I'm not entirely sure, but I think this is the last entry for this blog. Being my 250th entry, I think that is all that is allowed for blogs. I could be wrong though.

Anyway, we leave the day after tomorrow on holiday. Are we packed and ready to go yet? Nope. Doing that tomorrow night and it won't take long. Getting the kids to put their suitcases together will usually go just as fast.

So far the skirt experiment is going well. Much more comfortable, especially the thin cotton skirts and dresses. You won't catch me in any shorts this summer!

I've been busy putting together a handmade art journal for my upcoming trip. Last night I painted several sheets of watercolour paper with paint washes and hung them to dry (the runny paint made interesting patterns that way!). Then I stitched them together with waxed linen cord and glued the signature to a handmade cover (I repurposed a piece of heavy cardboard from a tablet of tracing paper and then glued a pretty fabric to it). Once that all dried, I decorated the cover. Tonight I will add various clip art images I've gleaned over the years from magazines and whatnot. Then I'll paint added details, use my Sharpies to draw with, add some Whiteout pen for highlights, and just whatever else strikes my fancy. The pages will be ready for the last step: journaling! That will be the part I'll work on during vacation. When I'm done, I'll have a lovely handmade journal full of memories to enjoy.

Right now we're at the library and there's a free blues concert going on outside. Charlie is out there enjoying the music (I can see her through the windows). Eric's got his friend's PSP and is surfing the net. I'm just goofing off, really.

I'm taking this laptop with me next week, hoping I can get online at the KOAs we stay at. If not, oh well. I'm still going to use this thing to play movies for when the kids get bored. It comes in handy.

Well, I suppose this is it. I'll create a new blog if indeed this is the last entry. Thanks for reading!

-----Amy
 

I've decided to conduct an experiment this summer. I am forgoing jeans in favour of skirts and dresses just to see if they're more comfortable. So far, I'm a month into it and the answer seems to be yes. Another plus is that I feel prettier when I wear skirts and dresses (and less like a slob). The true test will be in July and August when the temps really soar.

*sighs*

I also can't wait for vacation. We're going to Florida this year. I've not been to that state or South Carolina, so we're making a point of visiting them both this summer. And we've got about 3 weeks left to go! I've always wanted to see the Gulf side of the Atlantic. There's also Charleston, South Carolina that I want to visit. Lots of history and shopping (of the vintage sort!). And then there's the whole road trip aspect of the vacation that I really love too......

*sighs again*

*puts on subject turn signal*

Of late, I've been an avid blog reader/lurker. I've discovered Blogspot and the amazing numbers of incredible blogs over there. Lots of beautiful photos and links to other really awesome blogs. Makes me want to start one, but I'd have to have more reliable internet connection. I've been enjoying reading the blogs about women who not only love vintage clothes, but live the style. There's quite a few that dress like the 1940s or 1950s everyday. And the outfits are gorgeous! There's one young lady who even wears hats. Every day! And gloves too! I don't think I could dress vintage as often as that. My moods change too much to be that consistant! *laughs*
 

Last weekend was a busy one for me and the children. Saturday found us at Blanchard Springs Caverns with Laura and Julie. My own two have been there before but it'd been years and they'd forgotten about it (well, they WERE rather young at the time). We had a lovely 2 1/2 hour drive up to that part of the state. Along the way, we saw evidence of all the damage from the ice storms back in February. We couldn't believe how much of the state's forests were affected until we'd seen it with our own eyes. But the weather was pleasant for our drive.

The caverns were just as I'd always remembered them. Dark and lovely and full of fantastic mineral formations. I think Julie was really impressed. And I know Eric and Charlie had a good time too. We made a little side trip to the actual springs the caves were named for after our tour was over. It was a gorgeous spring day and the stream was just awesome. We clambered over the limestone boulders and stood looking over where the water gushed from the side of the hill. Little butterflies flew around us too.

The next day, the kids and I decided to take our bikes down to the River Trail for a ride. My son was quite eager for me to try out my "new bike". What we all didn't really plan on was how windy it was going to be. But Eric and Charlie wanted to ride, so we did. It wasn't too bad on the way out. We rode for a couple of miles with the wind at our backs. I thought my bike was being a bit sluggish but I handled it well (it was also too tall, because I guess it's a boy's bike and I'm a short female). We stopped at the gate near the old quarry at Big Rock for a little snack break and a rest.

Then I began noticing the wind and how chilly it was becoming. We finished up and started to head back. I REALLY began to feel my bike being sluggish. I thought it was the wind we were riding into and I was quickly becoming tired. I know I'm not in the best of shape, but sheesh! I motioned for the kids to follow me off the trail for another rest break. By then, I was quite out of breath. Eric inspected my bike and then discovered something about how the back wheel was rubbing. That was causing me to be sluggish. So I rode his bike and he rode/walked mine all the way back to the truck. Not much fun but we all made it back safely.

Turns out, Eric forgot to align the back wheel we he changed out the tire and tube. Once we got home, it was easily fixed. I think we'll wait for a less windy day for our next biking adventure. And maybe just stay in the neighbourhood too.
 

Charlie loves "Twilight".

*sighs*

Another convert....


We've been having some bleh weather lately. Which really sucks because the land has gone all green and lavender and fushcia with spring. I watch it outside the window as the rain blows in sideways. The wind rumbles our metal roof, making me think it's going to take flight any minute (though I know it won't, it's just loud). And then the temperature dips back into the forties, making it feel like winter has dug in again.

Maybe I'm getting old or something, but I remember late March being more....springlike.

In other news, Eric made a great trade with a kid he knows from school. I've now got the kind of bike I've always wanted. All Eric had to do to get it was to burn that kid a Metallica CD. And I've got a vintage style bike with coaster brakes and, this is the best part, NO GEARS! I can't tell y'all how much I despise bikes that have handbrakes and multi-gears. Not are they awkward for me to use, they're confusing as hell. I've never adapted to the mountain bike I have, nor the ten-speed my sister gave me.

So now I've got a plain jane no-frills bike to ride. *does a happy cha-cha* Once the weather decides to cooperate (and after I've installed new tubes/tires), the kids and I can go out bike riding again. We really enjoy doing that in the spring and early summer.

My son has a hobby of collecting old bikes that nobody wants. He likes to take them apart and then fix them up. At last count, he's got around sixteen of them in various degrees of completion. What does he do with all of them? Well, he HAS managed to sell or trade a couple of them to kids he knows. I'm just glad he's got a hobby that gets him up and away from his video games.

Come on springtime! I'm ready to ride!!
 

For being the second day of spring, it certainly doesn't feel like it. It's one of those grey, overcast, sort of afternoons. Every once in a while, it starts sprinkling. So where am I? At the library, online.

Last night was the release of the movie "Twilight" on DVD. I even contemplated going to one of the shindigs that was being held at our local Hastings. But then my rational mind boxed my ears soundly and I realized that gaggles of teenage girls in full-on fangirl mode would be there. What the devil was I thinking? Of course I stayed home! I don't have great reserves of patience to deal with that sort of behaviour. I don't know many that do!

So I bought my copy of the movie this afternoon at Wallyworld. No big deal.

My son is absolutely dead-set against anything to do with the series or the movie. He's never even read the book! Why? I think his level of tolerance for the fans is lower than mine. He grumbled the whole time I was in Wal-Mart buying the movie.

Yeah, it was a pretty bad movie. I've already told you all about it in a previous blog entry, so I won't rehash it here. But I mainly bought a copy for the unintentional comedy value (the eye candy value is none too shabby either). And my daughter wants to see what all the fuss is about.

I should be off now. Got a bit of reviewing to catch up on.......
 

Random Things I Adore:

*mid-calf skirts that swish around my legs
*hot cocoa with whipped cream, especially on a chilly winter day
*toasty warm kitchens with coffee brewing and kitties purring
*steam-filled bathrooms after a lovely hot shower on chill winter mornings
*russet oak leaves on the forest floor
*Keeble Fudge Stripe cookies, all chocolate and buttery melting in my mouth
*lying in bed, looking out the window at a beautiful grey foggy day
*snuggling next to a sleeping daughter
*sharing a laugh over the kittens' antics with my son
*Converse low-top black and white sneakers, especially when paired with my favourite striped socks


Two journal entries in the same week? Yes, I must be going barmy.

I did tell you that I've stopped smoking. But what do I do on my breaks at work now? I've been walking. On the ground floor at the hospital, there's a walking course (of sorts). I think four laps is a mile or something like that. I usually only have time for two. I often let my mind wander while I walk but sometimes I am pulled back to the present by curious things. A couple of days ago, as I passed the laundry, the sharp scent of bleach got my attention. And then once I was past, my nose picked up the aroma of sweet yellow cake being baked in the kitchens (which are near the laundry). Then I simply drifted back into my head where my daydreams were full of deer and moss and skeletal winter trees. It was a lovely grey day outdoors but too chill for walking. I remember wishing I was at home in my studio (which is also my bedroom), painting or working on my collages.

When the weather is nicer, I like to go outside and walk around the hospital. The buildings are so spread out, there's PLENTY of places to walk. My favourite is to meander over by the lakes. Very peaceful. And I usually don't have to put up with someone trying to chat me up while I walk (that annoys me to no end). I like being by myself and letting my mind wander. Some of the best ideas come to me that way.
 

I've always been a blog reader, however sporadically (and depending on my access to a pc/internet). Lately I've found some really good ones over at blogspot. One is called "Into the Hermitage". The young lady that writes it seems to lead the most fascinating life.

She lives in the UK with her husband in a big truck (or lorry) they've converted into a house on wheels. They live like modern gypsies, moving from place to place. She's an artist that paints and makes wonderful clocks. He is a musician and tinker (when neccessary). They sell her wares in small villages, bigger towns, and cities all around England, Wales, and Scotland. The pictures she posts in her blog are so beautiful. They evoke feelings of magic, peace, and mystery. Very inspiring. And she's got MANY cool links in her blog to other awesome sites. I love the way she writes. It makes me almost wistful for a lifestyle like that (but I couldn't pull up my roots and just become a nomad, too many other responsibilities).

The other blog I'm enchanted by is called "My Cozy Little Whimsy Nook". The young lady who writes it happens to live outside Asheville, North Carolina in the mountains in a cabin. She also has breathtaking photography. Her pictures of her studio where she paints makes me want to rearrange my own like hers. And she's a very talented artist/crafter. Her choice of colours tend to be sweet and candylike. Her style reminds me of the artists from the nineteenth century, rather folk art-ish. And I LOVE it! She has a fashion sense that's very much like my own, but hers is much more adorable. She also has a shop on Etsy to sell her works. I'm going to have to buy something there, it's much too tempting!

She's got lots of great links in her blog, and they're all to very impressive artists whose styles I admire. That's mostly what I've been up to lately. It's been a lovely, dreamy journey.....
 

I finally quit smoking! Go me!!

My last cigarette was January 31 at around 12:30pm. I haven't smoked since. Can't say I haven't been tempted, but I've been steadfast. It was just my time to quit.

Just recently got our converter box for the digital TV hooked up. It's a complete difference from the old analog reception we used to get! I really like it.

This is just a brief blogging session. I'm at work....pretending to work.
 

Well, it's been a rather busy week for me. And I didn't have to chase anymore batter-dipped cats. I turned 35 on Friday, got my kitten neutered (he recovered rather quickly, surprisingly), and got my hair cut. Now for most of y'all, getting your hair cut probably isn't a big deal. But I'd been growing mine out for about four years.

It was down to my waist.

I decided sometime last year to donate it to Locks of Love when my birthday rolled around. Just seemed right somehow. I think it was nearly a foot of hair that I donated! But it's all good. My head feels about twenty pounds lighter now and I don't practically sit on it anymore. Much easier to wash and dry too. I have never liked to do much styling when it comes to my hair (except when I was a teenager in the 80s, where everybody it seemed had big hair). I just like to brush it and go. Ponytails or braids are as fancy as I get. I like it that way.

There was an email about this site changing the background colour in February. Oy! I've got to go through all my images and do something about them. *gets nostalgic* Why, I remember joining this site back when it was Stories.com........

Right now I'm watching Charlie out of the corner of my eye. She's armed with a paint roller and a lovely shade of sky blue. Her and her grandpa (my dad) are painting a bookshelf he made for her. I'm fairly certain she'll be wearing some of that paint home later. *grins*

Eric's been kinda bummed lately. His Playstation 2 finally kicked the bucket for good yesterday. Over the holidays, I tried to replace it with a used one I'd bought at Gamestop. But it too was broken--the door wouldn't stay shut. So I took it back and they traded me another one. It wouldn't even power up.

So I gave up after taking that one back. I've promised him I'd buy him a new one when I get my tax money back this year. At least the PS2s have gone down in price.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some images to be editing.......
 

You ever chase a kitten covered in muffin batter? They're kinda hard to catch, aren't they?

Junior, our 6 month-old black kitten, was doing his maniac run through the house last night. Normal stuff for an energetic kitty. I was in the kitchen whipping up a late night snack of muffins for the kids. Had the batter loaded into the tin and everything. I just sat it down on the counter when a ball of black furry lightning comes zipping by.

Instantly the tin flips over onto Junior and now he's an interesting shade of black and white. And smells strongly of blueberries. Of course, the batter does nothing to slow him down.

I chased him through the living room, under the coffee table, over the back of the couch and finally caught up to him under the kitchen table. His sister Gemma was following in his wake, pausing frequently to sniff his berry batter trail.

He got a quick but thorough bath soon after. I think that traumatized him more than the muffin batter. I wrapped him in two towels and snuggled with him on the couch while he dried off. He trembled the whole time. Poor baby.

Junior was MUCH calmer today.

*sighs*

And he'll be much calmer later this week. I'm taking him to the vet to get neutered. That will probably traumatize him more than a bath, but it's completely necessary.