Scraplift

More from my Lazy Day. Tried to Scraplift again. In my opinion, it is harder and more time consuming than creating from scratch; but perhaps that is because it is better than my regular things. I won't ask. Anyway, I got the idea from www.Scrapgirls.com newsletter and used mostly elements from there as well. I found a cool site on line with great quotes and poems.
I shortened and adapted a poem about little girls from there. It is www.dennydavis.net.

Lazy Day

Just being lazy today. Need a day of rest. Started this layout some time ago and decided to finish it. Got the idea and the scrapbooking collection, Noteworthy by Syndee Nuckles, from www.scrapgirls.com.

Artistic Blogging

This obviously isn't something I planted this year. I enjoy our yard so very much this time of year. I'm always amazed at the beauty of the flowering shrubs and trees that were planted by Ron's mother years ago and nurtured by our loving father in heaven. This rhododendron grows against the small barn not far from the main entrance to our house.

The paper I used is from the French Market Collection by Syndee Nuckles and Up at the Villa by Erica Hite, both from www.scrapgirls.com.

Occasionally, I like to do a layout that is just artistic.

Rib Fest

Sunday night the Goodwins and McKinneys went to the rib burn off in the Cleveland Flats.
It was quite an experience. I enjoyed it, but Ron didn't. He detected danger, where I did not. That is the opposite of the way it usually is.

It was probably danger to his wallet, since it was quite expensive even though we were able to get in free. We saved $14 that way; but the food was rather expensive. We only tried one 'brand' of ribs. I thought the idea was to try them all and decide which was best. Someone had recommended Carolina Rib King and that is what we ate. In my opinion, my hubby makes the best ribs ever. They are very meaty and are fall off the bones tender. Phyllis is known to make very good ribs as well. I haven't had any, but I know from experience, she is a very good cook.

Balance

This morning I was reading the Scrapgirls newsletter and a past post by Ro was there. After reading her muse at : http://lifemuses-ro.typepad.com/life_muses_by_ro/2009/05/bu-balancing-act.html, I was inspired to comment. By the way, the paper and elements used on this layout are from the www.Scrapgirls.com collection: Prayer and Praise by Thao Cosgrove.
To read this, double click on the image.

Bamboo Bikes

John and Beth have been here with us for a very short time and had to leave today. They'll visit with Beth's people in Columbus on the way back to Colorado. They are anxious to get back to work on the bike project. It is quite an impressive bike and received a lot of favorable attention at the USAC Collegiate Road National Championships in Ft. Collins May 7th.

6 A.M. Panic

Click to enlarge print.

Chef Mason's Strawberry Pid

Mason has shown an interest in cooking for years now and at 6 he is baking his first strawberry pie. Gotta love it. Sure wish I lived close enough to get a taste. It sure looks yummy!

I tried something new, hoping this looks like a magazine cover painting.

Strawberry Patch

While Chelle shopped for next year's school curriculum for the triplets, Greg took them to the strawberry farm for some berry picking fun. Wait til you see what they did with those berries.

Gardening

Well here I am taking a short break from the garden...flower garden that is. I wore sun block 50, but am feeling burned just the same.

It's been a busy day weeding, spraying, etc. Spent at least an hour buying annuals. Going to stick with the common everyday blooms this year, petunias, geraniums, daisies, etc. All will be in pots on the patio and in the courtyard. Trying to grow just perennials elsewhere. I did buy another Climatis for the fence row.

For you who live in different parts of the country and have had flowers blooming since February or all year long, it is recommended that annuals be planted after Memorial Day here. Before then, they will likely to be killed by frost. Many do plant earlier, but have to cover them before a frost.

I'll try to do a layout or two once I plant them and celebrate the holiday.

Aussie's Love

Dale Carnegie said, "People rarely succeed unless they have fun i n what they are doing."

Does Aussie's smile tell you anything? He loves going to Chinese School. While he is very serious about it, he loves it.

24

I don't know if I can watch another season of Jack! It is too strenuous for me! There are too many heart attack moments.

Surely this feeling will pass and I'll be right back in front of the TV in the fall...if we still have electricity.

Unrelated to 24, except that most of us are addicted to it, I'm posting another layout from the Florida trip. Isn't this the finest looking group of women you have ever seen in your life?
And Buddy is quite a handsome specimen himself.

Bag Lady

It is for group pictures like the one above that I must travel with a tripod. This time it caused me trouble. Since space was limited in the car on the way down, I packed a weekender and carried a makeup bag, my camera case and tripod separately. Then the night before we were to fly back I found out I had to pay for each bag I checked. Of course I had bought a few things while away and I had all that photography paraphernalia. It was too late to find another travel bag of any kind. I had to cram the tripod catty cornered into that small suitcase.

You should have seen me get on the plane with a very large plastic Eddy Bauer shopping bag knotted at the top and full of clothes. I still had to check two bags while wearing my camera like a necklace and looking like a bag lady. Now that is the picture I need!

In the layout above Teresa sits on her front porch wearing her tiara. She just doesn't want to take it off. It's more fun in that pretend world we have created.

The Sea Wall

I was in sunny Florida with my girlfriends from ORU just having a great time...and poor Ron was left at home. Poor thing. Everything may have turned out all right, but he took on a big, big job while I was gone...not that I could have helped any. He and our 'can do it all' neighbor decided it was time to cut the very large oak tree that leaned over the boat house. Now this was not my idea. I'm pretty funny about trees. I'm not a tree hugger, but I do appreciate them. They are beautiful and provide shade and oxygen. My husband, however, had 13 of ours cut before we moved into the house. He will also have a tree trimmed until it looks like a telephone pole. Ugh. Anyway, the two of them managed to bring down the tree without it smashing the boat house. However, it fell on the sea wall and pretty much destroyed it. You can see the tree they chopped down in a picture taken last fall on your right. The one that stands between it and the house looks suspiciously like it was also trimmed (hacked).

Now the big bad thing about this is...it can not be repaired until October; when they lower the water in the lake so that people can fix their sea walls and docks. It looks pretty bad and I'm a little worried that the land might erode into the lake, since heavy rains come in from the west. Please pray that it doesn't and that we can do a new sea wall that looks good. Anyone have some old barn stone they are dying to get rid of? (Okay English teachers. I know the rule. I also taught But how would you say that without ending in a preposition. Yes, I know, and it sounds stuffy to me. )

If you are still reading, have a nice day and may your trees remain standing.

Grandma Minnie's Flowers

Peonies are my favorite flowers. The variety I have had for years blooms the first week of June, just in time for my birthday.

But this type is blooming now in my backyard. The plant first belonged to Ron's Grandmother Minney. It has been passed down to his mother, our daughter and since 2002 it has been ours. We moved to this house in 2004 and set it under a big old oak tree with some azaleas , it has done very well.

Jokes on Us

Okay, you guys. You got us. We fell for it. Off to Cuyahoga Falls tonight for a little dinner with a gift card. Wasn't anything special. We just felt like going out. But it turns out, we were fooled big time. The restaurant had closed last July, 10 months ago. But now we know about another Mexican restaurant. We did have dinner...and paid for it. The chicken fajitas were good, but we still prefer our favorite Mexican place...El Rincon, which is better, closer and cheaper.

Bamboo Bicycle

John's new bamboo bicycle www.pandabicycles.com was unveiled this past Saturday at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Racing National Championships in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The lower picture shows the first bike they made. The man on your right is our "baby boy" John. He got the idea after serving an internship for his Global, Social and Sustainable Enterprise Masters the summer of '08 in Mexico. He was very impressed by the bamboo from the very start of that stint.

Mother's Day

One thing about having six kids is, generally any major holiday someone is here to celebrate with us. The drawback is trying to get everyone here at the same time.

Mother's Day is pretty cool with many calls from around the country.

Since my own mother and mother-in-law passed away within a short time of each other in '98, I no longer prepare for this special day; but my kids are great to remember me and I am thankful. They are a great bunch... good citizens, independent and thoughtful. I'm a proud mom.

This is a layout I made today of the greeting I got from our 6 year old grandchildren...with some major help from our daughter Chelle and her husband Greg. Thank you all. Love, Mom

P.S. The 'writing' by Aussie is his name in Chinese. I made the mistake of teasing my daughter and son-in-law when Chelle was pregnant with triplets that since one in every three children born in the world is Chinese, one of the triplets would be Chinese. Aussie has decided it is he. He goes each weekend to Chinese school where he is learning to speak and write the language.

Unveiling

These are seven of the ORU officers for 2009. Two were not available for this convention.

We missed them! Their posts however remain their jurisdictions. We have made no changes from last year.

Comics

I've been trying to catch up on back newspapers. Yes I read the papers...as much as it hurts.
My favorite part though is the comics.

Translation of my journaling: I have to wear a disguise when I enjoy these cartoons.

For you who don't yet know, to see the whole page bigger, double click on it.

Watercolor

I'm back and though I came home refreshed, it is pretty pretty overwhelming coming back to laundry, cleaning, cooking, yard work, etc.

If you don't live in this part of the country, you wouldn't believe how many weeds can spring up and grow a foot in a couple of weeks.

It is beautiful here now. The grass is green and there are flowers everywhere. Glad to be home...but let me tell you about Florida.

Went to a friends home near the beach. We spent time 'beaching' , shopping , eating, talking, talking and talking. The weather there was PERFECT. Actually everything there was PERFECT. The sand is like baby powder there... white and fine. The first day, the water was not the beautiful green we've come to expect. But after that...OH BOY...that color was back! wonderful place for pictures... a great scrapbooking opportunity.