Preparing for the New Year

just got back from my little BLOG vacation and revving up to hop right back into it again...see you soon

Catch'in Up

Once again.. it has been longer than I had hoped since my last...lots to talk about. Here goes, in order...

First, and this whole thing is sooo random...actually we are still laughing and making fun of Gabe for it...

one day Claire called and told me that her friend's uncle was an extra in a film that was being shot right down the road from our house. That should have been my first red flag...She wanted to go with a couple of her friends and watch. Gabe has always had an interest in these kinds of things, so she took him with her. They had a make up line and Gabe, for no rational reason, went and got in line. When he got up to the make-up lady, she asked him if he was a human or a "Necro"..He said "Necro"...why not? They ripped his shirt!!! (I paid lots of money for this old sweat shirt...) and splashed blood on him and well you see it below...

They carted him off the be in the shot...Gabe just followed the crowd, glad that he was in a real movie-second red flag...Claire called us laughing...told us what happened...now, from a parents' point of view...we felt some concern. Gabe does not look fourteen and does not have permission from us to be in this film. What kind of outfit does not notice a neighborhood kid wondering on to the set and jumping right in...! So Mr M and I took a walk down. It was hilarious...he was actually in what appeared to be a real film...finally, after several takes... everyone was changing for the next scene where Gabe (probably because he volunteered) was suppose to be thrown by this huge WWF wrestling dude (I mean unnaturally huge) and that was when we put our foot down and said "time to go home". We laughed all the way home. Later we went on the internet to check out the film and the film company. It was a real company and the scene Gabe was to be in was a scene half way through the movie...which was just terrible!!! Definitely low class and just hilarious!!! We still laugh and tease Gabe about his big breakthrough as an actor!

Anyway...The next day, it was soooo looking like Spring that we took the day off and too a drive up the Thumb,(for all you non-Michiganders, that is the coast along the thumb of the mitten of Michigan that you see on the map).

Pulled over at one of the many scenic turnouts and took a walk down to the beach...

Here is Mr. M in his "driv'ng outfit", not to be confused with his gun-metal working ensemble I usually catch him in...

Made Gabe pose in the cedars...He is not usually one to appreciate being photographed unlike his sister...as we will see below in Prom attire...

On Sunday of that weekend, we went to see the Tea Party Express as it rolled its way through Michigan...I have no shots but it was a fun, very delightful, group of people, gathered and with shared concern about what they see going on in Washington...NOT the rowdy group of violent protesters one sees represented in the media these days. Next time we will bring the kids! It was definitely a family event!

Anyway, back to business...Here are some spring tulips blooming in the garden...love the Spring! My Lilacs are also in bloom and every thing is lush and green!

...then all HE-- broke loose...I put out my back! I was in the emergency room 2 times...had an emergency MRI, and a consult with a Neuro Surgeon...Three bulging discs, and cysts on my lumbar spine and in my kidney!!! They assured me that a cyst was not the same thing as a "mass"...Doc says that they are nothing to worry about and wanted me to get physical therapy and cortisone shots before more intrusive intervention....Wow! I had a couple moments that hit the 10 on the pain meter...totally laid up for two and a half weeks...I mean doing nothing but sitting and sleeping on the only chair I could sit in and experience form of some comfort! Thank God I had one of these in my home. But I gotta get better soon as I have to get back to work...and we have family driving up from the great state of LA. to stay a week ...we are all excited. Guess I will just have to lay back a bit and not go as crazy cleaning...my new motto is "it will just have to do".

Anyway, it was Prom time right in the middle of my back nightmare! I still was able to prop myself up and do Claire and her friend's make up and Claire's hair. We chose the dramatic look with large flowers. I glued some large rhinestones in them to match her dress...She looked great as usual (I am her mom what else am I supposed to say).

Lastly, I put in some of Claire's self portrait shots I really liked...she was playing around...looking for a new facebook look.

Until next time,

Picture Day 1

First, for all you spider lovers...Gabe captured this guy in the livingroom!!!! We have a tri- level and in the spring and fall, these guys sneek in the house!!! YIKES!!! Actually, they don't bite ... I never got close enough to test that...We let him go out in the yard.

This fall Claire will start her senior year. We are working on senior pics...this will take all summer long!!! Lots to choose from. Here is our first photo session...of course, most of these are not what we had in mind for the final choices but it was still fun. I love this first one.

Here she thinks I dressed her up like the "80's", we got the hippy thing going. I really like thse too.

Here is this year's batch of baby duckies...

Until next time...

The Month of March

Once again, sorry it has been so long since I last posted...Mister "M" has been a travel'n man for work and I've been holding down the fort! Not really a good excuse but that's all I have.I will cover a couple of weeks in this post.

Here are some shots of Winter's dying days here on Cotton Wood creek...It was so haunting... I had to get my camera.

Last weekend we had some visitors from "out back"...I do not see this group to often but love it when I do. They came up the creek out of the woods and crossed the road on some kind of day trip...



Here is Tom, taking his ladies out for a walk...taken'em shopping...Good Man!

The weather has been so nice and mild lately, I got the kids out for a Bro-Sis shot-always fun!!

This year's Lenten challenge...no more coffee...tea instead...but sadly, I did not give up cookies!

I was at the library...I just love this sculpture in the front...here is the top of it...

..and this little guy sits at the base of the sculpture...

I will leave you with these-I was playing around in Photoshop

It's funny how Claire is so dark and Gabe is so light...and just as different in their personalities...Claire is like her mother and Gabe is like his father...(we are complete opposites) they are related-I can vouch for that, and they have always been good friends-for that I am thankful!

until next time...blessings

check'n in

Sorry it has been a long time since I last posted. Here we are in the dredges of winter again. It was 40 degrees yesterday with almost all the snow melting and today, the kids had a snow day...with 10 inches since 7 this morning!








And, yes I am dragging my tail feathers...I so crave a vacation somewhere out near the Pacific ocean...Oh well that will have to wait... It is a good day, however when we wake up and still have our jobs.

I promise I will post some more pics of what's happen'n out here on Cotton Wood Creek very soon...I will make it a point this week to wonder about with the camera...

Until then...Blessings to all

My Day Looks Like This...

Good Morn'ing...this is what my day looks like-not all of them but enough of them...

Wake up...stumble down stairs...make coffee.



I put the water on to boil...

I feel like someone is watching me...

Oh yes...the happy little face of the "white elephant "gift that Gabe got for Christmas from his Aunt...you know the one you just can't throw out...(not the Aunt-the gift)...you just have to see what it will look like... I water it and place it lovingly back upon the window ledge to catch the morning sun.



Time to wake up the dogs and feed them...




Oh look...here the dishes I asked someone---anyone---everyone to put in the dish washer before bed...

Dogs barking-tell them to shut up.




take out tonight's dinner...grabbed whatever was in the "upstairs" freezer...I will work out the rest of the menu when I get home. Chicken sounds good anyway. Dogs barking...

I have an hour to sit at the computer, eat my cereal, and read emails and snoop around the blogs...dogs barking-tell them to shut up.

Time to drop the kids off at school and then on to work...

I have the most wonderful little office...it is actually nicer than this pic shows...it is private, warm, and looks outside on both sides of the building (love that natural light)

I settle in here...turn on my radio...check my email...sip my coffee and start my day...no dogs barking-AHHHHH

lots of time passes (spared you the ride home)...I make it home before the kids...change into my attractive lounge clothing-too attractive to show the world...start dinner...and off we go to do the afternoon chores...of which feeding dogs, the ducks, the birds, and anything else that drops by to snack...Dogs barking-tell them to shut up.

No...these are Claire's attractive lounge/feed the ducks clothes...not mine...dogs barking at Claire-she tells them to shut up.

Happy Ducks...barking dogs

Eat...Clean-up...visit with family...argue about who has dishes...make sure homework is done...etc...Dogs barking-tell them to SHUT UP! Dogs shut up.

In bed early (hopefully) to watch NCIS, the Office, or Antique Road Show-whatever and read my mail...fall asleep...wake-up and start all over again...

I kinda like predictable days...

Speaking of which-have a GOOD one-