Travel Tuesday - a "green" trip

John Deere green, that is!

We decided to play local tourist on Sunday. We went to John Deere Historic Site. It was interesting and has changed a lot since the last time I was there (in 3rd grade...).

This is Rick the Blacksmith. It was just the Mr., myself and the kids in our tour group (Patty was a great guide!). He gave us a fantastic blacksmith demostration and was SO funny and passionate about Mr. Deere and what Rick does for a living! (picture from the website)

It was $5/person over the age of 12. We thought it was worth the stop. Plan to spend about 2 hours there.

PS: We got the Deere/Reagan homes combo ticket for $7/person

 

We decided to drive on west and visit the John Deere Pavilion. We got to check out the equipment, play with the exhibits and check out all the JD merchandise.

We were a little disappointed by this but I would still like to do the JD factory tour.

 

Our next stop was the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home (our 40th President). We had taken that tour previously, but it was still fun to see where he lived and hear a little about his life. Little Miss didn't remember being there before...

It was $5/person over the age of 11. It was a worthwhile stop. You can make this stop in about an hour.

 

I did pick up a little souvenir on our 'travels' - this is steel leaf pendant made in the blacksmith shop at the JD Historic Home site. A little reminder that something as small as a plow blade made 177 years ago, has become the corporate giant it is now.  A small dream that has become something he never would have dreamed of.

To marriage

Spurred by a sweet text message I got from my Mr. yesterday, I decided to forego my regular "Friday Fun" post today.

 

I love my husband, he's my best friend.

We've been through a lot in our almost 17 years of marriage, not all of it rosy, but we're together, have worked through it and are probably stronger than before we dealt with it. We still hold hands, he still makes me laugh and we say "I love you" everyday.

 

I hope everyone finds their best friend to spend their life with too.

I leave you with some thoughts:

 

Book reviews

I have not done any reviews for quite a while, so here's a couple I've read lately.

 

Genre: Fiction

5 out of 5 stars

Good Reads synposis: Cathy Holton, author of the popular Beach Trip, returns with an intriguing and mysterious tale of dark deeds and family secrets in a small Southern town.

After a personal tragedy, Chicago writer Ava Dabrowski quits her job to spend the summer in Woodburn, Tennessee, at the invitation of her old college friend Will Fraser and his two great-aunts, Josephine and Fanny Woodburn. Her charming hosts offer Ava a chance to relax at their idyllic ancestral estate, Woodburn Hall, while working on her first novel.

But Woodburn is anything but quiet: Ancient feuds lurk just beneath its placid surface, and modern-day rivalries emerge as Ava finds herself caught between the competing attentions of Will and his black-sheep cousin Jake. Fascinated by the family’s impressive history—their imposing house filled with treasures, and their mingling with literary lions Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Faulkner—Ava stumbles onto rumors about the darker side of the Woodburns’ legacy. Putting aside her planned novel, she turns her creative attentions to the eccentric and tragic clan, a family with more skeletons (and ghosts) in their closets than anyone could possibly imagine. As Ava struggles to write the true story of the Woodburns, she finds herself tangled in the tragic history of a mysterious Southern family whose secrets mirror her own.

My thoughts: This was a wonderfully written book. It had a great story with lovable characters. I was drawn into this from the first page.

Genre: Fiction

5 out of 5 stars

Good Reads synoposis: In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

A timeless story of enduring passion from the author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.

My thoughts: I read this book in about 5 hours, I haven't done that in years!  This book sucked me in from the first sentence. You will cheering for Anne, Westry and their friends.

Literary Junkies - May, 2014

It's that time of month again. This month, the Literary Junkies are discussing Where'd You Go Bernadette tonight.  (PS: my Twitter handle is @cubsfan3410)

You can read all the link up answers by using the button to the right.

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it!
I'm listening to Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews. I am currently reading a rough draft of an author friend's new book.

2. Do you judge a book by its cover? What cover elements make you not want to pick up a book?
I am a cover judger. I like something bright or eye catching on the spine.

3. Do you participate in any other bookish link-ups? Tell us about them so we can join next time!
Nope, Literary Junkies is it

4. Have you ever watched a movie that was better than its book version? Explain yourself!
I can't say that any movie I have seen has been better than the book.

5. Summer is here! Do you read more often during any particular season?
I think I read more in the winter. I like to be outside doing things outside.

6. What is the worst book you've read this year? Why?
Hmmmmm....

What are you reading?

Hello Monday!

I hope you all had a nice weekend!
Ours was pretty uneventful - lots of housework and laundry.

Tomorrow is the latest Literary Junkies link up and twitter chat. This month's book is Where'd You Go Bernadette. (stay tuned for my blog link up tomorrow...)

How was your weekend?

Friday letters

I haven't done one of these posts in a while, so...

Dear Friday,

WELCOME!

 

Dear Powers that Be,

Thank you for being with my FIL through his procedure and thank you for the encouraging news!

 

Dear Mother Nature/Phil the Groundhog,

SNOW!!!???? W-T-H! Give it up - we want some spring here.

Dear Cubbies,
Let's get our act together here and pull out some wins!!!!!

Dear Blackhawks,
Some W's for you over the next week would be great.

 

Dear Pinterest,

Why must you be so addicting? I lose all track of time when I start snooping around.

 

Dear Blog Readers,

Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement the past couple of weeks. It is truly appreciated.

 

Dear Weekend,

Please go slow!

 

Dear Stack of Books,

I hope to get to you this weekend.

 

Dear Dust & Dirt in the Corners of our House,

I'm coming for you this weekend!

Wishing you all a wonderful Friday and weekend!

1 year ago

One year ago today, I had my heart surgery.  At that time, I never thought I would be having a heart procedure done before I was 40, but alas....

I feel worlds better a year later. My energy level is higher and I feel like I can physically do more.

I am grateful to my cardiologist and his team for their professionalism, compassion and friendliness.

I feel compelled to champion for the American Heart Association, on behalf of myself, my family members and everyone dealing with cardiac issues.

Tuesday shout out

There are so many fabulous blogs out there. I have many, many that I enjoy reading. I'm giving a shout out to a few bloggers. I hope you'll stop by there and leave them some love.

The Artsy Cajun  (make sure you check out her Etsy shop too)
Handling with Grace
Last Yesterday
Peace, Love and Understanding
She May be the Song that Summer Sings
To the Moon and Back
Sassy in Sequins

You ladies are wonderful bloggers and I enjoy reading.

Happy Tuesday all!

Friday Fun

This is one of my favorite movie scenes

Togetherness

I have realized in the last twelve hours how much my job holds a "family" type environment. That includes my co-workers and our clients, and we are reminded just how involved we truly are in our clients' lives.

 

We had a tragic farming accident in our community yesterday. It has touched one of our direct clients - and it gives all of us in our office a heavy heart today. It was an accident - and they do happen. We are deeply saddened by the loss and sadly, it is a reminder to be careful, pay attention and live each day to its fullest.

 

Hug your loved ones and tell them you love them everyday!

It's Monday....again!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

 

I hope you had a nice weekend. Ours was good - very fast but good.

 

 

Saturday, we went grocery shopping; took Little Miss to dance and went to my parents' to visit and play with my niece!  Little Miss did great at dance! It was her and three high school girls who have been dancing for many years. She kept up with them pretty well and was determined to keep up with them.

 

Yesterday, we hung out; Mr. and Young Mr. went to the Blackhawks game (they won!). Little Miss and I went to watch Young Mr's girlfriends' viola recital. The were all very talented and it was neat to watch and listen. We walked home from the recital and I asked if she wanted to stop and pick up dinner at McDonald's. She says "It's like a Mother's Day gift, going to McDonald's." I asked if she was paying. She turned her jacket pockets inside out and said "Sorry, no money." I had to laugh!

 

Wishing you a great Monday!

Friday Fun

My friend sent these to me last week, knowing I needed a little cheer.
Without furthe ado....

COWBOY JOKES!

#10

Why did the cowboy's car stop?

It had Injun trouble!

 #9 

Why did the cowboy ride his horse?

It was too heavy to carry!

 #8 

Why did the cowboy adopt a dachshund?

He wanted to get a long little doggy!

 #7 

Why did the cowboy keep his horse in a barn?

To give it a stable environment!

 #6 

Why did the cowboy thief take a bath before every stickup?

He wanted to make a clean getaway!

 #5 

Why did the cowboy brush his teeth with gunpowder?

So he could shoot his mouth off!

 #4 

Why did the cowboy die with his boots on?

Because he didn't want to stub his toe when he kicked the bucket!

 #3 

How do you catch a unique horse?

Unique up on it!

 #2 

How do you catch a tame horse?

Tame way!

 #1 

A cowboys is captured by a tribe of fierce Indians, but considering themselves civilized savages, they offer to grant him three wishes before they scalp him. Considering his situation carefully, the cowboy says: "For my first wish, I'd like to talk to my horse."

So the Indians bring his horse, and the cowboy whispers into the horse's ear. The loyal animal almost seems to nod its head, then trots off and returns an hour later with a beautiful blonde on its back. The cowboy is clearly upset and says: "For my second wish, I want to talk to my horse again."

The Indians are perplexed, but they grant this wish as well. Again, the cowboy whispers in his horse's ear, and again the animal trots off, returning an hour later with a beautiful redhead on its back. The cowboy fumes and stomps on his hat.

The Indians inquire as to the cowboy's final wish, and he says: "Let me talk to my horse one more time." A third time, he whispers into the horse's ear. The animal, nods, trots off, and returns an hour later with a beautiful brunette on his back.

Furious, the cowboys shouts: "You stupid horse! I said POSSE!!!"

Happy May!

Wow! It's May!

 

My Cubbies finished April at 9-17. UGH!  I can hope for a better May for them.

 

Any big plans for this month? Saturday (5/3) is National Scrapbooking Day - soooo, I'm hoping to get a little paper playing done! We hope to make a trip to Six Flags and catch a baseball game sometime this month. My sister-in-law's baby shower is at the end of the month. I hope to get some more flowers planted and the yard looking a little better.

 

Have a great day - tomorrow's Friday!

Welcome to Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!

I hope your week is going well. Sorry I've been a little MIA - my time has been filled with a few other things the past few days.

 

First, thank you all for your comments and emails on Friday's post. Your prayers and good thoughts are greatly appreciated! My FIL is having a procedure done in a couple of weeks to see how extensive the cancer is and what treatment options he will have.

Those of you requested to be on my 'snail mail' list, watch your mailboxes in the next few weeks.

 

We spent most of our meals this weekend, hovering around the grill. It was wonderful! We ate quite well, too. I am so glad we got a new grill and that warmer weather has returned!

 

The Mr. and Young Mr. went to the Hawks/Blues game on Sunday afternoon, in which the Hawks beat the Blues to move on in the playoffs. They had a GREAT time! The Mr. bought me a puck of my "hockey crush". Saad's a great player and works hard!

 

While they were at the game Little Miss and I sewed; painted our nails; walked to the library; watched a movie and I managed to sneak in a nap. It was a nice afternoon for us too!

 

This week has just been work, work, work so far. Nothing too exciting!

 

I hope you are all well!

Have a great day!

 

PS: I was so happy a new Chicago Fire was on last night. Tonight is the 2nd part of the crossover with Chicago PD - gonna have to rush home from work so I don't miss too much...

TGIF & a little project!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!

 

I hope you've all had a good week. It's been a somewhat trying week at our house.

 

The Mr. received a call from him mom on Tuesday night to let us know his dad has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. We are in a wait & see holding pattern on the extent of the cancer and the type of treatment he will be going through. I have gotten to the mental point now where I am going to try to stay positive and pray he is determined to fight.

 

The week has been dragging butt for me - I am SO glad it's finally Friday! Has it been that way for anyone else?

 

I have decided to carry through with my "snail mail project" that I posted about a couple of weeks ago. So - if you would like to be on my list of recepients - please leave me a comment (something simple) and I'll email you for your address. (Please don't leave your address in the comments!)

 

What are your weekend plans?

I'll be working tomorrow and the Mr. and Young Mr. are heading to the Hawks/Blues game on Sunday, so Little Miss and I will have a girl afternoon at home. (Sounds good to me!)

 

Have a great one!

Thanks for stopping by.

It's Wednesday!

Hello readers!
I hope your week is going well. It's been an interesting here thus far.
My scrap group meets tonight, super excited!
We grilled out dinner last night and it tasted wonderful!
I've gotten a little reading done but my eyes can't seem to stay open for more than a few pages...

April 23, 2014....HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY to my beloved Wrigley Field!

Finally, I would like to ask you to keep my father in law in your prayers please. Thank you!

I hope your week is going well and fear not, the weekend is coming... It's hump day!

New blog

I am going to keep up this blog but will post more of my scrapbooking over here....

JEN SCRAPS A LOT

I hope you'll stop by.
Thanks!

Weekend recap

Happy Monday!

To all running in Boston today - have a GREAT run!

We had a nice weekend!

Friday - we got a bonus couple hours off. An email went out at 2:30 stating we were closing. WOO HOO! It was great! I went home, sat on the deck and read. We went to dinner that evening with my in-laws. It was nice to see my brother and sister-in-law (and my parents-in-law).

Saturday, Little Miss and I went to the resale shop (for me). I found a couple of shirts, a skirt and a pair of shoes. It was a nice walk to and from.  I sat on the deck reading again for a couple of hours. Saturday afternoon, the four of us went to see Rio 2 - it was a cute movie, a little too musical but cute. Then we to dinner together; did a little shopping (the Mr. bought me a new pair of shoes...).

Yesterday was Easter - the Mr. and I ran to Lowes in the morning to pick out some flowers. Then we went home and got ready for lunch. We went to my aunt & uncle's. We sat on their deck all afternoon - it was PERFECT out!  Sunny, almost 80. I got a little sunburn on my forehead - and I don't care!  We left there - went to pick out our new grill. The Mr. and Young Mr. were putting that together in the dark last night...  I got my flowers planted (it's wonderful to have a little color in the yard again).

And we're back to work this week.

I hope you all had a great weekend & Easter!

Friday Fun -Easter edition

Literary Junkies - April 2014

It's that time of month again - Literary Junkies link up day! Feel free to join in and/or visit the blogs. (Click the Literary Junkies button to the right...).

Our discussion this month will be What Alice Forgot.

This month's questions:

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it!

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. It's about Nell - a little girl abandoned on a ship dock, taken in by a dockworker and his wife. When the secret that she is not really theirs comes out, there are repurcussions through the many generations of Nell's family. Her granddaughter sets out to find out why.

2. Divergent, Hunger Games, or Twilight. Which do you prefer and why? (If you've never read them which do you think you'd prefer?)

Hunger Games - no doubt for me. I liked the storyline and characters most of all three of these series.

3. TV Series Based on Books they start out very close to the book to draw in the fans but then will start to separate themselves by changing things and adding characters. What are you thoughts on this?

I have a problem with them adding characters and major events from the book(s).

　

4. You've just been recruited to help a movie studio bring your favorite book to the big screen. What's the movie and who are you choosing to play the main characters?

Ooooo - this is a tough one! I like so many books...

For today, I am going to pick The Silver Bear by Derek Haas. GREAT action book! I would definately pick Bruce Willis to be the lead.

　

5. Going back to the above question, do you keep it word for word the same or do you use this chance to change little things you thought would make the book better?

I would want things to be as close to the book as is possible.

　

6. After you finish a physical copy of a book do you keep it for a reread, put it on a shelf to collect dust, donate it to Goodwill, or do you just not purchase physical copies of books?

I don't buy a lot of books BUT the copies that I do - I usually donate to our library's Friends of the Library sale or to Goodwill, OR I pass them on to someone and tell them to pass it on or donate it.

Looking forward to the Twitter party tonight!

What are you reading? I'm always up for book suggestions.

Go ahead...

Try to put me down!

Put down my creative work!

Hint that my projects "aren't as good" as yours!

 

I am happy with my creativity and the projects I complete.

(and I'm not in a competition with anyone...)

 

 

I have learned in my almost 40 years, some people act like that to make themselves "feel better" and I THINK (I'm not a professional on this), it's mostly because they can't handle the fact that others may be different than them or may think differently and have opinions different than theirs. I think that's sad, because who doesn't want to embrace the differences in those we love? If we were all the same, this world would be an incredibly boring place!

 

It makes it hard to stay in relationships with people like that though. I feel almost poisoned. It's something I find myself struggling with a lot lately.

 

How do you end a longtime relatioship that has become toxic?

 

(This has nothing to do with my husband, so don't worry about that!)

[stepping off my soapbox now]

A memo to...

ME!

Date: Today

To: Jen

From: Jen

Re: Goals

It has come to my attention that you have been quite neglectful of your 40 in 14 list. Perhaps you need to look at it again and pick a few goals to tackle in the next 60 days.

Also, your wonderful sister invited you to join GO MIGHTY and you have really pretty much epically failed in keeping your goals listed on there and working toward them. You might want to look into doing a little something with this site.

How are your bucket list items going this year?

Friday Fun

Last night we went to see Gabriel Iglasieus and friends. Loooove them, they're so funny!

Here's a clip....

Have a great Friday and weekend!

To my friends...

I have come to realize lately, that I have a lot of friends.

I love my "real life/in person" friends, but A LOT of them are on-line and blogging friends but many of them I feel like I have gotten to know quite well and could go to anytime with anything. The advent of facetime and skype has made it a little easier to have "face time" with them and to catch up with them.

 

I have laughed with my friends, cried with them and done my best to support and encourage them through things in their lives.

 

I have seen some get engaged and married, some have babies, some send their kids off to college or get married themselves, some I have seen send a military spouse off to deployment.

Thank you to all of you who have cheered me up and on, picked me up and dusted me off and listened to my rants about something or nothing. You are all wonderful and caring friends!

I have loved sharing all the stages of life with my friends, so far!

I love getting email and love to hear from my friends that way.

I feel sad that I don't send snail mail letters and cards like I used to. I think I will try to get better about sending mail.

Feel free to drop me a line anytime!

My email is: jenmcgee34@yahoo.com

 

I hope you're having a great week!

HUGS!

Last weekend

Hi all, Happy Wednesday! I hope your weekend was wonderful!

We had a good one - an "unplugged", hang out with my family kind of weekend. Sadly, it seems like we need to leave town to have those...

Friday evening, we headed south - to St. Louis. It was a long drive in a driving wind. But we arrived safely and got checked in. We actually stayed in Valley Park - it's a nice area and our hotel was nice.

Saturday, we headed to Six Flags for their opening day (I added a few of the rides we rode to my 40 in 14 list). The weather was GORGEOUS - sunny, upper 50s. We all got a taste of sunshine. The crowd wasn't bad there at all! The longest we waited to ride anything all day (and we were there most of the day) was about half an hour. The highlight of the kids' day was winning super hero capes at a game.

We went back to our hotel about 5:30 and then to dinner at Dickey's BBQ Pit and Fritz's Frozen Custard - both were very tasty!

Sunday we went for an early lunch at Pappy's. If you miss this place while you're in St. Louis....shame on you. Best ribs EVER!!!! Get there early though. We stopped at Cahokia Mounds and climbed Monk's Mound and went through the Visitor's Center.

We had a nice weekend and it was hard to get going for work.

I hope your week is going well!
Hugs

Happy Friday!

It's the Cubs home opener! They managed to get out of Pittsburgh with a win...  Hopefully Wrigley will be kind to them!

Last night was Little Miss's school spring sing. After the day I had, it was just what I needed! It was a fun program and some of the kids are sooooo entertaining! Ya know...shirt untucked, dancing in place, hamming it up. Just cracks me up!

I have made it this many "miles" this week in our work fitness challenge. I'm pretty proud of myself. The rest of my team is doing great, as well! My bum challenge is going well too.

These quotes have helped me through this week.

Have a great Friday and weekend!

Scrappings

I am way behind in some of my scrap challenges....I hope to work catching up a little in the next couple of weeks.

Speaking of behind....

Last week I put together some layouts from the 2003 (hangs head) Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival we attended. They are simple but I love the papers and had fun doing them.

On to April....

First of all, thank you all for your sweet birthday wishes! You made a good day even better.

When I walked into work yesterday  morning, I found that my husband and son had decorated my desk - the entire top of my desk was covered with confetti and a giant banner on the front of my desk!

Desk decorations:

 

My co-workers got me a cake, flowers and a balloon.

 

It was a great birthday - I'm ready for this new decade in my life!

*************************************

And now for some April "news":

THIS is the 30 day challenge I'm going to take this month. Who's with me?!

Give me a push, readers!

 

The second challenge I'm taking this month is through work. It's called Get Fit on Route 66.

For every minute you exerciese/do physical activity, it covers 3 miles of the road.

This started yesterday and after my morning workout this morning, I've made it 119 miles.

The incentive for this?

If I complete the entire 2,448 "miles" there's a cash incentive at the end. I'm planning on rocking this one!

 

My Cubbies didn't fare well yesterday. It took them extra innings to do it, but alas - they lost. Day off today and hopefully they'll do better tomorrow!

A good day!

As I start my 40th year today (3/31), it's also MLB Opening Day!

The Cubs are in Pittsburgh.

This year is also the 100th birthday of Wrigley Field.

Our weekend went fast but it was nice.

I worked on Saturday.

Sunday, we laid around until about 11. We had a quick lunch, went to play disc golf and take a walk (it was 55 & sunny!!!!). Mr. took us out for my birthday dinner (since I work all day on my birthday) to Ruby Tuesday. My dinner and margarita were delicious!

How was your weekend?

Friday Fun, an interview

On an idea from my mom (thanks mom!), I decided to interview my Little Miss about their classroom embryology project they just completed.

So, without further ado, my interview with Little Miss.

How many chick eggs did your class have?

24

How long did it take for the eggs to hatch?

20 days

How long were the chicks in your classroom?

2 days - we had spring break

How many chicks hatched?

2

Tell me 3 things you learned about embryology.

1. The different parts of the egg

2. How warm the egg needs to be kept

3. How long it takes for chicks to hatch

What were the chicks named? How did they get their names?

Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell (Chickell)

They are Blackhawks players

I hope you learned a little bit from this interview.

I am open to suggestions for interview topics/people.

Dealing

I'm having writer's block and life is sort of hum drum right now.

I'll be back soon!

TGIF!

Is it just me or has it been a reeeeeaaaaaally long week? I am so glad it's Friday!

My NCAA bracket is not looking real good after yesterday.

It's a good thing we aren't big betters in our company!

We are headed to a hockey game tomorrow; I hope to get some crafting done; I hope to try out a new recipe this weekend; and watch the rest of the snow melt!

What are your weekend plans? Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

My moment of glory!

Take this - Chicago Fire!

I got a mention on a podcast. Let me preface this by saying - if you are not listening to the Satellite Sisters podcast - you are missing out!  They are HILARIOUS!

I am mentioned in about the last 7 minutes of THIS PODCAST.  Seriously, check out their website here: Satellite Sisters. You can also find them on Facebook.

And to boot - in the past week...I have won: a scrapbook paper pad; two rolls of foam tape AND a book. Maybe I should head to the boat with $20 and see what happens...

I hope your week is going well - tomorrow's Friday!

Thanks for stopping by.

Share your Thoughts...Please!

Ok blogging friends...I am curious to know your thoughts on blogging networks.

I'm not talking about Bloglovin, Google+, etc - although they are fantastic networks! I'm talking about local, regional, particular interest kind of networks. I am on the fence about joining one (pretty locally) and would love to hear your thoughts - good, bad, indifferent, whatever.

If you don't want to post them here, feel free to send me an email via my profile, or leave a comment to email you.

Thank you in advance for sharing!

WOW!

I forgot how "stressful" it is to pick your NCAA bracket. I have debated for two days. I won't get into specifics of how I pick but it's nothing scientific or mathmatical!

This is the only "gambling" I do all year and it's a $5 donation to the winner.

Do you pick a bracket? Will you pick one this year?

(I'll post my bracket in a few days)

Thank you!

First of all...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!!

 

Secondly...

Thank you all for your kind words on yesterday's post. You made me blush!

 

Thirdly...

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

Ours wasn't terribly exciting: I worked on Saturday at the library, then got groceries (I know - exciting, right?!).  Yesterday was a pretty mellow day. I helped Little Miss with her extra credit project (I feel so knowledgeable on chick development); went to Ulta to enjoy a couple of 21 Days of Beauty specials; took a nap; scrapped and read a little.

 

Fourthly... (is that a word?)

I am hoping for a productive, uneventful week.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Monday!



Scrapping challenge accepted

 KELLY and HEATHER at Two Midwest Girls have given another challenge. This time, it's a sketch challenge! I had a GREAT time doing this one.  Join in all!

Here's the sketch:

Here's my interpretation:

Happy scrapping!

Friday SHOUT OUT!

I wanted to share a few of my favorite blogs to visit.
I hope you'll stop by and say hi to them too!

The Artsy Cajun
Elle Sees
Love Peace & Understanding
Sunny in London
Sassy in Sequins

Visit any of the blogs in my sidebar and I'm sure you will enjoy them!

What are some of your favorite blogs?
Are you part of a blogger network? If so, are you glad you joined?
What are your weekend plans?

Spring is coming!

Believe it or not, friends - spring is coming!

It's been a long, long winter here in Illinois! BUT - the calendar says it will be in 9 days. The baseball calendar says it will be in 18 days.

(And I am not fooled - this will be another bad year for the Cubs as they "rebuild" yet again...)

 

I have gotten 3 seed and plant catalogs in the mail in the last week (that's got my mind thinking spring!). The birds are chirping in the mornings - the temps are slightly warmer during the day and the snow is starting to melt. I want to believe that under that snow, the crocus are out and the tulips and daffodils are thinking about coming out.

 

What are your favorite things about spring?

Scrap your Stash

Looking for a scrapbooking challenge this month? Jump in over at SCRAP YOUR STASH.

Here is my March "kit"

Come on, dig through your stash and join in.

I can't wait to make some layouts from this kit.

What are you scrapping? 

What crafty projects do you going?

Weekend recap

Hi friends and readers!

Here we are at Monday again. I hope you all have a nice weekend.

 We took an extended weekend. My Mr. needed to be away from work for a few days as he's been so busy! So, when our friends asked if we wanted to come watch their daughter (and our goddaughter) play in the Wisconsin state hockey tournament for their league, we decided-YES! Off to Sheboygan we went!

We drove up Thursday evening and checked in. Friday morning, Mr. and Young Mr. took the Kohler factory tour. They both loved it! (No cameras or phones allowed!)

Friday afternoon, we all went to see

Very cute and full of puns!

4 stars from us

We met our friends for dinner when they got in town and enjoyed catching up with them!

Saturday began hockey!

My Little Miss visiting Miss A in the locker room pre-game.

Little Miss gave her a pep talk before Sunday's game..

Play hard and skate fast. 

There you go!

Three games in two days brought Miss A and her teammates 3rd place!!! Soooo excited for all of them!

Post tourney picture

And the final bracket

We had a nice weekend!

What did you do?

Friday Fun - The Oscars

So we watched the Oscars last Sunday night.

There was really only one thing that stood out (besides Ellen cracking me up all night) - that was Pink's performance and dress.  Whooo!!!!!  LOVED it! She had me crying.

 

I really loved Ellen running out on stage in the Glinda dress after that.

And the pizza guy? Soooo - funny!

 

What were your favorite Oscar moments?

Time out

I am currently dealing with a cold that's kicking my butt. I am going to be MIA for a few days - just don't have the energy.

I'll be back visiting your blogs soon.

Take care!

Scrapping excitement, part 2

WOW!!!! I am featured on another blog

Two Midwest Girls

Hop over and join in their color challenge!

Thanks Kelly and Heather!