Congratulations To You & A Giveaway

After posting almost one and half times a day for the last six months, I must be busy not to post on a Friday.  I’ll show you what I’ve been doing tomorrow.

I love this whole blogging phenomenon and ever since I started doing it last August, I’ve been addicted. I don’t know who comes here or why but I’m glad you do and even if no one came, I would still photograph and write on my little corner of the internet.

Because I have a short attention span, I’m going to incorporate some images during this LONG post that I took this month for the One Word project at Shutter Sisters. In accordance with my short attention span, I only managed a few shots…

I am an avid scrapbooker and before I started my online scrapbook – this very blog – it was my creative outlet. I haven’t done much scrapbooking since August because I wrote my first post then. August 16th as a matter of fact and my first post was about a flying squirrel. I didn’t know what the whole blogasphere was about or why people had blogs. Aside from a few news blogs, I don’t think I even read any.  Since then, I’ve found that most blogs are about something, photography, food or whatever. I guess I didn’t know that when I posted the squirrel. Mine still really isn’t about anything but my life…my family…my interests. I’m grateful for visitors who stop by my place because I love having guests over. The difference between visiting here and visiting my real home is that I don’t have to clean up before you come by.

Another image break.

I have been all over the blogasphere, looking at other people’s interests and lives and I’ve been inspired, tickled and challenged. I love it. I particularly love that you share your expertise, your photography tips and your recipes. The creative side of me says “wow, that’s beautiful.” And the analytical side of me says, “wow, I wonder how they did that.”

The other phenomenon I’ve encountered on my travels through the internet is the giveaways. I don’t care why people give things away, I just like entering the contests. I thought to myself, “I should give something away,” but I don’t have any money or anything that people would want – so it seems. For some reason it seems okay for other people to do it but not for me.

However, today I am celebrating something, my 250th post. My latest post last Thursday about my little girl was my 250th post. After doing the math, that’s almost 1.4 posts a day. I guess I have a lot to say. So I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and giving something away. You wouldn’t know it if you had quit reading already. I don’t blame you. But I congratulate those of you who got this far. I know life is busy. Who has time to read the long protracted blabberings of a perfect stranger? Anyway, if you made it this far, you will know that I’m giving away a Longaberger basket. Even as I write this, I’m slightly uncomfortable. I don’t solicit well. I’m not my own advocate and I’m not good at this – you know – “Leave a comment and I’ll give you something.”

Cute neighbor girl image break.

I’m not overly sentimental. The husband is the one who remembers most “firsts”, the day we met, the day he asked me out, etc. I don’t. I blew by my 100th post without any hoopla. I blew by my 200th post without any acknowledgment. I briefly acknowledged my 10,000 hit to my husband and moved on.

But I am taking a breather today and celebrating my 250th post with a “giveaway.”

Bird breather. Hang in there, I’m almost done.

I used to be a Longaberger basket consultant a long time ago. I stopped because I decided that you really can have too much of a good thing. I had baskets coming out of my ears. I went into my closet and found this cute little basket. It’s been in there forever, I don’t know how long I’ve had it. I’m giving it away to one lucky person who leaves a comment here. It can be about anything, it doesn’t matter at all. You can just say hi if you want.

So leave a comment below and you’ll be automatically entered. Even you guys -  your wives or girlfriends may like a Classic Tarragon Booking Basket. It’s da bomb. I thought about selling it on eBay but it’s much more fun to give it away. It will be fair to others if you leave only one comment. I’m going to leave the “contest” open until next Saturday.

Good luck and thanks for coming by.

A Beautiful Sunday

What’s beautiful to me today? A teenager who prays.

It's Friday! – No It's Saturday

I’m playing along again on iheartfaces.com. It’s fix-it-Friday on Saturday.

Here’s the original photo.

Cute ain’t she?

I was interested in her eyes. Someone said they were distracted by the wash cloth and I couldn’t stop thinking about that so I cropped it out.

I used PS CS2. Here goes…

PW – Colorize action
I used the clone tool to get rid of some of her little scratches on her forehead
TRA2 – Smooth-O-Matic
I masked out the eyes after the second step.
Crop

I’m starting to sound like a broken record but I love those two action sets…

A Letter To The Perfect Girl

When you were a baby, you had a twitch. Your little shoulders moved up and down seemingly involuntarily. The doctors wanted to give you a full pediatric check up and that wasn’t available in Northern Japan where you were born. So they sent you and me to the big pink hospital in Honolulu Hawaii. You and I flew there in the back of a big cargo plane. We both had ear plugs and yours kept falling out because your ears were so tiny. Finally a nice man came over and gave you a big set of earphones that was almost as big as your head. You then slept on  my chest almost the entire way.

Your Daddy and your brother flew out a day later. We all wanted to be there for you.

Because you had to have an MRI, you had to be sedated. I remember sitting at your bedside, praying.

The doctors gave you a clean bill of health. To this day you remain to your parents, your brother and your family, exactly what the doctors deemed you were the day your tests came back.

They said you were perfect. And so you are.

Happy birthday, our perfect girl.

Little Miss Doolittle

The girl amazes me with her ability to charm animals. Here she was last weekend, enticing Joker to fly, and fly she did. She’s back and riding strong.

She loves hugging Joker.

But she also loves holding fish.

Even by their tails.

She loves dogs,

And turtles,

And she loves BFF Bruce’s python.

Uh, is this my child?

Kiji Update 1

Don’t worry about Kiji.

She’s doing just fine. As a matter of fact…

she’s blending right into the familly.

My Big Girl

She’s my girl. You will have to excuse me but the next couple of days will be all about her. For you see, she is turning 13 tomorrow. Thirteen.

I’ve been planning her celebration and I find myself alternating between heart throbbing sentimentality and big puffing-my-chest-out pride.

As I watched her ride last weekend was struck by her strength, her control and her confidence. She’s beautiful that girl of mine.

And she’s strong, that is what I really wanted to impart in her. Strength to face life…and all that it brings.

Desperate Housewives – February(b) Edition

February is almost over so I thought I’d better post this because once March gets here, the February edition is no longer valid. Something like that.

I said I’d show you Neighbor Kaishia’s bedroom. Beautiful isn’t it?

But it’s just too tempting. Neighbor Susan refused to join in and said, “Once is enough. We’re going to get a reputation.”

All I can say to that is this. Too late.

What’s the big deal? We always make the bed later.

We’re coming to your house next.

Bathing Beauty

Kiji is staying with us for a few days.

In honor of our guest, we decided the dog needed to clean up. Please don’t give me a bath she says, please.

Her pleas fell on deaf ears because, well, she stinks.

Come on! It’s a jacuzzi bath tub! Our tub has mirrors all around it. The ’70s was a bad decade for design.

My Name Is Shiloh

Shiloh came to the Calvert Animal Welfare League last week.

He is one year old.

He was a stray and the volunteers there suspected that he was chained up outside. His ribs were showing, his hips stuck out through his fur.

He’s sweet, mellow, and friendly.

He does need to be leashed trained though. Since he may have been outside most of his short life, he may need to be house broken but older dogs are very easy to house train. Our dog came to us when she was one year old. She was immediately house-trained. In one day. I think Shiloh will be the same.

Shiloh is a coonhound. He’s some kind of beagle mix. He’s got great floppy ears and long legs.

Shiloh is good with kids, cats and older dogs. And he was a sweetheart around me and other humans.

This is CAWL’s website and if you want to give Shiloh a home, please call them today at 410-535-9300. Their email is cawl@comcast.net.

Shiloh has his very own petfinder link as well. Check him out!

He’s waiting for you.

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