HAPPY BIRTHDAY OPUS!!!

It's been a year, 52, count em 52 weeks of challenges from the Poobahs at The Order of the Opus Gluei! and if you haven't gone over there lately, I really hope you take this opportunity to do so. These ladies (Jana and Rosemary) are a couple of the funnest, sweetest, most creative ladies I know and I'm so glad I found them. You know, I wonder sometimes why someone would take the time (and it does take time) to post a challenge every single week for folks they haven't even met. I've concluded it's just cus they are generous, love to create and see what others create, and love to have a good time.
So this is a big shout out and an even bigger Thank You to both of the Poobahs. YOU ROCK!!!

Friday fill-ins #174

I was-wondering when the Friday Fill Ins are posted and lookee, here they are!
2. I was eating supper-and I left my book-downstairs which is SUCH a long way away.
3. Why-isn't there an "app" for housework?.
4. My messy hair-was in my thoughts today.
5. One of my father's favorite sayings was-I don't know, he was always at work.
6. You're tired, you say?-I know that feeling!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to-no more snow (hah!), tomorrow my plans include-celebrating National Scrapbooking day,and Sunday, I want to-make a nice dinner!

Read more Fill Ins here

The Police Helicopter

is outside tonight. AGAIN. It's outside a lot. It's not that I live in an especially bad neighbourhood. It's just that there are a lot of busy criminals out there. I used to go the window and watch when I would hear the HAWKS (that's what they call it), just out of curiosity, or nosiness, or maybe I just don't have a life, who knows. Anyways, one night, it sounded like it was really close and so I waddled outside in my housecoat (it was dark, so no one could see me) and looked up to the sky to see what I could see. Yup, there it was, the helicopter. flying around. looking for bad guys. GOOD WORK GUYS! I thought to myself, secure in the knowledge that they were keeping the world safe for me and mine. THEN, I was standing in a bright, blindingly bright, actual pool of white light and I realized, they had their spotlight on me! ME! Little old, never been in a bit of trouble (that I was caught for) me! Oh crap! I ran back inside and slammed the door shut. Sat down on the couch and once my heart stopped pounding I began to process the event. Let's see, they are up in the sky looking for bad guys. I am out there watching. They see movement in my yard. in the dark. in the place where they are looking for the bad guys. the bad guys who were probably in my back yard at that very moment. Ergo, they shine their spotlight on me. Duh. I haven't done that since. And that was, I think, in 1983.

Important Video

It's not often I would choose to post a video which makes a statement that to me is positively inspirational. I hope you'll take a couple of moments to view this and think you will find it thought-provoking. Enjoy! Important Video

Wordless Wednesday

For more WW posts, check here
Namaste.

Pay It Forward

My buddy Jana has put out the challenge to creative people everywhere (doesn't that sound dramatic?) to take the following pledge:

I hereby promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment that they want to participate in the PIF challenge. In turn, they promise to post this and send something they made to the first 5 posters on their blog. Items must be received before the end of June 2010.

I've taken the pledge (as evidenced by this post) and you can too, if you hurry! Go over to Jana's cool blog I can't wanna and take the pledge right away!



DISCLAIMER: No animals were hurt in the posting of this blog.
(blogging of this post?) Well, everyone's OK.

Not too much happening in my world

I've been working on some ATC's for a couple of swaps. I think I'm addicted to swaps. Maybe I should go to Swapaholics Anonymous meetings. Nah, then I would have to deal with it. I've also been working on my Field Journal for the How to Be an Explorer of the World Class, and some journal pages. This little girl is from Lisa's Altered Art, by the way, I could play with her stuff all day! I'm kind of all over the place, to be honest. I'm also actually kind of dragging, and a bit more worn out than I care to admit. So it's off to bed. ALREADY? Yes. Already. Well, maybe when Glee is over. Good night.

Reminder

On Saturday, I'll be drawing for my giveaway celebrating 365 posts. There are only a handful of people entered, and I hope to give the prize to someone who comes here regularly than someone I don't know, so I'm not "putting it out there" as it were. Is that selfish? Oh well, call me selfish. Anyways, you can still join in by commenting on my blogpost here Read the post though, cus you have to do something. And besides, the names that have already been suggested will crack you up. They crack me up. Bonne chance! (That's Canadian for "Good luck").

Photo-documentary

It started out as a lovely spring day. The end of April, almost May. Sunny, not too chilly. Cool enough that you wanted to wear a warm coat, but nice enough to be looking forward to a buggy ride along the river. We'd be leaving soon. We walked around and visited with the horses out back of the barn. they were frisky and friendly. A perfect day. (Can you hear the music from the movie "Jaws" in the background? Ba-Dum. Ba-Dum.

and then the weather changed.

We walked from the barn to the corral, planning to visit with the horses while work was being finished in the quonset. It was a lovely afternoon. By the time we got to the other side (NOT a very long way), it had clouded over and the wind picked up. Within 5 minutes, this was what the corral looked like and I am not kidding. This photo has not been altered in any way. We stood with our backs to the blowing snow and tried to get out of the way as the horses barrelled into the shed. We couldn't walk back, I was afraid to turn around. so we just stood there, cursing the weather gods.

The team was suited up and ready to go.

Finally, we stopped trying to be strong and ran into the shed with the horses. The look on (all) their faces said they figured maybe there wasn't enough room for two more. Tough Beans. Move over.

No room at the Inn.

Shall we leave the barn?

Eventually, the snow stopped and we all sheepishly strolled out into the fresh air, trying to look cool. "No big deal", I heard a filly say. We went around the corner just in time to see them taking all the tack off the Clydesdales. When that was done, they opened the gate and they were gone. Kind of like a little kid once the snowsuit comes off.

and the rest of the day

was lovely. Only in Alberta.

It's past my bedtime, but

Here are a couple of pictures from my trip down south this weekend. The first was taken about five minutes before I was caught speeding. MAJOR ticket. Ouch. the second was for me, the first sign of spring. I know lots of you have been in full summer mode, but here, it's been iffy. Hot (really, in the 70's) one day and then snowing the next. So this little gem was a welcome sight. Stay tuned, I have more for you tomorrow. And you won't believe what I have to show you...

National Children's Museum

I'm out of town. Not out of the town I'm in, out of MY town.And on my jump drive are some pics from the Children's Museum I visited in Ottawa in March. So that's what you get tonight. This place was so magical, I wished I were a little kid again. Everything was kid-sized and everything was built as if children ruled the world. And so they should, IMO. It was kind of dark in there, but I tried to take some pics that would show a little of what a fun place this was-I hope you get an idea of that. Pack your bags...

Do you have your ticket?

Parents wait out front.

Backstage

Costumes

The Floral Shop

A bouquet of flowers for you?

Dressmaker's shop

where you can design your own clothing

Main Street.

parkiing available for strollers

Kids' Cafe

where they can put on a chef's hat and prepare a meal for their parents

Magic Bus

And that's it!

My Goggles of Enhanced Perception

It's for a class, guys, it's for a class. and I only added the second pic so you don't think those are my eyes.

Friday Fill Ins #173

And...here we go!

1. Where are my _leather corset and crop?
2. If wishes were horses _we'd all be stepping in doo-doo.
3. I'd like to see_a bunch of firemen naked.
4. When I was a teen, I thought _he really loved me.
5. One of my mother's favorite sayings was _people never change.
6. I'd have a hard time doing without my _glasses.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _some scrapbooking_, tomorrow my plans include _driving down south to Lethbridge and spending the day at the farm_ and Sunday, I want to _go to a sweatlodge_!
You can join the Friday fun here
Enjoy this day, everyone, I certainly plan to!

Ready, Set Go!

The mess on my worktable (aside from the cat) yesterday was my Holidays In Hand Christmas (I know, I know) album. It was an online class I took from Jessica Sprague was back in November. for each day of December, she had a quote and a journalling prompt, along with a suggestion for your photo. I did my pages digitally,with the quotes and some journalling, then embellished them with a little bling, and a real (not digital) photo. I FINALLY got it done! and it's only April!:-))Besides, it's supposed to snow tonight.
When the Order of the Opus Gluei announced their challenge for the week (#51), I happened to be in midst of putting the finishing touches on this. We were asked to do make a set of something and make that set of something without using patterned paper. Yikes. My underwear is made out of patterned paper, I use it on EVERYTHING. So I simply HAD to use this album for the challenge as there is not a single piece of patterned paper in it! Woo Hoo!
so here it is, catless and Christmassy, my contribution for Ready, Set, Go!

WOYW? Wednesday 46

This is my worktable. On it is my project for Order of the Opus Gluei's weekly challenge. Also on it is my cat. Twice. Say no more. More tomorrow...Take a look at more (lots more!) worktables here !

Giveaway!!!! A really important (to me) One!!!

My own, this time, Can you believe it! I've finally got my act together enough to host my own giveaway! I'm so excited, I'm beside myself. That's an interesting saying, don't you think? Try to visualize it, actually being beside yourself. It's a bit twisted.But I digress.
I was wandering around my blog at work today, trying to avoid work, and wondering how a person knows how many posts a person has made when I found it and (you are NOT going to believe this)---I have 365 posts today!! How weird is that? There are 365 days in the year (last time I checked) and I just happen to find that information on the day I actually have done 365 posts! Can you tell how excited I am? (We're back to that "beside myself" issue, but I won't go there again)It's meant to be.

But then I thought, "Oh dear, what am I going to giveaway?" "How can I make something halfway decent really fast?" And then I remembered my creation for Chris' Bling-Kin-Eck challenge on Sunday: the old lady in the window in the window. That's what I have to call it. I can't think of anything better. It's on my post here Hey, I have an idea! (Can you tell I think as I write?)
How about to enter this, my very first, oh-so-exciting, wowzer-zowzer giveaway of the old lady in the window in the window, you leave me a comment on THIS post (the one you are reading right now) with your name, some way for me to contact you when you win (tee hee) and your NEW NAME for the old lady in the window in the window?
I figure if you can follow my train of thought, you deserve to win something. So that's what you need to do: Comment on this post with your name, contact info of some kind (either an active link, your blog, or your email addy) and your suggestion for the name of my creation here We'll do this until May 1st. I'll figure out how to use the random number generator to pick the winner. Woo hoo! OK now, I need a picture for this post...what to pick, what to pick...I know. It's one of my journal pages: Inspire. You inspire me. So there. Gotta run, late for my meditation group. Maybe that will calm me down. Like that'll happen. Not.

Postcard Swap

I have a fear of drawing. Normally I would do it, in the dark, in my closet, in a seedy hotel room in another city, IF I were to do it at all.HOWEVER, I signed up for a postcard swap through Swapbot and the theme required us to send a postcard (either store-bought-gasp!-or handmade) of an imaginary place. First, I did a digital image of a floating castle that I found on the Internet, and embellished it, but then I read my partner's profile and decided it really wasn't appropriate for her. Which was good, cus I promptly LOST it. :-(
So tonight I threw caution to the winds and drew up this little picture instead. I would have liked to have cuttlebugged the duckies, but I'm afraid that would cause problems with the Post Office. (did I mention our Post Office in Canada is run by psychopaths?) So the duckies are flat. I would like to say that they are laughing to themselves (can you see the smirks on their fluffy yellow faces?) cus they are watching the geese fly south and they KNOW that it's just a waste of energy, cus it's nice now and snowing tomorrow and then warm and sunny and snowing again the next day. The poor geese are SO confused. They go back and forth and forth and back. But then, you know about our weather here. It's only the geese who don't.
See the footprints on the ducks? That's the cat, who walks WHEREVER she wants to, including on the ducks. Just like My cat. (the little cretin)

On the brink of something beautiful

There is the coolest giveaway at the coolest blog called on the brink of something beautiful that you should check out, I think. It's all cupcake-related. I love cupcakes, who doesn't? Oh yeah, it's about spring too, I just forgot in all my excitement about cupcakes. mmmmmm, must go make some supper now....

Bling-Kin-Eck Template!

One of the blogs I visit regularly is Bling-Kin-Eck. Chris, whose blog this is, does some really wonderful work, and this week, she has generously given us a freebie template with a challenge to make something with it. So, this is what I've done. I'd love to say I have some interesting story about the woman behind the doors, like she's my grandmother or something and she's laughing at something precious I was doing as a tiny child, at the time, but NOPE. She's part of a stamp called "Waiting for Mr. Right" by I have no idea who. I have the stamp in my hand but there is no name on it anywhere. I tried. At any rate, this was a fun project and it now is in a place of honour in my living room, along with the blues and forest green and beiges.........it clashes, but hey, it's all about art, right? thanks for the template and inspiration Chris! I hope you go over and visit her.

The Last word for the Poobahs this week.

I've got Mail!

title="Wordle: BLOGGY BUTTERFLY DAY"> src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1913830/BLOGGY_BUTTERFLY_DAY"
alt="Wordle: BLOGGY BUTTERFLY DAY"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"> (image created using software found at http://www.wordle.net/
I don't go get my mail every day. When I'm really tired at the end of a work day, I just climb the stairs into my house without going the other way to the mailbox. I should though, cus, due to some good friendships I'm making in Bloggyland, there are sometimes treasures in that mailbox. AND I LOVE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't go to my mailbox for a few days this week and I wandered over there this morning and found two, count em two, magical pieces of art from south of the border. Lucky happy me! Take a look...

A butterfly and more

And this is from my buddy Lori whose level of talent is something I aspire to. She sent me this tag and I'm in awe, just touching it all over and smiling (well, that's a little bit creepy, isn't it?) more like grinning, actually. Go check our her blog I been thinkin'...'bout inkin' as soon as you can! She's hilarious, a tad (just a little tad, and in a good way tad) twisted and her work is to die for. Thanks Lori!

and more butterflies

and this lovely work of art is from my friend Jana. She's one of the Poobahs at the Order of the Opus Gluei, where not only do we produce some pretty FINE artwork, we laugh and have lots of fun. She had posted this ATC on her blog and commented that it looks better in real life. Well, IMO, it looked pretty great when she posted it, but it looks Oh So Fine in real life. But then of course you don't get to see the goods and touch them (touching is a really big deal for me, probably cus I don't have a significant other in my life, but I'm looking for one, do you know anyone?), only see another photo of it on MY blog this time. Oh well, trust me, it's beautful. You can see more of her work and her wonderful way of looking at things here. You don't want to miss it. HURRY!

Hooray

the work week is over.It's been a long one. There is something pretty sweet about a tall, dark, and handsome man with a bulletproof vest and a gun, but Oh, never mind. I'm just glad it's over.
The original artwork for this came from the Sum of All Crafts.
Good night.

. I'd like _to take the day off work_.
2. One of my most favorite romantic memories is _finding an engagement ring in my Christmas stocking_.
3. Last night, I had _a Quiznos Sub_ for dinner.
4. Sorry for the _drooling_.
5. Can we _cash in that winning lottery ticket_ now?
6. One of my worst temptations is _salty junk food_; _I find popcorn curls so_ hard to resist!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _visiting friends_, tomorrow my plans include _my women's meditation group_ and Sunday, I want to _go buy some decent running shoes_!

Grow

I'll bet you're just sitting there waiting, with baited breath, for my next weather report. Go ahead, admit it. You are, aren't you? Well, let's see. Yesterday, the town (city?) where my daughter lives made the National News. They were moments from declaring a state of emergency. I called her in the middle of the day, on something that had nothing to do with the weather and she told me the power had been out all day and all the food in her freezer had defrosted. So I said, "Did you open the lid?????????" (gasp) and she said Yes, with that, well, duh, tone to her voice.
It didn't SEEM like a stupid question. It was at that moment I realized I had failed as a mother. My daughter has reached the ripe old age of 19 without knowing that you don't ever, never, ever, under ANY circumstances, open the door/lid of your freezer if there is a power outage! How could I had missed that? Was it when I was teaching her the difference between right and wrong? Was it that day we discussed the Golden Rule? I Know!! It was the day I told her about sex. THAT was a red letter day. I explained (some of) the mechanics of the whole deal and she looked at me thoughtfully and asked me, "Mommy, how do Penguins do it?" Do YOU know how penguins do it? Well, I didn't. Still don't. I may never know how penguins do it. THEN, as if that wasn't bad enough (I'm scanning my memories of MOMMYSCHOOL 101 for the class on how penguins do it as she's talking to me) and out of the corner of my eye, I see she has two of her little plastic barnyard animals and she's got one on top of the other and...well.....so she never learned not to open the lid of the freezer when the power goes out. The cold escapes, honey. And what with the price of cold these days... OK, so the weather. They got SLAMMED. When that happens around these parts, it's kind of like a bowling alley, except it's vehicles that are littering the lanes. Over a foot of snow in an hour, or some ridiculous record. NOW they're waiting for the flood when the snow melts.The Mayor was interviewed on the news and he shrugged and said "It's April. This is Alberta." What do you expect?" And THAT"S what the weather was like yesterday, only an hour and a half from here. HERE, it's nice. :-)
This LO is my contribution for Gingersnap Creations GROW Challenge. There's a closeup of the journalling, so I can justify why it's for this particular challenge. I wandered over to their Website here and spent a long time perusing other's efforts. My gosh, there are some talented, creative people out there in blogland! It takes my breath away!
So there we go, GROW is the topic of the day. Sleep well tonight, or today, if it's almost your naptime.

Somethin' to Think About