Things I've done in my lifetime

I thought this was kind of fun to see all the things that I haven't done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (this summer)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (Parasailing!)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I had the most wonderful weekend, It was just what I had envisioned it would be. I picked up my grandchildren, and daughter Heidi, Heather had to work:( then off to the corn maze in Syracuse. We spent 4 hours there going thru the maze, playing on the slides, train, and just sitting and enjoying the day. We had Lexi, and Brohlens faces painted so cute, Jaxon, Mattie and Alex had tatoos painted on their arms. We ate a big bag of Kettle corn, and basked in the sun, (when it finally came out).

After we were thru there we went and got a couple of movies, one of them on the scary side, therefore it was for after I was in bed. Together Heidi and I fixed taco's for dinner, yummy. The kids played games for a while then we watched Coraline, (totally Weird), they watched the scary one as soon as I went to bed. Blankets, pillows, and bodies all over the front room.

I have to say, we love to have them over for the night. They make us so incredibly happy! I love you Heather, Brock, Jaxon, Alex, Lexis, Heidi, Kevin, Mattie, Brohlen, Billy, and Callie. You are our world.

Mothers love

Tomorrow I am going to have a bladder repair surgery. I am not at all worried about it, in fact I am looking forward to it. I will finally start feeling good, and not have to worry about if I will make it to the bathroom in time. But, most importantly I will get to spend the next couple of weeks at mom's house. She is going to take care of me and make sure that I don't over do it.

Most people would wonder "what is she thinking?" Well, it has been a long time since I have had anyone take care of me and I am just thrilled that it is my mother. Nobody cares for you like a mother does. She always put us first, making sure that we had what we needed, while she went without. She has always let us know that we were special to her, everything that we did or said was important.

Most people believe that it is a mother's responsibilty is to show her daughter/daughers how to become a woman, I know that in order to do that she had to teach me love, compassion, honor, confidence, responsibility, patience, and so much more.

I want my daughters to know that I love them just as much as any mother could, and I learned this from their grandmother, my mother.

Stuck in a Rut

Sometime I feel like I am stuck in a rut... Especially in the evenings when I am at home alone. I spend the evening hours drifting around the house aimlessly, watching television and pretty much filling time until I go to bed, I know that there is somethings that should be done but I just don't want to do them. I need to shake things up and do thing differently. I need to start taking walks in the evenings again, writing in this blog more often, expand my horizons and get more inspired.
I really enjoy working on making cards and trying to use my creativity. I just wish that I was more right brained, more able to come up with my own original ideas. So, instead of wandering around looking for something to do, I will start DOING things.

Stressed and Excited

6 and 1/2 weeks until the end of the school year. That make me extremely stressed and overly excited. Stressed because it is now time to do the End of Level or CRT tests at school. So, along with all of the other jobs that I have, (I am not complaining, I love my other jobs) I also help with the testing. No, bathroom breaks, no lunches, no walks in the park during lunch, no visiting the office... JUST TESTING... All day long. Then, when a student doesn't show up I will spend every other free moment trying to locate them, getting them into the lab, taking their car keys away and sitting there watching them test. No Child Left Behind law mandates that we have 95% of the students tested, this is when I really do not like sluffers. Someday I hope that they realize what a big mistake they made.

Excited... School is almost over. Camping trips, sleeping in, fishing, 4wheeling, working in the yard, wait what did I just write? Working in the YARD!! I wish that was true all summer long, but as soon as it gets to warm, working in the yard is just as bad as locating truant students. But, at least I have one of those jobs where if I wanted to work all summer in the yard I could. I have also planted my first garden. Yep, one of those square foot gardens. I sure hope I get some of the onions, broccoli, califlower, brussle sprouts, and lettuce to grow. Want to start another spot just for tomatos, cucumbers, pumpkins, etc... Sure hope that it will be worth all the work Mark and I have put into it so far. And, a very big Thank you to my great neighbors who let me put our garden in their back yard. Hopefully they will enjoy the bounty as much as we do.

Reclaiming my Childhood


When I was a child, I played with my friends, run free around the neighborhood, and approached life with spontaneity and excitement. But along the way to adulthood, life became cumbersome with responsibility, and obligations.

But, as I grow older and hopefully more wise, I am beginning to realize that even though I am not a child, I can get back the joy of childhood. As adults we work hard, so why shouldn't we be able to have some fun? Right!

I am going to make a point of bringing a little joy and laughter into my life, and to those around me. I am going to commit to doing something that I love to do, and make me feel the freedom I once had as a child.

Picking flowers
Smiling
Playing games with the grandchildren
Smiling
Chasing butterflies
Smiling
Stand up, spread my arms, and spin around and around.
Have a good laugh!
As you can see Smiling is on the list a few times. I have a problem with smiling. I always look mad. I'M NOT. Just thinking! So if I smile more, it can benefit me and the person getting the smile.

How liberating it will feel, When I finally have the child like attitude and enjoy the childish pleasures in life.

Simple Pleasures

To be able to sit down in the morning and enjoy a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, and listen to the birds. These are just 3 simple pleasures I enjoy. Those simple little pleasures that help us relax and appreciate all that we are blessed with can make a big difference in the way we look at life around us.
I think that in the last couple of years I have learned to settle down, and not be so up tight. I wish that I had learned this as a young mother, I often regret not having more patience with Heather and Heidi. If I had taken the time to just watch them grow!
What did I miss? A Lot.. and so did they.
But, I can not change the past, So I will try to make the future a better place for me and my family.
I WILL slow down and take the time to appreciate ordinary events, they might not be terribly exciting, But stopping to smell the roses is a great simple pleasure.

“Life brings simple pleasures to us every day. It is up to us to make them wonderful memories.”
~Cathy Allen