I started by painting my painting area’s black and white.

I then projected the  images onto the wall and penciled them in.

Then the fun began! It was a family affair. Since it was being painted in Steven’s room he and his girlfriend Morgan wanted to help. And what a big help they were! They felt better sticking to the larger areas and left the fine lines to me.

Now that the Stormtrooper was finished it was time to start Darth Vader. He went a lot faster than the Stormtrooper.

Here is a close up of them finished and framed.

It’s kinda funny, cause it appears that Vader is larger when in fact they are the same size. I was thinking, maybe I should have put the black frame on Vader and the white frame on the Trooper? Or maybe the same color on both? What do you think?

Hahahhaa, no madness to be had here! I’m not one to head out to stores at 5 a.m. although I was up at 4 a.m. and could be out there to get the great deals. I’m not into the crazy crowds and they are very crazy these days. Today I’ll be doing some painting. Here’s a little peak, I’ll be posting pictures soon on the finished prodect. Boy am I having fun with the project!

Then I’ll be having lunch with my hubby, who had to work today. Then I’ll be decorating the house for Christmas, FUN, FUN, FUN!!! And maybe, just maybe I’ll head out to a few stores after everyone else has gone home.

Hope your Friday isn’t full of madness.

About a week ago I heard on the news that there are schools that will no longer be teaching children the art of cursive writing. Now I understand we are living in a techno world. It’s all about the mighty keyboard. I use it to write here on my blog. But the thought of not teaching our children how to write in cursive just baffles me. It’s so beautiful! Okay maybe not everyone has beautiful hand writing but it’s still very beautiful. :) They say no one uses it after fourth grade. That’s not true, I write in cursive all the time. I even try to improve on it every time I write. Then I think about the greeting cards one sends out to love ones. What are they going to do, insert it into their computer printer and type out a little note along with their name? Seems a little impersonal. I love writing in cursive and I will continue to do so. If it’s not going to be taught anymore then I’ll teach my grandchildren how to write. Because  ”It’s a beautiful thing!” 

Then it sat for months because I was too busy. Don’t you wish you could make more time for the things you love to do. Anyway, I then had to think of what I’d do next. I decided to paper over it. Sorry I was so excited about how it turned out I never took a picture of it papered over. I then painted it. Here is the finished Rose. Don’t you just love it!

Here you can see the texture and the carving a little better.

 I’d say it doesn’t look like trash anymore. What do you think?

Then, my hubby made a frame 5′ x 4′ from 1/2 inch plywood and 1″ x 2″ pine trim to frame out the placemats. We painted the outer wood and glued the place mats to it, used plank parquet adhesive. Bry spread out the glue and I placed the mats. Then we finished it by grouted over the entire thing.

It’s a one of a kind headboard! I love it! Came out great don’t you think!

What will you be creating?

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…. ~Psalm 46.1,2

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. ~Psalm 32.7

Be still, and know that I am God…. ~Psalm 46.10

When we want to go for a walk, we have to say ” Do you want to go for a W.” Cause Roddy knows the word and not just the word but the  “w” sound. He knows what it means and gets very excited when it’s said. He’ll run for his leash and does his very best to sit still so we can put it on him.  He makes me laugh.

Dumber than a dog just isn’t true in my house. :)

 I see pictures/faces in everything.

This one Bry saw first. He doesn’t like green olives so he placed them on my pizza. Not meaning to create a face but did.

Our first stop was in the city of Avon just outside Vail. Where we had a romantic meal together at Burger King. Food is food. hehhee! Sorry I have no photo to share because there was a sign posted on the door “No photography or video taping”. What do they think this is some fancy place full of famous people. Who knows, maybe it does get famous people, just wasn’t any there when we were.  I asked Bry if he thought I’d get in trouble if I took a picture of that. Sad to say it slipped my mind, I forgot. :(

Glenwood Springs. We’re having trouble finding our way to the hotel. We can see it, just really bad directions to it. After a few go a rounds we get there. Amazingly enough it looked just like it did on-line. As we’re checking in the lady thanks Bry or should I say Mr. Younger. Then she looks at me in the most peculiar way as if I was his mistress. Not sure if she should say Mrs. Younger, she just smiles at me. I giggle to myself.

Note: My son Steven says you must alway look under the bed to make sure there are no dead bodies. hehhhe (No dead bodies here.)

Back to that story.. We find a Target and go in. I start looking for a  t-shirt. Cause if you know me, I’m all about t-shirts. Bry goes off to get some cash for an event the next morning. He comes back and says the machine wont give him money. typical, they never work when you need them to. I grab a shirt and ask Bry what he thinks. What does it say? The words all spread out, KISSES, the first, and the last. I’m thinking it’s kinda cute and it’s only six dollars so I get it. We’re up early the next morning to go to a balloon festival. As I’m getting ready the mirror is all fogged up and I look at the shirt. That’s funny, those look like eyes….and a nose…and…. WHAT!  I open the door and walk out to the tall mirror and I can’t stop laughing! Bry looks at me as if I’m crazy. I turn to him, honey look at this shirt. This is what we saw.

Bry laughs, and said all you need now is a few tattoos. How on earth did we not see that! REALLY how! I’m really not into skull shirts so I’m going to do my best to change it. I don’t know how but I’ll try cause I really like the rest of it. Still can’t look at it without laughing. 

Like I was saying we got up early (4:30am) Saturday morning to go to Snowmass Village (38 mile away) to see a few hot air balloons and take a tethered ride. Something I’ve alway wanted to do. It’s on my bucket list, just not tethered but tethered would do. I couldn’t wait! We get there only to hear it was post pond and if the weather got bad it would be canceled. Bry and I looked up, saw the thick clouds moving in and knew it would be canceled. As we got back in the car and started on our way back it started to rain. Yep, it was canceled.

When we got back to Glenwood Springs it was raining. We had breakfast at the hotel where they had Starbucks so I had to get my caramel macchiato. I have to say it was the worst coffee I’ve ever had. It was all caramel no coffee. The guy try to fix it. I should have made him make me another one but I didn’t. We went up to our room and waited for the Cavern to open. It was something we could do inside out of the rain so I thought. When we got there we took the tram ride up to the cave and waited in the gift shop. Thinking we’d only walk a few feet to the entrance to the cave I’d just run so I left my umbrella in my pocket . It was more like 50 yard maybe more. Then our guide kept outside the entrance a  few more minutes to explain things. He could have done that in the gift shop. We head in, it’s a nice 58 degrees and we’re wet.

 (Bry couldn’t keep his eye’s open, the flash was too bright.)

During the tour we find out it’s not one cave but two. So off we go through the rain again to the other entrance. This one not as far. This cave has a scenic overview and I got a picture, what do you think?

Not to scenic today. But its a beautiful picture of a cloud. As the tour comes to an end the sky clears so I can get a scenic shot. As quickly as I took that one picture the clouds roll back in. 

We decided to check out the local mall, you know to get out of the rain. When we got out of the car it cleared and the sun shining bright. It was more like a shopping center only a handful of stores and the JCPenney was a blast from the past. I can honestly say I’ve never seen a KMart in a mall before now. We were in there for about 15 minutes and decided since it cleared up we’d go to the hot springs. We get to the mall enterance and it’s down pouring. Bry and I look at each other and just laugh. We run to the car..now it’s hailing! We get in the car, take one look at each other and can’t stop laughing!  We just can’t get a break. So we head back to the hotel to get dried off. As soon as we walk into our room the sun is shining again. Are you kidding me!!!   

We went to lunch at a bar-b-que place called Rib City. It wasn’t Dave’s but good. Still haven’t found a place better than Dave’s.  As we sat and ate I was shocked to see a women bring in her black lab. He looked just like my Roddy.  This was no service dog just her pet. I could tell they were regulars to the restaurant. Cause that dog knew to hide himself under the booth so no one could see him.  This place catered to dogs. I don’t know about you but I think that’s just wrong. Service dog’s yes, bets no!

Well we gave up on going to the hot springs even thought it stayed clear the rest of the evening. But we did spend some time in the hot tub. I told Bry  ”We’ve got to get us one of these!! Agreed!

We had a fun time, even in rain. You got to make the best of it! And when you’re with your love….It’s alway the best!!

Can’t wait for our next getaway!

As time went by this jerk would by around a lot. Always being sarcastic. I didn’t like him very much but like I said, we had the same  friends so I’d have to put up with him. I later started dating his best friend so of corse this ment I’d see him more often. As time went by he didn’t annoy me so much. I started to enjoy his company and I couldn’t stop laughing at his jokes. This guy’s not so bad.

In the fall when school started back up my boyfriend would started questioning me about who I was with at lunch and who drove me home. I openly would tell him. I have no secretes. Turned out my best friend was giving him this info. Then one day as I was walking out of school I noticed that cute black truck. It was him, Bry. I walked up to talk to him and asked what he was doing there. He told me my boyfriend had asked him to pick me up. Well, that was okay with me I never turned down a ride home. Well these ride home  became another ride home, then another and another. Soon we were talking all the time. And when I had a disagreement with my boyfriend I’d talk with him. As time went by and our group of friends would get together we would be clowning around having a good time only to be stopped by my boyfriend. We would stop and laugh.

(Bry’s nifty D50. I loved that truck!)

As more time went by my boyfriend asked me to marry him. I said yes. I know, I know, not a good decision to make at 17. Well time went on and my boyfriend was spending more time with his friends then me. Going out with old girlfriends and laughing about it when I questioned him about it. Buying  expensive items but never buying me a ring. I knew this guy wasn’t serious.  I’d talk to Bry about it. Then when everyone would get together Bry wasn’t there. I’d ask everyone “where’s Bry?” and none of them seem to know.  It wasn’t as fun when he wasn’t there. As time goes by Bry started coming around again and I let him know how I’ve missed him.

More time goes by and we’re all at the school for some rehearsal. My boyfriend and all the other friends have come back to help with sets, sound, lighting. I’m the only one still in school. (I didn’t mention they’re all older than me, by 2 and 3 years. My boyfriend is 21 now.) As people are on stage setting up I notice a girl (who flirted with any boy who took notice of her) on stage talking with my boyfriend. I sat off stage and  quietly watch, and watch, and watch. Anger began to set in. What is he doing!?!! I’m sitting right here and he’s flirting with this girl. I’m talk flirting! He’s so close to her, touching her and her touching him. Would he even notice if left? So I did. I was gone for 20 minutes thinking about what to do and when I come back he had never noticed I was gone. I sit again and glare. Another friend notices me watching him and asked if I’m okay. I look at him and back at them. “Look at that…what is he thinking? He doesn’t even care.” He tries to comfort me. (he’s still a good friend!) I get up tears in my eyes and say “I’ve had it” and walk away. If only I had that ring so I could throw it in his face. To tell that girl she could have him. As I’m leaving I bump into Bry. He had just show up and sees my pain. He asked what’s wrong. I point ”that’s what’s wrong. I’m leaving.” Bry grabs me, gives me the BIGGEST hug and whispers in my ear…

“I think I’m falling in love with my best friends girlfriend.” I looked at him, hugged him again and wanted to say the same thing. Then my boyfriend walks up and asks what wrong. (are you kidding me!) I pull away from Bry and walk away. Bry tells him he doesn’t know. My boyfriend catches up with me and says are you ready to go home. 

A few days go by. I haven’t talked with anyone and I know what I have to do so I do it. On his birthday (it just happened to be that day) I tell him it’s over. It’s just not working out, he agree’s with me. It ends. The pain is finally over.

I would later go out with all my friends and it was very awkquard. Cause even when you say you’ll just be friends, you really can’t. 

Now would Bry call me? Should I call him?

Well I can’t remember who called who. But I’m happy one of us did!

(us dating about 1 1/2 years. 1984…I think.)

Cause now after 29 years,  I’ve never stopped loving his company, his jokes. He brings so much happiness to my life. I thank God every day for him. I guess I was wrong. He was something special….special for me! 

Happy 26th Anniversary my love! Looking forward to the next 26!

(yes, yes, I’m a day late. What can say life is busy)