Dreams.....



I don't dream very often, but when I do it's a DOOZY!  I saw a talk show one day where the guest was interpreting dreams....I think it was Dr. Phil, and I just wondered what in the world they would think of my dreams.  There are probably no words to describe my dreams other than "Huh?" 

For example:  Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, after that 2:30 bathroom run, I had snuggled back into my warm bed and drifted off to dreamland.  It's really funny how things from your childhood resurface in you dreams, things you hadn't thought of in years.  Yep, the past returned last night, but it was so....modern!  There were no 1977 to mid '80's clothing, everything was modern.  So why is this such a big deal?  Because THIS is what my dream was about......



Howdy, and welcome to Dogpatch, USA!

Yep, I was in the thriving metropolis of Dogpatch, USA, nestled in the hills between Harrison and Jasper, Arkansas.  I was showing Logan all the fun sights of Dogpatch, like the trash suckers (those things were a little scary, they would suck the trash right out of your hand!), the antique cars, and the paddleboats. (Loved those paddleboats)  There we were on the very fancy (yes, this one was fancy) dock of the paddleboats, and what was I doing?..spending most of my time fishing my youngest child out of the water.  He could swim, but he wanted to swim rather than ride the boats. 

Now this is where it gets kind of strange.... Maybe I was needing a massage or something, because there was a SPA at Dogpatch which also housed a very upscale salon, and guess who the salon manager was...non other than our pastor's wife, Sandy.  (told you it got a little strange)  Oh, and Amanda (my friend who owns the gym) was there, too.  Weird....really weird.

Unfortunately, Dogpatch USA closed in the late '80's or early 90's, but I always had so much fun at the hick town in the hills.  I found a few pictures (I need to dig through some of our old ones, I know there are some Dogpatch pictures in there) on the internet.  This is General Cornpone who must have been pretty important...and short since he looks like he's riding a goat.  I'm not sure of the date (I'm guessing 70's check out that hairdo and those clothes).
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 Sadly, this is what has become of General Cornpone...poor goat.  The last time I drove past Dogpatch, I cold see holes in the roofs of the buildings.  It's really sad to see something you loved fall into disrepair, but that's just a part of change. 



The ice rink at Marble Falls is long gone, too. For kids growing up in Arkansas, ice skating was a HUGE deal. Mom and my aunt would load us up and we'd go ice skating. We would leave wet, cold, exhausted, and happy filled with memories of happy days spent with cousins (well, except for that time Karen couldn't stop, ran into the back of me, and I fell on the toe picks on her ice skates, but bruises fade and we keep the memories).





I'd love to go back to Dogpatch just to look around, take a few pictures, and relive some childhood memories. 

Gut wrenching fear...

I’ll admit, I don’t often feel the fear that makes my knees weak and causes a pit in the middle of my stomach…maybe I’m just don't have enough sense to realize when I need to be afraid…but yesterday was a little different story. 
The one thing that causes my palms to sweat and the butterflies (wait, make those buzzards)leap around in my stomach is the thought of having to play the piano in front of people who are actually listening.   (Maybe if they would yell, “Moooooooommmmm, I can’t hear the TV!” my nerves would settle a little.)  During choir practice yesterday someone asked if I would play through a song (she knew I’d brought the book home just so I could figure out the alto notes...which took all weekend because I had to keep saying the little EGBDFA rhyme for every note) so they could get the timing down for the drama. 
 Gasp!    I stumbled through it and it was okay (and that's being very generous), but I could barely hear the piano because of the volume of my heart pounding in my ears!  Little did I know the church pianist was listening.  After practice, she told me I needed to think about adding my name to the list of backup pianists (I think she needs hearing aids).  Just the thought of that causes me to break out in a cold sweat and experience shortness of breath!   I know God equips those He calls, but somehow I don’t think He wants us to sing the same songs week after week.  
Number one, I do NOT read music very well, I play by ear…and I can only play in 3 keys and 2 of those not very well.  I really don’t want to be the church known for singing “At Calvary” and “There is a Fountain” week after week.  
Second, while I am an outgoing person, and I can do alright playing the piano in my basement, I get major stage fright on a piano bench!  Give me a mic and some music and I’ll sing all day, but PLEASE don’t ask me to play! 
Third,  in a church the size of ours there HAS to be someone who can play, really play, and do a much, much better job than me….so please remember that God is leading you to use your talent and help bring praise and worship music…..and get me off the hook! (I'm praying that He will convict you for keeping your talent to yourself.)

Friday musings…

This morning on my Facebook I posted a little blurb about going to the gym and how I feel like I’m making a little progress. (sedentary to moving is progress) Through the course of comments someone asked me where I was going. Well, being the thinker that I am (okay, it was a brilliant flash of inquisitiveness that lasted a whole 10 seconds before I was interrupted by a kid wanting chocolate pudding for breakfast, but the thought remained), I thought that was something I needed to ponder more. Why do we think that we have to lose weight and get ourselves in great shape before a trip? I’m so guilty of that, just like many others. Why do we let the media ingrain that into our psyches, you need to look good before your next big event? I saw a commercial for diet pills that made a reference to dropping weight before your upcoming class reunion. Seriously, think about that. How many people do you know who are still at his/her high school weight? Okay, I have this friend who is and she’s given birth to 4 children, but she’s got to be a Stepford Wife. (I love you, girl, just a little jealous…ha!) I’ll admit. I skipped the visitation of a lady in our community I had known for years because I knew her grandson would be there and the last time I saw him I was in high school and 60 lbs lighter. Why? I have no idea! Do I want to impress him? Not at all, I haven’t seen the guy in 25+ years and don’t really care what he thinks of me, but that old insecurity was there. Maybe it was because I really felt like I’d let myself go. Maybe that was a big turning point for me, too.


In my Facebook post, I noted that I’d been going to the gym regularly since November. I was doing mostly Yoga for November and December, and part of January, but when I started working out with the 5 AM girls (love those girls!) I “kicked it up a notch”! Since November I haven’t lost much weight, but I have firmed up all over and lost several inches. When I first started 2 minutes on the elliptical and my legs were SCREAMING (really bad things…telling me they were going to torture me for several days if I didn’t stop!). This morning, I did 10 minutes on the elliptical at a good, steady pace, and still had enough energy to move on the 5 miles on the bike and a couple of rounds of circuit training. I shouldn’t be discouraged (even if I was next to a cute little 20 something on the other elliptical who made me feel like a senior citizen…but she’s a sweetheart so I can’t be angry). So here is another turning point. I am going to embrace my progress and not grumble about how slowly things are going. This is the healthy way to lose; to keep plugging away little by little until it has become a lifestyle, not a diet. This summer, I will have the energy to play catch with the boys…or tag…or whatever they want to play. I’m not working out because I have someplace to go or someone to see, I’m working out for ME. I want to be a healthy mom who is involved in the lives of my children and not just a watcher.

As the Reebok slogan goes…..”Because life is NOT a spectator sport!”


...and because I like blogs with pictures, here you go.  I'm posting this one because it makes me happy, and it's been a loooooong day and I'm cranky.

…and now here’s something we hope you’ll really like. (think of the voices of Rocky and Bullwinkle)
I ran across an little interview on another website today and thought it was so fun, so I shamelessly stole this idea from Jessica Sprague’s website (www.jessicasprague.com she’s photoshoppy awesome, check it out), but somehow I don’t think she will care…or even find out that I changed it a little. Feel free to borrow the idea….but let me know your answers. (I’m just curious like that).

1. If you had to live off two foods for an entire month, what would you choose?  Only 2!!! Gasp! Wheeze! I want to say I’d be healthy and eat fruit and grains, but that’s just a big lie, so how about Mexican & American? Does that count? Wait, this is my interview, of course it counts.

2. Crayola wants you to name their newest crayon; what color would it be and what name would you choose?  Joy, rapture! I get to name a crayon….I have arrived….hey, that’s it! “I have arrived” would be the name and it would be turquoise and lime green swirls w/ sparkly things in it. (gotta have some bling)


3.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?  No question about it, **** Havenwood Road, Viola. There’s no place like home…unless it’s that one room in the original version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. You know, the one where everything is edible…I could do some damage in there!

4. If you could have a super power what would it be?  I would choose the ability to recognize BS right off the bat…wait, I teach high school, I’m pretty good at that right now, so I would want the power that Samantha from Bewitched has, to wiggle my nose and make changes. (no more dirty house, no more dirty laundry, gorgeous landscaping, a pool, etc.)

5. What tool in Photoshop do you think is the awesomely awesomest?  Hmmmmmmm, I love brushes, brushes are my friends, we make pretty pictures together….yep, I choose brushes…and Ctrl Z (love that undo button!)

6. PC or Mac?  Sigh, right now I have a PC, but I drool over the MacBooks on almost a daily basis. I feel there is a MacBook Pro that wants to live at my house, so please, feel free to bring it home to me. We wouldn’t want a sad Mac floating around out there somewhere.

7.  Coolest thing about being an artist?  The ability to try new things, experiment with color, get messy, pretend that someday my art will sell for millions of dollars….but I don’t want to wait until I’m dead, I want to be able to see it hanging on a wall in all its glory (my walls or the walls of my children do not count).

8. Do you talk to your computer? Does it have a name?  Yes, I talk to it, but sometimes it’s not the most encouraging tone of voice, and its name changes depending on how well it behaves….and right now it isn't behaving very well.

What do you do on a sunny day?

You play with all your friends while some crazy lady takes pictures of you. I just love watching the new calves.





Looks like he was sticking his tongue out at me.



This is my favorite shot of the day.



I wish you could have seen the little guy on the right.  He had a piece of hay hanging out of his mouth and he would flip his head up and try to catch it.  It was so funny!



They couldn't figure out what I was doing.  The little bull calf on the right is Logan's, he is HUGE!



I love his markings! 



Our newest little girl.  She was born yesterday.

Calving time is one of my favorite parts of spring, and the warmer weather and longer days don't hurt, either.

What a week.

My intentions to be a better blogger just haven't come to fruition lately.  Last Thursday morning, before school, Logan said he didn't feel very well, and being the sympathetic mom I am, I told him to tough it out, he would be fine when he got to school, so he grudginly conceded...not that it would have done any good to argue, but that's another post entirely.  He went with Chris and Austin to A's shooting sports practice after school, but kept asking to go to the truck because he was cold.  He came in, flopped on the couch, covered up to his nose, and refused to move.  Being the doting mother that I am (or maybe it was a little remorse), I took his temp., 102.7.   Oops!  Mom goofed, he really was sick, not just faking this time.  This kid rarely runs fever, so if he is lethargic and has a temp that high, I know he's really sick.  I guess I'm just one of those moms who doesn't get too excited about things, so I started Tylenol and sent him to Nana's Friday morning.  He still had a temp of over 100, and Friday night it was 101.something (we were tired, I don't remember).  He ran a temp over 100 all weekend...even hitting 103.4 Saturday...not fun.  Monday morning I needed answers, so we loaded up and went to see Doc Tucker. (he's the best)  Because his throat wasn't red, his ears weren't red, and he wasn't congested we had to do some blood work to figure out what was going on in that little body.  When we explained how they would draw blood he said, "I don't think so!"  We compromised, I let him play Angry Birds on my phone while the nurse drew blood.  I held the phone and he played left handed...hey, I tried bribes of "I'll take you anywhere you want to eat." but he's wise to that trick...and didn't have an appetite so he could care less, he did request a cherry limeade, though.  The bloodwork showed a very low white count, which meant some kind of virus, but it wasn't flu (they checked), so we had to let it run it's course.  Joy....not!  

Trying to be brave and not cry .

By Monday afternoon, though, his fever broke, all on its own, with no help from Tylenol or ibprofen.  I know this because we were out of Tylenol, and I found the chewable ibuprofen tablets stuck down in the side of the couch while I was remote control fishing.  He said they were yucky and he didn't like them.  Now I have to treat him like and inmate and have them take them while standing in front of me, then open his mouth to show me that he really did take them.  Aren't little boys fun?

While we were home Tuesday (I took a day to stay home with him, trying to make up for sending a sick kid to school), so I worked on a poster for a friend.  She's doing a really fun thing for Relay for Life.  Forget walkathons and bikeathons, this is ZUMBATHON, baby!  I love doing Graphic design.  I love creating something from scratch, and I want to do lots, lots more, so if you know someone who needs a poster/t-shirt/flier/photo/bookmark/wanted poster, whatever, pass my name along.  I need some work for summer when school's out....and there's this new camera lens I've got my eye on....



This will be a superFUN event to benefit the American Cancer Society.



Logan and I stuck close to home through Tuesday, but went back to school Wednesday.  He was feeling better, still didn't have much of an appetite...but what else is new with him?  He only likes food if it's covered with ketchup!  You ask if he's feeling better now....just look at this picture!  I think my boy is back to normal, although this is the first time he's tried to stand on his head on the couch.....



Back to his normal, bouncy self.  If I didn't know better I'd swear we were raising Tigger!

 I'm looking forward to the weekend, but it's going to be busy.  At least the time changes soon and the days will be longer...I love spring!