....a very touching blog

Go visit...read....

calling all Mickey Mouse lovers....

I have 6 of these purse sets from AVON last year. I need to sell them and think if this works out, I may post more of my AVON stash here. I gots LOTS of good stuff!
These are NIP (NEW IN PACKAGE). I want $25 each, which includes the shipping---to USA addresses only.
Paypal or Money Order payments, please.
Leave me a comment or email me at beeson *at* frontiernet.net

Hello Thursday.....

Well, I've been up since about 1:30 a.m. I hope I get through the day OK. I have to go to 'work' at the scrapbooking store from 2-5...probably about the time I need a NAP! LOL


I started this baby afghan the other night. I hate the first foundation row of a new afghan project...bleck! Anyway, I bought several skeins of this green baby yarn at BIG LOTS last week. Don't ask me why! I have more than enough stash to start 'lots' of projects.....hmmmmmm, maybe I have a teensy problem??? LOL

I watched Oprah yesterday...about that lady hoarder and the TONS of stuff she had in her 3000-sq-foot home, and her garage. It filled a 10,000 square foot warehouse, where they held a $13,000 rummage sale. I guess I don't have THAT big of a problem...and truth be told, I suppose we all have 'issues' with some kind of hoarding/saving. I think people that don't move often have more of an issue with these type things. We've lived in this house for 18 years...so..... On top of that, I will admit this. For the first mmmmmmm, maybe 10 years of our marriage, things were rough, financially. Partly, because of hubby working in the construction field, when he FINALLY decided what he was going to do with his life/career. (Work is what we call "chicken, one day and, feathers, the next".) After several years of marriage, we ended up with a 32-foot 5th wheel. I bought/hoarded food in every nook and cranny in that thing! I had gotten heavy into coupon use and refunding. It boggled my mind, when we moved out of it---into a 40-foot travel trailer---of all the stuff that came out of that trailer! The trailer wasn't overflowing with 'stuff'...but, those things are built with so many little places to put stuff and I put stuff in every ONE of them! hehehehe Somewhere in my subconscious, I guess I still have that fear of 'not having'. It's not so bad these days and I find myself shopping VERY diffently.
K, no more secrets.....for today, anyway.

count your blessings.....(and go clean a cupboard! LOL)

Please sign this....

I didn't know this until this morning.
Go read it and sign it if you want.
I did. Boy, have the times changed...
::PETITION::

........grrrr

I'm sitting here listening/watching Good Morning America, as I sit at my computer.
So, we reached another milestone in this Iraq mess.....
4000 killed
I get sooooooo freakin' angry when I watch anything related to deaths from this mess...I cry practically everytime I hear/see anything about the precious lives lost. I can't even begin to imagine how I would feel if it was my son.
I get such a heavy feeling of sorrow for the loved ones left behind.
This morning I had an image burned into my memory......they showed a picture of a young woman in a sundress, laying on the ground, on the grave of her husband. The grave was adorned with many small momentos....and it appeared as if she was 'visiting' him.....or just so heart-broken....
God Bless them ALL!
count your blessings...

Happy Easter...

Easter was very low-key....I didn't even cook a big Easter dinner. We BBQ'd steaks. Hubby went out on the 4-wheeler, looking for elk antlers. He only found one, that was from last year, and a few broken bits, where they had been fighting. #1 son usually finds several and sells them. It's amazing how much you can get for them---those boogers can be HEAVY!

I worked on my friends gift. Her birthday was Saturday, so, it's late. I know she's gonna LOVE it! I had a ball making it. The photo does NOT do it justice----I put a ton of bling in it, but, you can't really tell. I have a couple FAMILY ones I'll take to my moms and do with her, someday.
Hubby had 3 days off. Friday was spent doing some dreaded Motor Vehicle Department stuff....that stuff drives me crazy! We had to wait an hour and then, only got have of the paperwork done. So, today, I'm driving back over there *30 miles* to finish it up. After we were done there, we headed over to get some investments and IRA's taken care of...WHEW! I'm glad that's over with, too. Scary stuff, but, it was a very good, informative meeting. After all that, we went to eat at my favorite Mexican food restaruant.
So, today is 'back to normal'.....altho, a BUSY normal!
count your blessings...

Happy St. Patricks Day!

I hope you are wearing some green!
Hope you have a GREEN kind of day!

count your blessings...

a few cards...

I found/made some time Saturday morning, after the guys left to bring #1's trailer home, to make some cards. They aren't anything fancy, but, it sure gets my creative bug under control....gotta make 'something'!
I LOVE this brown, paisley paper!

These are several Gate Cards. I was playing with the big die-cut machine at work one afternoon...

I'm off to get my taxes done in a bit. I will be SOOOO glad when that's over----I think!



count your blessings...

Here I am...

--I know it's been quite some time since I've blogged....I've been 'trying' to maintain through all the crap lately. Barely... I hope this is over soon. I don't think I can handle the stress much longer. I had a bad day this week, where I swear I could have easily lost my mind...
--All in all, it was another busy week. They seem to fly by. I did get to 'work' Tuesday, and that is becoming a highlight for me. I delivered my AVON order, and got my STAMPIN' UP order sent in again..and it's ALL for me! LOL
--Today, I'm finishing up the income taxes..all my AVON crap (that I always leave til the last)...UGH!!! Tomorrow is my appointment with my tax lady. I'll be SOOOOO glad when it's over! I've got LOTS of questions for her, so, hopefully, I can tie up several loose ends after the appointment.
--This will be another busy week...taxes on Monday--and, my SU order will be in, work on Tuesday, AVON meeting in Show Low Wednesday (so, that means a run to Walmart *grin*), my AVON order goes in Thursday a.m., and, I've got 14 cards to make for a retreat swap, 2 to 4 pages to make for my contribution to a 'book' gift, and, I've got to finish up my ::FRIEND:: gift (a scrapbook of sorts in the shape of the word FRIEND-WITH some pictures for my friend, Chris, in Washington. Oh, yeah, and somewhere in there, I need to CLEAN THIS HOUSE!
--Hubby has Friday, Saturday and Sunday off, so, I'll have to hustle to get things done before Friday. I wish keeping busy would help keep my mind off all the crap, but, I doubt it.....valerian root is my friend!

--I got this in an email this morning and thought it was funny, true or not! Enjoy.

This is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to American company Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. It's PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for best webmail-award-winning letter.

Dear Sir,

I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstal period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from the curse'? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying, jags, and out-of-control behaviour. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Cray

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'

Are you fu*ing kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to ed our life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bull sh*t. And that's a promise I will keep. Always.

Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin , TX

count your blessings...

feeling blessed...

Ok, so, this is gonna sound really hokey, but, I was just visiting Michelle's blog and she's trying to learn to crochet. She's actually trying to teach herself. So, this made me feel so thankful and blessed to be able to crochet.
Crocheting is a big part of me! I swear I would be a bigger basket case if I DIDN'T crochet! LOL When I am stressed out *hmmmmm, have you noticed how much crocheting I've been doing the past while*, I sometimes feel that I HAVE to sit down and crochet. I feel like it helps unravel my mind and calms me. I NEVER get into a vehicle for a drive *even just for a 45 minute trip to Walmart* without some kind of crocheting project.
So, let me tell you a story.....
When I was growing up in Iowa, we used to go to our relatives on Sundays. I had two aunts and uncles, my dads brothers, that lived close, with one house in between theirs *one of those uncles was married to my moms sister*. Just across the alley was Bob and Helen. They were an 'older' couple with no children of their own. They loved kids, tho and their backyard had all kinds of things for the neighborhood kids to visit and play on. It was a wonderful place and I remember spending many Sunday afternoons in their backyard with all my cousins and some of the neighbor kids. On most Saturday nights, Bob and Helen loaded up their pickup camper with any of the kids that wanted to go with them to the Roller Skating Rink! Oh, it was a ball! Since, I had 3 younger brothers, it was a real treat for me to get away on my own...I felt so 'big'! Plus, I was out late!
One Sunday, Helen told me to bring one of my moms old nightgowns next time, for material, and she'd show me how to crochet! I remember I had one of moms nylon/polyester-type gowns that Helen showed me how to rip into strips and she showed me the fundamentals of crochet. I'll never forget her for that! I think I was about 9 or 10 at the time. I never did much with it until I was pregnant with my oldest. I went to town! I made afghans for him, my BIL/SIL, and a baby set for their preemie daughter. I've pretty much crocheted since then. One year I made 9 afghans for gifts and I'm always making doilies and cute little thread things.
Last year, I wrote a poem that I give to the recipient of my large table centerpiece doilies. *note to self, I need to copyright that*
I just thought of another crochet story.... I remember, growing up, my mom had these awesome pink and white variegated, ruffled doilies under the 2 matching end table lamps in the living room. I thought they were 'silly' and ugly, when I was young... I think I was the stoopid one, tho. My mom got the biggest kick out of the time *when I got into crocheting again* and I asked her if she had a pattern for those silly, old pink and white, ruffled doilies! HA! She didn't have a pattern, but, she did something even better....she gave me one of them! *'nother note to self, I need to repair it and starch it and USE it* My mom did do some crocheting, altho, I'm sure if she'd tried to teach me, it wouldn't have worked. My maternal grandma did alot of embrodiery, and I still have a set of embroidered pillowcases stuck back somewhere.
Last fall, when I was cleaning and going through my MIL's house, after she left for the nursing home, I found a box of her crocheting thread and a bunch of her crochet hooks! The hooks are very small, metal ones and I'm sure I won't use them -- how the heck did people use them in the poor lighting they had way back when? There is one rather fancy hook that is made out of bone or celluloid. That one is very special to me.
I love to watch other people crochet, altho, that doesn't happen often, at all. Everyone seems to hold the hook differently.
Several years ago, when knitting became a big rage with many younger women *sorry, but, I don't like knitting--now, that seems HARD to me*. There was, and still might be, a crusade to pass the art of crocheting onto someone, to basically, keep the dying art of crocheting going. I don't think we need to worry about that happening, tho. hehehehe
count your blessings...

...one more thing

...before I head off to bed (dang magnet *puter* won't let me go to bed!)
Check out this fun little thing to do over at Dawn's blog.
I'll have to try this on the next roadtrip with hubby. He is such a talker---NOT!
Hope you find someone fun to do this with...ya know what they say about BELLY LAUGHS! heheheh Their good for ya!
G' night.....I promise!

I was RAK'ed today!

WooHoo! This is the first time I've received a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) in the mail. Sparkle in Washington state sent this to me! Isn't it the cutest thing? She is in an online group with me...we LOVE Bella stamps. The group is called bellaholicsanonymous and it's for lovers of Bella.
Wow! I'm on posting overload today! hehehe
Time for my shower and some TV/crochet time.


count your blessings...

Where's that money tree when you need it???

Well, my 'Money Diet' didn't go too well last month, it didn't go too bad, tho, either. With all that happened last month, I kinda didn't care...
Thank goodness I am working a few days this month at the LSS. I HAVE to save that money tho, to repay my credit card for Jeffrey's flight and my Stampin' Up order. Oh, and my New Earth book and my Stampin Up retreat fees.....
My kids used to be able to find that 'money tree', so, I sure wish it would show up for me! LOL
Ive got my eye on a Cuttlebug and some embossing folders from Jo-Annes, while the sale is on at their online website. THEN, I am involved with another online group about stamping, and, the big rage is the new Scor-Pal...so, I gotta have one of those, too.
I guess the good news about all of this is that it can be considered a tax deduction.....right???? hehehe
I suppose I could consider them an early birthday present to myself, too, huh?

I'm busy tidying up my AVON order and reading email. I really need to get busy getting a box of AVON returns ready--hey! There's some money right there! Off my AVON bill, anyway. More for in my pocket, tho.

It's been awhile since I did a Tip of the Day, so, here goes...
TIP OF THE DAY
It's that time of the year when my fingertip/cuticle areas get dry and crack. There's not much worse than a bothersome finger crack! UGH
I take care of them with a coating of clear fingernail polish or you can also use Crazy Glue. It will sting like heck for a minute or two, but, it will help protect it from getting bumped open, so, it can heal.

Speaking of clear fingernail polish.....
I also use it to cover the screws in my eyeglasses, to keep the screws from loosening and the lens falling out.

count your blessings...

Lurkers....

Come out, come out wherever you are!!!
I have my blog set up to 'see' who visits here.
I can 'see' you, so, please leave me a *nice* comment.....please...
If you leave a comment with your website/blog, I can come visit YOU!
Have a wonderful 'Spring' day, wherever you are! *wink*

SU SALEBRATION!!

Just a little reminder if order $50 worth of products from the 08 Spring/Summer catalog, you will receive a FREE set or FREE rub-ons from the SALEBRATION brochure.
HURRY!!!
The Salebration is over 3/17.
Click the ::HERE:: to view....search the links to find the online catalog.
Email me your order ASAP!

A New Earth

I've been hearing Oprah talk about this book thing she's doing, so, I ordered the book last week. Dang! I can't believe it took Walmart.com so long to deliver! It took one whole week....impatient or what?
I ran to the Post Office before they closed this afternoon and it was there, thank goodness. I wanted to read the first chapter before the webinar started this evening. *What a joke! I finally turned it off, it kept cutting out so much, I hope I can get to watch it online tomorrow.* I sat outside, in the last remnants of the warm sunshine of the day, with a glass of wine, some chocolates and read the first chapter. WOW!!!! I felt blown away within the first 2-3 pages! What a great concept! That whole flower and stone/precious metal and bird thing got me good! I am at a place in my life *it sucks* where I am searching for the happiness and meaning of my life. I believe in God and pray and have faith, but, I know I'm missing something.....I hope this book helps me to understand more.

Well, I am really surprised at how my Dad's death has hit me. I find myself in tears often. I think of things all the time, that I wish I would have asked him. I get mad at him, I get mad at myself and I cry.... Most of my thoughts are good ones, tho. There is just soooo much 'stuff' going on in my world right now. I think I'm having a hard time maintaining on any level, these days. I feel pretty close to losing it...ALOT. I'm hoping that the words in the book will help me to see what the hell it is I'm here to do. I can't believe at this stage in my life that I am so confused. I hate it! Is it menopause? Is it what happens when we get older? Or, is it just ME? I know I've been on a horrendous level of stress for the past 5 years.....HORRIBLE!!! I think it's getting to me.

I guess I better get my shower and crochet for a bit before I go to bed. I may re-read the first chapter again, too. I'm pretty tired tonight, tho, so, I might not do anything but crash!

count your blessings...