End of February...

Can you believe this month is over? Where has the time gone? For the past two weeks I have have enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics. I have to say the Winter Olympics is my favorite by far, don't get me wrong I enjoy watching the Summer Olympics, too. It is pretty exciting that the United States finished with 37 medals. In fact the different news mediums is stating the U.S. will leave with the most medals by any country at any Winter Games. Yay...for the Red, White, and Blue!

So, what are some of your favorite sporting events to watch? I just can't say which I like to watch the best. I love pretty much all of it. From curling to figure skating. Oh, and lets not forget snowboarding and hockey. See, I just have so many favorites. I'm already looking forward to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.

Hope you had a memorable February. See you in March!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I started the day out making two special boys in my life heart shaped pancakes and then finishing it off with a little shopping and getting a pedicure and a massage. Then off to a very tasty Chinese Buffet Restaurant. Oh, and lets not forget the wonderful sweet goodies. Yum-oh! Could this day get any better?

Fun Paper Cutting Video

I found this amazing video on the Paper Crave website. It is incredible and I thought I would share it with you. The New Zealand Book Council has released an absolutely amazing video, produced by Colenso BBDO and animated by London based Andersen M Studios, which uses paper craft animation to promote books and reading. The animation features paper cut imagery using Maurice Gee’s novel Going West, and eight months of intricate paper cutting work went into creating the final two minute video. Who said they couldn't make books come alive?

From service dog to SURFice dog

Every Sunday Dawn from Dawns Stamping Thoughts posts different videos that she finds valuable enough to share. I enjoy watching them and have been moved by many. However, this one in particular is just AMAZING! This video touched my heart! So, I thought I would share it with you.




It's truly amazing how animals can touch people. Thanks for stopping by today.

Some thoughts...

Well, we are expecting a lil' ice and snow here in MN tonight. I'm hoping we see some more. We got a lil' over Christmas, but we are in need for more to keep our outdoor enthusiast's happy.

I received this in an e-mail today and I just loved it - every single word of it - so I though I'd share it with you.

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends & family will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

I think if we all live by these words - we will have a very blessed 2010.
Jody

Little Cuties, a Favorite Winter Snack

Shh! I'm going to tell you a little secret. I would like to share with you a little treat that has a huge part of getting me through our long winter season. Yep, it is these adorable California clementine oranges. They make me extremely happy. In fact they are my all time favorite go-to snack. They're easy to open, peel and eat! I alone can go through a whole bag in a week. I like to share them with people who have not heard about them before. They are always pleasantly surprised at just how good they are. They are a perfect snack for the winter season blues, giving us that much needed burst of vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins. Oh, and not to mention satisfying a sweet tooth addiction. Another fun thing about these little cuties is that some of them have a little sticker that reads "Happy Juicy days!" "Seedless Greetings!" or "Sweetest New Year!"

I do have to mention just one problem with these little Cuties. They don't stay around long. So, go and get yourself some and be quick about it, soon they will be gone.

Thanks for rolling by today and have a sweet day! =)

Florida here I come....

and hopping to see lots of SUNSHINE! Doesn't sound like it is going to be super warm, but anything is better than -35 degrees. So, I will take what I can get. Have a great week everyone.

Merry Christmas

Loving God, we open ourselves to you this Christmas season.
As these candles are lit, light our lives with your imagination.
Show us the creative power of hope.
Teach us the peace that comes from justice.
Fill us with the kind of joy that cannot be contained, but must be shared.
Maginfy your love within us.
Prepare our hearts to be transformed by you,
that we may walk in the light of Christ.

Merry CHRISTmas Everyone!!!

Trees

When I was out and about the other day, I noticed all different kinds of Christmas trees. So, I had to share with you. Can you just imagine the ones below, all decked out with decorations. I would love to see how some creative person would decorate the black tree. Are you thinking about it, too?

Yes, they even sell a Charlie Brown tree!

This would be the tree I would love to have in my classroom. I just love it! Just look at those huge erasers. I'm thinking the kids wouldn't have a problem finding these.

And last, but not least. My little tree.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend!

Grinch

Last year I went down south for a Christmas gathering. After, everyone left my cousins, myself, and my friend went out to a local small town bar. It was fun, we had drinks and popcorn and played some pool. As we played pool, we started talking about the Santa that was sitting at the bar and how funny it would be if he would come over and sit on my friend, Becky's lap. Well, to my surprise when he turned around he had a Grinch mask on. Kind of strange, and not to mention scary looking. Non-the-less we got him to come over and we took this picture with him. So, I have been trying to figure out how to use the pictures I took that evening.





Thank goodness I like to stalk Ellen's blog, because she created a Grinch in punch art form. I consider myself extremely lucky to have found her blog, because this is one woman that is truly blessed with a talent, and I consider myself to be truly blessed to be able to CASE her creations. LOL


So, here he is. I made up a 6 x 6 page for my punch creation book. So, friends I can say that I'm finally one step closer at getting my page done in my scrapbook. Yay! Have a good day and don't put your Grinch face on. Ha, ha, ha!

Happy Thanksgiving

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
-Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1864

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

I Spy....

So, I went and had my eyes checked the other day. It was a good visit. My eyes are doing good. So good in fact, that I noticed something. Here is the story. You see I can go two different routes when I go to the big city. Of course I'm a lot like clock work and chose to travel the same route on an almost daily basis. So of course you would think that I would have noticed a sign that is just southeast of my house.

Here is a picture of the sign.

What a great looking sign! Right? Well, not exactly. You see for the last decade (at least) I have been spelling my little town like this: PONSFORD. Did you notice the difference? I will give you a hint in case you missed it, look at the letter "d". Yep, I have been spelling it with only one "Dd". So, for a fraction of a minute it passed through my mind that "Oh, my gosh are you freaking kidding me?" There are two "d's" in Ponsford. Blondie moment? Perhaps! I'm not sure?

I like a good mystery. Don't you? So, I go down the road perhaps 500 feet at the most and notice this sign (the correct spelling).

What the world?!?! Yep, they made a new sign and they spelled it wrong. Hahahaha! That's funny! I'm not sure when they switched the sign, but the county is coming out to fix it. How can I tell? Well, you can see their fancy black writing on the back of the sign. This was not there before.

I think that I should have won a prize for noticing this. What do you think? Too funny! I hope you have an "I spy" moment of your own and soon. Take care and until next time.

Happy Friday the 13th...

I'm not sure what rock I have been living under, but I can tell you that I had never heard of this word before: Triskaidekaphobia. Are you familiar with it? It caught my eye when it popped up on MSN. com and so of course-curious me had to look into a little farther. This is what I found out. A fear of the number 13. Gasp! I guess I don't suffer from this, but apparently some other do. For instances did you know:

• More than 80% of high-rises lack a 13th floor.


• Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13. (I will definitely pay attention next time I go to these places)


• Many airports skip the 13th gate.-Airplanes have no 13th aisle.


• Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery.


• On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half.


• Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue.

Interesting stuff. I have to say that I'm really glad that I don't suffer from this phobia. One less thing to cross of my list. Yay!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Veterans Day

Thanks for all that you do and thank you for our Freedoms that we enjoy today and days to come! God Bless!

Fun in the forest...

What another beautiful weekend we had in northern Minnesota. Sure has been a treat!

This weekend my nephew, Riley was over. So, we thought we would travel over to the White Earth State Forest. Not a far travel, by any means. I live only 2 miles max from my door step. Can't beat that.

White Earth State Forest is over 160,000 acres. Glaciers created the rolling hills, potholes and lakes. Much of the forest is maple, basswood, red oak, aspen, red and white pine and white spruce. So, you can just image how good it smelled going through the trails. I was surprised by the number of leaves that have started changing colors and or fallen to the ground.

Here are the guys taking a break, before we mozy on down the trail. Of course I'm not in the picture cause I'm taking it, but even my dog Dory came along to enjoy the awesome fall weather. She spends most of her time off scouting in the woods.

We had a great day and it even got better when I got home and learned the Vikings won their second game in a row. Way to go Vikes!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you had a great weekend.

Cleaning House...

How did I accumulate all this stuff? I need an interior intervention! The sad part is that this is only my stuff from the basement. Ugh! I will finish with my stuff and then tackle Mack’s. Of course, only if I’m still sane! LOL

It’s so easy to collect “stuff” and much harder to let it go. Despite my best intentions I seem to accumulate small piles until suddenly I have to stop everything to toss and straighten up. I wish I could make it easier on myself and discard as I go but despite my best intentions things seem to somehow accumulate.

After this house cleaning, I know that I will feel much better. I’m borrowing ideas from “Clean House” the Show. Bringing everything out and then going through all the stuff and then putting the stuff into three different piles marked: Keep, Garage Sale, and Garbage.

I just hope that my “Keep” pile is relatively small compared to the other two piles.

After having a not so fun summer, I decided to make some changes in my life. Yes, I have a long way to go, but you must start at the bottom and work your way to the top. Right?

So, my first change has been to view myself as a spiritual house that needs to be maintained and cleaned regularly. After a few dietary slips I eventually begin/an to pay a physical price, so I started working on this one awhile back, and it is working…slow but sure.

Second change, understanding that when I hold onto resentment, a hurt or a worry it takes a toll on my soul and mental health.

So, this is how I got where I am at today. We all need to keep a clean house, get rid of those cob webs and clear the air. Letting go makes room for new beginnings and frees whatever space we choose to inhabit.

What have I learned? Don’t wait too long between cleanings it’s much easier to do as you go along.

And finally…Find Something to Feel Good About Everyday!

How Does Your Garden Grow...

Great! I thought I would show you around my little place today. When I stroll around outside, these are just some of the views that I see. I just love this time of the year! Cooler temperatures, green grass, abundance of blooms, and lets not forget the smell of autumn in the air. Inhale that wonderful scent, it is like pure happiness in a single breath.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend! Until next time.

Spider Webs

Early into September and you can already smell the scent of Autumn. Autumn is falling colored leaves. The smell of acidic oak leaves, and fresh cold morning airs. Autumn is also the time for cool damp mushroom growing, and for foggy mornings. Which brings us back to the main topic here-spiderwebs. The damp mornings fill the spiderwebs and spot the sluggish spiders with glistening dew drops.

Something about spiders and spider webs makes for a neat subject. Add a little morning mist or dew and they really light up. This image wasn't one that I had to travel real far to take, just went to the back yard.

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside...! You would be shocked if you thought the itsy-bitsy spider was confined to an occasional web in the field, but look what we find when the dew settles and the sun rises upon the scene. I swear there must have been at least a dozen of various shaped spiderwebs dotting the field! Who would ever have thunk that one?

Hopefully, you will get the chance to catch a glimpse of these amazing art pieces. A true masterpiece in the making. Enjoy and don't let the spiders freak you out. LOL

Everyone Needs a Home....

Awhile back at work, someone broke this bowl and I thought that it was pretty. However, I had no use for a broken bowl, or so I thought. One of my coworkers suggested that I take it home and put it in my garden and use it as a toad house. Well, that is interesting. As funny as it sounded, I liked her idea and off I went with the bowl. Several people asked me throughout the day about the bowl and each time I would tell them...well they would laugh at me.

So, I would like to show you my new neighbor. Yep, that is right toad houses really do work!

OK, so not everyone finds toads beautiful. However, a single toad can eat about 110 beetles, ants, June bugs, grasshoppers, moths and other bugs every day. That's right around 3,300 every month! Wow! Yummy!

I guess it only makes sense since toads are most active at night, so during the day they need a fairly dark, cool place to hide from the sun and predators. You will find me encouraging these bug-hungry hunters to have a nice long stay in my garden by providing this adorable affordable toad house.

I would like to suggest that you find an old bowl and place it in an area in your garden and before long you'll have a new neighbor, too.

Excuse the lull...

Whew - what a month and to think that September is creeping up on us very quickly. Excuse the blogging lull around here. I would like to say more than anything that I have been busy getting used to a new schedule around here with school starting soon.

However, that is not the case.

I can tell you though that I tried something new this week. Mack has been after me since day one of knowing him to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Well, I took the big plunge and I guess it is not so bad. I love the wind in my hair. I have a long way to go, but you have to start somewhere. So, here is a little video of my first journey out. Oh, and I have to tell you the boy was grinning from ear to ear. I think I made him a little proud. What a treat!