some humor!

Wow - didn't take long and someone sent me something funny! I hope you laugh, too.

It's a gloomy day...

Main Entry:
gloomy
Pronunciation:
\ˈglü-mē\
Function:
adjective
Inflected Form(s):
gloom·i·er; gloom·i·est
Date:
1588
1 a: partially or totally dark ; especially : dismally and depressingly dark b: having a frowning or scowling appearance : forbidding c: low in spirits : melancholy2 a: causing gloom : depressing b: lacking in promise or hopefulness : pessimistic
synonyms see dismal, sullen

Well - that pretty much says it all for me today and for lately... Dismal, gloomy and feeling low. I think my moods are directly affected by the weather - so I'm hoping for a sunny day to pop in soon.

“Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously.” --Og Mandino

The best cure for me when I get to feeling this way is humor and laughing. So, I'm looking for "the funny" today - any ideas where there might be some?

Peril the First - Book 3

Book three for me is "The Bone Key" by Sarah Monette. This was a fun book - a collection of ten stories about creepy things that occur around or to Kyle Murchison Booth. The writing is kind of old-fashioned and British, and fits well with the setting. Kyle is a museum archivist, has prematurely white hair, is very shy and introverted and seems to always be involved in necromantic adventures. He brings the dead wife of a colleague back to life, finds a skeleton buried in the walls of the museum basement, and other strange adventures. It was a perfect book for Perilous Reading!! I recommend it to everyone who is participating in the R.I.P. Challenge!!

coming to you from ARIZONA!

Hi! We are here in sunny, warm Mesa Arizona visiting my parents for a few days. It was 101 degrees yesterday and expected to be the same today - wow. Back home in Boise, it was 42 degrees when we went to the airport yesterday... my poor old body doesn't know what to think so it has decided to sneeze a lot! - LOL

We are belatedly celebrating my Dad's 72nd birthday, going shopping, eating a lot and planning a quick visit to Ak-Chin's Casino! My mom has every day planned out and even printed up an agenda for my husband so he would know what to expect - LOL

It has been so long since I have visited my folks and it is truly wonderful just being able to spend time together. So - with that in mind, it will be another few days before you hear from me again...

Happy Fall to all!

Working & busy...

Hi everyone! Just a quick post to let you know I'm still kickin' - just been busy doing unexciting things that really aren't blogworthy... LOL

No one wants to hear about yard work, housework, cubicle work, blah blah blah blah... right?

I'm back!! and R.I.P. Peril - Book two

Book Two in the Peril-The First in the R.I.P. Challenge!! I chose "The Becoming" by Jeanne C. Stein because it is about vampires, one of my favorite creepy subjects. The main character in this book is Anna Strong, and she is very similar to Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake in that she is a tough, scrappy woman doing a job most would think was a men-only thing. Anna is a bounty hunter and is "turned" by a rogue vampire during a capture that went very wrong. The world Anna lives in is like ours in that everyone believes that vampires are not real, so it takes some adventures and more mishaps to convince her of her new nature.

All said, I enjoyed this book - very fun to read and I am sure there are more to come with Anna Strong as the protagonist. I recommend it for pre-Halloween-get-ready-for-vampires-and-things-that-go-bump-in-the-night reading! On to book three.....

Sick...

Yes - I have a horrible cold. I am on cold-flu medicine - therefore any creativity, personality, humor, wise cracks, clever ideas are completely missing from my head. There is only room in there for snot!~~~

I know I'll survive.... be back later.

R.I.P. - Peril the First >Book One!

I have read the first book for my Peril the First challenge: The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield.

It was a very good book!! The writer hooks you in and you are told several stories within the main plot line. It's a story about a famous author who decides to tell a biographer her life story. Vida Winter (the author) has been very cryptic about her past and tells Margaret Lea (the biographer) the tale in her own way... Lots of plot twists and mysterious confused identities, outright lies and half-truths to wade through before the end. I love it and would recommend it!!

Thinking of Uncle Tom and Dad...

picture circa 1957... lh Dad, rh Uncle TomA few posts previously, I mentioned I made a quilt for my Uncle Tom who was suffering from late stage cancer. He is my father's only brother and a younger brother at that... My Dad is at his side right now along with his family and our thoughts are with them.

UPDATED: Uncle Tom passed away today, Monday 9/15/2008 at 6:00pm.

We love you and will always remember you, Uncle Tom.

Remembering...

R.I.P. Peril the First!!! (UPDATED List!!)

Well - I am entering a reading challenge put on by Carl V. (which I found out about from one of the many blogs I follow)!! It runs from September 1, 2008 through October 31, 2008 and sounds like fun!! (Plus, I love Halloween, so this should help build up the suspense!!)There are 3 Perils to chose from and I have selected Peril the First, which means that I must read FOUR books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stores.... bwah ha ha ha ha ah aaaaaaaaaa....
According to the rules, I need to post my "pool" of possible selections on my blog here and then post reviews as I finish reading at: Ripping Yarn's Site
So - Here is my pool of possibilities:

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (which may be cheating because I just finished reading this one and LOVED it!)


• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  
• Breaking Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• unknown... because I don't usually read scary books, I don't have many in my "to be read" pile, so I'll have to investigate. Gee a trip to Barnes & Noble will really break my heart - LOL
• UPDATE: "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly (recommended by a friend)
• UPDATE: " The Thirtheenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield
• (I found out it doesn't necessarily have to be SCARY, it can also be about the supernatural, preternatural, etc... that makes it easier since I love Vampires, werewolves and stuff like that... yippee!)

So - onward and upward - woo hoo!!

Special Quilt for Uncle Tom...

My Dad's brother, Uncle Tom, is not doing very well. He has Lung Cancer and it is in the very last stages. He has been enduring chemo therapy most of the summer in hopes of getting a few weeks of "good quality" time to spend with his family in Kansas City.

Since we are so far away, Tim and I thought if I made him a quilt it would be like sending a "hug" from Idaho. So, I worked pretty frantically and here is the quilt that I made. It was already sent out and received and it seems that both Aunt Joan and Uncle Tom really liked it.

We keep them always in our thoughts and send cards and letters as often as we can. So, hugs and best wishes and hopeful thoughts are being sent your way, Uncle Tom!

All the way from England!!

Wow! A Package that delivered from the "ROYAL M AIL" all the way from England has arrived!!!

And inside, the handmade "Felted" teddy bear from England has arrived!!! He is darling and sweet and BLUE and his name is Grissom!

Bob T. Bear's Mum, Helena, made him herself and he is the award for winning the Synchronized Sitting Olympics!! Thank you so very much! I can't imagine how you used a needle and a pile of wool to make little Grissom, but he sure is cute. He has a seat of honor on a bookshelf with a few other blue things!

Well - I sure hope Grissom doesn't get homesick... He does fit in well with the Boise State University Football fans around here - he matches the blue turf perfectly!! He will probably become a big BSU fan - go Broncos!!

Thanks again to Bob and his Mum for sending Grissom all the way to Idaho! We love him!!

The Miniature Booty Quilt Swap...

Well - I am late on getting out my booty for my swap partner, but today I have finished it up and here are a few sneak pictures!! Her color preferences were for yellow, green and purple - bright colors... so I took that pretty literally and here is what I came up with!

I have had bee's on the brain lately, too, so had to put some of those in as well. Now, I need to get some goodies together to send along and box it up!!

--------------------------

And - my partner on the bootie swap was in North Carolina and wow, did HE (yes it is a Man, Mom!!) ever do a super job! The quilt is darling and I will use it as a table runner, plus he sent a bunch of extra fat quarters of matching fabric, chocolate (the good kind, too!), a little "home sweet home" plaque and some North Carolina Tarheels stuff! I was so excited when I opened this up!! Thank you John and I couldn't be more pleased with the quilt you made for me! And I loved all the extra booty, too!

The day before the game!!!

Are you ready to HUSKER UP??!!!! Maybe this will help just a little bit... for me, the goosebumps started, the pulse picked up and I am ready for some FOOTBALL!!



GO BIG RED!! GO BIG RED!! GO BIG RED!!

I've been tagged---(oh no!!)

Well- I've been tagged by Gina at 2SistersandMe. The rules are that you have to tell 7 things about yourself (preferably something weird) and then you have to tag 7 more people and post them and then go to their blog and let them know! So here goes:

1. I saw the movie "Star Wars" 8 times at the theatre when it first came out. (Mostly because I had a crush on Harrison Han Solo Ford)
2. In the spring, when I select flowers for the yard, I talk to them and tell them how beautiful they will look (much to my husband's chagrin since we are usually at Home Depot in a crowd).
3. Sometimes (most of the time) I like dogs better than people!
4. I learned to quilt (and thread a sewing machine) at age 42.
5. I must have coffee in the morning or It Will Be A Bad Day...
6. As a child I never played much with dolls or stuffed toys - but as an adult I LOVE teddy bears and talk to them and play with them. (I guess I do stuff backwards sometimes)
7. I am a Daddy's girl and always will be.

S0 - that's it for me. Now to select 7 lucky people to tag:
1. Bob T Bear, Esquire(A teddy bear)
2. Mary Margaret (a Yorkie)
3. Dilly (A Croco-wagon, really!!)
4. Pattie at Attitude Changes Everything
5. Janet at Idaho Quilter
6. Bumblevee at The Bearister Bookcase
7. Mrs. Nesbitt

To Theme or not to Theme...

I have a long list of blogs that I like to follow. Some of them are humorous, some all about quilting and crafty stuff, and of course, some are about Nebraska Football. It seems like most of them all have a theme they stick to for all of their posts. So, I was thinking that my blog is really kind of theme-less – and wondering if I should be concerned about that.



Of course, when I start thinking (not only is there smoke involved), there are lots of “me’s” thinking at the same time in my head. A few of those thoughts:
· Who cares what other blogs do?
· This blog is mostly for friends and family to know what’s going on with us
· The Funny blogs are my favorites to read, does that make me shallow?
· I don’t post every day, does that make me a bad blogger?
· I’m not sure I could pick just one theme…
· My blog is boring
· I don’t have many readers (should that bother me?)
· I like cheese
· Some bloggers rant and use foul language, my mother reads this so I won’t
· I need to find some pictures – blog posts are dull without pictures

So – hmmmm, to theme or not to theme, that is the question?? Is it better to have themed and lost than never to have themed at all?? Somebody stop me! Help! Anyone???...Buehler?

A Major Award...

It's been a great week for winning awards... first the GOLD MEDAL at the Synchronized Sitting Bear Olympics and now... from the BIG RED NETWORK (dedicated to Nebraska Football - of course), I have won a Major Award!!

It hasn't arrived yet, but any day now I should be receiving it! And what did I win, they ask?

2 things .... a Nebraska T-shirt, shown here:

And, "A Sea of Red" - which is an annual guide to Nebraska Cornhusker Football:

Here is a synopsis of what is included in this fabulous guide that every Husker Fan should have:

"A Sea of Red 2008 is the must-have preview book for any diehard Nebraska Cornhuskers fan. Most college football fans buy pre-season publications that provide a page or two on the Huskers. Why do that when you can have a 112-page annual that provides an in-depth look at your favorite team? Included inside are introductions of the new coaching staff, offensive and defensive previews for the 2008 season, and an examination of new recruits. We provide a preview of the 'Nebraska offense' and a detailed examination of Nebraska's 2008 opponents.The Cornhusker history section pays homage to offensive linemen as 'Heroes in the Trenches' including interviews with Chad Kelsay, Dick Rupert, Eric Anderson and former offensive line coach Milt Tenopir. Find out why the nickname 'Bo' provides the greatest predictor that Nebraska will win a national championship under new coach Pelini, and how the pillars of Memorial came to be. We close it up with an overview of Huskers currently in the NFL. Since the return of Tom Osborne and the hiring of new coach Pelini, Husker fans have been chomping at the bit for the return of Husker football. Analysis, roster, stats, pictures, and history, A Sea of Red is packed with information every Big Red fan will want by their side throughout the 2008 season. The wait is finally over. Nebraska football as you knew it is back. Go Big Red!!!"

I can't wait for it to arrive, I am so exciting for football season to start!! Only 9 more days until KICKOFF - woohoo!! GO BIG RED!!

Synchronized sleeping??

I found this photo on loldogs and just had to share... It seems to fit the Synchronized Sitting theme (sort of!!)...

What do you think? I know one thing, that is a bunch of cuties!!

And the winners are...

The competition was fierce and the judging difficult. Thanks to Mr. Grunter at Bob T. Bear's blog for doing a wonderful job.

For more detail of the event, judging and awards please go to Bob's Blog. (August 16, 17, 18 entries)

And the winners are as follows:

GOLD MEDAL goes to the HOME TEAM - Team Husker!!! Here is the winning entry with a direct quote from the judges, " for bak-to-bak synchronizayshun, a very advarnst form ov the sport."

SILVER medal goes to "TB SUPERSTAR for perfekt synchronizayshun in sittin pozishun- crosst legs, an arms all pozishund alike too. Eevn the Not-a-Bears. Grayte stuff! "

BRONZE Medal goes to "LYNDA (GRANNY K). Lots ov competishun for this therd playce, but the Synchronized Sittin on a bannister fynerly clincht it!

A quote from the winning team's coach (that would be me) left on the event blog comment list:

Becky said...
Woohoo!! Team USA has won another GOLD MEDAL!!! And we have word back that all have officially passed the drug tests - congratulations to all the winners!! Team Husker is going wild - we have bear mayhem, the flight back is out of control - the stewardess has warned us 3 times to stay in our seats!!! Being that we have won the event, I'm sure we can SIT for a little while longer!!

Another bit of excitement is the amazing offers from Wheaties, Cheerios and Captain Crunch for appearances on cereal boxes.... However, the team is holding out for an offer from Nike!!

Thank you to all of the wonderful competitors - it was terrific to see how far this sport has come. Thanks to Bob T. Bear for hosting and Mr. Grunter for judging such a difficult event.I must run and check on the party - I'm afraid that they have been at the Oreo cookies again and there will be no sleeping tonight for any of us.Thanks, Bob!!~ Becky

Bob T. Bear's Olympic Event!!!

Over at Bob's blog they are having a most exciting Olympic event and we are going to participate!

Bob and his bear friends frequently participate in the sport of SYNCHRONIZED SITTING! He has decided that in honor of the Olympics, to have an event with prizes and everything for the best synchronized sitters! So, after a lot of shuffling and moving around, the bears and I have worked on preparing our entries.

We decided our first event would be SYNCHRONIZED ROCKING - since some of the gang just LOVE LOVE LOVE their rocking chairs (a lot like their mother! LOL). We did some practicing.

We had to draw straws on who would get to sit where and there were some bear-tears shed, but at last we got the groups assembled and here is our very proud entry for SYNCHRONIZED ROCKING:

You know they totally ROCK, right! Gee - aren't I just hilarious? (totally rhetorical - please don't answer)

Then -Scooter and Oscar said they thought synchronized events involved making a pretty design all together.... So, we tried a few "designs" and after practicing again

we unanimously voted on the ever-classic circle with rising bunny rabbit in the center! Yes, we know it's been done before, but it is a tribute and we feel that we totally NAILED it!

So - here is our entry for SYNCHRONIZED LAYING ABOUT!!:

And. finally, almost everyone said they wanted to participate in the SYNCHRONIZED SITTING photo. Some brave bears volunteered to remain on post where they calmly sat guarding bookshelves, sewing machines, window sills, entertainment centers and table tops. The rest of the gang pulled together and here is our masterpiece entry: (applause!!! applause!!)

We really hope that we can at least "place" and get a medal for the USA!! Thanks to Bob T. Bear for sponsoring this event!! The judging takes place Saturday... Good Luck to Team Husker!!

How little Scooter has grown...

Well - Scooter is one year old and in his mind, he is a big boy and all grown up. Here are a few glimpses of how he has grown!!

Here he is with a chew bone - the actual size is about 5 inches long and as big around as a pencil. Must sharpen those baby teeth as much as possible so we can bite Daddy harder - ha!These shots are from his first 6 months. He is a tough dog here with his Biker Dad, isn't he?

And here on Christmas morning... he is a nut! He didn't want the toy I was showing him, he wanted my new yorkie slippers! His brother, Maxwell was really interested in the toy. ha!

It was a big day - he had a snooze in the new blankie.

Scooter says: Here I am with my brothers (I'm on the left, then Maxwell & Oscar). We were watching Mom planting stuff in the front yard. We are inspectors!

And here I am this morning! All grown up and serious... My mom thinks she wants another baby.... My dad told me I better start acting like a baby again or else he'd hang me up by my ears for a while! Dad says 3 kids are ENOUGH...