If you can't say something nice.....

I am taking part in a challenge to say nice things about one of my acquaintances on ScrapDawgs. It is a lot of fun to read what has been written so far. I am also thinking very hard about what I am going to write about my chosen person. The obvious thought that comes to mind is why do people have to set up a challenge to be able to say nice things about each other. The obvious answer is that we don't. ScrapDawgs is one of the most positive agreeable sites I have ever spent time on and we spend a lot of time being "nice" to each other. I am going to use the challenge to say nice things in what I hope will be a more journalistic way than I normally do. My comments are more conversational, I want this to be more story.

Now I have set my self up for something that I may never be able to achieve, but then again, no goals, no gain. I just have to wait my turn.

Mohawk Boy

Wyatt came over last night and looked just a bit different. His mother and uncle had given him a mohawk. It actually was a mistake, Nicole was going to do a minor trim and had an unfortunate movement which required a major adjustment. Of course Grammy had to haul out the camera and record the haircut for posterity. I have done scrapbook pages comparing Wyatt and his mother at the same ages. I will have to do a page comparing Wyatt and his Uncle Andrew in his mohawk.

4th Avenue Blues

I just added this blog to my list. I found the blog on my random wandering around Blogger. Andrew is a good writer and a work in progress. I worship dull in my life and his hasn't been, but reading about his life is uplifting to me. He may not be for everyone, but take a look anyway.

Igor Medvedev

I am trying to get back into the challenges on Scrapdawgs again. This challenge was to post your favorite painter. One of mine is Igor Medvedev. I have one of his serographs in my dining room. I bought it before he started getting expensive. This picture is from a poster I got on our first cruise from the Art Auction. He paints Greece, Tuscany, all those brilliant places. He paints lots of boats. He believes that boats have souls.

Random Thoughts

I have been reading several people blogs where they were posting things that came to mind.
So I have a few things I am going to throw out there.

I love to learn new things, but I am really specific about what I want to learn anymore. If it is about scrapbooking, photography, history or pottery I am all over it. If it is work related, I have to really struggle. I learned this job over the last two years and it has been a struggle.

I love to read blogs, I read my friends blogs, but I will go click on next blog and just roam. There are some great writers, photographers and scrappers out there. I just have to spend so much time clicking past the ones I can't read and the porn. I never thought of myself as prudish, but I always click on the offensive button for those. Get the porn off my screen and I will be just fine. I think I would like to be online friends with some of the bloggers I have read, but I am not certain how to start the relationship.

The wrongness of the war in Iraq is eating on my spirit more and more. My son isn't there right now, so that worry is on hold. But the fact that so many Iraqi's are dying for no reason and with no hope for the killing to stop in addition to our young people being in harms way weighs me down. The fact that a large portion of the United States is oblivious to the costs to our national soul, the military fighting there and to the Iraqi people makes me sad.

My salvation for the bad stuff is the joy that my grandson brings to our life. He is spoiled and going into his second year with all the temperamental issues involved. However, he is the most amusing and entertaining person we know. Grandchildren are a gift from God.

Scrapdawgs is the group of the best friends I have never met in person. I actually have met some of the Dawgs, but I have learned that the in real life meeting is always just an extension of the relationship we have on line. We are a diverse group, but over the last several years we have known each other, friendship is truly the glue that holds us together.

Last of all, my husband is still my best friend. The comfort of 40 years together is something I would never have grasped when we started our life together.

Where I want to be in twentyeight years.

This is my Dad. I took this picture of him last week on his 88th birthday. We have all changed a lot since I was born 60 years ago. He used to be three inches taller than me, now he is shorter than I am. He still sees all right, but his hearing is bad and arthritis has limited the use of his hands. But he still lives an active and healthy life with my step mother. This is what I want for Ray and me. I don't expect everything to be perfect, but I appreciate my Dad's ability to live independently and have fun in his later years. I make a point to scrap every birthday party we have for him. However, we are all planning for a big blow out for his 90th birthday. It will be here before we know it.

Work Frustrations

In my job as a low to moderate income loan originator, the "easy" loan is an rarity. What I am working on right now is no exception. One of my clients has not been overly helpful in providing information and I just was informed that his house is in bad enough shape he will not receive down payment assistance from the city. Another client has to change loan programs because my lender now has rates that are above the legal limit in Kansas. Yuck, crap and gahhhh! I am afraid my first person will be turned down, and the closing on my second will be delayed until we can line up city assistance for the down payment. That means I will have Realtors and borrowers unhappy with me.
I may go home this weekend and drink.

Donna, Faery Queen and Cynthis Tagged me?

I was tagged. These are the rules...each play startw with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog seven facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of the blog list 7 people you are taggging. Let them know that they are tagged by elaving them a comment.
1. My mother was a war bride from Australia. Until I started school, I was the only little girl in my part of Oklahoma who had an Australian Accent.
2. I have a broadcasting degree, but have worked in mortgage lending most of my life.
3. I still have friends I keep in touch with that I have known since junior high.
4. We moved 17 times the first 15 years we were married and have lived in the same house for the last 27 years.
5. I collect Hard Rock Cafe pins.
6. I drive a convertible, with the top down as much as possible.
7. I started turning gray at 17.

I am tagging Toni, MountainMama, April, Amy Z, Barb, Julie, Missy, Cynthia

Happy Fourth of July

July 4, 2007 is over and we had a lot of fun. We had a fish fry and a lot of the kids friends came over. The weather was great until it was time to shoot off the fire works then it started to rain again. This is certainly on year when the fire danger is non existent. This is a picture of Nick and Wyatt in the hammock chair. Wyatt has always like swinging there, but he thought it as even better with Dad.

Are we dry yet?

It has been two days without rain. The sun has actually shone, although it is questionable whether or not it will today. I am truly not a rainy weather person. The humidity makes me uncomfortable. I turned the temperature on the air conditioning down low enough to be uncomfortable just to reduce the humidity in the house. I know that we will have scorching days soon enough, then we will be wishing for rain. Kansas is just full of extremes.

Ray is off this week, he is doing some things with Andrew while he is home on leave. I had always hoped that the conditioning we did when he and Nicole were young would deter some behaviors we didn't want. No such luck. Our first failure was the anti tattoo campaign, Andrew has two that we know of. At least he knew we would not approve and tried to keep us in the dark for as long as possible. My second failure was this week when Andrew bought a motorcycle. He is using all the reasons, gas economy, etc. I still am worried about his safety on a motorcycle. He laughs at me. What do I know, he is young and bullet proof. All I can do is pray for safety.

I am now trying to decide what to brainwash Wyatt about. Maybe I need to start the anti motorcycle campaign now.