Bubbles McGee

Once upon a time, life was good. Okay, so life still is good and this is by no means a complaint on that note. With that in mind, I've been taking a few cruises down Memory Lane this past week. I don't know how May is faring for everyone else, but mine started off durn cold and is ending on a more sultry note. It's the heat that has me thinking about Summers of my childhood, teen and early adult years.

For the longest time, Summer was a major event in my life. Yes, I do mean the entire season! Summer is when school ends and relaxation begins. Summer meant Day Camp and field trips to the beach and Penny Whistle Place. Summer meant two weeks in Ohio, on my grandparents farm. Summer meant birthday parties -- both mine and a few friends. Summer meant sparklers and fireworks that were entirely too loud and reverberating for my liking. Summer meant temporary boyfriends. Summer meant I would make peace with one ex-boyfriend long enough to enjoy random drives, pizza in the basement an hour before dinner-time, and a few evening outings to local parks. Summer meant a dozen different vacations (over the years) that I REALLY didn't want to particpate in...and one trip to New Orleans.

Summer meant innocence and fun and a million and four possibilities. Even in hazy heat, everything was possible and magical. The fun would never end and bubbles never burst. I thought a lot of these same notions as I looked at these photos of my niece. Granted, they were taken on a winter-coat-mandatory day in April. Sultry summer air was but a dream! But those bubbles -- and the fun that ensued -- felt like it could go on forever. In that moment, life was magical again.



The design of this page is thanks to the Weekly Sketch Challenge at Pages In Time. I added loads of tiny acrylic circles to give a dimensional bubble feel. For kicks and giggled I also added a floral image (as posted in the Vintage Group at PIT) and the left-over packaging from a grunge flourish -- painted with Crackle Paint and inked. If you're scrappy -- or ever found billowing magic in all your photos -- I recommend you hop on over and see if you'd like to give it a try.

Thanks for looking!

Just Like Daddy

I have one of those things most like to call a "husband." Often, I prefer to call him my home. I also have one of those things most like to call a "son." Often I prefer to call him... Well, I often call him screwier than a a ten-penny nail. Oh, I'm aware that a ten-penny nail doesn't have screw threads...but my son is three and frequently makes about as much sense as my analogy. Regardless and obviously, I love them both. I wouldn't trade either for all the glimmer chalk in the world...(Psst! BTW, if your a Glimmer Mist fan, I just found a site selling the chalk! Squeal!)

My husband is a fan of bonsai; so much so that he can be found easily at a nursery or out in a wooded area looking for saplings to bend to his own will. Those close to him might also spy him perusing the internet for tips, tricks and more trees and seeds to aid in his cultivating ways. I've made the joke before that when he comes through the door with a new potted tree, he reminds me of a little kid with a stray dog -- the kind that asks, "Can we keep him?"...Only my husband doesn't ask permission to keep the tree. We just do.

Our son has sensed my husband's passion for growing trees and understands this MUST mean it is quite a special job to undergo. Now, whenever he sees his father heading toward the trees to either water or prune or repot or just generally examine for infestation -- half the trees are outdoor dogs, err, trees -- he simply MUST follow along and help whenever possible. Our son is so intent on helping that he has also been given the gift of his very own watering can.

This past week, my husband came home with a cold...and then was sweet enough to share it with us, but I digress. Because of this cold, he was unable to care for his trees as he would normally do and gave our son special permission to water his trees with any help. Sure enough, our son jumped at the opportunity. Sure enough, I snapped a few pictures while he did.

He was so happy to be "just like Daddy."



...until he was only half-way done with the job. Then he took off for the swing set.

The overall design of this page was inspired by a sketch posted on the Pages In Time site. Here's a link if you'd like to see the sketch and join the fun:

Pages In Time Weekly Sketch Challenge

That's close enough! (a weight-loss entry)

Okay, naughty blogger form 101: I wrote this last Tuesday. I REALLY wanted to post a picture of how I altered my weigh-in book for Weight Watchers; but head colds, potty training, and that feeling of "something missing" in the design prevented me from posting the same day. Oops!

Anyway, Happy Saturday to me and my two followers! *waves*

.................

I made a few goals for myself to accomplish in 2010. One of these goals was to lose half of the eighty overall pounds I "need" to lose. As of last night, I've lost 29.2 of those 40 lbs. Last night, I put that point two onto the end of that 29...as in that's all I lost this past week...0.2 lbs....

To be honest, I was pretty sure I was going to have a gain, so that tiny loss is okay... but I was really secretly wanting a gain. THAT would have been a result I finally felt I earned. In the last few weeks, I've had great losses, but never felt that I had earned them. A tiny gain would have made sense and set me straight.

The more I thought, though, the more I was able to see how (for me, anyhow) such a small loss could be as motivating as a gain. I know I work hard all week long. I could work harder and have to create an exercise plan that will make that happen; but I work hard to make sure I pay attention to what I eat. I work hard at evaluating whether or not I actually need to eat or address an emotion or situation more carefully. I create head-games to maintain balanced nutrition. I make a point of running after my child, thinking of all the calories I can burn... and because I love him, of course.

So, on this fresh Tuesday, of my brand new week, I hear some favorite lyrics replaying in my head. I find they keep me going on the right track:

Life I embrace you!
I shall honor and disgrace you!
Please forgive if I replace you;
you see I'm going through some pain.
But now I see clearly;
And the dawn is drawing nearly.
Even though I'm human and it's early
I swear I'll never forget again.

Oh, and since I got the thumbs up on my creative moment...

And this is my blog...

I thought I'd share a little bit of crafting that I applied to my weigh-in book. Basically, it's a book cover, but it was fun AND I got to put my current favorite mantra on the front as a gentle reminder.

Wanna Lose Wonday!

Okay, so for a moment, I thought that title was clever. Considering this is only my second post, I figured I'd work on all the "About Me" blogs in the days and weeks to come.

So here we go...

Hello, My name is Mamma, and I'm a Weight Watcher. I'm also many other things, but Monday nights, I slip out of the house and into my local Weight Watcher facility to step on a scale. So far, so good. This is my second time with The Company; having lost 100 lbs the last time. It felt great. I wud awesome; and even kept it off for several months. Life intervened; I had a kid. I had a major shake-up with my employment status. I gave up. I gained 80 lbs in the span of 2 1/2 years. Yeah.

The Monday after Christmas, 2009, I went back to Weight Watchers with the support of my husband. So far, I am 29 lbs lighter and quite a bit happier. Weekends are my biggest challenge, since Monday is my "day or reckoning," but I have an idea that I'll put into place this week that should help quite a bit.

What's a girl to do when Saturday rolls in and then into Sunday...and all the healthy food is gone, but life gets hectic and there's no such thing as thinking before eating? My best guess right now is to switch up grocery day to pre-empt that.... Kicking into gear with a workable exercise program will likely help, too. Of course, that means my tush needs to get out of this chair right now and get to moving, doesn't it?

Well, alrighty then! Considering I have no followers, that's a totally doable thing.

So, later Me!

New...and not so new

Just stepping my toe through the door. I've blogged before, but I have plans for a new direction this go'round.

So, woohoo and self-high-fives while I take a moment and figure out what comes next.