Loathed Expectations

Would you believe I've never made a New Year's resolution? Ever?

I've had goals before, but none of this proclaiming them on New Year's Eve type stuff. It's just not my style. I'm not really sure why, exactly.

Oh, wait. Sure I do. I loathe expectations.

That's right. LOATHE. So much more effective than just disliking, don't you think? I believe that comes from an unwillingness to live with disappointment. And by that, I mean disappointing others. Can't. Handle. It.

It's really awful, too. I really can't stand to know someone is disappointed in me, so I never want to agree to do something for someone, because then I know they're going to expect it. What if I fail?!

This is usually art related, so I take the "what if my arms fall off, like that lady in that story that slept all funky, smooshing her fingers all night, and the lack of blood made them turn black and fall off?!" route. It's not good.

Well, maybe I embellished a little bit, but you get the gist of what goes through my head. Some unforeseen event will stop me from fulfilling my end of the bargain, and disappointment will inevitably be my fate.

And it gets worse! On top of all that mental instability are the tiny people pleaser and the tiny rebel that live inside of me. The tiny people pleaser yearns to keep everyone placated by shouting, "Sure!" to absolutely everything, while the disgruntled rebel refuses to be bridled by expectations and sounds a little something like this: "You want me to do what? Ohhhh, okaaaaay! Hang on just a sec while I go do THE EXACT OPPOSITE!" It's really worse than not good.

Now that you're all quite certain that I'm battling with schizophrenia, I would like to announce that the husband person and I have decided to make New Year's Resolutions this year! O.0

I've been blabbing all about this children's book I want to write & illustrate, right? Well, 2010 is as good a year as any, wouldn't you say? I would. So, that's my New Year's resolution. It's something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl, and I'm going to do it. I want to help shape kid's imaginations, make them feel important/ like they belong, and this is how I'm going to do it.

Todd, whom I now enjoy referring to as Mr. T, would simply like to beat me arm wrestling (he's really never beat me), and lift the Christmas tree with one hand (read: without collapsing with a hernia). He actually said he wants to get in shape, and be healthier, but I like the funny version better. Don't you? I'm so mean.

So...what are your pesky resolutions?

Shoot The Moon

With the help of some highlighters here at my office, I've been spending my lunch break schnazzin' up one of those old doodles I've mentioned. I'm thinking this little guy is going to make it into one of those infamous children's books I keep talking about, but never seem to get written/illustrated. Not exactly sure how, though.

What say you? What do you think his story is?

Communication Is A Many Splendored Thing

My reader is bustin' at the seams, and I'm going through blog withdrawals! I'm not to the twitchy phase...yet. If I don't get caught up soon, it's not going to be pretty.

My husband finds my obligation to read and comment on blogs amusing. He also adores mocking me for having "internet friends". It's like you're all make believe people, and I have an imaginary friend disorder. T_T

Didn't the man have a pen pal growing up? What the heck?! Communication is a many splendored thing. So what if I've not met you in person?! You still matter. Sheesh!

Anyhow, I haven't forgotten about you guys. I squeeze in a few posts here or there, but with friends visiting for the holidays I just haven't the time. Catching up on reading is in my very near future.

Speaking of holidays, how about a few pics of recent get togethers/shenanigans, and maybe a critter or two?

My Handsome Kitty (Kimchi)

Chica Boo (my onliest niece)
Me (w/attempted straight hair), Husband Person & Twin Nephews

They try very hard to be completely different, but if they don't it's hard to tell them apart.

Pseudo Little Sister (Kayla) & I
Love. This. Kid.
The lighting makes us look like we have a self tanning problem.

Soul Mate & I
Can't tell that's her little sister up above, can you?
So...how was your Christmas? Filled with friends and family, I hope.

Brandy's Hot Awesome Dude

Hi there, bloggers! I survived the holidays...thus far. Great, right?! Yes. Yes. Well, more important than my yammering on about late nights, family, friends and gifts (though I did make my husband a clock out of a hubcap [from his first car] & he LOVED it) is the well-being of our loved ones. That's why this post is dedicated to Brandy and her lovely, selfless man...

My name is Brandy. And I have a blog.

And a plea.

I use my blog to showcase the crazy I meet everyday, share the stories of the kids I teach and document my love for tequila, dairy products and the abdominal muscles of Ryan Reynolds. Rarely do I talk about personal issues on my blog- as personal as the dude that I adore (who I actually met through my blog- single ladies, let that be a very good reason to blog, the possibility of meeting someone as wonderful as my man), but I need your help. And it involves my dude.

He’s a guy who made math comics for my class, so they would love learning about addition. He’s the kinda guy who sends my friends gift cards when they are having hard times, who remembers every story I ever told him, who was the first person I celebrated with when I got a teaching job. He’s the guy who sent flowers to me at school- dozens of my favorite pink roses just because he loves me. He’s a guy who has spent a year patiently explaining (and re-explaining) everything there is to know about football during the important games when silence is preferred. He’s made me word puzzles and comics and stayed up late playing Scrabble with me (even though I beat him almost every time). He’s listened to me cry about school and family and jobs. He is everything I never knew I needed and everything I always knew I wanted.

The holidays have hit us hard. He’s recently been told he may have something called multiple myeloma- an incurable cancer, that gives a person an average of five years of continued life. Though this news has came as a shock, he continues to be exactly who has always been- spending his time worrying about me, rather than worrying about himself. He’s the most selfless individual I know- (he stayed late on Christmas Eve to work, so his co-workers could leave early) and a post like this would never be something that he would promote or encourage but when I’m overwhelmed and feeling helpless, the blogging community has always given me tremendous support and comfort, two things I desperately need at this time.

As I write this, the future is uncertain and we aren’t sure what’s happening. He’ll need to see an oncologist soon, to verify what’s going on in his body. My hope is that everyone who reads this think positive thoughts and if you are a person who prays, could you add him to your list? (You can refer to him as ‘brandy’s hot awesome dude’). If you don’t pray, please keep him in your heart.This cancer is only a possibility and I believe that the prayers and positive thoughts of people can make sure it never becomes a reality.

I want to give a big thank you to the blog owner who scraped their original blog plans and graciously put this up. My goal is to get as many people as possible to see and read this post. If you are reading this and want to help, copy and paste my plea into your blog or send a link through twitter, so more people can keep him in their thoughts. I would be so very grateful (even more grateful than I am to my friend who first showed me the picture of Ryan Reynolds on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. If you haven’t seen it, google it. You. Are. Welcome).

I realize this all sounds dramatic, a Lifetime movie in the making- but this is life. Right now. And I’m throwing away any hint of ego and am humbly asking for you to pray or think kind thoughts. If you are able to pass this on, thank you and if you know anything regarding MM- please email me (my email is on my blog). This isn’t a call for sympathy or a plea for pity. It’s just one girl hoping you can think positive thoughts for the person she adores. If my current heartache provides you with anything, let it be with the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next. Maybe it is silly, but I really do believe that positive thoughts can make a huge difference. Thank you for reading this and if you haven’t already? Please tell someone you love them today.

I did.

Alright, folks? Any prayers out there? Add this wonderful man to your prayer lists, and pray for him whenever you think of it. Once, twice, ten times a day. Doesn't have to be an extensive prayer. I believe the Creator of the universe knows what's going on, all our needs & exactly who Brandy's Hot Awesome Dude is, so short and sweet works. Pray for him whenever you think of him.

Holiday Hoopla

Well, it's officially a week until Christmas. I have yet to make my Christmas cards, finish the handmade gifts I started over a month ago, wrapped presents, or even finished shopping. Tis the season, right?

It just feels like I've been moving in slow motion. I guess that's partially because I've been having back trouble again. The whole degenerative disc thing has been behaving itself lately, so that's nice. My lower back, on the other hand, has been making it quite difficult to get around. I went and got my bones cracked yesterday, and am incredibly sore today. My little Canadian chiropractor is a miracle worker, so I have high hopes of being back to my old self again in a couple days. Until then, I'm stiff and overly cautious.

I have managed to hobble around my kitchen to make a powdery mountain of homemade hot cocoa, though. I have one or two more batches to make tonight, and all my mason jars will be full and ready to gift. Some folks are going to have a very warm and toasty Christmas and New Year, thanks to that yummy concoction. Hooray for simple recipes!

Now, I just have to finish everything else! What have you got left to do? Misery loves company, bloggers. Don't be telling me how you've been finished since November. I might have a massive coronary.

P.S. I've come to realize that I can't listen to music and type. Well, I can. I just type to the tempo of the music, and it's really funny. I'm currently typing to The Decemberists' The Tain. I. Can't. Help. Myself.

That'll Do, Blog. That'll Do.

Alright, bloggers. I can now sleep peacefully.

I'd say I'm pretty content with the ol' layout.

Well, minus the fact that:

- My videos STILL get chopped off.

- I have a visually unhappy follower. Jay, I'm sorry. I just can't make it white with black text. It's against everything I stand for. I tried, though. Really.

- I lost the photo's of my husband person and critters I'd uploaded waaaaaaay back when.

I'm just sucking it up, and calling it a done deal. I've tried other layouts, but they're just not neat and tidy like this one. I'm a creature of habit. What can I say?

Mimsy is back in business.

It Blew Up

Well, I've gone and destroyed my pretty little blog. :(

I had to keep messing with it, and then it freaked out on me! I am currently hatin' on blogger. Hopefully I can get things straightened out after dinner tonight. For now, I have to walk away.

For any of you that haven't read one of the many posts about my O.C.D tendencies, then you may not know how difficult this is for me. It's bad. I want nothing more than to fix it NOW, but it'll just have to wait.

Just...don't look.

We're All Mad Here II

I know I've raved about this before, but I simply must to do it again. With the newest trailer.

Feast your eyes, folks.

Burton never ceases to amaze me. Ever. I just love his brain! Amidst all the dark and twisted, there always lies simple truth and beauty. A purity. A resilience. At least I think so.

Whether it be my paintings of children and animals, doodles of creeptastic creatures, haikus or other poems and stories, that's always been something I've striven to convey. Ever since I was a kid. Resiliency, which I believe is synonymous with hope, is a good thing. Maybe the best of things.

I guess that's why I adore the work of people like Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Stephen King, Wes Anderson, and Roald Dahl. I think I can really relate to how they see the world, or how I perceive that they see the world. I guess it's more that I see things that I believe in their work, whether they intended it that way or not.

We are all silly creatures, living lives of nonsense, when there is truth to be had. And I believe the things we hold so dear are bits and pieces of that truth.

Ahem...can't wait for this movie to come out!

Time Management Issues

Blogging is pretty. I like it. ^_^

Keep Calm & Oh, Never Mind

Well, bloggers...I had planned on posting about something really interesting, but I lost it. My mother would say, "Must've been a lie." Such a trusting, supportive thing to say, don't you think? Fact is, I just can't remember. For the life of me. That ever happen to you? Hmph. Maybe I'll think of it tomorrow.

In the meantime, look at what I fell in love with over at TypeTees. Look, I say!

Twitter Does Not Like YOU

I try to be a nice person. Really, I do. Verbally bashing people on the old blog just isn't my thing. Normally. But there are always exceptions. I'm just going to get right down to it, okay?

I don't like John Mayer.

There! I said it. I don't like him, you hear me?! Jesus loves him, but I think he's creepy. Now, I know a lot of you ladies are going right now to delete my blog from your Readers, but I can't live the lie. I've been keeping it quiet for far too long, and I just can't stand it any longer. Hear me out.

I really tried to like him. When I first heard him, I thought he was a nice boy from Connecticut. He played the guitar, wrote semi-intelligent lyrics and had a decent voice, but something was amiss. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Time passed, and I sort of forgot about him. Then he did it. He guided my finger right to what was bugging me about him.

In 2001 John Mayer came out with "Your Body Is A Wonderland," and I gagged a little. Well, a lot actually. Yeah. Yeah. It's smooth, catchy, going for sexy. I get it, and it might have been alright...IF it weren't for that dreaded line: One pair of candy lips, and your bubblegum tongue.

Now, who here thinks the idea of chewing on someone's tongue is attractive? Wait. Don't tell me. Please.

My point is, I decided the guy was gross. His pouty lips got on my nerves. His "I'm so cool" shaggy rocker hair got on my nerves. The way he whisper-crooned GOT ON MY NERVES. The guy just bugged me. All I could do was picture him gnawing on some poor girl's tongue, which lead to my justified dislike of all things Mayer.

Well, imagine my surprise the other day when I see a picture of this guy.
Where the heck does he get off being attractive?! Tattoos? Some sexy-man facial hair? I mean, did he model himself after a picture of Johnny Depp/Jack Johnson? A good plan for almost any man, but not someone I've resigned myself to thinking is a schmuck. No sir.

And who looks better with a buzz cut?! I'm telling you, bloggers, the man is not normal.

Dear John Mayer,

If you're going to start out completely annoying, you need to just stay that way. Don't change somewhere in the middle, so I look like a moron for griping about your stupid lips and hair. All I'm asking for is some consistency here.

P.S. Twitter does not like you.

Paranoia Paranoia

Let's see a show of hands on this. Who's afraid electronic devices may be slowly poisoning them with low grade radiation? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I realize I can be a bit paranoid at times. I mean, I always worry. Like, a lot. As a child I was afraid Big Bird was secretly evil, and going to hurt the other muppets. He's a six foot canary, people. Don't you find that just a little bit creepy? Anyhow, I worry about these things.

What about our extended exposure to cell phones? Hm? I've only had one...since I was 17! That's ten years! And my best friend's littlest sister keeps her cell phone in the back pocket of her jeans/under her pillow/glued to her face 24/7. She's fourteen. This is to be expected, but how about what we don't expect? I'm thinking she's going to suffer severe butt rot some day, or something equally as unexpected/tragic. She'll be walking down the hall at school, and *plop* her left butt cheek will hit the floor. What then, I ask you?

And what about wireless? This is a new development in my home. Convenient? Yes. Neat blinky lights on top of my book case? Neato! The paranoia of impending brain tumors? Not so great. My cat will be the first to go, I just know it. He's home all day with that thing! It has to have some sort of long term effect. He already pukes all the time. What if it's not just a sensitive tummy?

Mark my words, bloggers. Butts are going to be falling off left and right. And what's worse? Our house pets, and stay at home Mom's/Dad's, are going to be the ones to pay most dearly.

I don't even want to think about it. Dudes, get that cell phone off your hips. Girls, don't keep it between your legs while driving. Kayla, I'm telling you...BUTT ROT. Get it out of your back pocket NOW. And, Kimchi, stay out of the living room.

Butt Rot Survivor Sporting New Innovative
Cell Phone Radiation Protective Carrying Case
(No, I'm not serious.)

Vader Approves

Who here knew that you could win something via signing up for and completing NaBloPoMo? Why did no one tell me this?! That's awesome!

Luckily, I'm O.C.D. enough to complete 30 posts in 30 days without that incentive. All I need is Darth Vader giving me a thumbs up. Did you see that badge over there?! On the right. Adorable.

I'm going to go look at him now, as a matter of fact. It was a heck of a work day (Beginning of the month nonprofit shenanigans! Augh!) I didn't win a prize, and I need the moral support. *sniff*

Manana Manana

This is it, folks! Day 30 of NaBloPoMo! My daily web logging has been a success, but I welcome December. I welcome it with sparkling grape juice in clinky glasses.

Cheers, December. Thank you for showing up right on time.

I was starting to worry, what with all this black hole-time/planet sucking talk. I know. My technical terminology is shocking. Stay in school, people. Stay in school.

Anyhow! From this point on, when I remember (at 11:59PM) that I haven't posted, I'm just going to bed! Manana Manana...maybe. If we don't get sucked into a man-made black hole, and time ceases to be.

If we do get sucked into a man-made black hole, and time ceases to be, I just hope I'm not suspended staring at my wee blinking cursor, taunting me, throughout my perpetual blog block.

Quirky/Slightly Psychotic Life

My little moleskine notebook has been getting all kinds of love, as of late. Ever since Ari let me in on the whole...

Miniature Magic Marker Gloriousness *cue angelic singing*

...I've been spending a lot of time revisiting old doodles. Coloring is really therapeutic. Plus it just brings simple little drawings to life. Quirky/slightly psychotic life, but life just the same. See?

And if I expect to be alive tomorrow, I better get some sleep. I have a long day ahead of me. Work, dinner with the husband person, the lovely Ari, and a couple non-blogging folk, followed by a girls' night full of Muppet's Christmas Carol and crafting.

Don't judge us. We're happy.

Sweet dreams, jelly beans.

Confectionary Cuties

Someone once said, "Pics or it didn't happen." A wise, but distrusting, soul, I think. :P (Man, I use a lot of commas! I mean, is that even right?) So, I posted here about making cupcakes, and a gingerbread man, during this Thanksgiving holiday. The cupcakes happened, but Mr. G. Buttons is still in the making. I'll post a pic of him later.

The Proof

That's just one batch of the three I made. Maybe someday I'll branch out, and try something besides wee flowers, but they're just so cute! :P And yummy. Thankfully, by the time I'm finished making different consistencies/colors of icing (this involves licking fingers) I might manage to eat one confectionary cutie.

What did you make for Thanksgiving?

NaBlahPoMo

This whole National Blog Posting Month is getting to me. Apparently, I don't enjoy the posting everyday thing as much as I thought I would. I love that I've been posting more regularly. I love to write/communicate. LOVE. IT. It's just that...I realize I'm breaking my neck to post every single day, and it's becoming a huge pain in my hiney.

I also realize that I've been getting a little miffed with the ol' blog for upsetting my drawing/doodling schedule. I like to draw everyday, and most of the time right before bed. When have I been posting? Right before bed. >_<

I've been neglecting my drawing in order to write, and I think that's what's throwing me off. So, rather than just blathering when I've really nothing to say, I've decided that it's okay to post some of my drawings every once in a while.

Here's one I've been working on for a while now. It's not finished or colored in all the way yet, but you get the idea. I draw it everywhere, so I'm pretty sure it's going to work itself into a children's book someday...

Maybe a little odd/slightly creepy, but that's how I usually roll. I'm thinking the book will be something about what we can create with imagination. Everyone's thoughts and ideas being important. A person's a person, no matter how small kind of thing.

*Please don't steal my drawings/ideas. They're mine, and I'll hunt you down. Not that any of my readers would, but lurkers I'm not so sure about. No stealy. You hear me?

No Birdies Were Harmed During The Enjoyment of This Holiday

Thanksgiving lunch, at my sister-in-law's, and Thanksgiving dinner, at my mom's, were both incredibly cozy. I may or may not have been less than attentive company, as I was on the verge of passing out the entire time.

May I add that my narcoleptic state had nothing whatsoever to do with tryptophan? I'm a vegematarian. ^_^ Personally, I think my ovaries are to blame. Being overly emotional/hormonally imbalanced, along with being well fed, really wears a chick out!

Consuming copious amounts of both mac and cheese and garlic mashed potatoes, followed by cuddling on sis-in-law's couch with your teensy canine niece (Chica Boo), is also a sure fire way to find yourself nodding off after lunch.

Consuming copious amounts of both baby portabella stuffing and yummy garlic green beans, followed by curling up in a ginormous chair and a half, with a big warm blanket, is another sure fire way to find yourself sleeping with your mouth open after dinner.

When I was little, my mom taught me to say grace like this:

Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you, God, for everything. Amen.

That simple little prayer never seems more appropriate than at Thanksgiving. I'm so blessed to have family to spend time with, food to eat, and a safe, cozy place to take a nap.

God bless and keep you all. Mwah!

I Think Beyonce Should Have Gotten This Award

The always lovely, Ari gave me a happy little award today, which is just sweet as pie. It's also helpful, as I am too sleepy to think of anything earth shattering to blog about, or even an interesting interpretation of my day.Alright, here's the deal.
- List ten of your happy things.
- Make at least one of them happen today.

- Tag 10 bloggers that brighten you day.
- Link back to the person that tagged you.

Happies I've Indulged In Today

1. Hugging my oh so cuddly kitty, Kimchi

2. Decorating baked goods

3. Unashamedly rocking out to good music

4. Getting my Paste magazine in the mail

5. Cranking up the heat in my Jeep, so I can ride with the windows down in cold weather

6. Making plans that keep everyone happy

7. Sipping raspberry lemonade

8. Hanging out with friends that qualify as family

9. Being blessed with so much, when I've done nothing to deserve it

10. Cozying up next to my husband and kitty in our nice, warm bed

10 Day Brightening Bloggers

Ari

Jodi

Ari

Ben

Kendall

Matt (doesn't do awards, but he still makes me smile)

Jaime

Lilu

Shannon

Jay

Happy Almost Thanksgiving, folks!

Not My Gumdrop Buttons!

I know a sexy librarian. We went to high school together, and are now pretty much inseparable. Anyhow, the public library my sexy librarian friend works for performs puppet shows for munchkins. This Christmas they need a ginger bread man puppet, and I'm the lucky gal that gets to make it!

Okay, so I'm abnormally excited about getting to do this. They want to pay me, but I'm not about to let them. I just think it's awesome to be able to help out a nonprofit that serves youth and families. I mean, that's exactly the type of agency I work for.

I'm off work tomorrow, and will be spending my morning/afternoon visiting friends and making a ginger bread man (complete with gumdrop buttons) and cupcakes. Tomorrow evening will be spent visiting that attractive bibliophile, and decorating cupcakes. It's going to be a good day, bloggers.

Confessions

Every now and again, it just feels good to get some things off your chest, so your heart can beat freely. They might not look like much to someone else, but these things plague me.

-I tell people what they want to hear, because I feel responsible for their happiness.

-When my Dad wasn't around, all I wanted was for him to be in my life.

-Now that my Dad is in my life, I hate when he calls drunk. It hurts so much to know how depressed he is, but I can't fix him. I can't.

-I don't want to have children. Ever. I really don't think I'm going to change my mind, and I hate how people make me feel like there's something wrong with me because of that.

-My husband used to say he never wanted kids, but every now and again he talks like he's changed his mind. I'm afraid he'll be disappointed if I don't change my mind.

-I catch people at work and church glancing at my black finger nails. It kind of makes me feel like a rebel, and I think that's ridiculous.

-I hate that I feel attached to my maiden name. I double barreled mainly because I couldn't bear to let my father's name go, though I tell people it's for other reasons.

-I have never once really felt pretty. Ever.

Inspired by the oh, so lovely Jamie. Thanks, lady. I feel better now.

I Want A Tele

Have I mentioned my guitar before? I don't know if I have. My memory, for those of you who may not know, is not exactly the most functional thing in the world. It's a bit temperamental.

Anyhow, my guitar. I have a pretty little Fender Stratocaster that I begged my mother for when I was 16 or 17. It came with a wimpy 10 watt amp, and an El Cheapo gig bag, but I was in love.

Mom caved, like the wonderful woman she is, and I practiced religiously for about 3 months. I watched my educational guitar videos, tried to teach myself chords, plucked out a few Beatles & Nirvana songs and shortly fizzled out, discouraged and defeated.

Last year my husband person decided that he wanted to play guitar, and started practicing on mine. He wanted an acoustic, but my electric would have to do. Now, I don't know if it's because he kept knocking it in comparison to an acoustic, or if I was being competitive little ol' me, but I became re-inspired, and insisted that he teach me everything he was learning. I chopped off my nails, painted 'em black (to match my guitar :P) and started relearning the basics.

I'm not so hot (yet), but I have a good ear and I'm getting way better. I can pick out just about anything, if no one threatens to kill me during practice. :P Right now, I know A, Am, C, D, E, Em, F and can play a number of songs. My favorites at the moment are Cash's "Walk The Line" and Collective Soul's "December". None too impressive, but I love it.

Now that I know I'm sticking with it, and am getting better, I really want a telecaster. A Fender Rosewood, just like George Harrison's (I had a crush on George when I was little). It has less pick ups, and a different feel about it. Plus, it's just beautiful. See?

What about you? Play any instruments? Ever wanted to?

Finger Lickin'

I've spent the evening with some of my favorite people, making glorious little sugary bits o' goodness. That's right. Cupcakes.

Soul Mate's little sister is now married and has a home of her own, so we're throwing her a house warming party tomorrow. Sounds like an excuse to make baked goods, no?

Just look at 'em!

Don't you just want to eat them up?

These are just pics of the ones I did, but the rest of them were equally as funtastic.

And that is my best rose. EVER. Wilton would be proud.

I've got two more batches to make before Thanksgiving, and I'm pretty sure all this decorating is going to put me into a sugar coma.

Warm Fuzzies

I'm sitting on my futon with a warm, fuzzy kitty on my left, and my warm, fuzzy husband on my right. We're being serenaded by a lovely British man wearing mismatched socks. His lovely wife, who just so happens to be my best friend and soul mate, pointed that out.

They're visiting from Michigan for Thanksgiving, and they're staying the night with us tonight. Yay!

Everything is warm and cozy, and smells like my hazelnut cream candle. It's sabbath, and I'm going to sleep SO WELL tonight.

Thanks to New Moon, I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night. I was afraid it wouldn't be (worth it), because I didn't really like the first movie so much. It was a lot corny. Thankfully, I was worried for nothing. This movie was waaaaaaay better. New director = can't wait for the next two movies.

Sweet dreams, jelly beans!

Hodgepodge Gypsy Family

We all know the American Family is, shall we say, a many splendored thing. Most have suffered divorce, and are riddled with steps and half people-a term I've always had an issue with. I can remember arguing that my sister was indeed a WHOLE person. I was like five.

Anyhow, the husband person and I are no exceptions to the whacked American Family Rule. Having grown up states apart, it always amazes me how much we have in common, how similar our family situations are.

To name a few: both sets of parents have been in a number of relationships, divorced at least once. My mother, three times. He and I both have (half) sisters, that are nine years older than us, and we share an aversion to alcohol, due to one or more alcoholic parent.

Now, there's more! Todd (that's the husband person) has always known that he had an estranged older (half) sister, on his Dad's side. She goes by Kay, and has jack to do with their father, for reasons unknown to us. She's never met or spoken to Todd...until now. ^_^

Todd got curious, found her on Ze Book O' Face, and now they're talking! They both look a lot like their Dad, and I simply adore family resemblances. Makes me tear up because I'm a sap. *Sniff*

So...we're going to meet for dinner sometime in the near future, and I am stoked. This means I get another nephew, and I am an excellent Aunt! Humble and excellent.

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you how that's more that we have in common.

Well, I am my father's "only legitimate child", as my mother liked to say to me at the ripe old age of six. (I think she just said things like that so I would go to elementary school and repeat it. Well, probably not, but I did.) So, I also knew I had brothers/sisters out there somewhere. Only thing was, I couldn't have cared less. For eight years, my Dad wasn't even around. What did I care about his spawn?

In a recent conversation with my sweet, mess of a father, I discovered I've got a younger brother...with a name. Austin, a name I've always loved. And he looks a lot like my Dad, which means he looks a lot like me!

Somewhere growing up I must've lost that bitterness towards any kids he may have had something to do with, instead of me. Now? I'm really glad my Dad kept in contact with at least one those "illegitimate children". I hope to at least get a picture and an email address in the near future.

On another note, my high school sweet heart (don't ask questions-I told you I'm hetero.)and I are going to be two little nerds, adding to the plethora of huge nerds, at the 11:59 showing of Twilight: New Moon tonight. I think her husband is coming to make fun of us, but we'll ignore him.

I love the Twilight books, but have my doubts about the movies. However, going with the screwed up American Family theme, I think it works out quite nicely. "Vegetarian" vampires and rogue furry shape shifters would fit into our hodgepodge gypsy family just fine. I doubt anyone would even notice.

Twenty Twenty Twenty-Four Hours To Go I Wanna Be Sedated

I have been so incredibly sleepy lately! It's like I've been drugged. I don't know if it's the weather or what. I'm thinking that has something to do it. When I go to leave work, and it's already dark outside, I am completely drained and can not WAIT to get to bed.

Kind of like this, only less cute.


Normally, I am such a night owl. The sun sets, and I am ready to roll. Anywhere. But all of a sudden, it's different now. The sun sets, and I'm like, "Brush your teeth, dude. Let's go to bed."

Not that I've been sleeping well. I guess that probably has something to do with it, too. I've been falling asleep really early, and then waking up at like midnight, unable to get back to sleep 'til about 3AM. Sucks like a Dyson. Seriously.

P.S. My husband person has to eat a little something with his round of antibiotics every night, and he just came in and said, "I decided to eat a little bowl of cereal." I look, and he has one of those eensy tupperware bowls. Like, the ones you could fit a serving of apple sauce in. Eensy. This is precisely why I married this adorable man. He's ridiculous and wonderful...most of the time.

Ohm Nom Nom

(I found this cutie pie on cuteoverload.com)

I'm starrrrrving and want to stuff my face with some yummy veggies, but we have no food! My refrigerator looks pitiful, and my usually awesome husband is too cozy in his recliner to take me into town to get a 6" veggie sub. :(

It's not looking good, folks. Todd is talking peanut butter and jelly. Blasphemy! PBJ is not dinner material.

If I don't make it through the night, I leave my blog to my dear sweet Kimchi Kitty, as I trust him to keep up with posting regularly.

List Lust XI: Know What I'm Simply Mad About?

Hello Bloggy McBloggersons! For those of you who remember List Lust from waaaaay back when, you'll notice it's pretty much been abandoned. For any new readers (Hear that?! I have a few more faithful few! Squee!), you are about to witness the redemption of one of my deepest obsessive compulsive loves: Lists!

Today's list will pick back up where I left off, and teach you/remind you of a few possibly quirky/unimportant things about me.

List Lust XI: Know What I'm Simply Mad About?

1. Puppies & Puppy Breath (Bull Terriers are my favorite!)

2. Mr. Snuffleupagus & Those Big Soulful Eyes

3. Tall Frosty Glasses of Raspberry Lemonade

4. Almost Every Part Johnny Depp Has Played,

Along With His Sense of Style & Ridiculous Good Looks

5. Kermit, For All The Same Reasons As #4 :P

6. That I Can Get Away With Being Simply Mad About Two Muppets Without Blog Persecution.

7. Tim Burton's Brain (I figured a picture of Burton himself would suffice.)

8. Being Married To My Adorable Husband

9. Gustav Klimt's Artwork (This is my favorite of his pieces-Musique.)

10. God/Love (They're one and the same, in my opinion.)

Guess that's all for now. Better save some for another list. What are you simply mad about?

Ah, For The Love of Pete

I've been wanting to see Up for a while now, and now I've got it! Muahahhahaha! Ahem. I mean I'm watching it now. Please excuse the evil laughs.

So, 15 minutes into this and I'm already paying for it. Disney movies always make me cry like a baby. Pixar sass teamed up with Disney sentimentality? Sob.

Despite the sniffing, I'm in love with this movie. It's gorgeous. It's all relationship-y (my favorite). Plus, it's got the whole people are people thing going on. You know. Old people are people. Little people are people. Birds/dogs are people.

I just love it!

If you haven't seen it, you should. I am.

Sunset & Sabbath

Sunset is my favorite time of day (I almost drove into a cow pasture getting this shot), and Sabbath is my favorite day of the week.

Sab⋅bath

 [sab-uhth] –noun

1. the seventh day of the week, Saturday.

2. the day of rest and religious observance among Jews and some Christians. Ex. 20:8-11

Apparently, I'm "some Christians," because I totally observe Saturday as the day of rest. ^_^

Saturday is my sanity favorite day of the week. I really don't know what I would do without it. My life was seriously chaotic before I started observing a day just for being, studying the things I believe, enjoying nature and all the things God made. 24 hours of peace and sanity.

Six days a week I'm going ninety to nothin', running around in circles, trying to accomplish everything, deciding what needs to be done first and otherwise losing my mind. It's seems like it's never ending, but it isn't. As soon as the sun goes down on Friday, I can relax and just be.

That might be a little confusing to some. I think about days as evening and then morning. The simplest way I know to explain it is that I believe in the biblical explanation of a 24 hour day. In Genesis 1 it explains that in the beginning there was darkness, until God made a differentiation between darkness and light. And it says "the evening and the morning were the first day."

Jews still recognize the biblical evening and morning. Just one more reason people often think I'm Jewish. ^_^ I mention sabbath and it's all over. I'm a Jew. Not that there's anything wrong with Jewish folks, but we have some very different beliefs. I think I've mentioned this in another post. Belief in Jesus being the main one.

Anyhow, the Romans changed the whole evening and morning is a day thing, cause, well, that's what Romans do. They decided that midnight to midnight was a day.

Now, the rest of the week I can deal with this. The rest of the world runs on that schedule, so its not hard, but not on sabbath. Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown is Saturday/Sabbath, and it's my favorite 24 hour period.

More than you wanted to know, right? :P

To Write Love...

You guys ever heard of To Write Love On Her Arms? Well, if you haven't, check out that site.

I learned about TWLOHA around two years ago, when I was working on a street outreach team for at risk youth. I know. What kid isn't at risk? We had our work cut out for us. 

Anyhow, I ran into a couple of guys with TWLOHA tee shirts, and they were more than happy to tell me all about it.

Basically, it's a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depressions, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

Part of the vision behind TWLOHA is the belief that we were all created to love and be loved. We were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. We all need to know that our stories are important, and that we're part of a bigger story. We need to know that our lives matter.

I completely believe all those things. In honor of To Write Love On Her Arms, I wrote "love" on my arm. Just one more way to support the cause.

Paying It Forward Etsy Style

Today hasn't been the best. Not the worst, but not the best. I have an incredibly angry tummy, and I'm stuck at home on the couch. I need to clean, but I don't feel like it. I get more nauseated when I'm up and about. Blah.

I did have a pleasant surprise this morning, though. Stuck on the couch, I grabbed my trusty laptop and the remote, flipped the television on to the ever paranoia spawning crime channel, and logged on to check my email.

What do I find? A fellow blogger and etsier, Adrienne, has featured one of my owlies on her blog! Awesomeness.

I haven't sold the first thing in my shop, and, to tell the truth, I've been a little daunted by that.

Making people happy by making them things is an addiction. Painting. Drawing. Crafting. Whatever. It's just a simple thing that I can do that brings so much joy.

Simple is good. Happy is good. But making things? Costs money. So a little shop to help pay for things sounds like a great idea, right?

I thought so, and I'm still really excited about it. I just find myself battling that nagging "no one likes the stuff you make enough to pay for it" feeling.

Ridiculousness, right? I mean, I know the amount someone is willing to pay does not define how much something is worth, but it's just that artist/consumer relationship thing. Aaand I'm insecure.

Imagine my gratitude at finding a complete stranger that is willing to help me promote my little wonky shop. So, I thought I'd pay it forward and feature some other shop owners here on my blog.

So, scroll on down, and feel free to click away! All the items are under $10, and would make wonderful Christmas gifts, don't you think?

Rock Star Ring

Owlie Magnets

Octopus Love Print

FOTC Pin

Birdie Hair Clip