Saturday, September 10, 2011

8/25/11

"Wine With Laughter" it says on the cork from the bottle of wine I took to the beach for dinner.  A dinner picnic with good friends.  The best night of summer vacation.  We had the beach all to ourselves. 


coral sunset
yummy wine
no kids whining


campfire
sand castles
fishing
talking
laughing
snapshots
dreaming


Summer Reflections

Summer is over, time to reflect

June
pre-k graduation, mud baths, amusement park, bridging, buzz cuts



July
bike parade, swimming lessons, cousins, snakes, skates, playground, face in the clouds, rainbows, basketball, Boy Scout camp, beach, sand, water, chips, lake, pails, painted toes






August
bubbles, beach, goggles, lake, Girl Scout day camp, family, heart rocks, sand castles, friends, park, frog, campfire, moon reflection, kites, disconnect, birthday surprises, concert, dinner picnic





 



Monday, August 22, 2011

Updating my BE List

Re-evaluating & Updating my BE List

BE Me
BE Healthy
-Eat Right
-Exercise
-Pray
-Sleep
-Read
-Write
-Love
BE Crafty
BE Organized
BE Happy
-Relax
-Laugh out Loud
-Dance
BE Creative
-Take Pictures
-Write
BE Patient
BE Fun
BE Strong
-Mind, Body & Soul
BE Grateful
BE Giving
-Donate Hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths
-Donate Blood to American Red Cross
Be a Good Friend, Be Friendly

Work in Progress..............

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Time to start a new...

Think of Birthday's as a fresh start,
Don't wait until the New Year to make changes. 
Birthday's & Anniversary's are a great time to start a new.

Friday, August 19, 2011

To BE CONTINUED...

Today is my 15th Wedding Anniversary.  Yet another measure of time.  It seems like just yesterday and yet it seems like forever all the same time.  I couldn't imagine sharing my life with anyone else.  We fit together perfectly, like a puzzle.  He compliments my flaws and I his.  He is my best friend, my love.  We depend on each other the way you're supposed to. 
Things might not always be peaches and cream, but we work through them.  As they say, "what does not kill us makes us stronger," or like Ken says "it builds character." 
Ken supports my dreams and wishes and when ever possible he makes them come true.  Like artsyBE, he helped me start this blog.  He encourages me to find ways to express my creativity.  He understands me when I take "crazy photos" and knows that I see something special in those "crazy photos." 

"Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' in to the future."

and as that time slips away I want to go with Ken, into the future, always and forever.

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


This journey called artysyBE is not over, even though my year is up.  There is still too much to BE done.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Time to Disconnect

Time to Disconnect by Laura L Brittain

Time to BE disconnected from reality
Time to Enjoy Family
Time to Listen to the waves crashing
Time to Jump in the Lake
Time to go Fishing


Time to Play with cousins
Time for a game or 2 of Rummy
Time for Taking Photographs
Time to Stay up Late
Time for Smores


Time to Sit and Stare at the campfire and the moon


Time to Relax


Time to BE

Thursday, August 18, 2011

8/13/11

So, it's my birthday, the "BIG 40."  The actual day a lot less exciting than my surprise party last weekend.  This morning is actually like other Saturday mornings.  I read the paper and watched the Today Show while having my coffee in my favorite coffee cup and had a yummy breakfast made by Ken.  Then off on a mad rush to BJ's, home to pack and off for a relaxing weekend, disconnected at Indian Lake in the Adirondack's.  Today my son Alex gave me a heart shaped rock which he found on Scout Island.  I love it!  I know how much he loves me when he thinks of me when we're apart.  I love you.

Time

Thinking a lot about Time~ I know that time moves along at the same pace everyday-but why then do some days seem to go by so fast and others go by so slow?


Time
noun, adj, verb
1.The system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future.
4. A limited period or interval, as between tow successive events.
idioms
37. against time, in an effort to finish within a limited period (this is always me)
38. ahead of time, before the time due (this is rarely me)
40. at the same time (this is always me, doing multiple things at the same time)

common sayings with "time"
against time, ahead of time, all in good time, all the time (my kids always say that, "I have to do that all the time.), at one time, at the same time ,at times, beat time, before one's time, for the time being, from time to time, have no time for (I typically feel this way.) in good time, in no time, in one's own time, in time, keep time, make time (I think we all wish we could make more time.  But what we really need to do is MAKE TIME for OURSELVES.), in the nick of time, pass the time, time and again, time of one's life

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Frog in a Mayonnaise Jar


Today Amy went to her friend Grace's birthday party.  When I picked her up she tells me she has a frog.  I said, "really?  Can I see it?"  She proceeds to hand me a zip-lock bag with a tiny frog in it and some grass.  "Can I keep it Momma?" How could I say no to a frog in a zip-lock bag...

When we got home we had to make this frog a proper habitat.  The best we could do was a mayonnaise jar.  Who would have known this would keep a 5 year old busy for hours, just staring at the little frog, now named Hopper.
Of course Hopper was hungry, or so she thought.  We caught a fly for him and put it in the jar, Amy watched him for at least 2 hours, waiting for him to eat the fly.  Amy fell asleep waiting.
Frog vs. Fly

Amy loves her new frog Hopper.


Froggy kisses.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother, Friend

The count down is on, 6 days until my 40th birthday.  I'm laying awake thinking of how to put into words how I am feeling.  So many thoughts running through my head.  Wondering how this year went by SO FAST.  I set out on this journey to make a change in ME, to become the ME I always wanted to BE.  I have discovered what I always knew that I will always BE a work in progress.   There are things I want to change and I'm sure there will always be.  But I can say that I have been able to check some things off of my BE List.  It's time to look back into the pages of by artsyBE journal and re-evaluate.
Last night was unbelievable!  My wonderful husband and my sister gave me an amazing SURPRISE 40th Birthday Party.  They really got me, both in surprising me and understanding me.  My sister made a collage with pictures of me and with the words, "daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend," and had everyone sign it.  She gave me a toast to which she spoke of the many roles I play (many times feeling unappreciated and taken for granted).  Last night I felt loved and appreciated by all of my family and friends.  They all wrote such kind words on the collage.  My sister also gave me a necklace made by Lisa Leonard, (a creative jewelry artist that I follow online).  It was hand stamped with the words, "daughter, sister, wife, mother."  I love it and will cherish it forever!  I now know how well my friends know me, they made all of my favorite foods and they gave me gifts that are so me.  My friend Marybeth made me a hand stamped bracelet with the names of my 3 treasures on it, it's beautiful and so creative.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Friday, April 15, 2011

How do you choose your battles?

Lately there have been some issues that I have become quite passionate about.  How do I choose what battle to fight?  And then how far do you take it?  If you don't get your way then what...what will you do next?  My husband asked me just that, he said, "think of the worst outcome...what will you do if it happens?"  I didn't know, that's the problem. What I wanted to say and what the reality of the right thing to do were totally opposite.  My question I guess is...if you know it's a loosing battle do you still fight it?  I'm really struggling with this dilemma.  Recently there were 2 issues in which I am passionate about and have struggled with this question.  When the issue first came to me I wrote a letter right away to express my feelings.  Then like everyone says I sat on it for a day.  I was still bothered by it so decided to make a phone call instead of sending the letter.  After receiving no call back I decided to re-tweak my letter.  Then after talking it over with a good friend I decided not to send the letter because it was just me fighting it.  She said, "if there were 200 of you doing it, I would say send it but it's just you so nothing will change."  Now a different issue has come up and I wrote a new letter.  This time I clicked send.  I voiced my opinion, not sure if in the end it will matter, but I did it.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

April Showers bring May Flowers

April has started out just like the saying goes, "April Showers bring May Flowers."  Amy and I didn't let that keep us inside.  We went puddle jumping and singin' and dancin' in the rain. She even took time to smell the flowers.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Maple Sugaring at Five Rivers

I had a great afternoon with my girls and the Brownie Troop at Five Rivers.  The girls learned all about how they make maple syrup, starting with how they collect the sap.  All of my senses were awakened.  My eyes were wide open and I stopped to see many things that others didn't.  My ears were listening to the chirping of the birds and the chatter of the girls.  Oh, did my nose enjoy the sweet smell of the boiling sap being made into syrup.  It smelled wonderful.  And at the end we even had a taste test to see if you could tell the difference between pure maple syrup and pancake syrup.  But better than that was when I tried what I like to call a grown up lollipop, no artificial colors or flavors...a maple sugar lollipop.  It was the first time I ever saw them, it was really good.


 
This was the cutest thing ever, Amy couldn't see through the binoculars so Emily figured out a way to help her all on her own.  As a friend of my said when I showed her the picture, "now that's teamwork."

Monday, April 11, 2011

Signs that Spring is almost here

Even though the first day of Spring isn't until March 20th we are showing signs of Spring here in the northeast.  Our first crockus bloomed today.  Amy had a lot fun picking it and putting it in a vase this afternoon.

NYC Feb 15, 2011

Had a great time in NYC.  It was very interesting seeing what goes on behind the scenes of a television show. I had no problem getting up early since my adrenaline was already pumping.  My day started very early to get to the train station on time.  I left the house at 4am took the 5:10 train from Rensselaer arriving at 7:35 in Penn Station. Got off the train and walked down 7th Ave to W26th between 7th and 8th Ave to Chelsea Television Studio where The Martha Stewart Show is taped.  My sister and I were in an all sister audience for the Sister Show.  When we arrived at the studio at 8am there was already a line of other sisters waiting in the cold.
 We stood waiting in the cold under the striped Martha sign for about 45 minutes before they let us in.  Even thought it was a very cold a windy day in NYC, my excitement kept me warm.  The show was great but Joey Kola the warm up guy was really what made it a lot of fun. When he came down let us know what the show was going to be about, give us some directions and warm us up, he actually gave me the first 1, 2, 3 giveaways...bottles of water.  Of course the giveaways at the show were great too, but books are very heavy to carry around NYC. 
After the show we were able to meet up with our cousin and spend the day walking around the city.  We walked and walked in and out of shops. We stopped for a delicous lunch at one of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week.  A gourmet lunch with cocktails, and dessert.  After lunch we strolled the streets of NY some more.  Stoping in Saks 5th Ave and trying on some very ugly but very expensive hats, laughing the whole time.  We had the best time together that we lost track of time on our way back to the train station. We had to run the last few blocks to Penn Station so we wouldn't miss the train.  Talk about making it to the station on time. 
 
I arrived home to find a happy ending to my already wonderful day.  My kids, mother and husband made me a welcome home sign, complete with a drawing of Lynn and I and a Martha Stewart Sign.  It was so cute.    In all my excitement I didn't realize how excited they were for me. 
It makes you feel good when you get to check things off your list, BE List that is.

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