Feel Like Complaining

I've had this picture on my desktop for quite awhile and it seems like a good enough time as any to use it. It's dark, cold, dreary, and rainy out. Every square inch of my body hurts. And I'd like to live on the coast? The dog doesn't even want to go out and pee, I had to trick her with a ride in the car first. I've got 20 bucks left after buying groceries, gas, and giving my hubby money for gas. No glass buying for me this week. My husband's hours got cut pretty bad. Mother's Day is next weekend and I'm not in the mood. Why is it that a day for mothers just means more work for us? I haven't had my mother over for a long time but the work involved almost seems not worth it. Go pick her, her air tank, her walker, and her cane up. My husband would not be able to do this, he'd probably drop the air tank and blow up the whole retirement community. Then when we get back I start cooking. After a few hours the whole procedure would be reversed and th...

You all will just have to indulge me while I gush over one of my favorite recording artists, Jonny Lang. He may not be anyone you have ever heard of, but those that have can't get enough of him. He started his blues/rock/gospel guitar career at the early age of 12. He joined the Bad Medicine Blues Band and quickly became the leader and renamed the group Kid Jonny Lang and the Big Band. He released his solo debut album at age 15. Even when he was young he had a voice you that made you think he was much older and seasoned. He won his first Grammy with his latest album release in '06. And I just found out his younger sister was a semi-finalist (top 36) with American Idol last year. Geez, I learn something everyday! I first saw Jonny on TV when he was about 16. And then in '99 when he was 19 he came to town and my husband and I saw him for the first time, and I was hooked. My daughter grew up on his music so we were very excited when we saw that he was coming back to town; I ...

A few weeks ago I saw an article in the paper that announced a Tibetan Monk would be doing pet  blessings at a local park today. I've always wanted to do that so my daughter and I put Nellie in the car and headed out. Our city has some nice parks; but we also have some very rustic, hard to find parks. And you can guess where this pet blessing was going to take place. In this particular area there are three parks all bunched up together. We stopped at one and saw a lot of dogs milling around and figured we were in the right place. I even asked a couple of dog owners and they didn't really know where to go either. We walked around for awhile and then decided to drive a bit further. Just about a block away we found a sign to the other park with another sign pointing to the pet blessing area. Onto the dirt road we go, and not just any dirt road, but a dirt road with the biggest ruts I've ever seen. Our van was rocking violently back and forth and poor Nell in the backseat w...

And they're getting taller! The one on the right is actually shorter but is a pedestal for a small solar powered birdbath that lights up at night. It was too short and I could hardly see it so I made a stand for it. If you enlarge the picture you can see all the different pieces I used. Check out the cool Margharita glass on the top of the left one. I am able to whip out one a day now but find myself having to run to the thrift store for 'just a few more' pieces of glass. I'm addicted.

My mom lives in a retirement community and there is one house that I drive by on the way to her place. They have the most gorgeous looking glass yard art that they make to sell. I've been admiring them for a year now but never have been able to buy one. So I slowly drive by and study them and just figured I'd make one for myself. First I did some research on glass bird baths because I thought that's what they were. I guess it just depends on how they're put together. But I finally found some online, called glass totems. So I studied some more and and then went shopping at thrift stores for glass ware. To start with I'm only making small ones. The three that are made with vases actually slip on top of a stake and put anywhere you want. The very first one I made is leaning badly so I'll give that to my mom. She's my guinea pig for crafting. The other one with the frosted glass and blue is my favorite so far and sits on a bench in my backya...

Why do people on your email list continue to send political jokes or tirades when they don't really know what your political views are? I think they feel that we have the same views just because we are friends. Lately the emails are getting nastier as things have been heating up in Washington. So now I know where they stand and what they believe in and it's the total opposite of me. They can't possibly think that everyone has the same views; they must just put us all in a group and hit 'send'. There is one brave soul in a group of receivers that actually sends out a 'reply all' and asks the sender not to send out negative garbage like that. Bless him; I wish I was that brave. I have three friends who send out crap and I don't mean funny little political jokes or cartoons. The ones that I'm seeing recently are mean, full of lies, and darn-right scary to know that some people think like that. I guess I might have to get a backbone and ask them not ...

This is one of my favorite shows this year. Produced by Lisa Kudrow and partnered with Ancestory.com, Who Do You Think You Are takes Hollywood stars on journeys to learn about their ancestors and to find answers to family curiosities. Last weeks show was my favorite when Brooke Shields found that she had ties to Royalty in France and is a first cousin to King Louis XIV. Very Cool Stuff! I just find ancestry so fascinating and wish I had the time and money to delve into it. I know nothing about my maternal grandparents and not much about my paternal grandmother. I only know some about my paternal grandfather because at one time my former SIL was doing the family tree. I know they came from Norway and settled in Wisconsin in 1884. My Great-Great Grandfather and other families founded the Sugar Creek Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Elkhorn. That is quite a mouthful isn't it? The original church isn't standing anymore but they are still a congregation with the same name....