week than last. In fact, I couldn't even link up last week because my brain would not come up with any ideas. This week was a little easier. So here we go!

Words

I love seeing these words. Especially when a train is near.

Under

This is the bridge that crosses the Mississippi here. If you want to go a little further north, you could be on the interstate. I find this one more interesting.

Orange

It's that time of year. The leaves are changing.

Fly

A small portion of the pelicans that were flying overhead.

This isn't that great, but at least you can tell it's a pelican. It was a very windy day.

Always Look On the Bright Side

Behind every cloud.......

Next week's categories can be found here......

FUF!!!

2011-10-20T22:00:00.022-05:00

How has your week been? Mine has been both fun and annoying. Fun because I got to see a friend I haven't seen in months and annoying because the weather is causing my headaches. Yes, I'm one of those people affected by the barometric pressure. Two days in a row I've dealt with the headache that goes with changes. Oh well!

Now I know some of you are worried about the button but you really shouldn't be. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, really don't care if you don't like or want to use our button. I mean seriously. We really don't. We just want to read what's been bugging you. We know you have some complaining to do. Why do we know this? Because we always do. Why not share and commiserate together? I say the more the merrier. Come on! Have fun with it! Now let's get to my list.

Fawk You to my allergies. Why do you attack me more the older I get? SHAME ON YOU FOR THINKING THAT'S OKAY!!! IT IS NOT!!!

Fawk You to food. I need to eat better and your goal is to make my life miserable. I DO NOT WANT MORE MEDS!!!

Fawk You to cancer. No capitals here. YOU DESERVE TO BE SENT TO THE FARTHEST REACHES OF THE UNIVERSE WHERE YOU WILL FREEZE. YOU WILL THEN BE HIT BY A GIANT METEOR THAT IS ABOUT 10,000 DEGREES. YOU WILL THEN BURN UP INTO NOTHING AND NEVER WILL YOU HURT ANYONE AGAIN.

I Spy

2011-10-19T23:00:00.026-05:00

Yes, it's that time of the week. My favorite time to spend with my buddy, Dazee, at Crazy Daze and Night Dreams, for our photo fun meme. So link up and share some photos. You know you want to. And we want you to join us and have some fun.

Playground

Since I have to do things a little weird, you are getting the whole breadth of my strange mind. In the first shot you see the actual contraption the kids play on. And that is my grandson. He's so cute. The next three shots are how I manipulate the shots. Can you tell I have fun?

Choice

I took this one in 1990. Yes, it was taken on a 35mm camera. This is my oldest child. Isn't she adorable?

Now next week is sure to be fun. The first category is "Just Like Halloween" and then it's "Your Choice". Come one! Let's see what you have!

Tuesday Train

2011-10-17T22:00:00.003-05:00

I hope this finds all of you well. I've been writing final papers for school. Yee haw! I have one instructor who, I swear, does not like my writing. Yes, it's true. She thinks I cannot write. At least that's how it seems to me and I am always right. Okay, maybe not. But it doesn't hurt to dream does it?

Join the train ride with me and my cohosts, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

Not Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-15T22:55:00.030-05:00

I looked at this week's categories and just couldn't come up with any ideas. So I decided to do a fall post. These are some of the photos I've taken in the last couple of weeks that show fall is definitely here.

One of the roads in that park I take most of the photos I've taken lately.

The leaves on the sidewalk.

The long grass is turning.

All the green mossy stuff is now gone. It disappeared within two days.

You know it truly is fall when the Canadian geese come in to say hello.

If you want to see what the categories for Scavenger Hunt Sunday next week go here....

Fawk You Friday

2011-10-13T22:00:00.025-05:00

I Spy

2011-10-12T23:00:00.031-05:00

Yes it's that time of the week. It's time for all of you who like to snap a photo to link up with me and my bud, Dazee, of Crazy Daze and Night Dreams for the weekly fun photo fest called I Spy. Every week there is one category we suggest and one that you get to choose. Any photo you particularly like can be posted. The only request we have is that you use one you have taken.

I think you can tell a lot about people by the kind of photos they take. That's because we have our own vision through the lens. So get to know us and we'll get to know you. Just have fun with it.

Abandoned

The ice bag.....used and abandoned.

Apparently the bark is not worse than the bite. The tree has abandoned its bark.

A fisherman abandoned the worms. How sad.

And you thought I would use a building.

Choice

Poor guy thought he had enough green to hide from me. Not quite. I'm sneaky.

Now next week's categories are "Playground" and "Your Choice". You know you want to. Just do it!

Pay Attention!

2011-10-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, you read correctly! All my peeps who like to snap a camera, and I know there are some out there, need to check this out.

My buddy Dazee from Crazy Daze and Night Dreams and I have a new fun photo hop that allows for more fun than you can think of. It's simple. We suggest one category and the other category is all yours. How hard can that be?

It starts tonight and runs until Monday. So that means you have a couple of days to link up. Come on and do it. We will have fun. My post will be up at 10:00PM Central and the link will be with it. Join us. We would love it!

The Mama Claws Are Out

2011-10-11T22:00:00.004-05:00

I probably shouldn’t post this but I’ve had enough. My Mama Claws are out and I’m not taking names.

When someone just keeps slamming you or your family and then turns around and expects you to help them, it just means they are trying tear you down. That person just needs to make him/herself feel better by calling you names. I’ve often wondered about the person who does this kind of thing.

How do you tell an entire family they are horrible people then turn around and ask them to help you? I don’t get it and I never will. But this mama has had enough. If you want help from me, GROW UP!!!

Tuesday Train

2011-10-10T22:00:00.007-05:00

All I have for you this week is that I went to see my doctor today. I'll have the results tomorrow and who knows what that will be. Heart disease runs rampant in my family and I hate getting results of the cholesterol tests. I'll have to let you know.

Now it's time to take a ride on the Train and I'm really happy I'm here. Aren't you glad to join us on the ride? The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner are the best at what they do. So link up and enjoy the ride.

And if you want more hopping fun, join me and Dazee Dreamer for some photo hopping fun with a couple of hopping girls. I mean it. We have fun. Grab the button and link up on Thursdays to share your photos. We always have one category that is "Your Choice" and one that is chosen. This week's is "Abandonded". Come one! You know you want to!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-08T22:55:00.000-05:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

This week was a little tough for me with the exception of the first category. Anyone who pays any attention to my posts knows I like landscapes. Let's get going!

Landscape

By far the easiest category for me. The second shot had rain coming in.

The Color Wheel: Complementary/Triadic Color

I am still not sure if this is correct. I had to look it up.

Black and White

I tried to use actual black and white subjects.

Food

Getting ready for a salad!

Blank Space

This one was tough for me. Hope this works.

And next week's categories are here.....

Fawk You Friday

2011-10-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

Well my week has been a little weird. Not because something really bad happened but just because I think I've become a footnote. Yes, you read correctly. I am not important anymore. I'm leaving it at that. Just needed to write it.

Now I know some of you are worried about the button but you really shouldn't be. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, really don't care if you don't like or want to use our button. I mean seriously. We really don't. We just want to read what's been bugging you. We know you have some complaining to do. Why do we know this? Because we always do. Why not share and commiserate together? I say the more the merrier. Come on! Have fun with it! Now let's get to my list.

Fawk You to anyone who wants to put others down. GET OVER YOURSELF AND GET A LIFE!!!

Fawk You to my favorite other topic. OTHER DRIVERS!!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!! I MEAN IT!!!

Fawk You to cancer. Once again you have made life miserable for someone and another someone who loves them. DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU ARE NOT WELCOME?!!? GET THE MESSAGE AND DELETE YOURSELF!!!

******AND NOW FOR AN INVITATION***************

Yes, it's another hop. A fun, photo meme if you will. I'm begging this week for people who want to share their photos. It's for those of us who are not pros at it. We really do want you to have fun with this. Each week there is one category chosen and one is the photographer's choice. Next week is Abandoned and Your Choice. Come on! Give it a shot! You can link up with me and Dazee Dreamer for all you photo fun. Grab the button below and let us see what you see. I dare you to try to keep up with us.

In the meantime, vent to your heart's content! We WANT to hear it. We NEED to hear it. GIVE IT TO US NOW AND GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST!!!

I dare you! I know you can do it!

I Spy

2011-10-05T23:00:00.006-05:00

So how is everyone doing this week? Dazee and I were happy that we were able to share our photos with you and that you shared with us. That's all we want to do. I love seeing other people's photos. Not everyone looks through the lens the same way. What I see is different than what Dazee sees. And I think it's great because it means we are all unique.

Without further ado, here are my entries this week.

Sign(s)

"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind". I love that song!

And by the way, the brick building with the Hungry Peddler sign? Not only do they have a fantastic breakfast, that building used to be a brothel in its heyday.

Your Choice

I couldn't decide which I liked better. What do you think?

Next week's categories are....."Abandoned" and "Your Choice". See you there!

Finally Getting It Right

2011-10-05T00:00:00.006-05:00

I wrote this on Monday. Since then, Amanda is home with her family. Awesome!!!

I happened to flip the channel over to CNN this morning just to find out that the Italian courts were going to rule on Amanda Knox’s case today. Why, do you ask, was I interested in this? Do any of you know me? Cause if you did, you would know I am fascinated with crime shows. I watch both true crime and drama. But mostly it’s true crime. This case was a true travesty, in my opinion.

I remember this happening at the time. It was November 2007. Amanda’s roommate, Meredith Kercher, had been raped and murdered. Both girls were in Perugia, Italy for a year of school in Europe. Amanda was from Seattle and Meredith was from Great Britain. According to all reports they got along fine although they didn’t really run in the same circles. It happens like that you know.

After a few days, intense questioning, and a confession, police arrested Amanda and her boyfriend for the murder. What happened after that would probably not happen in the United States and for one simple reason.

Although confessions happen all the time, the incidence of false confessions happens more than most people are aware. The problem in this case was that none of the physical evidence matched up with anything she claimed happened. In other words, the police here would probably have dropped Amanda and her boyfriend as suspects a long time ago.

Instead, they were convicted and sentenced to 26 and 25 years respectively. Really? That makes no sense.

They finally got it right today. An independent panel with testing and investigation that wasn’t involved during the trial overturned the murder conviction. It should never have gone to trial. Both Amanda and her former boyfriend were released shortly after. It’s about time!

I know I’m spouting but you know how I am.

Tuesday Train

2011-10-03T22:00:00.006-05:00

Well I got my car back and that made me pretty stoked for the week. It means I can find some photo ops once in a while. Bully for me! That is always a good thing. Hope this finds everyone doing well.

Now it's time to take a ride on the Train and I'm really happy I'm here. Aren't you glad to join us on the ride? The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner are the best at what they do. So link up and enjoy the ride.

And if you want more hopping fun, join me and Dazee Dreamer for some photo hopping fun with a couple of hopping girls. I mean it. We have fun. Grab the button and link up on Thursdays to share your photos. We always have one category that is "Your Choice" and one that is chosen. This week's is "Sign(s)". Come one! You know you want to!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-01T22:00:00.067-05:00

Here we go with Ashley at Ramblings and Photos. Come on and join the fun!

Inspired by a Book or Movie

So this doesn't exactly fit the category but it's close. The town is Trempealeau, Wisconsin. You may know it better as "French Landing" in a little book by Stephen King and Peter Straub called Black House. Yes I live near there.

Brown (Paper Heart Camera prompt)

Some of the leaves are turning!

Hazy (Olivia's suggestion)

Most of the time we have hazy conditions in the distance. Too much humidity.

Coffee or Tea (Olivia's suggestion)

I live for this every morning. It is the first thought on my mind except for the other thing that my older body seems to think is the first thing. I know! TMI!!!

Linger (Olivia's suggestion)

I just can't help but linger when I see sites like this.

And next week's categories can be found here....

FUF!!!

2011-09-29T22:00:00.030-05:00

I got my car back on Monday so I can't complain about that. Do you know why? Because I LOVE taking photos. Guess what I've been able to do all week? TAKE PHOTOS!!!! So this week may be a little short on the list. Oh well! Everyone has to have a good week once in a while. I do have a couple I can think of.

Now I know some of you are worried about the button but you really shouldn't be. J, at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog, and I, are perfectly happy if you want to use one of ours or not. It's your choice. We really don't care how you join. We know you have some complaining to do. Why do we know this? Because we always do. Why not share and commiserate together? I say the more the merrier. Come on! Have fun with it! Now let's get to my list.

Fawk You to the economy once again. I CAN'T EVEN GET A CALL BACK!!! COME ON!!! MY BANK ACCOUNT IS ALMOST EXHAUSTED!!!!

Fawk You to the Oktoberfest parade people. IT WAS BOOOOOOOORRRING!!!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE FLOATS THAT THE KIDS LOVE?!!? WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE MUSIC THAT NORMALLY COMES WITH PARADES?!!? I'M SERIOUS!!!! IT WAS BOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRING!!!!

Fawk You to cancer. YOU NEED TO VACATE ANY LIVING THING ON THIS PLANET!!! NO ONE WANTS YOU, NO ONE NEEDS YOU, AND ALL YOU DO IS HURT. GO AWAY!!!!

******And now for an invitation***************

Yes, it's another hop. A fun, photo meme if you will. It's for those of us who are not pros at it. We really do want you to have fun with this. Each week there is one category chosen and one is the photographer's choice. Next week is Sign(s)and Your Choice. Come on! Give it a shot! You can link up with me and Dazee Dreamer for all you photo fun. Grab the button below and let us see what you see. I dare you to try to keep up with us.

In the meantime, vent to your heart's content! We WANT to hear it. We NEED to hear it. GIVE IT TO US NOW AND GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST!!!

I dare you! I know you can do it!

I Spy

2011-09-28T23:00:00.041-05:00

I thought that this week I would share a link that might interest some of you. I know if you are not a professional photographer you probably don't have any photo editing software and you most likely do not have the exorbitantly priced Adobe Photoshop. Well I don't either. What I do have is Photoshop Elements 7 and another free one called Photoscape. Both are excellent but the Photoscape is free. It has easy cropping capabilities which can make a great photo stunning. So if you need something that can make a photo black and white or you just want to crop the photo, go here and download the software.

In the meantiime, join me and my buddy Dazee Dreamer for the most fun you can have sharing photos.

Bench

Choice

I shot this one through the screen and everything of my bay window. Picture this.....You're working on some school stuff and it sounds like someone is trying to mess with your mailbox. You stand up, look out the window but your mail person has not been there, you have a squirrel trying to stash a nut in your mailbox. This is where he was by the time I got the camera. We have weird squirrels here. Can you tell?

Next week's categories are "Sign(s)" and once again "Your Choice". Start snapping and join the fun!

A Fun Photo Meme Reminder!

2011-09-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

Yes, tomorrow night at 11PM central the linky opens for a fun photo hop that allows those of us who want to share photos can. Each week we have a prompt, this week's being "Bench(s)" and one category is "Your Choice". That means anything photo that you took you particularly like. Mine is usually a landscape of sorts.

We are looking for people who just like to have some fun and share your photos. You don't have to have a fancy camera to join in. There are no alterations you have to make to your photos either. If you want to do that you can, but don't feel like you have to. In other words, we just want to see what you see. What is your vision?

So look me or Dazee Dreamer up tomorrow night and have some fun! Grab the button and link your post. Get ready to enjoy someone else's vision.

Tuesday Train

2011-09-26T22:00:00.017-05:00

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss

Another one of those weeks. It was busy and not so fun all at once. My car decided to cause me some issues and I have been without it now for about a week. I'm hoping to have it back tomorrow. I'll have to let you know. In the meantime, enjoy the ride!

Now it's time to take a ride on the Train and I'm really happy I'm here. Aren't you glad to join us on the ride? The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner are the best at what they do. So link up and enjoy the ride.

And if you want more hopping fun, join Stacy Uncorked for another hop with a fun hostess.

Oktoberfest 2011 Funny Bits

2011-09-26T00:00:00.030-05:00

Every year around the world there are festivals of all kinds. In our area you can find Applefest, Cranfest, and the even-more popular Oktoberfest. We attend the Oktoberfest parade every year. I'll save all the details but suffice it to say, some people camp out all night to get a great spot on boulevard just to catch candy. These are but a few of the photos I took on Saturday before and during the parade.

This is the crowd milling about before it started.

The truck in the background is our "spot". Basically, it's front row seats.

Waaaaaay down the street in the background is the popo car that leads the parade down the street.

Of course, some have to have special shirts each year they attend. Can you tell what group of people settled this area?

Yes, this is a sport.

And this is how it's played.

There weren't as many funny moments this year. Last year, more drunk people gave me fodder with which to work. Last year had more amusing photo ops. So follow this link and you'll see more tomfoolery had by those who drink too much. You won't be disappointed.