Snow... and More Snow!

From January 2008
It started snowing this morning about the time I was getting ready for work. As I was leaving work around 5pm it looked like it had stopped for the first time since this morning. Of course, it was just a short break. It's still snowing as I write this, having stopped off and on over the past couple of hours.

It really is beautiful (We had some great big fluffy flakes fall today!), so I once again snapped a photo of my tree and shrubs in the front yard to show just how much we have piling up. I wouldn't mind staying home and being a couch potato tomorrow... calling it an official snow day. I may not be too far off, since I do work for a school and they do declare snow days every once in a while. However, even when the kids aren't required to come, we are if at all possible. How lame is that?!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

From December 2007
I really only love snow at Christmastime and it has snowed off and on in the past 48 hours, increasing my Christmas Spirit. (Which I definitely need, since I can tend to be a scrouge sometimes.)

Anyway, I snapped this photo of the snow on the tree in my front yard yesterday. Makes me feel like I'm up in the mountains, snowed into a cabin. I wouldn't mind that at all, especially if I was with someone special and had no where to go.

Here's to a white Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone!!

O Christmas Tree

From December 2007

I finally got the tree up last week. I made myself do it, since I haven't really been as much in the festive mood this year. I think it worked. I enjoy it's lights every night and even added some to the windows.

I also just have to announce that today, I am officially done with my Christmas shopping! Yay!! I still need to actually make a few gifts, but no more crowds in the stores!

In Love With Me!

From 10/24/2007
My whole life, I haven't ever really thought of myself as "cute" or "gorgeous" or "pretty". I'm not sure what sparked this self-image... although as I hit middle school I certainly went through the awkward stage, not knowing quite how to handle all the changes occuring in my body. I had acne, I became extra chubby, and my hair seemed to always be greasy by the end of the day. Then when I would look at some of my friends, whose skin was clear, body shapes filling in nicely, great clothes, and cute hair, all I could do was compare. All young girls do this. It's just sad how those thoughts and images in our minds stick with us for so long. My weight has always been something that affected my self-esteem.

But over the past decade (my 30's), I've noticed that I'm finally getting past those negative thoughts about my looks and appearance. Yes, I'm quite aware that I'm not skinny and modelesque... but I AM beautiful! And it's great to hear others (men) say it too. A couple of weekends ago, I went with a friend to take some pictures. She took quite a few of me, and I really like how they turned out.

Is this me being vain? I really don't think so. This is me, with a healthy self-image!!

More Beautiful Autumn Photos

From October 2007

It's taken me all week, but I'm finally getting back to my blog.

Last Saturday I went with a friend back to the same park that my niece was married at to take some scenic fall photos. It was a beautiful day!! It was great to be outside, and I loved just taking my time, snapping photos here and there. Plus, since I've been so stressed at work, it was good therapy to do something creative. I have to have my creative time on a regular basis!

My friend, who is a much better photographer than I am, also took some pictures. We took quite a few of me in all of the fall colored foliage. I haven't seen them yet, but she promises a disc full. I guess it's a good thing I like my photo taken!

I Love Autumn!

From October 2007
My favorite time of year is finally here again!! Wonderful Autumn!

Yesterday, I attended a wedding of one of my nieces. She held it at a park where the colors of the trees, still blooming flowers, grasses, and pond full of ducks and geese were absolutely breathtaking. It was a bit breezy making it chilly, but otherwise it was a perfect day for a wedding. I took just a few snapshots of the surroundings (see photo above). I want to go back for more...soon...before the colors fade!

Happy Fall Everyone!!

Journal/Scrapbooking Group (8) - Childhood Memories

From August 2007
In April, my journal group was assigned the topic of Childhood memories to write about. This was a very easy topic for me, since I have some great ones. The picture above is of my page with lots of photos of me and my family and friends. And below is the journaling I added in a little booklet.

The memories of my childhood are vast and plentiful. They are also almost always happy ones. How could they not be? I was the spoiled baby sister in a large family of mostly boys.

Because I was so much younger than the rest of my siblings, I often played alone. One of my favorite ways to spend time included playing house, especially with my set of Fisher Price people and furniture. When I yearned for the company of a play companion, I turned to my friends. I developed a feeling for the nature of friendship early on. My first memory of close friendship was at three and I continued this friendship clear into the sixth grade.

There were also plenty of times that I watched or played alongside my big brothers. They were into football, wrestling, basketball, and many of the typical guy things. Once in a while Id be privileged enough to be included in their games. I became the wrestling partner that could always be beat and the tag along that never could quite get the hang of basketball. But with their help, I was actually able to figure out the odd rules to chess and become a pretty decent softball player.

I grew up on a dairy farm and therefore some of my memories revolve around many of the chores I was assigned. These included feeding the calves, taking care of my rabbits, and mowing the lawn (which and I hated and still do to this day). I had a fondness for animals, especially the babies: chicks, bunnies, kittens, puppies, calves, etc. Good thing I lived on a farm, for we had them all.

My mom was always very supportive of me discovering and building my talents. For almost eight years I took piano lessons. Towards the end, I had become quite accomplished in my skills and the pride of Mrs. Hansen, my piano teacher. Once I reached Junior High, I traded in the piano for a flute. I also showed an interest in drawing and creating crafts. Of course many of my early drawings look like any other childs interpretations. But as I grew older, I began to take art more seriously, especially as I noticed I had a bit of a flair for it.

I can't say that I long to relive my childhood, but I certainly do love to remember it. I had loving, caring parents, great siblings, and awesome friendships. And even though my family may not have had all the conveniences or an excess of money, I rarely noticed. My childhood was, and I'm sure my life will continue to be, made of great memories!

A Family Reunion on the Farm

From August 2007
I come from a pretty large family (I'm the youngest of seven children) and half of us live around this general area. But the rest of my siblings are spread out across the country and even into Germany. So whenever one of the "far-away" ones comes home to visit my mom, the rest of us gather up, prepare some food, and sit around and gab, while the nieces and nephews play (although they are growing up so much that "play" isn't always the right description).

That's how this past weekend went. One of my brothers and family traveled from Virginia to visit my mom on the family farm. My mother has been talking about selling the farm and moving into something smaller and more appropriate for her age and abilities and my brother wanted to make sure that his kids got to spend some time exploring and creating memories.

There are usually some interesting moments when family gathers together, and I usually have some sort of cynical or sarcastic comment to make about it. But really, this weekend went quite smoothly.

Sunday was our largest gathering -- only two of my siblings and their families were absent. My mom had requested that we prepare a short biography of the highlights of our lives that we could share with each other. Of course we all moaned and groaned about it. And I don't think many of us actually wrote anything down, but once we started sharing memories of our childhood and experiences growing up, it was hard to shut us up. I even learned a few things about my older brothers (and how mischevious they were)!

Some other highlights of the weekend were: going to the cemetary where my dad was buried, taking group photos, going to the local reservoir where we used to go as a family to waterski, etc, bowling (I beat 3 of my brother's scores!), and avoiding my mom's cooking (she's never really been the best cook - lol).

My 3-day weekend was packed, but I really had a great time, and when I returned to work on Tuesday I realized I hadn't thought about work all weekend! Now that's a rarity!! And boy was it refreshing.

This photo above is of the small country town I grew up in. I took the photo from the cemetary up on the hill, where my dad is buried.

Class Reunion - Day 2

From July 2007
Yesterday, I participated in the second half of my class reunion. It was just as fun as the first! Some of my classmate's memories are amazing! The first night we were together one of my male classmates reminded me that I was his first kiss (in like the first or second grade). I didn't remember and really still don't. But what was funny about it, is that I in turn told him that I had a crush on him off and on throughout elementary school. We had a good laugh about it and continued to joke throughout the reunion.

We really didn't have a huge turnout. Probably a bit more than a third of our class, and since we were a small class to start with... that doesn't make many. However, I always like small intimate groups in just about any situation.

Our picnic and tour of the school grounds yesterday afternoon were fun. Some of those buildings I hadn't been in for a very long time. Lots of memories come rushing back... great memories!

We finalized the reunion with a dinner last night. I have to admit I was a bit worn out, but still having fun. I could tell though that I had run out of things to say to some people. In many other ways, it was kind of sad to see it end. Some of the guys were getting together today to play golf. I think we girls should have planned something too!

Class Reunion - Day 1

From July 2007
My 20 year class reunion has finally arrived, and tonight we had our first gathering. It was so great!! I thought the 10 year one was fun, but I really had a blast tonight. It didn't feel intimidating or scary, but was completely open and light-hearted for me. In fact, (and this WAS true for the 10 year reunion too) I'm amazed at how everyone has matured and are so nice.

What I enjoyed most about tonight though was sitting with two of my past girlfriends on each side of me. One of them was my best friend in junior high and the other (whom I was also good friends with then) became a best friend by the time we were in high school. The three of us reminisced about slumber parties, crushes, etc. And the funny thing is -- we all live relatively close to each other -- like within an hours drive. I'm not sure why we haven't kept in touch, but I do have a bit more of a resolve to do so this time. We all said we would 10 years ago, but didn't do so well. This time I really want to! AND both of these friends look so great! I think we tend to look better at this age ... I know that I do.

Tomorrow we have two other meetings/activities. At noon we are meeting for a picnic on the school grounds (kids and families invited) and then tomorrow evening we'll be having a dinner together. I'm looking forward to it!

1 Comment: How fun Buffy! :o) I have never gone to a reunion. I've never been notified of one. Maybe they forgot me? Glad you had a wonderful time. (Celia)

Happy Birthday America!

From July 5, 2007
Happy 4th of July! (A day late, I know.) I always say that the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, but I really didn't do that much to celebrate. I did get to go to our local fireworks display, which wasn't too bad for our small town. I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone camera. They aren't the best, but they are still fun. (One of my friends took pictures last year with her "good" camera. I have one of those photos posted on last year's blog entry.)

There was a bit of excitement in the fireworks display that doesn't normally occur. At three different times, there seemed to be some "technical difficulties" going on down where they were lighting the fireworks. It was actually quite scary! It was as though the fireworks they were attempting to light exploded into huge balls of fire that then floated a bit up into the air, turning into a cloud of thick black smoke. I wished I had my camera ready to go for that! But really, I think the city lost some fireworks in these explosions, since the show seemed a bit short and there wasn't a finale, at least not a traditional one. The last explosion was huge and I think it was supposed to be the fireworks that would end the show. I just hope no one was hurt -- I haven't heard any reports or news of it.

Journal/Scrapbooking Group (7) - Dreams

From June 2007
In February, one of my friends in our journaling group assigned the topic of Dreams as that month's page. She really didn't define exactly what that meant, whether it should be about our dreams for life, for the future, etc. Or, if it should be about dreams we have while sleeping. Later she stated that she was focusing more on the latter, but she also knew that some would go in the direction of what they dream for themselves or their children in life. Since I rarely remember my dreams once I wake up, and I felt like in some ways I had already covered what I wanted out of life in other pages, I decided I would go a different route and talk about daydreams.

I struggled a bit with how to create my page and with what to write. Part of it was, I think, that I just wasn't in the mood to scrapbook that month. So, I kept it really simple. I thought about daydreaming as being light and airy, peaceful, and happy, and somewhat youthful. I picked papers and colors that resembled the light airy part. Then I wrote a simple, somewhat humorous poem (mine always are) about the kind of daydreams I have, when I take the time to let them float through my mind.

DAYDREAMS by Buffy

"Lazy afternoons, daydreaming of what life could be... should be... I dream of beach houses and ocean waves; of novels I've written about romantic days. I dream of financial security and yummy cheesecake; of a child of my own to be my namesake. I dream of hairless legs and a year-round tan; of holding hands with a very cute man. I dream of a house with a porch and of having a skinny waist; of really, really low interest rates. These are a few of the things out of many; to hope for, to wish for, to dream of, to believe..."

Journal/Scrapbooking Group (6) - A Favorite Book

From June 2007
I'm still catching up in posting my journal/scrapbooking pages from the journal group I'm in. Sigh... I should just sit down on a Saturday and post all of the ones I have to date. I am actually quite fond of the pages I've created, just because I love being creative. So I really don't mean to make it sound like it's a chore to "show them off".

In January, we were assigned to scrapbook a page about our favorite book. It was really hard for me to choose. I don't know that I have a favorite book. I'm not an avid reader, yet I do read from time to time. And my selections vary from novels, to magazines, to self-help. Then it came to me! I absolutely love to read Calvin & Hobbes comics!! So that's what I chose. The picture above is what my page looks like, including some little booklets of favorite comic strips-lying around the page-that I put inside the sheet protector when I'm not actually reading or viewing the page.

My journaling for the page is also in one of these little booklets. And it states:

I WAS INTRODUCED TO CALVIN & HOBBES COMICS BY A FRIEND WHO FOUND THEM HUMOROUS AND REMINDED HIM OF TWO OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHERS. AS I BEGAN TO READ THEM, I FOUND THAT CALVIN, AND HIS DEAR PAL, HOBBES, PROVIDED ME WITH A WONDERFUL SOURCE OF COMIC RELIEF. I WOULD LAUGH SO HARD SOMETIMES, THAT MY BELLY ACHED, TEARS RAN DOWN MY CHEEKS, AND ONLOOKERS THOUGHT I'D GONE MAD! I NOW OWN MUCH OF THE BOOK COLLECTION OF BILL WATTERSON'S POPULAR COMIC STRIP. I'M SAD HE'S RETIRED, YET I'M GRATEFUL HE DID SO BEFORE LOSING HIS FLAIR.

CALVIN REMINDS ME OF ALL THAT CHILDHOOD SHOULD BE ABOUT; IMAGINARY FRIENDS AND EXAGGERATED ADVENTURES, DISOBEDIENCE TO RULES AND BOUNDARIES, CHILDHOOD MOCKING OF ALL THAT IS ADULT-LIKE, AND THE ENJOYMENT OF SIMPLE PLEASURES. WHAT FUN IT IS TO REMEMBER AND RELIVE MY OWN CHILDHOOD BY PICKING UP AND READING A BOOK OF CALVIN & HOBBES COMICS! AND AS I DO, I'M ALSO REMINDED OF HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO NOT HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO A "CALVIN" OF MY OWN! (YET, ANYWAY. )

An Anniversary!

From May 2007
Today is the first year anniversary of my moving into my very own house! It was Memorial Day weekend last year that I had a small crew of friends helping me clear out my small apartment, load up trucks, drive across town, and unload into my newly purchased home. I can't believe it's been a year! I even went back to the beginning of my blog (which I started July 1st of last year) and read an entry where I was amazed about having lived here for a month. Now it's been a year! And ya know what? I have not ever once regretted it (even though I'm perpetually broke now). I love this house! It may not have all the elements that my dream house has-like a bay window or big front porch-but it's mine (and the bank's).

1 Comment: Happy Anniversary Buffy!!!! :o) Someday I will own a home (I hope), and I too dream of having a big yard, bay window, a garden, and a big front porch. It would be awesome! Maybe someday..... (Celia)

20 Years!

From May 17, 2007
It's been twenty years today that I graduated from High School! I can't believe it!!

Reunion plans are in the works, in fact I received a letter earlier this week asking for money (of course), photos, and a bio. A bio? What do I have to say? I swear it doesn't feel like I've done or changed much (even though I know I have), especially since I don't have children to brag about.

Anyway, I added a photo of that great day 20 years ago. What a cheesy, happy grin. You can tell that I was happy as a clam to be gettin' out of the place!

It's Back to Work I Go...

From May 2007
I had a nice day off yesterday, just to recuperate from my trip, but now I'm back to work this morning. BUMMER. I enjoy not working way too much! I think I need to win the lottery or something so I can be a bum and do whatever I want. Although, I think I really would become a bum with no purpose. So as much as I complain about it, work is good for me.

I have posted all my pictures from my trip to San Antonio in the photo section of my 360 page. As you can tell I loved the River Walk and I love trees.

1 Comment: Loved the pics!!! (Celia)

Honey, I'm Home!

From April 2007
I got home from San Antonio last night. What a great trip and what a great city!! I want to go back there and visit "for real" and not for work. Although I really can't complain, we really did get quite a bit of free time to go site-see. And the weather was beautiful. It was 80 degrees and above the whole time. I even got a slight sunburn which will turn into a great start to my summer tan. (Too bad it wasn't on my legs )

Some of the places we visited were:

The River Walk and a river boat tour - my favorite and most beautiful, I could walk or sit along the River Walk all day long.

Market Square - a great Mexican and Farmer's Market. We didn't get out to the Market until Friday -the first day of San Antonio's annual Fiesta. The place was packed and very festive. Great fun!! (I would have liked to have stayed a bit longer and gotten into the festivities a bit more.)

La Villita-another type of market, but more about art and hand made crafts. I love to look at art, however we didn't spend much time here due to our desire to get out to Market Square. (Our time walking and standing was always a bit limited due to my co-worker's health difficulties - and we had to kind of prioritize which things we wanted to spend this limited time on.)

The Alamo- I didn't get to spend much time there since it closed at 5:30 every day. But one evening I made it through the door at 5 minutes before closing. So I quickly snapped a few photos, skimmed through the gift shop, and was out the gate. Sadly, I really didn't get to read any of the actual historical placards.
multiple gift shops - of course there were quite a few of these around The Alamo and throughout town.

River Center Mall - your average mall, except that the river and River Walk ran right around it. So I sat and listened to a live band play while enjoying the cool breeze from the river. (I also bought my first pair of Croc's shoes, which I now wear constantly!)
the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center - this was where our conference was held, which probably doesn't sound like such a big deal, except it had a great park, some cool sculptures and statues, and again, the river ran right under it.

Hard Rock Cafe - I always like to buy a Hard Rock t-shirt when visiting a new city. I rarely eat in the cafe -- I just buy souvenirs. :)

A couple of great restaurants - We actually had quite a bit of food provided for us during our conference. But we did eat at a great Texan steak place and also a nice hometown Mexican Cafe. Both were YUMMY!!

Every evening, once my co-worker had taken a cab back to the hotel, I had some time alone to walk and see more of the sites of San Antonio. I usually didn't stay out past dark, since that's not really a safe idea. But I did get to spend more time on the River Walk and do a bit of shopping. I kept thinking over and over about how San Antonio would be a great romantic get-away. If I ever get the chance, it would be a place I'd visit again for exactly that purpose.
I hope to have all my photos posted in my photo section very soon.

1 Comment: I'm glad you had a great time. Can't wait to see the pics!!! :o) (Celia)
　

I'm Off to San Antonio!

From April 2007
One of the great perks of where I work is that every so often I get to take a trip. And so much like this, sometimes I get to go to new places! I've never really spent much time in Texas at all, so I'm excited to have a bit warmer weather and to see some new sites. I'm traveling with one other co-worker. She has a few health problems that makes it hard for her to walk long distances, so I'm not sure how willing she'll be to get out there and play the role of tourist. If the moment presents itself, I'll actually go it alone!

Of course I'm not getting an all expense paid trip just to site-see. I will actually attend some conference/training sessions during the day. I'm not really even sure exactly what I'm going to walk away having learned. So I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Journal/Scrapbooking Group (5) - The Colors of Fall

From April 2007
In my quest to get all of my past journal/scrapbook pages from my journaling group entered onto my blog, I will enter yet another one today.

November's topic was "The Color of Fall." This was not hard at all for me, since it is my favorite season. I love fall colors, fall weather, and the "mood" of fall (which for me seems to be similar to what the word "reminiscent" brings to mind).
Here is what I wrote in the brief journaling that I included amongst some photos from magazines, leaves, a quote, and fall colored paper:

Autumn... my favorite season and time of year! I absolutely cannot wait for the first crisp morning, the slight change of color in the leaves, and that certain fragrance that I can’t think of any words to describe, but is distinctive as the smell of fall. It’s when the Earth decides to dress itself in its best colors. And as if I’m trying to mimic these changes, I race to the closet to dig out the clothes I love to wear best: warm, cozy, sweaters and shirts in hues of purple, brown, olive, red, orange and black.

The season seems to bring on a sense of reminiscence and melancholy, as I spend time remembering such things as “back to school” moments, high school football games, and
long ago friendships and romances. It’s a time of rewarding reflection.

Both of my favorite holidays occur in autumn. As Halloween approaches my mind returns to the times of costumes, trick-or-treating, hay rides, bonfires, and times with childhood friends. Thanksgiving brings out all the warm feelings of family and of giving thanks for the simple things in life, such as good health, a roof over my head, the country I live in, and the many loved ones in my life.

Thank Goodness for Autumn! What would I do without it?

Journal/Scrapbooking Group (4) - If I Had A Million...

From April 2007
It has been a while since I entered one of my scrapbooking pages into my blog. To catch those of you up, who haven't read my early entries, I am part of a journaling group. We meet once a month, taking turns hosting and picking a topic for that month's journal page. Most participants, including myself, use a scrapbooking format along with some journaling to portray our thoughts and feelings on the assigned topic each month.
As I mentioned above, I am really behind in entering them on here. So I thought I might catch up a bit! The above picture is of the fourth page I created, back in October (2006). It was actually my turn to host that month and so I got to pick the topic. After a bit of pondering, I decided to ask the group to write about what they would do if they were given or won a million dollars (without the responsibility of taxes, of course). I gave them three stipulations: 1) a third of the money must be spent on something pratical, 2) a third of the money must be spent on something frivolous, 3) a third must be spent on a charitable act or organization.
I divided both pages into sections and below is what I wrote:

If I Had A Million…
Let’s pretend for just a moment that I have just won a million dollars. Tax free even! In today's world, one million dollars doesn't seem to go far. But it would still be a blast to experience what it would be like to try and stretch it as far as it would go. There were many ways and ideas that came to mind on how I would love to spend my winnings, but the ones I finally came up with seemed like the most rewarding.

I Would Travel the World
I have always loved traveling. But money, or lack of it, always seems to get in the way of me being able to travel to the places that I have always wanted to go. To make my travels even more rewarding I would share my experiences by inviting a different loved one to join me as I traveled to each destination. One third of a million may not take me too far, but my first destination would be to Europe, including France, England, and Italy. I’d then set a course for Australia and New Zealand. And once I returned to the states I’d make sure to visit the New England states in autumn and Hawaii in the winter. Man I love to dream about money!

I Would Pay Off My Debts
Spending money in practical ways can be almost as fun for me as those things that are considered frivolous. The relief or the contentment that is felt from taking care of things that are needed is quite rewarding. With the second allotment of money, I would first pay off all my debts, loans, credit cards, etc. especially my mortgage and my school loans. With what was left over, I would divide up and invest some, put some in a retirement account, go back to school for my Masters, and make sure that my mother had enough of everything she needed to live comfortably for the remainder of her life.

I Would Give to Charity
“Oprah's Angel Network is dedicated to inspiring people to make a difference in the lives of others. It grants awards to organizations and operates projects in under-served communities that provide educational initiatives as well as assist people in fulfilling basic human needs and regaining dignity.” ~Mission Statement

It was certainly fun to dream -- who doesn't love to dream of how to spend money, especially when there's a lot of it! Now i just need to start buying lottery tickets so that I might even have a "smidgen" of a chance in winning!! (Yeah right! )