WE ARE AMAZING WOMEN!!!

Have you seen these ads for Dove where they are using "REAL" women in them? I would NEVER let someone photograph my body in the nude for one, would you?????? Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be the age that I am and would never want to go back to those teenage years. But sometimes it would be nice to look in the mirror and not see wrinkles or age spots or grey hairs on my head!!!! I think that is one of the reasons I have taken up photography. I like being on the other end of the camera now. CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING VIDEO ABOUT WOMEN IN ART: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUDIoN-_Hxs

Terrific Tuesday

Avery and I went to Surfside today. She surfed while I checked out my new lens photographing her. ************************************************************************************ TUESDAY ALLITERATION A tree toad loved a she-toad Who lived up in a tree. He was a two-toed tree toad But a three-toed toad was she. The two-toed tree toad tried to win The three-toed she-toad's heart, For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground That the three-toed tree toad trod. But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain. He couldn't please her whim. From her tree toad bower With her three-toed power The she-toad vetoed him.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4kgh1-NVxQ Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about! This picture of Avery reminds me of this song since it is made in such surreal colors! I had fun using this new website I found out about. Check it out since it is free at: http://www.picnik.com/app Sometimes my ideas that I come up with for my mosaics are so "UNREAL" that I wonder if other people get what I am trying to convey. Each one tells a different story. I just try to remember that there is nothing to get hung up about with being creative and trying new things. I also take this approach with my art quilting. I do what feels right! I am always thankful to live in this country and appreciate our ability to be free and think for ourselves since there are people somewhere in the world who don't have that privilage. HOW IS YOUR LITTLE SPACE OF THE WORLD TODAY on this MEMORIAL DAY???? Have you thanked a soldier or appreciated one????????

HELLO FROM THE STATE CAPITOL

Yes, I am in Austin. Avery and I came in last night to attend a Robert Earl Keen concert in Gruene, Texas, with Brent. http://www.gruenehall.com/ It is about 45 minutes from Austin. The traffic wasn't too bad since we had to take hwy. 35 which a lot of people were on heading to San Antonio for Memorial Day weekend. We arrived at the hall for the concert about 8:30 and listened to the opening act. Then Robert Earl Keen came on about 9:30 and played till a little past 11:30. It was a great place to see him since we were only 4 or 5 people from the stage!!!!! Avery couldn't believe how close we were. The only trouble were the tall people in front and around us. I felt like a midget but you could manipulate or sway to one side and see him without a problem. (you had to stand the whole time,too) What is so cool is that everyone was singing along to all his songs. He is a crazy laid back performer. It was a much better concert than at Minute Maid Park when he opened for Jimmy Buffett. I didn't like that Avery had to see all the drunk guys that were acting really stupid next to us. They couldn't even stand by the end of the evening after drinking beer after beer!!! I sure hope they didn't drive home! This afternoon we went up to help Rachel, my neice, move into her dorm (The Castillion) for the summer. We were sneaky and switched some of her furniture out with the stuff in the next room. She is all set now. Avery and I walked all over campus taking some great photography shots and looking at all the buildings. She sure does hope to go to college there one day! Tonight is my other nieces' boyfriend's concert off 6th street. That is downtown where all the bars are. Sergio is a pretty good guitar player and singer. He actually gave us a mini concert on Mother's Day out by our pool. This evening will be quiet acustic guitar music!!! NO MORE SHOUTING TO BE HEARD. Off to get ready for the night.

~~~~~HAVING A BABY~~~~~

Can you believe the woman that delivered twins this week is 60 years old? I couldn't imagine having twins even now in my 50's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One day I will have grandchildren that I can play with and give back to their mothers to take home. Isn't that what it is all about? Spoil them and then give them back? Sharon and Eddie and Susan & Ed should know all about that!!!! ************************************************************************************** I worked on my latest quilt until late last night. I wanted to finish the machine quilting so that when Avery and I leave for Austin today I have a project to work on in the car. I have lots of beading to do on it now. I can't show you a whole picture since it is a possible gift for someone very special and it will be a surprise. ************************************************************************************* Lane bought himself a new guitar this week. I finally got him to pose with it. I wanted to try out my new lens I bought for my NIKON camera. This one is the 18-135 f 3.5. I just love my new camera. *************************************************************************************

MAKING MUSIC

I finally found a music teacher that will guide me in playing my mandolin again. I have never played an instrument but wanted to learn the mandolin so that I could play along with my husband. He plays the banjo. We both enjoy listening to bluegrass music. Hopefully we will be able to play together one day. This is my mandolin that I bought at Fuller's Vintage Guitar Shop. If you haven't been there before it is a fun place to go. They are located way over on the North Loop in Houston. http://www.fullersguitar.com/ ____________________________________________________________________ I have a huge undertaking to accomplish today. My craft room is so messy that I am heading up there now to start organizing it. Then I will work on my star quilt. ____________________________________________________________________ Check out this fun video for today! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zS-z_U-hKI

IT'S A DOG'S LIFE

WOULDN'T YOU LOVE TO COME BACK AS YOUR DOG IN YOUR NEXT LIFE? My dog Zoey has the best life. All she has to do is hop up on someone's lap and get stroked over and over again. It must feel great. We bathe her, feed her, walk her, and love her unconditionally. She sleeps whenever she wants and plays fetch when she wants. What a life! ____________________________________________________________________ WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ (Passing Requires 4 Correct Answers) Answer all Questions, as Scrolling down to the Answers is Prohibited!

• How long did the Hundred Years' War last?
• Which country makes Panama hats?
• From which animal do we get catgut?
• In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
• What is a camel's hair brush made of?
• The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?
• What was King George VI's first name?

• What color is a purple finch?
• Where are Chinese Gooseberries from?
• What is the color of the black box in a commercial
• airplane?

All done? Remember, you need 4 correct answers to pass. Check your answers below. *************************************************************************************

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ (Passing requires 4 correct answers)

• 1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years
• 2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador
• 3) >From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses
• 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November
• 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel Fur
• 6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs
• 7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert
• 8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson
• 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand
• 10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?
• Orange, of course

What do you mean, you failed? Me, too. (And if you try to tell me you passed, you lie!) Pass this on to some brilliant friends, so they can feel rotten, too. ********************************************

here are the pictures of my new kitchen cabinets! do you like the "koi pond" color?

BUMP A NOSE!

Since yesterday's blog made you think a bit, today I decided to give you some humor for your Tuesday read. DID YOU KNOW THAT CLOWNS wish each other good luck by saying, "BUMP A NOSE".

I went to clown school in 2002. My sister had actually signed up to attend but backed out at the last minute. She offered me her tuition and so I decided to give it a try. I fell in love with clowning!!! It is the pure joy of bringing happiness and a smile to everyone I meet!! In the clowning world I am known as TIC TOC, the clown. Houston has a marvelous clown school that is offered each summer by THE CHEERFUL CLOWN ALLEY #166. An ALLEY is an organization made up of their members, which I belong to. Here is a picture of my graduating class: I have been involved in the clown school since 2003. Here is a link to our clown alley: http://www.cheerfulclowns.com/ You might decide to attend clown school now!!! I am also a member of COAI (Clowns of America International) and a member of TCI (Texas Clown Association). These organizations help to preserve, promote, and improve the profession of clowning. My favorite clowning activity is face painting. I enjoy twisting balloons but not under pressure. When you have a bunch of children pushing and shoving for their balloon and you can't twist fast enough...that makes me nervous! I only enjoy getting together with other clowns at our local Starbucks for coffee, conversation, and twisting fun.

************************************************************************************ Here is a picture of me (TIC TOC) face painting at Texas Children's Hospital. I used to volunteer on the third Thursday of each month but now I am focusing on my artwork and haven't been in a while. I am only doing special events with the alley. ************************************************************************************ LAUGH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS WITH YOU

1. Why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor when you can't drink and drive?
2. Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
3. Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
4. Why are there flotation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes?
5. Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there?
6. Do you need a silencer if you are going to shoot a mime?
7. Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
8. How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work in the mornings?
9. If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?
10. If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?
11. If nothing ever sticks to TEFLON, how do they make TEFLON stick to the pan?
12. If you tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped it from a height, what would happen?
13. If you're in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?
14. You know how most packages say "Open here". What is the protocol if the package says, "Open somewhere else"?
15. Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM?

GO MAKE SOMEONE LAUGH TODAY!!!!!! Check out this funny video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfpK3H5e0S4

L'CHAIM-TO LIFE!

I just completed another year of THE MELTON SCHOOL last Thursday. It was a fabulous year of learning with Rabbi Avi Schulman and Rabbi Laura Sheinkopf. Last Thursday we talked about THE TEN SENSIBILITIES for living your life and I wanted to share them. Do any of them make sense to you?????? This image was taken in my backyard. _____________________________________________________________________________________ THE TEN SENSIBILITIES TO LIVE YOUR LIFE:

1. MAKING DISTINCTIONS MATTERS TO US. THEY MAY BE TEMPORAL-SUCH AS MAKING A DISTINCTION BETWEEN SPECIAL TIMES AND EVERYDAY TIMES.
2. WE ARE AWARE THAT WE DO NOT LIVE IN A SOCIAL VACUUM AND THAT OUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
3. WE BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE TO REFLECT UPON ONE'S LIFE, TURN IT AROUND, AND EXPERIENCE FORGIVENESS FROM OTHERS WHILE ALSO FEELING A SENSE OF RENEWAL FOR OURSELVES.
4. WE SEEK WAYS TO CONDUCT OURSELVES AND TO TREAT OTHERS WITH THE GREATEST OF RESPECT IN ORDER TO PRESERVE OUR OWN DIGNITY AND THE DIGNITY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL AND TO PREVENT HUMILIATION.
5. WE BELIEVE THAT AS LONG AS ONE IS HEALTHY THERE IS REASON TO CELEBRATE. WE TOAST, "L'CHAIM!" "TO LIFE!"
6. WE ASPIRE TO BE A MENSCH, SOMEONE WHO ACTS WITH COMPASSION TOWARD OTHERS.
7. CERTAIN DECISIONS OR GESTURES ARE MADE NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY SERVE TO KEEP THE PEACE, SETTLE DIFFERENCES, DEEP A FAMILY TOGETHER, AND CREATE HARMONY INSTEAD OF DIVISIVENESS.
8. WE HOLD THAT EACH PERSON SHOULD FIND WAYS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER AND MORE JUST PLACE.
9. WE TRY TO HANG ON TO HOPE AND RESIST DESPAIR.
10. WE FEEL CONNECTED TO THE PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE US.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ These are some images that were taken over the weekend in my backyard. I am loving my new NIKON D80 camera!!!! This lizard was watching me take pictures of him. He was hanging on the bar of a windchime. This is a close up shot of some butterfly weed growing in my garden. White roses are so hard to grow. They turn brown so quickly! I got lucky with these.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

DIDN'T YOU LOVE THE MOVIE, "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER" WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT WITH JOHN TRAVOLTA? CHECK OUT THIS LINK AND SEE WHO IS DANCING NOW: http://www.jibjab.com/view/86825 *************************************************************************************** I will be dancing around my kitchen today when I have to put everything away! Yes, they finished the cabinets yesterday and so this morning we get to put everything back in its place. I will use the opportunity to get rid of duplicates and make a box of stuff for Lane's apartment in the fall. He is looking forward to do his own cooking. (at least that is what he is excited about NOW) Ha... *************************************************************************************** You won't believe how gorgeous our weather has been lately. It is so nice in the early mornings and late evenings. (about 58 degrees) This is very unusual for Southern Texas. I won't complain one bit!!!! These images were taken with my new Nikon D80. I wanted you to see the way the sun's rays came through the trees in the morning. ************************************************************************************* Take a little "dance" through your neighborhood and enjoy the beautiful flowers that are out now.

THE KING AND I

************************************************************************************** This is a picture of Zoey and King. They are best friends just like their owners! My friend Debby and her doberman, King, are my walking buddies. Zoey and I meet them every morning to walk the neighborhoods before most people are up and around. They are vacationing in the KEYS for a month. We will miss them!!! THANK GOODNESS IT IS FRIDAY.... WHY? Because my kitchen is finished and I can put it back together when they leave. I am one happy camper.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME...

DO YOU REMEMBER THE DAYS OF LITTLE LEAGUE AND TEARS? My friend Robin's youngest son, Adam, had a very important playoff game on Tuesday night. He played his best game ever getting three solid hits each time he was up to bat!!! Unfortunately his team didn't advance. But Avery and I got some great shots at the field that night. I have to give her credit for the flag picture. She is such a good photographer and has a great eye for unusual shots, don't you think? ************************************************************************************ THEY ARE GOING TO FINISH PAINTING MY KITCHEN TODAY!!!!! The new color looks great and I will share it with you tomorrow. I can't wait to go through all my kitchen items before putting everything back on the shelves. It will be time to throw out old spices and give away multiple utensils. ************************************************************************************ MY STAR QUILT WILL BE LAYERED ONTO ITS BASE TODAY. I INQUIRED ABOUT STRETCHING IT ON A CANVAS FRAME AND GOT LOTS OF GREAT IDEAS. I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THEM OUT. I AM OFF TO MY DAILY STARBUCKS RUN FOR COFFEE. WILL I BE HAPPY WHEN MY KITCHEN IS FINISHED AND I CAN MAKE MY OWN LATTES??? (maybe not) Ha...

A STRONG CUP OF JAVA

This gives you a good idea of what my kitchen is going through right now. The painters have been here since Monday and will finish tomorrow. The paint color we selected is called "KOI POND". I sure hope it looks good once it goes on. I have been forced to make a trip to Starbucks every morning for my coffee. My favorite drink to order is a venti, hazelnut, nonfat latte. What is your favorite? ******************************************************************************* 78 Ways to know if you drink too much coffee... 1. You answer the door before people knock. 2. Juan Valdez named his donkey after you. 3. The only kitchen appliances you own are made by Mr. Coffee. 4. You ski uphill. 5. You get a tax cut for all the coffee you bought. 6. You get a speeding ticket even when you're parked. 7. You speed walk in your sleep. 8. You have a bumper sticker that says: "Coffee drinkers are good in the sack." 9. You haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse. 10. You just completed another sweater and you don't know how to knit. 11. You grind your coffee beans in your mouth. 12. The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse. 13. You sleep with your eyes open. 14. When you open your dish cabinet, and there is only mugs. 15. You have to watch videos in fast-forward. 16. The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake. 17. You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using the timer. 18. You lick your coffeepot clean. 19. You spend every vacation visiting "Maxwell House." 20. You're the employee of the month at the local coffeehouse and you don't even work there. 21. You've worn out your third pair of tennis shoes this week. 22. Your eyes stay open when you sneeze. 23. Your coffee cake, must have coffee in it. 24. You chew on other people's fingernails. 25. Your T-shirt says, "Decaffeinated coffee is the devil's blend." 26. You're so jittery that people use your hands to blend their margaritas. 27. You can type sixty words per minute... with your feet. 28. The only gift you get for Valentines Day you get chocolate covered beans. 29. You can jump-start your car without cables. 30. All your kids are named "Joe". 31. Your only source of nutrition comes from "Sweet & Low." 32. You don't sweat, you percolate. 33. You buy 1/2 & 1/2 by the barrel. 34. You've worn out the handle on your favorite mug. 35. You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee. 36. You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it's not plugged in. 37. You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them. 38. Charles Manson thinks you need to calm down. 39. Every shirt or blouse you own has a coffee stain on it. 40. You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers. 41. People get dizzy just watching you. 42. You've worn the finish off your coffee table. 43. The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you. 44. Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house. 45. You're so wired, you pick up AM radio and people test their batteries in your ears. 46. Your life's goal is to amount to a hill of beans. 47. Instant coffee takes too long. 48. When someone says. "How are you?", you say, "Good to the last drop." 49. You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can. 50. You want to come back as a coffee mug in your next life. 51. Your birthday is a national holiday in Brazil. 52. Your hand is permanently shaped to hold your mug. 53. You'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison. 54. You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee. 55. You're offended when people use the word "brew" to mean beer. 56. You name your cats "Cream" and "Sugar." 57. You get drunk just so you can sober up. 58. You speak perfect Arabic without ever taking a lesson. 59. Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position. 60. You have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug. 61. You can outlast the Energizer bunny. 62. You can jump to the moon. 63. You short out motion detectors. 64. You have a conniption over spilled milk. 65. You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore. 66. Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale. 67. You think being called a "drip" is a compliment. 68. You don't tan, you roast. 69. You don't get mad, you get steamed. 70. Your three favorite things in life are...coffee before, coffee during and coffee after. 71. Your lover uses soft lights, romantic music, and a glass of iced coffee to get you in the mood. 72. You can't even remember your second cup. 73. You help your dog chase its tail. 74. You soak your dentures in coffee overnight. 75. Your coffee mug is insured by Lloyds of London. 76. You introduce your spouse as your coffeemate. 77. You think CPR stands for "Coffee Provides Resuscitation." 78. Your first-aid kit contains two pints of coffee with an I.V. hookup. ********************************************************************************* ENJOY YOUR CUP OF JAVA TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

DO YOU BLEED ORANGE?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HOOK 'EM HORNS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ University of Texas families are the most devoted, dedicated and spiritually burnt orange fans around. My oldest son, Brent, graduated from UT and got all of us hooked on watching the football games almost evey weekend in the fall. He started taking Lane to the Texas A&M games when he was only 15 years old. Now Lane is a student there and takes his sister, Avery, to as many games as she can get to . My daughter is hoping to attend art school at UT when she finishes one more year of high school. WE BLEED ORANGE!!! I think it is important to have a passion in your life. My kids have UT sports and many other things they are interested in. That will be covered in some other blog pages. ************************************************************************************* But my passions include photography, quilting, making mosaics and now blogging. Could a day go by without experiencing one of them? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO way!!!!!!!!!!!! Many people have cold feet when they think about starting a blog. Do I really have anything important to say? Will anyone read what I write? Choose a topic you are passionate about and share it with the world. What do you like to talk about? Do your friends look to you as an expert in a certain topic? Share your thoughts with the world with a blog. You may be surprised with the community that develops around your content and if nothing else you will have an archive of your thoughts and writing. Think about your passions and share them with me if you wish!

MOMMY-MOMMY-MOMMY!!!!

How many times has a mother heard these three words? I know I have heard them lots of times while raising my three children. Perhaps you hear, MOM, MOTHER, MUM, MUMMY, MAM, MAMMY, MAMA, MA, and many more. MOTHER is the person who always influences each and every aspect of our lives. It is true that a MOTHER does not become a MOTHER just by giving birth to a child but it is the feeling and features of MOTHERHOOD, which enable a woman to be called MOTHER. "God could not be everywhere and therefore he made MOTHERS."~~~~~Anonymous

Two Jewish mothers are sitting in a restaurant. The waiter comes over. "Is ANYTHING alright...?" he asks.....

************************************************************************************* Here is a picture of my mom, BETTY MAE. She is 82 years old. Doesn't she look great?

Here is a new drug for women called NAGAMENT When administered to a husband or boyfriend it will provide the same irritation level as nagging him.

BORN TO SHOP

INJECTABLE STIMULANT TAKEN PRIOR TO SHOPPING THAT INCREASES POTENCY, DURATION, AND CREDIT LIMIT OF SPENDING SPREE.... ************************************************************ My friend, Debra, sent me the cutest e-mail yesterday and it had this funny cartoon in it. But isn't it true? Don't we love to shop, shop, shop? I know I do, especially at resale shops. I am the queen of junk shopping. How did I get started really pursuing this new "career"???? I became an art quilter. Blame it on that if you must. I started after the Houston Quilt Festival, when I took a class with Pamela Allen. She taught us to shop with a different vision by using used clothing fabric for our art quilts. I WAS HOOKED AFTER THAT. I then started to build on my mini collections of COOKIE JARS, SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS, VINTAGE ASH TRAYS AND VINTAGE TIES. (perhaps I should stop there because I could go on and on) Ha..... Here is a picture of the art quilt that I made in her class. Do you recognize any of the fabrics as perhaps YOUR old clothes??? I call her THE CHERRY LADY.

THREE BLIND MICE

These mice actually look appetizing but the ones we had in our garage were not!!! I have my mosaic studio in part of our garage and there were three small mice that kept leaving us presents all around my stuff. I think the bird feeder in our back garden was attracting them. When the birds would feed they would knock the seed off and that would be the signal for "dinner". But no more... Perry set some traps and after a few weeks of feeding them peanut butter we were able to catch those pesky creatures. Zoey would alert me when one was scurrying around the garden. Thank goodness she never caught one! She is one smart dog. I DON'T LIKE MICE!!!! *************** WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/didyouknow/phobia.asp

JUST LIKE A VIRGIN

IN THE BEGINNING, KATHY CREATED HER VERY FIRST POSTING AND SAID IT WAS VERY GOOD! Does that sound familiar to some of you? I decided to have some of the fun and join the world of blogging. Hopefully some of you will also be inspired by mine now. Did you know that my dog, Zoey, was diagnosed with OCD yesterday? Yep, she loves to lick and lick and now she is obsessed with it. I didn't know dogs can have some of the same problems as humans.

Check out this cat with OCD. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WofFb_eOxxA

*****************************************************

I think I have "A.A.A.D.D." - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder Hey, Did you know laughter really is... the best medicine? Yep, tons of studies have proven it time and time again! It lowers your blood pressure, creates a much better mood around the house, prevents illnesses, speeds up healing, produces a chemical in us that runners get when they reach that 'runners high' which prevents pain sensors from hurting you real bad, makes you feel 'goofy' without the need for drugs or alcohol! Since violence and news on our televisions have the opposite effect!