Licking the Beaters

I finished this page yesterday evening.  I used Basic Grey's Hopscotch paper which came in the February 2011 Page of the Month kit.  I also adapted the design of the sample page by Kelly Goree which is something I rarely do. I scrap lift, but not as closely as I did with this page.  However, I would like to move my style away from the really simple pages I would do normally.  I like the different lines and shapes.  I figure that if I do it enough, it will feel more natural.
I took these pictures of Andrea in November.  I was making cupcakes for Wednesday Night Dinner at church.  She was "helping" me, so when I finished making the icing, I offered her a beater.  I LOVE the beaters, I have since I was a child.  I found out that it is a natural thing.  Andrea didn't have to be shown what to do, she just started licking all the good stuff off.  It didn't matter that some of it ended up all over her face.

Oklahoma City National Memorial, February 2011



Ray and I drove to Oklahoma City yesterday to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial.  It was the first time for Ray and the second time for me to go there.  The Memorial is a powerful place.  It is quiet even when there are a good number of people there.  For me, it brought back all the memories of the pictures we saw on television after the bombing.  The ones of the children were the worst and the sight of the nineteen little chairs representing each child killed is wrenching.

Outside the Memorial is a chain link fence where people leave tokens.  Some were so personal I cried.  A baby bib, a birthday card for a child, photos, all of it tragic.

Visiting this place also reminds us that terrorists are not just people from other countries with different religious beliefs.  They are the men who live next door and mind their own business.  Evil is what is in people's hearts, not in a foreign country.

Basic Grey Curio Cards and Quick Quotes Mini Album

I will be leading the Basic Grey Curio Card Class on Tuesday March 22nd at Scrapbook Garden.  This paper is very attractive and has a great vintage feel to it.  The theme of this class would be fun with circles.  I used a lot of one inch punches as well as larger size circles to do these cards.  There are a couple of fun techniques to be learned with these cards.

The mini album from Quick Quotes is cute as is everything from these folks.  The album uses to artist canvases for the covers and then has an interesting way to bind the pages.  When the album is completed, it is a month by month record for a year.  The class will probably be scheduled in April.

Robins! Do they really know?

I saw a robin yesterday as I was going into to church to attend Presbytery.  I remember seeing robins in the yard last year and the weather truly did improve after that.  I am pinning a lot of the same hopes on this little guy.  The cold and snow and ice can pack up there bags and leave, I am ready for spring.

Back on track, literally

With all the cold weather the last several weeks, I have not been working out like I should.  Not running five days a week and attending my various classes has a direct result on my weight.  I am not gaining, but I have had a really hard time getting what I did gain a Christmas back off.  I know that working up to twenty miles a week will take care of that.  Losing weight was the primary reason I started working out seriously. 
Now, I am doing core workouts. I can't believe I am doing Core Workouts.  That means crunches, and other horrendous actions that I would never have believed I would even consider. Why am I doing this?  Because every part of me looks pretty good, for my age, except my stomach.  Years of weight gain and not doing my post natal exercises have come to haunt me.  Plus, I have a bad hip to waist ratio, this indicates your risk level for heart disease.  So core exercise it is.  I think I am making some headway. I sincerely hope so because I don't care for it at all.

Record Low

Just for informational purposes, yesterday's temperature of -17 was a record low for that date.  It doesn't beat the state low of -20, but that was up in the northern part of the state where it always is colder.  I don't like winter like this. 

Wyatt's Valentines Cards

I had planned to make Wyatt's Valentine cards for school before he asked me to do that.  When your grandson asks, how can you refuse.  The designs for these cards are from the current issue of Cardmaker Magazine.  They were described as retro cards.  I guess that means they are similar to cards we used to give out when we were children.  Three of them use the old style paper doilies.  I always loved them when I was a child, so the opportunity to use them again was irresistible.