Snow Photos. . . . . .

This is what we woke to yesterday morning. I know it doesn't look like morning but it is. We usually get up and out the door by 3:30 am to head for work.

I love how the snow is clinging to the tree. Isn't it amazing how it can stick to every single little branch? We got about 12 inches of snow out of this storm. It was a wet and heavy snow too. I wanted to take my camera with me but I really didn't want it sitting in the truck all day. There are some amazing shots waiting on the drive home. Maybe I should take it tomorrow.

Looks like we will be getting even more snow out of this next system that is headed our way. They have been saying we could get up to 20 additional inches on top of what we already have. It's supposed to be another wet and heavy snow too.

I really don't mind the snow though. It's the rain that freezes beneath it that usually bothers me. It never fails to arrive before the snow does. The wind is another issue that comes with it that I can do without.

These last 2 photos were taken the same day the snow fell. I took them after I got home from work. I can't believe that my Magnolia is budded out again this year. I sure hope I get some flowers this year. I'm not sure but I don't think it bloomed last year because of the warm-cold-warm-cold weather we had.

The bottom photo is of my Purple Smoke tree. It has very pretty leaves all season long. I did a little maintenance on the surrounding bed last year and it finally started growing again. This was a Mother's day present from everyone one year. It has some really neat tufty blooms every year. It sort of looks like smoke at the end of the branches. I suppose that is where the name comes from.

I also took a bunch of pictures of Gunner playing in the snow. He's so silly, he burries his nose deep into the snow to see if he can find a stick. He will leap into the air to catch a snowball too. What a fun time he has romping around in all of it. He jumped so high yesterday that his head was as high as my DH is tall. At least we know how to tire him out if he's wound up tight....LOL

Another Sunny Day...

It's another beautiful day here in northern Indiana. Just a taste of warmth to tease the soul. I am ready for winter to fade away for a few months. It wouldn't be so bad had it actually decided what it was going to do. You know, a winter full of snow and cold or a mild winter with less snow. All the storms and rain, mud, ice and so on were not totally needed nor was it really wanted. It makes for a lot of sick people with the weather changing it's mind all of the time.

So........On from here, I am searching some of the State web sites today. Looking for an idea for our vacation in July. We have been talking about going to one of the mines we have seen on the travel channel. So for now we have it narrowed down to two mines. One in North Carolina (emeralds) and one in Montana (sapphires). The drive time to each will be long but I feel worth the trip. To North Carolina it will be a 10 hour drive. To Montana it would be a 24 hour drive. Think of all of the scenery that we will get along the way. We won't really be in any big hurry as we should have 2 weeks vacation. I do want to do more than visit the mines though.

North Carolina has waterfalls and mountains and fishing. I know there is more but I haven't finished checking their web site out. I know there are vineyards as well and the ocean. Montana has a rich history that draws me and calls to me. The ghost towns, the mountains and the vast openness is a huge pluss for me. It is also place I have always wanted to go since I can remember. Plus there are many places to see along the way.

I can just imagine all of the wonderful things we will see and be able to do at either location. We shall see where we end up. We have plenty of time to decide on this as it is only February.

Finally.....

I am so glad that NASCAR Racing season is back on. I have been waiting for it to start back up the day after the last race of 2007. I don't know what it is but I just love this sport. I love watching all of it from practice to the race and even the pre-race and post-race shows. Some may think I am nuts but I just can't help but love this sport.

Of course my driver is the number 29 of Kevin Harvick !!! Go Kevin !!!

So to start the season off there were 4 days of racing. One just has to love the begining of the season. The excitement and everyone starting fresh and even. I watched the Twin 150's, the Truck race, the Busch now the Nationwise series race and of course we watched all of the practices. The Daytona 500 was another great race. It still seems odd to have it anything but the Winston Cup. Just as I was getting use to it being the Nextel Cup Series they change it again and now it's the Sprint Cup Series. I wonder if it will change again next year or will it stay the same for more than a season ? Then all of, well not all but a lot of, the drivers switched teams and numbers. I am still trying to get them all figured out. Maybe by race number 3 I will quit getting them mixed up.

My cable got knocked out on Sunday just as the race was starting. They finally fixed it right today. The wind has died down, it had been blowing for 2 days in a row. The sun is shining and it's a wonderful day. My dear sweet husband bought me a dozen roses yesterday. Boy are they ever beautiful. I need to resize some of the pictures and put a few of them on here so everyone can see them. It's nice to have a bit of spring in the house for a change.

Go Away....

I am currently battling a cold and all I want is for it to go away. I really didn't need this at all. I have the hardest time getting rid of colds and I am sure this one will be no exception. Thanks to Melvin who shared this with me. (humph) I could have done without this type of sharing though.

Checked the boys today. What a muddy mess they are. I am sure they enjoyed the romp in the mudd though, well to an extent I would say. They are probably as tired of it as we are. The road there was still flooded and when I drove through it it came up to the frame of the truck. I also found some amazinly HUGE holes in there. No getting around them when you can't see them and it's a good thing I was crawling through the water logged road anyway. We ended up with over 4 inches of rain in less than 48 hours and then it snowed and froze and made this huge mess. Is winter over yet ??? I sure wish it were. I have seen flooding in places that I have never seen flooding before. It's just crazy weather I tell you.

I just finished a new kit for the store. I am really liking this one too. I even made an Add On Pack to go with it. I think the colors just seemed to work for this kit. Might have to add another Add On to it later.

Rain, Snow & Fog

I wonder at times when all of the crazy weather is going to end. I woke up today to 4 inches of new snow. An hour later it was melting and the fog was so thick you could barely see up the road. Now it's raining and the fog has gotten so much worse than it was earlier.

I just finished another kit for the store. Nothing big just a little mini kit with some goodies to play with. I am excited about the color scheme challenge. This is going to be tough as I don't know yet who's colors I will be choosing.

I need another photo day like I had the day I took this photo of Jet. I was so totally amazed at all of the beauty looking through my computer at me when I got home. The boys were just so photogenic that day. I sure wish we had gotten the farm. It would have made things so much nicer and I would have had a place to go be alone when I needed it. Some day I am sure but I wish it had been sooner. I suppose it wasn't meant to be right now.

Gunner is like a little kid when we come back from the store. He expects a treat or a new toy. I get the biggest kick out of him. He likes showing off his new treasure but won't share it at all. He just prances around you like "Look What I Got" LOL It's late and everyone is sleeping and I can hear Gunner snoring at my feet.

Another New Kit...

There will be another new kit in the digital shop. This one is a big one with 69 pieces. I really like how this one turned out. The colors don't really seem to be what others think is me though I do love how it turned out. Maybe it's because I don't really use the pastels as often. The name of the kit is PRD Festive Pastels. I searched for ways to improve on my kits when making this one. Now all I need is to get my ribbons curled like I want them.

The weather finally settled down after yesterday's snow storm. I am just glad we didn't end up with much more than what we did get. I am so ready for winter to be over with though I know it will be a while yet.

Not much going on here so this is about all I have for now. I suppose I will post again when I find something to chat about. I do need to do another photo sesion with my boys.

Mamma's Boys...

It's funny how my boys can be such Mamma's Boys at times. Tonight my arabian was so needy. It was so funny and so sweet at the same time. I went out to drop 3 round bales for them tonight. Usually I only drop 2 at a time but there's supposed to be another doozie of a snow storm tonight and I wanted to make sure they had enough to eat in case we couldn't get to them. So back to my first thought. Apache' was in a "NEED YOU" state tonight. This is always so cool to be able to share moments like these, because most people don't expect horses to be this way. He has always given me hugs but I have almost always asked for them. Tonight he asked for them and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So of course I stopped what I was doing to give him his hug before we dropped the first round bale. Then when we were getting ready to drop the second one he decided that he needed another hug. I suppose you are wondering exactly how a horse can give a hug. Well, Apache' gives them by placing his head over my shoulder and then bringing it down against my back. Once he has done this he pulls his head down and towards his chest which pulls me next to him. It is an amazing feeling, to know he cares enough to let me into his space. After that he was done and went on over to eat from one of the bales we had already dropped.

The picture on the top right was taken of Apache' in 2004. He is an amazing creature who has taught me so much more than I could have ever imagined. He has been with me since late June of 1993. Some times I think he knows me more than I know myself. What an excellent teacher he has been the entire time we have been together.

Now I wouldn't want to leave the other boys out of this post. They too are Mamma's Boys though they don't show it quite as well as Apache' does. The big Red and white one on the right is Jet. He's quite a big fella who is only willing to occasionally give you the chance to pet him. He is leary of strangers and men. I got him when he was 4 1/2 and he has made me use a different method for training him than I used with Apache'. I think this comes with how he was raised. He is such a good boy and you have to earn his trust as he does not give it out freely. If you were to ask him he would definately tell you that Velcro "EATS" horses. .....LOL...

The fellow in this picture getting his neck scratched by Apache' is Cheif. He is also Jet's son and I have had him since he was a foal at 3 months of age. He is my itchy boy as you can see in the photo. He loves to be scratched and brushed and just plain loves people all around. He's the calmest one of the three and not much bothers him. If you are willing to brush him he is willing to stand there and take it for as long as your arm will hold out.

Well, I have gone on quite a bit about the boys tonight. Seems they can affect me or is it infect me when their need arrises. They are one of my passions and I feel totally and completely at ease around them. Bad days seem to blow away with the wind when I am around them. Amazing the effect they can have on a soul.

Winter Headed Back In Full Force...

Looks like our past 3 days of mild to warm weather will be heading out in rapid order tonight. The weather men are calling for "Thunder Snow". Now I think this is the first time I have heard it called that but I suppose they didn't know what else to say. We are expecting heavy rain turning to ice and then finally over to snow. All of this along with up to 50 mileper hour winds and below zero windchills. What a huge change from the 50 degrees we have had today.

Hopefully it won't be so bad in the wee hours of the morning when we are supposed to head to work. We have decided though, that if it is we are staying home and not chancing the long drive. They are saying there could be black ice on the roads and I for one am not a fan of driving when the roads are like that.

I am currently working on another kit for the Digital Kit Shop at Kindred Creations. I am excited and nervous about these at the same time. I like how they are turning out but am nervous about everyone's reactions to them. Will they enjoy using them or do I need to do something different with how I am making a kit ? Only time will tell I suppose and hopefully I will get a bit better as I go. I really need to post a thread to see what everyone would like to have the kits contain. This would give me an idea of what I should put in my future kits.

This is my most recent kit that is in the store now. I love how it turned out and am hoping I put enough in there for everyone to play with. The word rings turned out better than I thought they would and I think are a cool addition to the kit. There are a lot of papers in this kit and not quite as many embellishments. Maybe I should do an add on pack for this kit.

Something New

I have just recently become a designer for digital scrap kits. I am excited about this and working on my third kit tonight. I thought I would start off with something for February along with some chipboard. You can purchase these kits at Kindred Creations in the Digital Kit Shop.

It finally warmed up here as well. I am glad because I am a bit tired of below zero temperatures. Good thing it had warmed up as I had a blown fuse for my heater in my truck and no fuses to replace it. Since it was fairly warm out it wasn't that bad of a ride to town for fuses...LOL

Off I go to work on something else for the store.

This is the last Post for Tonight

It was a job in itself to find him in the mass of green but we did. Once we found his flag we knew what section to look in. Then it wasn't long before he spotted us in our mass of family members that were there.

More Pictures From The Departure Ceremony At The RCA Dome

Some of my pictures didn't come out focused properly. I cried through the entire ceremony so steady wasn't my best attribute today. I managed to get off well over 150 shots though. I won't be posting them all but will add some to the photo gallery at Kindred Creations.

Here are a couple shots of the seating empty and then full and a couple signs:

Home From Indy

We arrived home from the departure ceremony around 7:20 pm. It's been a long trying day. The drive down was terrible and long as the roads were horrid. We too Interstate 69 and I thought for sure it would have been better than it actually was. Several people found themselves in the median or the ditches along the way. We took it slow 90% of the way, doing 50 mph in most places and even dropping down to 40 or 45 in some spots. That is slow considering the posted speed limit is 70. So I suppose it actually wasn't too bad if we could drive 50 mph.

I am going to share a few pictures from today. These are teary eyed photos so please be warned. This first set that I have resized are as follows:

The Drive To Indy, CJ & I, My DH Melvin & CJ, My DD & CJ

I will be posting more in a little bit but thought I would share a few to get you going. The Dome was packed by the way and we had to park 2 1/2 blocks away and walk in. When we left it took us 20 minutes to just get out of the parking garage.

A New Year...A New Prayer Needed...

Starting at 6:00 am Monday December 10, 2007 my youngest went on Active Duty. He will be shipping out to serve a year (or more) in Iraq. He will be guarding Convoys and that is all I know. I picked him up on the 22nd for the Holidays and he went with us on our trip to Kentucky.




January 2, 2008 there will be a ceremony for the troops in Indianapolis which I will be attending. Later they will depart from Georgia but I do not know when or where as of yet. He will be letting me know though, as I plan on driving down there to see him off. The news was saying 30 - 90 days of training but I still don't know anything exact.

My prayer request is not for me but for him. For a safe and speedy return. I am scared for him right now as I know he is risking his life for all of us and I know there is a chance, though I pray it will not be, that he will not return to us.

2008 has arrived and I am not sure that I was quite ready for it. None the less it is here. It's been snowing all of last night and into the new year. It's beautiful but I am not sure I am ready to drive in it in the morning.

What a Beautiful Day Today.

The weather was so fantastic today. I am so glad to see all of that terrible heat find somewhere else to go. I sure hope it stays away for a while now.

I have finally gotten the tub/shower surround installed in the tub. That was done last night and made such a huge difference. Tonight we installed the tub/shower door. WOW....I cannot believe how beautiful the room is looking now. I just have a few more minor details and the room will be finally finished. I managed to wrench my back and my shoulder in the process though it's nothing a nice hot bath won't take care of. Here are a few more pictures of the bathroom. I am so pleased with how it looks now.

Almost Finished.........I Think........

Here is a shot of the new shelf, new roll blind (clearance aisle) & new topper. I really like how it all is going together. :) A few details still need done to the cabinets and the wall where the mirror hangs. Maybe tomorrow we can finally hang the mirror back up.

Is It Really September ???

I am sure begining to wonder if it is or not. It is currently 90 degrees here and there is no air blowing around. Then there is that nasty humidity that just doesn't quit.

I have been working on my bathroom for over a week now and I am finally almost done with it. It is amazing the difference in the room. The wallpaper came down in it's original sheets and with just a little tug. This is what I saw once I pulled that paper off. It was terrible to say the least. What I thought was pealing paint was actually more wallpaper that had been painted over I don't know how many times.

Then there was this nightmare to the left of and under the mirror and wallpaper. Some people amaze me. They think clear packing tape can be used instead of plaster. There is another huge hole behind the mirror that I could put my hand in.

It really doesn't look like the same room anymore. I painted the lower part Purple Earth and the top is an Antique Lace with Coconut Milk on the ceiling and top trim. The room didn't even have any trim though it does now. As you can see....from the pictures below.......it doesn't look like the same room.

I did manage to find a curtain topper to match nicely with a clearance rack roll shade with fringe at the bottom. I have also managed to find some nice frames that I will be painting the purple. These will hold 2 pictures I have had hanging in the bathroom for forever. The cabinet doors are in the process of being painted as I write this.

Then there is the mirror. It just seemed a bit plain for a fresh bathroom. I bought a can of glass frost and created a nice border for it. It looks like a different mirror now. Here are the before and after shots with one close up showing the detail.

A Bit Tired

I have been working on painting the bathroom. Seems someone put wallpaper over painted wallpaper which gave me a nightmare of a job. The walls are fixed now and some nice new trim all the way around. I love the new pin nailer my dear husband bought for me. It sure made putting up the trim a walk in the park.

I have the primer on the walls now and it looks 100% better already. It was so needing a new face. Tomorrow I will be removing cabinet doors and painting them along with the cabinets. Can hardly wait to see how the purple is going to look in there. I need to search for a curtain too. I just need a topper as I bought a nice roll blind on clearance the other day. It will be a nice addition as it has fringe on the bottom. I'll post some pictures when I am finished.

A Bit Behind.....

I am so far behind that I can't see the start line. Seems it has been ages since I last posted. Things have been so hectic here some days I feel like I am spinning. We have been trying to buy a farm since March. We have found the perfect place for the second time now and are hoping things go how they should. Don't believe those TV shows as the purchase is not always smooth sailing. Our first home was easy but this one has become a nightmare at times. What a difference 11 years make in the real estate market.

Poor Gunner has been sick twice this year. He is currently battling the second round. Thank heaven for goo vets though. He has grown considerablly and is now a whopping 75.4 pounds of energy, when he is well that is.

I ended up breaking my digital camera about a month ago and finally bought a new one. I am so totally loving this new one. It takes some amazing photos for sure.

2007 Has Arrived.....Where Did 2006 Go ?

I am sitting here trying to figure out where exactly 2006 wandered off to. It seems to have flown by and in some fleeting moments I feel I have missed it. It was a year of change and new experiences for me. New projects that are still in the works.

I joined Kindred Creations in 2006 and it has been a wonderful journey and experience for me. It has given me so many ideas as there are so many creative women that share on this site. It has helped me grow in both the digital world of scrapbooking as well as in the paper world of scrapbooking. It has brought me to where I am creatively today. Creating a space to create memories in, to share some fun moments with my DD and just a little space to get away.

I am currently working on a scrap room for me to do my work in and so all of my supplies can leave the office and the livingroom. Let's see, I am sure I have a few pictures to share with you all.

I started of with this room. Lots of natural lighting which will help and lots of holes to mend in the walls.

The samples below are the colors I have selected for the scrap room. The Bee's Nectar is more of a yellow than you see here.

Here is the room with a single coat of paint. I put the Bee's Nectar on the top and the Red Wagon on the bottom. My plans are to create a plaid pattern in the Red Wagon.

I took an image of my wall into Paint Shop Pro XI. Let me tell you, I just love this new version of this program. They have done some amazing work and created an amazing program for people like myself. So far I have the two coats of paint on the walls. In PSP XI, I added my plaid design and my black band across the top. The Bee's Nectar doesn't quite show up like it actually looks in real life. It is actually a light yellow and just makes the room pop.

I couldn't decide what size of squares to use for the plaid so I taped samples to the wall. After some deliberation I decided on the 8 x 8 squares.

This is the begining of the plaid design. I am using a very small brush with a guide to steady my hand. I think this is one of the hardest parts so far. I used a chalk line to mark out my pattern. Too bad our chalk was red...LOL I can still see it though, sometimes I need to move my head a bit to be able to.


Here is the start of the squares. I haven't gotten far but it is begining to take shape. I think I will finish this wall before moving on to the next.

Holiday Wishes

This is our Christmas tree for this year. I took several shots of it and was the happiest with the shots like this one. I used the fireworks setting on my Kodak Easy Share camera and had the camera sitting on my tri-pod. This setting allowed the shutter to remain open a little longer than normal and the tri-pod allowed for no movement of the camera while taking the shot. I just love the effects that I got from this setting. I can hardly wait to see the effects I get on the fourth of July with that setting. I have created a couple of layouts with the images along with a tag for my husband's present.

What's the most peculiar gift you've ever received?

This is such a wonderful blog prompt that I just couldn't resist it.

My birthday is in October and I had told everyone that I really didn't want anything. I truly meant it too. So DH got me a card and a little something sweet. Well, my brother came home a few days before my birthday and asked me this same question again. I again repeated myself saying I didn't want anything at all. He was persistant and insisted that I needed something. I again replied that I in fact didn't need anything. This went on for almost an hour so I came into my office and did a digital layout and thought about it.

After about ten minutes I entered the livingroom anouncing that I figured out what I wanted for my birthday. Mind you my dear husband already knew that he shouldn't ask and just go with the fact that I said I wanted nothing. My brother never got the signals my husband was sending so my husband knew he was in trouble.

My brother then asked me what it was that I wanted. I said that I wanted the transmision fluid and filter changed in my truck. He then said no really, what do you want ? I again replied that that in fact was actually what I wanted. So almost $70.00 later I had my birthday present. I would say it was different but it was so worth the laugh and hey I didn't have to pay someone to do it for me. Oh, and my dear husband had already had me talked into going and getting it done so it made it that much funnier.

Wedding Layout

I thought I would post this layout of my niece and her husband on their wedding day. I did this last week and was really thrilled with the results. I think the photo speaks for itself and couldn't help but use it.

The Sights Of Winter

Just one more and then off to creating.

I love to see all of the Christmas decorations going up. It brings a feeling of comfort, home and family to my head. The scent of Chrismas dinner can almost be tasted and you can almost hear all of the laughter. The lights just seem to brighten up the night with happiness.

I love a freshly fallen snow that no one has stepped a foot in. The morning sunlight dancing off of the individual flakes as they pile up in the yard and on the trees. The quietness of the morning with snow on the ground.

Thoughts For The Day...

I was just sitting here thinking just how lucky we have been with the weather this year. It is so mild and we are into the second week of December with temperatures in the 50's. We are currently getting rained on but it is so much better than ice or snow for sure.

I really need to get my Christmas cards in the mail. I think I have a few more to make and I will have enough. I just got the most adorable card from my niece today that reminded me that I need to notch it up a gear.

I am really enjoying my new position at work. It's nice to be appreciated by everyone you come in contact with. The fact that what I am doing makes a difference and makes other's jobs easier is also nice. They gave me an office and a desk finally, so no more toting things around and making my back ache. I have my fingers crossed that it will be permanant for me to use. It would look really good with some pictures on the wall. (LOL) I did manage to bring a radio and trash can today.

I am going to see if I can create something else in Paint Shop Pro to post here. I have a few but let's try something for the holidays as I need to get into the mood.

Favorite Ornament or Decoration

I have always loved Christmas and the great spirits that come hand and hand with it. Selecting the perfect spot for the tree and putting everything on it just so. Everything has to be perfect so that the smiles of my children would light up the room when they see it finally finished a couple days later. I felt it was a gift to them from me. I always seemed to want it to be perfect for them. The tree, the holiday in general and the memories. Sometimes it was hard but I always tried.

I think that my favorite ornament/decoration would have to be the sled that I made one year to sit in the yard. With it's lights and the curled sled runners. It just said welcome to the entire Holiday Season for me. I suppose I really should drag it out and light it up.