Do I Belong Here?

I have spent the last 2 or 3 days wandering around in "Blogland". I've been fascinated, impressed, intimidated, tickled and warmed. I think my favorite part has been looking at all the different pictures people have posted...of their children, their homes, their pets, their hobbies, their lives. I find myself wondering "why am I so interested in these strangers?" And what makes me think any of them would be interested in me? I think it's because some of their musings and their dreams and their realities so closely resemble my own. I'm amazed to know that there are people halfway across the world who share my interests. I'm flabbergasted to see that there are gardens way up in Canada that are gorgeous and lush (what do I know? I think Canada and I see snow, not greenery - and yes, I'm am mortified to admit to something that goofy). I've been so very impressed with the eloquence of some of these bloggers (especially my Aunt Sandi http://sandimcbride.blogspot.com/ ) who has a way of making me see what she's actually talking about. I fell in love with these 3 blogs in particular, http://teaandmargaritas.blogspot.com/, http://sophiehoneysuckle.blogspot.com/, and http://countrycottagechic.blogspot.com/. They have some of the greatest pictures and thoughts I've seen and read. Actually, to tell you the truth, I fell in love with a lot of blogs while I've been surfing along here in Blogland and they are listed on the left side of my page. Check 'em out - they're really awesome.
In the middle of my warm and fuzzy feelings about how much I have in common with some of these people, that four letter word (you know the one, it's starts with an F) came to me. I'm talking about FEAR. Ugghh! I was struck with strong feelings of inadequacy - these people are happy, smart, creative, pulled together...who am I to think we have anything in common! For Pete's sake, I'm prone to fits of moodiness, I sometimes forget to think like a relatively intelligent person (see previous thoughts on "Canada and gardens" for proof of that), most of the "creative" things I do are things I've seen someone else do first and the last time I was "pulled together", it was because the drawstring on my pajama bottoms got caught on the drawer pull in the kitchen when I was getting a spoon for my cereal! And I don't think that's the kind of "pulled together " that counts. Well, geez. There went the fun I was having. I went from being amongst my peers to being a kid with her nose pressed up against the window pane - looking in on all the cool kids having a great time with each other (paranoid much?). And what's more, I think most of these people are skinny. Obviously, that means they have much more self control than I could ever possibly muster. I have nothing in common with these people. Nothing. And yet...I'm still strangely drawn to their blogs. Maybe I'm hoping some of their sparkle will rub off on me. Or maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. Or maybe...just maybe...I'm a dork whose worst trait is a strange and baffling need to over analyze every little thing going on around me. I guess it boils down to this...I like Blogland. I like catching a glimpse into the lives of others and I like hearing about the day to day thoughts these people have. Yeah, sometimes I guess I'll suffer my own thoughts of not measuring up to what others can say or do or be...but hey!...as I said, I like being here in Blogland so I think I'll just have to take a deep breath, relax, and let my happy self roam freely through all your blogs and keep my paranoid inadequate self in storage for awhile. I'm tired of dealing with her anyway!

A Super Hero's Job is Never Done

My granddaughter - takin' care of her Uncle Kaleb

The Saga of the Sago

The first picture of our little sago palm was taken in the middle of May. Randey had transplanted the poor thing last fall - his mom and step-dad were digging it up and getting rid of it. It was a real beauty in their yard, but just didn't fit in with their new garden plans. So Randey rescued it from certain death. But after our winter, we were wondering if he'd actually rescued it at all. It wasn't looking good. But come May, we noticed some new growth. Woo-hoo! Randey cut the dead stuff off and we waited to see what would happen. And just look! I took the second picture about 30 minutes ago (yes, the sun is shining and I raced outside with my camera to catch some of it!). The sago has pulled thru nicely, I would say. Randey babies it along and I do my part (my part being that I don't touch it, talk to it or water it - the less I mess with it, the better off it seems to be).

Cutey-Patootie

Sydney the Wonder Dog learned how to sit up! Okay, so he learned it about 4 months ago, but it's still the cutest thing in the world to see. You have to offer him a treat to get him to do it and he gets so excited that his bottom only stays on the floor for about 1/100th of a second (made it SO hard to get this picture!). I'm constantly amazed at how much joy this dog brings me. Who ever would have thought?

Scrapbook Page of my Granddaughter (Ms. Bathing Beauty)

My funny little granddaughter. I love this kid.

Conner's Page

This is a scrapbook page I did of my grandson, Conner. I'm not sure how this will be received. I suppose some people will feel uncomfortable, some people may feel sad, still others may think it odd that I did a scrapbook of Conner at all. But, unfortunately, pictures are all we have of him because Conner died the very day he was born. He was a beautiful little baby whose soul was just too perfect for this world. The caption on this page reads:

Some people dream of angels. I've held one in my arms.

That's his father, my oldest son, cradling him one last time before he was laid to rest. This is one of the few precious photographs we have of Conner. But I'm so grateful that he was born, I'm grateful I got to hold him when he arrived and I'm grateful that we have the tender memories created during his very short stay here on earth. I did the scrapbook to celebrate his being. I share this picture because he is and always will be a huge part of my life.

Scrapbook Page for Randey

This is my honey-bun. The writing is hard to read unless you click on the picture, but it says:

Randey, you are
Always with me.
No one touches me as you do,
Deep in my heart,
Every moment of every day...
You are why I breathe.

(I do so love this guy.)

Scrapbook Pages of My Kids When They Were Babies

Nick, Des, Kaleb and Jacob...my contribution to the future!

(At least 3 of these layouts were "lifted" from various magazines - I'm a true-blue copycat, what can I say?)

Somewhere, Over the Rainbow

We have been inundated with rain the past month or so. It sometimes seems like it's rained every single hour of every single day (I'm so prone to exaggeration - always have been!). Just when I start thinking my whole world is nothing but one giant rain cloud (there's that exaggeration thing again), Jake brings me pictures of this, a beautiful rainbow that appeared over our house last night. It's a shame that the solar screens on our windows make the house look so forbidding when such a wonder of nature is showing off in the sky above. It's hard to curse the rain, though, when you get something like this in return (besides, a bit earlier in my blog, I vowed to stop cursing the rain - it curses back much better than I do!)

Decorating Sacrifices I Have to Make for Randey :)

I don't know if you can tell what they are, but see those colorful things on top of that shelf above the 3 mirrors (top picture)? Those are "classic cars". More specifically, they are Jim Beam collectible decanters shaped like '57 Chevys and Corvettes. These are not mine. Don't get confused and think I love them. These cars belong to my husband. They were a gift to him from my father. I love my father, don't get me wrong. I think he's a great guy. But I sure wish he wouldn't have given these things to my husband. Randey loves them, of course. Heck yeah, these are just the most wonderful things going, as far as he's concerned. I so don't get it. I really don't. All I know is, it was a big sacrifice for Dad to give them up and it was a huge thrill for Randey to receive them. So. There you have it. Since both parties involved seem to put so much stock in these things, I feel somewhat obligated to incorporate them into my decor. Which is not as easy as you might think. They used to have a home on the bookshelves, but I had to evict them from those digs. Too many books, not enough space. Here's our solution. Randey and I put this shelf up this morning, after which he spent an inordinate amount of time getting his cars placed "just so". I won't even get into how precisely he placed the miniature chocks he made to go in front of the tires (wouldn't want those puppies rolling off - especially since they're still full of Jim Beam Whiskey. Eeewwww!). You know, it's not that I'm against liquor (although whiskey would be among the bottom choices on my gotta-have-a-drink-of-this list). That's not why I don't like them. It's because these decanters are shaped like cars. It feels so...I don't know, like maybe something you'd see in a pre-teen boys room (certainly sans the whiskey, of course). The trains, however. Now that's a different story. I like the trains (see second picture). Each piece of each train is also a Jim Beam Whiskey decanter. I think they look great - way up high on the wall - one going one direction, the other going the opposite. I just think they're gorgeous. These were another gift from my dad. He gave one train to me, the other to my sister. She never did pick hers up so when we moved, her train moved with us. We'll have to get it to her one of these days. But not until we move from this house. There's nothing else I could put on a shelf that high up (I think the ceiling in the living room is 12 feet) so the train has to stay for now. But look at the trains. Now look at the cars. Come on. You can see what I'm talking about, right? The cars are...ehhh...a little "cheesy". But the trains. Now that's fine decorating! :)

The Funky Table (and no, it's not mine!)

I can't believe I forgot to post this. This totally cool table was in one of the stores in Granbury that we visited on the 4th of July. What I wouldn't give to have a table like this. (Susan, if you're reading this, stop shaking your head and saying I've lost my mind.) I think this is awesome. Can't you just picture it in my house? Boy, I sure can!

The New Bed

This is our new bed frame (same old bedding). Randey picked it out. You could probably tell that because it's LEATHER. I NEVER would have chosen leather. Not a big fan of the leather, I must say. And I just saw a beautifully decorated bedroom on another blog and I'm green with envy. Leather. What the heck was I thinking? Ah well, at least I've finally gotten that sleigh bed I've always wanted. But jeez. Leather?

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! Jacob, Randey and I decided to go to Granbury today to see what they had happening. (Kaleb had to work). As it turns out, they had A LOT happening! A big ol' 4th of July Festival was going on - complete with arts and crafts, over-priced funnel cakes and too-sweet lemonade and, later on, a spectacular fireworks display. We had a blast. Yes, Jake had fun , even if it doesn't look it in the pictures. All those wonderful stores around historic downtown Granbury were open, of course. That's where I had the most fun! We were there for about 3 hours when we decided it was time to eat some real food. We discovered a little Mexican restaurant right off the square and it was pretty darn good, I don't mind telling you. After we finished eating, the three of us felt that we'd probably had just about all the fun we could stand for one day and since the fireworks were still at least 3 hours (and probably more like 4 hours) away, we headed on home. Missed the whole display. I'm sure it was great, though. Granbury really knows how to put on a show. We missed their Christmas parade and festival last year, but after seeing how great they do for the 4th of July, I'm thinking we're going to make a bigger effort to get there when December rolls around again. Personally, I've had a wonderful holiday today and I hope all of you had a great one, too.

Sherri! Take a look at these pictures!

These are pictures of one of the little quilt supply shops in Granbury. Isn't it beautiful? I don't quilt (I don't even sew. Period), but even I think this place is gorgeous. They have stacks and stacks of pre-coordinated fabrics and rows upon rows of bolts of fabrics and even some completed quilts hanging from the ceiling...it's just a great store to walk around in. I've been in it twice and both times I've been tempted to buy stuff. I have to keep reminding myself that I don't know how to sew or I probably would have bought enough stuff to make a dozen quilts by now. It's that tempting!

Have you ever spotted something and just fallen in love with it? For no reason at all? See, I'm not really a cat person, but only because I'm allergic to them. If I didn't get all blotchy and start sneezing every time a cat hair touched my face, I'd probably have a cat or two hanging around the house. But those annoying allergies have prevented that from happening. Up until now, that is. Look at what I found! Check out these cats. Aren't they just...well, hell, they're just plain cool. Yeah, I know. They're not alive so they don't really count but still...I think they're awesome. And they're going to look great somewhere in this house.

How about this bag? Pretty darn cute, huh? I found it today when we were out shopping. I decided that the fantastic red leather purse that my mom bought me while she was here, while fashionable to the max, simply was not large enough for good shopping in a crowded place. Between trying to shove my sunglasses down into a side pocket and looking for my debit card and ID and then trying to get my camera out and put it back in...I was getting aggravated with the whole thing. Just when I'd reached my limit, I saw this beauty. Actually, I saw a lot of these beauties - in a whole rainbow of colors. I chose this one because I liked these colors and I loved the bow. It's not the perfect bag for everyday (that honor still remains with the red leather baby), but it's wonderful for a day of junk shopping.

The Three Amigos

Check out these three goobers. Yeah. Derri (who is my step-sister's son) and my boys, Jacob and Kaleb. Funny guys. They usually get to spend a bit of time together in Oklahoma during the summer. This year, Derri also came here to spend a week or so. (And Derri, unlike my 2 ungrateful boys, liked the mocha's I made him when I first started using my espresso machine. He earned big points for that!) They make quite a team. I didn't say they made a good team, just quite a team. lol

No reason for this post. I just loved the picture. Took it today after the rain.

Congratulations! It's a BOY!

Jake got his hair cut! (That annoying sniffling sound you hear is me crying about it - I loved the curls!) I had to post these because Megen hasn't seen pictures of his new 'do. And while I think he's just as handsome with the short hair, I really hated to see the long hair go. Randey's happy as can be about it. Figures.

Harry Potter's Doppelganger

Kaleb got up this morning (or afternoon, actually) and came into the Star Wars room to watch TV with me. I turned around and my first thought was "Well Good Morning, Harry Potter!" lol Is it just me or does he kind of look like Harry when he's got his specs on?

The Drunken Elephant Awaits the Arrival of his Fine Feathered Friends

This drunken elephant stands guard in sleet or snow or rain or...well, you get the idea. This first picture was taken in January '07 - we got a pretty cool snowfall and the birdbath froze over. The second picture was taken a week or so ago. It was raining, as usual, and the water looks like it was dancing around in there.

Latte Obsession

I am obsessed with this espresso/latte maker. Despite popular belief, this was not an impulse buy either. Randey and I had looked at this machine one day while we were at StarBucks. We checked it out for awhile, debated if it was really any good and if it was worth the price. We couldn't reach a decision, but we talked about it for most of that day. I sure did want a good espresso maker. We'd bought several of the "Mr. Coffee Cheap Home Versions". They weren't that great. The first one we bought was okay, I guess, but I think it was actually the novelty of having homemade latte that made it seem better than it was. Randey and I had agreed that we were done with buying the cheesy ones. But anybody who knows me knows how cheap I am when it comes to shelling out money. This was a tough decision for me. Well, Randey goes TDY for a few days and I found myself thinking about this machine again. I got online and did a little research. Turns out, this machine actually got great reviews. And what's just as important, StarBucks got rave reviews for their level of customer service for those who had questions about this machine. So there I sat. Randey out of town. The internet telling me what a great machine this was. My debit card screaming "I'm here for you, babe". I did the only thing I could do. I went and bought it. And I am so glad I did! This thing is so easy to use, makes fabulous espresso, foams milk like nobody's business and is sitting right there on my kitchen counter so I can make myself a latte anytime, day or night! How great is that? I kept the box it came in. At first, I kept it just in case I needed to return it. Now I keep it because anytime I go out of town for more than 2 days, I'm bringing my machine with me. It's become one of those things I don't want to be without. It's, well....., an obsession for me now.

It's Monday and I have a dentist appointment...

The day has arrived. My appointment with the executioner...er, dentist..is at 1:00. I already know how this is going to play out.

"Ms. Kari? When's the last time you visited the dentist?"

THE dentist or any dentist?, I will be tempted to ask.

"Looks like you've got a pretty bad cavity on your upper left side".

Ya think???

"Hmmmmm. Some of these molars feel a little soft. Have you had trouble chewing?"

Well, duh. I have a giant whole on the upper left side. Chewing isn't much of an option over there.

"We're going to get some x-rays and let the dentist take a look. Why don't you just give me all your credit cards right now and I'll get started on maxing those out for you. In addition to needing your credit cards, we'll be running a complete credit check on you so that we can get the paperwork started on the 2nd mortgage you'll need to pay your account in full. Oh yes, and one more thing...the broken cap on your front tooth that's giving you that whole Nanny McPhee vibe? We're going to fix that last. The girls and I have discussed this in the back room and we feel that if we do that one first, we'll never see you again and let's face it...the boss isn't the only one who has car payments to make. And I personally have had my eye on a brand new jet ski that I could ride to work until the floods recede and I'm thinking your bill will just about enable me to buy it outright. Now here, open wide, let me shove this painful and awkward bite-wing in your mouth...that's it...now bite down...there we go. Alrighty then, just sit here and the dentist will be with you sometime within the next hour or so."

Yep. Let the games begin.

My Place

This is my scrapbook room. A place where I can create and play. It can be a little intimidating, though. All this inventory, all this space, all these gadgets...sometimes I feel like I'd better produce something extra special...or else. Sometimes I think I'm just pretending to be someone creative. Sometimes I'm pretty sure I don't know what I'm doing. And sometimes I think I should chill out, quit worrying about perfection and just PLAY!

Star Wars Rules!

My cousin's kids, Matt and Wil - they look absolutely perfect, don't they? Love it!

Scrapbook pages