Friday Joy!

Ok, it's a day late. The Wi-Fi here in the hotel is not the greatest! We are in Cheyenne, Wyo. for Frontier Days (promise a long list of pictures later). It is so beautiful, wide open spaces! Lovely.  Well, without further ado, here is my Friday Joy, taken at dinner last night.

My two kids eating a most delicious dessert!

And my parents.  My joy is all being together.

And one beautiful, wide open sunset for good measure.  May you weekend be wonderful

So Ready for Vacation!

I had every intention of posting my last post yesterday but we got hit with one of the most intense, strongest storms I have experienced.  We live in the DC area and have had some of the hottest weather going.  There was a front moving through yesterday afternoon around 3 pm that brought horrible thunderstorms. We had rain, thunder, lightening, 70 mph winds.  We lost many limbs from our trees. One of them ended up in our neighbors yard - bad news. Our back yard looked like this.....

And our neighbors.......

We all spent 4 hours sawing and hauling. So ready for vacation!!!!!

National Building Museum and the Lego Exhibit

Well, I did get my car out of hock with the mechanic, just in time to have hubby's go in. His driver side window went down and didn't come back up.......big sigh.  This happened on the way back from our excursion down to the National Building Museum where we went and say the Lego exhibit.  There were about 10-12 buildings built, mostly of Chicago buildings. These are magnificent! We all were amazed! But, the best part was the room just next to the exhibit filled with tables and lego pieces! So many dads and kids just a sittin' and buildin'.

The National Building Museum is one of the most beautiful museums!

Friday Joy!

Friday Joy - driving my husband's car (mine is still in the shop), folding the visor down and having $16 fall into my lap! Found money! Drove right to Dunkin' Donuts for a large skim hazelnut latte! Thanks sweetie!

Wednesday update

No surprises met me yesterday when I got home! However the CRV had to be towed to the mechanic for treatment ~ the car is sick, so sick!  Huge chunk of change, but what can I do? It's my car.......

Arg, really?

In order to properly tell this, I need to back up to the weekend. The rest is my week, and it is only Wednesday! Arg, really?

Had the kids in the car (my CRV), driving along and we hear thmp, thmp, thmp, like a flat, but no flat. Get home and don't see anything wrong with the tires. (yea, I know, doesn't bode well) I have my hubby look at the tire on Sunday and sure enough there is not a nail, but a BOLT in my front right tire. Nothing happening though. So, I go about my business.

Go to work on Monday and park. (in a 4 level underground parking garage) and go to leave and, nope not the tire, my car won't start. Try to jump it but nothing. I grab a ride home with a co-worker who lives near me. The plan is that my hubby will drive me to work on Tuesday and I will get someone to come and take a look at the car. Tuesday morning hubby's blackberry goes off at 4:30 and he has to go to work, early so I take the other car (jeep) to work, thank goodness we have an extra. I get our miracle worker at work to look at my dead car and some how he jiggles the battery cables just right ( I tried that!) and the car starts! Now I have 2 cars at work and am only one person. I have to go explain to security that I have another car that will need to lodge in the garage overnight. Glad that it is summer and the garage is not full. I am thinking, what are the odds that he will have to go to work early again.......Oh, get home to discover that one of the dogs has gotten sick on the carpet in 3 places.

This morning, Wednesday, I get up and am getting ready to go for a run and come down to discover yet more puke on the carpet.  I clean that up, hear something on the news that makes me go upstairs to tell hubby to read his damn blackberry. What are the odds?????  Comes down and says that he has to go in early - so I get my breakfast ready. We were going to have breakfast together at Panera and then he was going to drive me into work.  I am just about to pour the milk on my cereal and he comes in and says that now he doesn't have to go in! Yeah, breakfast saved!   Get ready to leave and find more dog puke on the carpet.

So I am driving my daughter to work/son to camp and feel the car pulling. As I get out to change places with my daughter (she is learning to drive) I see that my front right tire is, yup, almost flat. Crap!  Do I drop it off at the mechanic or put air in the tire and wait until the weekend to go to a tire place and get them replaced.  I decide to put air in the tire and hope for the best. It will sit in the driveway as our jeep is at my work and hubby will drive me into work today.  Ok, sounds like a plan. Then ~ the "check engine" light comes on. Really?  I can't wait to see what is waiting for me from the dogs when I get home today.........

Dessert!

I know, crazy title for a Monday morning post. But, we went to the farmer's market on Saturday and grabbed some beautiful peaches and blueberries. The peaches were so fragrant, mmmm.  We decided to try Smitten Kitchen's Peach Blueberry Cobbler. Amazing and easy.  If you haven't been to her site, you really must go and see what she is cooking up. Here is the finished product, before dessert last night........

I am trying very hard to resist this morning. I am thinking that it would be great with a cup of coffee....but I did run this morning and am trying to be good.

I know that I haven't posted any pictures of work lately. I seem to have hit a block and have given myself permission to not feel guilty about not creating at the worktable. In my head I kept saying that I would have lots of time this summer to work but nothing is flowing.  Why do I have to give myself permission? Also struggling with that question, and the guilt for not creating.  Ugh.  I have started taking more pictures - I know, another hobby.  But, I figure that I do need to know how to work this blasted thing so I can take great pictures of my pieces. HA!  Perhaps tonight....... ;)

Here's to a great, productive Monday. May it be wonderful for you all also.  Off to work I go.  Bye!

Friday Joy!

I am off today as my son is home with nothing to do. So I decided to take the day and play with him. Well, not really play but supervision. We'll head to the mall, grab lunch, fun stuff like that.  Anyway, I digress. We went to Dunkin Donuts this morning and saw this!

Summer Splash Donut Holes. I know that this is out of focus a bit, but I am going for the colors. They almost glow.

Happiness in a cup! Look at those colors.

I know what you are wondering ~ did she or didn't she? I did! Only one and it was goooood!  You now that colors like this can't be healthy! Oh well, Friday Joy!  I hope your Friday is wonderful.

Home!

The gate.

My boy!

Yeah, home safe and sound!!!!

My boy!

Well, it has been two weeks (ok, 12 days) since he left for NH with friends! He's coming home tomorrow! Yeah! He has had a wonderful, wonderful time, thank you Jessie! It will be nice to have his body back in the house, his voice saying good morning and his arms giving me hugs. He lands at 2:55 pm! Can't wait.

A green themed giveaway!

Jen at Jen Judd Rocks is celebrating her rockin' summer. She will have a total of seven pieces published this summer! Congratulations to her. Hop on over and sign up! Just look at the loot!!!!

She will pick two, yes two, winners!!!!!

The weekend.

Saturday has come and it is raining, really raining. We need it! Soft, quiet rain - perfect for sleeping, resting, being quiet. Started the day off right, went for a run. It is so peaceful running in weather (rain, snow), good for my soul. Close to religious for me. Same with running when the sun is coming up. Now I am sitting here drinking a most wonderful cup of coffee with a quiet house ( hubby is at work, my daughter is still asleep and my son is in NH). My house is clean, not much laundry to be done, such a treat! Shhhhh. :)

Here is my dilemma. I am struggling with feeling like I NEED to be at my table creating. But I go down, sit, play with my beads and nothing happens and I feel guilty, I feel as though I have all of this wonderfulness just waiting, waiting for me and I am not there. I am trying to give myself permission to not feel guilty. Yet my hubby asks "when are you going to sell something?" I have my Artfire up, working on an Etsy, working on networking.  Guilt comes back.....I know that my stash is wonderful (read big) and I should be doing more. Please understand that I love to bead, it is peaceful and good for my soul. I feel so relaxed and good after I get time to bead. Hence, my dilemma........kind of a vicious circle. I am going to try very hard not to feel guilty today and give myself permission to do nothing, except what I want to do. What do you think? Sound like a plan?

May your weekend be wonderfully filled doing what you want to do. Take time to be good to you! ( I am listening to my own words)

***Edited*****
Ok, went to the mall with the daughter, shopping, lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, then to the thrift shop! Score!!!!  So far, so good.

Guess what?!

Rings and Things invited me to become a Blog Partner!!!! Woo Hoo! Yeah Me! *doing the happy dance*  I can't wait. Thank you all so much.

Pieces and beads!

I had a deliciously wonderful weekend; slow, quiet, got some time to bead and create. I am doing a swap on Beading Daily, earring and bracelet, and wanted to share what I made. First, here is the bracelet.

A courage pendant, resin bead, crystal beads and some flowers. The leaf charm is handmade by me out of polymer clay.  The next are two pairs of earrings that I made. One is a form of agate and the others are a turquoise shell pearl.  

These are some more polymer clay beads that I did. I did a few beads and then tried some birds like Heather of Humblebeads. Now, mine are nowhere as wonderful as hers, but I like mine.

Would love to know what you think! (I love my birds.......)

Twizzlers

Do you like Twizzlers? I mean, REALLY LIKE TWIZZLERS? We do! Even our dog loves them (don't ask).  So, I was out shopping for a few goodies to pack in my son's suitcase, as he is headed to NH for 2 weeks, and went into Five and Below and found this:

I mean it is HUGE! 3 pounds and the twists are about 3 feet long:

Yes, that is my arm. Going for the perspective shot.....Boy are these fun!!!!!   I hope everyone had a great 4th and are still enjoying an extra day.

Congratulations Erin!

Erin at Erin Siegel Jewelry just had her second necklace published! Way to go! She is having a give away for some of her wonderful, handmade sand dollar beads. Hop on over and check it out!

Congratulations!

July!?!

How did that happen? I mean, where did May and June go? Oh, I know ~ the end of school, plays, sports, work.  That's right, I remember now.  Anyway, it is July and summer is racing by. I/We are trying to slow things down and enjoy. Enjoy no homework, days melting into evenings with daylight until 9 pm, perhaps a beverage on the "veranda" after work with my hubby, sunshine, vacation, time with the kids!  It does feel like time goes by faster each year. So here is my question to you all ~ how do you slow it down and make it count more? What are your tricks? Please, I am open to all suggestions, ideas, thoughts? I am working on taking time each day to be happy, to breathe, to enjoy. Trying not to worry about time........