Saturday, September 27, 2008

From the Daily Guru

Eventually life will strip everything away from us -- some of us sooner than others -- and if, in the empty space that remains Love still arises, then we can be assured that Love is what is Real because it survives when all else fades.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Sick

I hate being sick.

I hate having my nose feel like it's been shoved full of cotton balls, my throat like it's been rubbed with sandpaper, and my glands like they're the size of golf balls.

I hate drinking & drinking & drinking til my belly HURTS, but still feeling dry.

BUT I NEED TO BE POSITIVE!

I love having a girlfriend that wants me to feel better and will do anything to help make it so.

I love having kids that know I am sick and will be extra quiet cuz they know my head hurts too.

I love being a sub, and not being made to feel guilty about not going into work.  (By the work people at least, my own guilt is another subject.)

I love being able to crawl into bed and fall fast asleep with a quickness.

So good night everyone...

(And yes, I am sure this is all lordrexfear's fault.... :P )

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Banned Books Week Meme

(Thanks to baerana for the heads up...)

The ALA will be celebrating Banned Books Week from September 27 - October 4 this year, and I thought I'd start a small meme-age! ^_^ (I am so sure someone else is out there doing this right now as we speak, or already has, but haven't you ever heard of parallel development?)

You know the schpiel, bold what you've read, italicize the ones you want to read, and of course, feel free to add comments!

Top Ten Banned Books of the 20th Century
10. The Grapes of Wrath [1939] John Steinbeck
9. Lady Chatterley's Lover [1928] D. H. Lawrence
8. Slaughterhouse-Five [1969] Kurt Vonnegut - I dunno if I want to read this. The story sounds intriguing, but I don't like war stories...
7. To Kill a Mockingbird [1960] Harper Lee
6. Fahrenheit 451 [1953] Ray Bradbury - Again, not sure if I want to read this, intriguing plot, but violence, politics, war, etc. don't appeal to me.
5. The Catcher in the Rye [1951] J.D. Salinger
4. Tropic of Cancer [1934] Henry Miller
3. Naked Lunch [1959] William S. Burroughs - Sounds interesting, but like it might be difficult to follow...
2. Ulysses [1922] James Joyce
1. 1984 [1949] George Orwell - I found this book boring. It's been a long time, and perhaps my views may have changed, but I remember at the time, that it was incredibly dull.

Most Challenged Books of the 21st Century
10. "Forever" by Judy Blume
9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz - I don't like to read scary stories... *blush*
7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris - Hehehe... not that I *need* to read it, but it'd be neat to take a look at it...
6. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers - Like I said before, not all that into war stories...
5. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck - I know the story, and I think it's too sad for me to read the whole thing
3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
2. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

365-64 (+59)



I need to take these pics earlier in the day when I don't feel so sleepy and ugly...

Ketchup!

Originally taken 5/18/08 - Time for bed now...

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Monday, September 22, 2008

365-62


I got my hairs cut...

Unconscious Mutterings

  1. Heist :: Bank

  2. Hack :: Computer

  3. Dane :: Claire

  4. Stings :: Police

  5. Monkey :: Bread

  6. Junkie :: Drugs

  7. Pumped :: Up

  8. Brass :: Band

  9. Fight! :: FIGHT!

  10. Vouch :: Coupon


Yeah, I connect with partial words... (Claire should be with Danes; Police should be with Stings; and Coupon should be with Voucher.) Oh well.

So what's everyone out there doing for the first day of fall? (That's today!) We're having a special dinner of harvest muffins and squash! (Maybe more...)

Happy Fall!


P.S. Because of the sheer number of pictures that I missed for 365, I'll be posting them 2 at a time for the next few days...

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Yoo-hoo! Where are you?

I *know* I have more friends than this! Please please pretty please with sugar on top, would you mark yourself on my map? Just a zip code will do...

deviantART

I have submitted my very first deviation for printing! She's not perfect, but I like how she came out. I've uploaded 2 versions, full size and a cropped one, and I don't make much on each print (dA marks them up so high!), but I am just so excited!

AND I'm almost up to 1000 page hits over there! Well, ok, I've only made it to just over 900 right now, but I want to do a contest for the 1000 viewer... I dunno what though... Most people give free art of some form, but I dunno what to give: ACEO, digital art, something custom made, a bracelet, or something from clay... What do you think?

Friday, September 19, 2008

MyScrapBlog.com

I know some of you also had sites there, like I did, but it seems to have turned up missing. It's been weeks now, and I want access to my blog there! So I went searching for info....

Here's what I've discovered:

At least one other person has asked about it on Yahoo answers, with 100s of family photos lost to her, and it had one pathetic answer: Just tried going and can't access it. Well duh, that's the problem, not an answer, thankyouverymuch. However, not 30 minutes later, the question has been DELETED???

So I went to WHOIS, and found that MyScrapBlog.com is registered to:

Hanback, Noel admin@angrytoddlersoftware.com
angrytoddlersoftware.com
768 Sharon Hills Dr.
Biloxi, Mississippi 39532
United States
(228) 385-9622

Created on: 30-Mar-05
Expires on: 30-Mar-09
Last Updated on: 30-Mar-08

I tried to find out about the people listed. Noel & Jlyne Hanback have plenty of information on them scattered about the 'Net, but nothing that told me anything about myscrapblog.com, and why it's gone missing.

So I went to WHOIS to find out about AngryToddleSoftware.com. Dead end. Contact information is all bogus:

ATS Enterprises
S Anderson (admin@angrytoddlersoftware.com)
+1.5555555555
Fax: none
2108
Jackson, MS 39535
US

Creation date: 22 Jul 2002 00:00:00
Expiration date: 23 Jul 2008 01:02:02

However, a link there, leads back to Noel Hanback, and Alexa gives us similar information:
Company Info for angrytoddlersoftware.com:
Noel Hanback
Unpublished, Unpublished
Biloxi, MS
39532
US
admin [at] angrytoddlersoftware.com

According to one article they lost their home to Hurricane Katrina, so perhaps they're going through a rough patch. However, the article also says, "Another experience that showed her the importance of preserving memories was the destruction of her family's home in Biloxi, Miss., when Hurricane Katrina hit." If that's the case, then why would she leave so many people without their memories, by taking away MyScrapBlog.com?

Re: 365 Pics

IOU: Pictures from September 10th through today...

However, did pics get taken? Well, yes, but none on the 14th, 16th, 17th, and 18th.

So...

ETA: Well that's not the style I chose at all... dammit.
ETA2: Undefined??? Gah! >.<

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Where are you?

Ok my friends! I wanna know where in the world you all are! You don't have to be exact with your address, just pop a marker down near where you live so I can get a general idea...

Get Your Frappr GuestMap!
Powered by Platial


OMG I should be sleeping!!! I have to work in the morning! FINALLY!!! ^o^

Weekly Quick Tip

From Aby at Simplify 101...

Focus on progress instead of perfection.
Believe it or not, perfectionism is a very common cause of disorganization. Seems counterintuitive that a perfectionist could be disorganized, doesn’t it? Well, the desire for perfection is often so strong that it creates immobility, both at the onset of your organizing projects, and anywhere in the process if you begin to realize things aren’t turning out perfectly.

If you feel that perfectionism is getting in the way of your desire for a more organized home and life, the first step is to recognize this fact. Then, look for ways to take small steps in the direction you want to go. Give yourself permission to organize imperfectly by focusing your attention on progress instead of perfection.

OMG... like this is so true! This has got to be my problem, because whenever things start to Not Go How I Planned, I freeze. I ignore my email, my LJ, my blog, my art, my schoolwork, everything... Nothing really gets done... And everything suffers...

I need to work on this...

What do you need to work on?

Monday, September 15, 2008

Almost there!

Thanks to the people at Wish Upon A Hero, my need for $20 to pay car insurance has become a need for only $7! YAY! ^_^

However, we still can't pay the car insurance, and if we don't pay tomorrow, the results could be disastrous. (Another insurance lapse would mean a suspended license!) BOO! >.<

So, if anyone has a few dollars sitting in their PayPal account, we would be very grateful for a donation. (And no, the student loan check hasn't come yet, I really don't wanna go into that whole fiasco right now...)


ETA: Thanks to everyone who donated! We were able to pay them! YAY!

As always, THANK YOU, and brightest blissings & bunny kisses to all...

Etsy Front Page!

I was on the front page of Etsy! WOOT!


Etsy Front Page 9/15/08 floralia
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers


That's my Golden Wheat pin in the bottom left corner! I got a lot of hits on the pin, but no one bought anything... I thought for sure those leaves of mine would sell quick... :\ Still need $20 to pay the darn car insurance...

Friday, September 12, 2008

Randomness!

I don't know why I am so tired lately... Maybe my BG is all out of whack. I wouldn't be surprised; I've been getting up so late and not taking my meds when I should...

I was offered the opportunity to *apply* for a position in a small special education school teaching science. It would mean interning in Special Ed in addition to the Science I'm already doing. I don't know if I want to do Special Ed, but it seems like all schools want people certified in it. I personally think it should be a part of our regular education, all the special modifications and things to watch for... One course out of all the courses we take hardly seems enough...

I crave variety and different cultures, but I am so scared of stepping outside my own little world... I'm scared to even leave my house some days; how crazy is that!? The books I've been choosing to read have been full of stories of mermaids and places like India and the Middle East; the music I've been listening to is drum-heavy and tribal, or full of singing I can't understand, but that resonates in me... I want to walk with sand between my toes, sun in my eyes, and the smell of the ocean in my nose; bright colored, flowing clothing on the people around me...

But then I think of the green waters of my own lakes and rivers, the warm rocks in the sun; I see the trees turning golden, the fields yellow and purple, knowing that soon everything will be yellow and orange and red and brown; the crisp scent of FALL will be in the air, and then... icy mornings, crunching to the car, noses red with the cold, bundling up in boots and coats... And I ACHE, my heart hurts, my throat closes, my eyes tear up, just THINKING about missing it for even one moment! INSANE!

Ok.... enough babbling...

New blog

One of the great things about the internet is the ability to connect to people all over the world. Sure, most of the people I know online are from the US or Canada or the UK or Australia, but every once in a while you come across a blog from someone in a truly different place, and I've found someone just like that!

Taher Bharmal is in India, but covers the topics that seem to be big news wherever you live on this planet, and everyonce in a while, you get a small glimpse of what his life is like. The one post of his that prompted me to share a link was this one: Day-Night Together Simply amazing!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Feeling Patriotic?

Check out these Red, White, and Blue listings at Faerie Garden Fancies...
Sept 11th Candy Wrapper Bracelet by BunnySept 11th Croceted Bracelet by EsmeSept 11th Candy Wrapper Bracelet by EsmeSupport Our Troops Bracelet by Bunny
Pomona Goddess of Apples Necklace by BunnyBeckoning Cat, Maneki Neko, by BunnyMiniature Bottle of Wine by BunnyRed & White Mushroom Bead
One Skull Bead by BunnyBijou Bunny Magnet by BunnyMarbled Leaf Pendant by BunnyAnother Skull Bead by Bunny
Blue Flower Pin by BunnyThree Blueberry Beads by BunnyI Have Your Heart - Original Pastel and Ink Drawing by EsmeFind the Magic

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Faerie Garden Fancies

Well, I've been a busy little bee and added some of my latest creations to the shop. I've still got way more to add, and even more to finish! I think right now, it's time for math...

Etsy
Buy Handmade
BunnyKissd

365-50

When you haven't got a real job, and you work at home, you tend to forget to take breaks, and stop to go do other things...

I am so tired...



I tried to give this one Ye Olde Tyme feel but it didn't work quite right... Maybe next time...

Meanwhile, anyone got a spare $600 $606.60 (OMG I overdrew my paypal acct! How could that happen?) I could borrow til my stupid student loan shows up? Having rent paid would be lovely...

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Big City Shopping

As you may have heard me mention, we live in the sticks, the boonies, middle of nowhere, etc... and we have no civilization. Can't even get pizza delivered. And the local stores may have the supplies for sushi, but they're all dusty. And the Chinese Buffet is the only really exotic place to eat. Oh wait, there was a Thai place; it may close before I get to eat there though... That's how our town works. We don't even have a Taco Bell.

ANYWAY, I am not here to complain... I am here because we went to Syracuse today (Camillus actually, but close enough) and we stopped at Wegman's and browsed. I love to do that now. We find so many things we just *can't* get up here...

Today, I got canned eels for sushi. I *hope* they're like the ones the restaurant has... And I found my Ritter Sport with Marzipan that the drugstore stopped selling. Yum! And I got some chocolate Ice Cubes which I haven't had in years... And I got some new fangled product made with figs and pistachios and harissa and sesame... Not bad!

But then there was this, in with the Indian products. I do not know what it was, but the packaging is ... unique.


They had all kinds of things I wanted to try though... They had baby pineapples (size of an apple!), and prickly pear, and horned fruit, and some other funky fruits... And they had those things that we read about in the Shabanu book, whose name escapes me completely NAAN (thank you my love)... So many other things too, I forget them all...

Maybe moving to a city for a while would be ok... I bet I could try bubble tea even...

365-40sumpin'

Today I got to go to the Big City (Syracuse area) and see some of my family... Thus you get *QUADruple* the pics of me in one pic...

Left to right: Aunt Nina (Aunt Ally's daughter), my grandmother (also a Nina), me slightly behind her, Daddy behind me, Aunt Ally (my grandmother's best friend), and my Aunt Kathi (for real, my dad's sister!)...

The quadruple comes from the oh-so-adorable professional portrait of me at about 10 years old that my grandmother has hanging on the wall being us.

Hummingbird

The hummingbird flew in the front door again this morning! Just quick in & out, in & out, quicker than I could reach the camera to turn it on and get a pic. :\ But it's so amazing when it does that! I wonder what it means...

From various sites around the web I have discovered that the Hummingbird symbolizes many different things. Known as a messenger, and a stopper of time, it reminds us to savor each moment's sweetness and joy. Because it can fly backwards, it teaches us to look back on our past, but not to dwell there. Roll with the punches, accomplish the impossible, and live joyfully in the life you were given are all lessons it teaches us. A symbol of pure love, beauty, joy, optimism, wonder, agility, and the celebration of life.

From Hill's Native Art comes this story:
A literal messenger of joy, this beautiful tiny bird, also called Sah Sen, represents friendship, playfulness, and is a symbol of good luck in Northwest Coastal Native art. It is a positive sign to see Sah Sen prior to a major event such as hunting or travelling to another village. Hummingbird's ability to hover back and forth at great speeds is believed to be a skill for guiding the people; if they fall behind Hummingbird can easily back up to keep pace.

One story of Hummingbird tells of a warm, spring day. Summer was coming and the wild flowers were in full blossom. A young girl and her mother waded through the green grass, enjoying the bright colours. They stopped as Hummingbird joined them; bussing and darting from flower to flower.

The little creature fascinated the child. She asked, "why does such a tiny bird want to fly so fast? Why doesn't it just stay at one flower instead of visiting every one?" Her mother sat down on a hill overlooking the field and said, "let me tell you the story of Hummingbird."

Many years ago there was a fragrant flower that rose every spring to display her beautiful petals and bright colours for all the world's creatures to enjoy. The people and animals waited anxiously each spring for this special flower to appear. On that day they knew the warm, kind rays of summer had arrived. Raven saw how much joy this flower brought to the world, so the next spring when it appeared, he transformed it into a tiny bird. The bird had the colours of the green spring grass and the flashing red of a setting sun. Raven gave the bird a special gift - to fly like sunlight flickering through tall trees. He also gave it a message to take to all the flowers. That's why today we see Hummingbird buzzing from flower to flower, whispering a message. Hummingbird is thanking each flower for making our world a more beautiful place.

The mother looked at her child and said, "as you grow up, remember that like each flower, each person has gifts to give the world. In return that person will be thanked by the birds, animals and flowers for helping to make our world a better place for every one."

Wishing

For the first time ever, I have noticed the clock saying 11:11 and I made a wish... ^_^

Now is this the kind of wish I can tell people or is it the kind you're only supposed to tell the universe?

Oh my, the wiki article is sadly lacking... :\

Stupid bugs

Somewhere in this room is a fly, laughing at me, saying, "Quit hittin' yerself!"

I'm not very coordinated before I wake up, and it kept landing on my face. My attempts to swoosh it away wound up as smacking myself...

Not only am I not amused, but my face is sore... :P

Friday, September 05, 2008

365-47


I think maybe I use that soft focus feature too much... Sure does smooth out a multitude of ugliness though...

Alphabet Games

Rules:
- Post a Comment and I'll randomly assign you a letter (A - Z in the English Alphabet);
- Then you have to respond by listing ten things you LOVE that begins with that letter.
- Afterward, post this in your journal and give out some letters of your own.

I was given the letter J, which is EASY for the first thing..
  1. Jacqueline!

  2. JoAnn - one of my gift-daughters

  3. Jaie - one of my best friends

  4. Jack rabbits - well, all bunnies, but we're s'posta be starting with J here

  5. Jalapeno poppers - the cream cheese kind

  6. July - the very best month in my opinion

  7. Journeys - love to travel!

  8. Johnny Jump-ups - pretty little spring flowers

  9. Jelly Bellies - omg the popcorn one is sooooo good!

  10. Johnny Depp - he is so hawt!

Thursday, September 04, 2008

365-46



This was most likely the last swim of the season... :::le sigh:::

Review: Dagoba Organic Chocolate

Since I watched the majority of Star Wars (Episode IV) just the other day, when I saw these chocolate bars at the natural foods store, I of course thought of Dagobah, where Yoda lived when Luke found him, and naturally decided to try some. Since Jacqueline was with me, we got two bars: Xocolatl (dark chocolate (74%), chilies & nibs (of cacao)), and Lime (dark chocolate (59%), lime & macadamia nuts). At $2.89 for a mere 2 oz. I was expecting these to be strong with the force... ^o^ ...BUT...

The Lime was disappointing. The macadamia nuts were only noticed because we could see them; their flavor & texture added nothing. The lime flavor was good, but to Jacqueline & I tasted just like the Ghiradelli Citrus Sunset Intense Dark chocolate bar, which one can buy for less than 2.50 in some places for a full 75% more. And they've got toffee pieces which add a nice little crunch...

1 ear up, 1 ear down...
This one could swing to the dark side at any moment...


The Xocolatl was good. Plenty of good chocolate flavor, little chewy bits (the nibs I assume), and after the chocolate goes down, a nice warm fire... Reminiscent of another brand chocolate bar, Lindt Creation 70% Dark Chocolate with Cherry & Chili, however, the Dagoba is a solid chocolate, while the Lindt is filled with a Cherry & Chili gel in the middle. The price is a wee bit cheaper for the Lindt, since you get more than 5 oz, but I much prefer the solid texture this time.

2 ears up!
The force is strong in this one...

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

365-45

The beginning of a new project...



Sorry for the blurriness, Esme's camera's batteries are once again dead, and the charger's being fussy, and my camera sucks... :::le sigh:::

In other news, we have packed a bajillion boxes! And we had to STOP because we ran out of tape! o.O So tomorrow we'll be heading to the store after the PO and I hope that we have enough...

AND there are new things up in the shop! Check them out: Faerie Garden Fancies

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

365-44

Well there I am in all my unflattering goodness... Middle of the afternoon, still in my nighty, stuffing my face... But it was the only one taken so there ya go...

Monday, September 01, 2008

365-43

Bracelet in Process

365-42

Bug Bite

*There* on my shoulder... and on my knee and my ankles and my ribs and my nose and my neck and my wrist and...

OMG sorrry! I fixed it! >.<