Sir Elton John is coming

Holy Keyboard Batman - this is HUGE people
mark your calenders for May 28

Funky Sculptures

During my self imposed SNOW DAY I found this wonderful artist and her funky sculptures. Her name is Michelle Collins. Check out her website . I think most Alaskans need a bit of color in their homes so we are going to try selling these in the gallery and see how they do - in addition to keeping one or two for myself.

Gotta read the Scribbit post

Here is a post from todays Scribbit blog. In my day it was a bag of flour. One of my volleyball kids showed up to practice with one of these and had to leave drills to go feed her baby. She also fell asleep on the sideline when we were scrimmaging because as her mother informed me - she was woken up 3 times the previous night by her baby.

What's Seth doing?

Here is what a six year old does when he gets bored - dismantles and makes new characters. Meet Anniken D2 and R2 Skywalker.

Banana Bread Receipe From Mom

Banana Bread has got to be the best quick bread out there. I have sampled so many versions of the receipe and compare all of them to mom's. No one beats her receipe and I am so thankful I have it to give me the "smell memory" of the home when she was there making the bread. One thing I like about this receipe is it only takes one bowl - you add everything in this order and mix as you go. I have tried it in a bowl with a spoon and in a mixer and there really is no difference. I have tried to add more bananas thinking that more is better - nope, the breads came out flat and I don't even sift the flour. Enjoy - and thanks Betty Bennett.

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 cup bananas (3-4)

1 3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/3 cup water

350 degrees for

1 hour if in one loaf pans

50 minutes if small loaf stoneware (picture)

Snowman

We decided to embrace the snow and have fun with it. Meet Hayden (since you can't make one yourself we decided to name this one after you) and Harry (with what could be a goiter)

A record fall

You can't even tell what kind of car this is! Picture was taken this morning and no surprise snowflakes are falling again ever so lightly, but you KNOW it will build up. All events are cancelled - except of course the Regional Volleyball tournament today, so I better start digging out. If you have sun and warmth in your neck of the woods please send some our way. The last time I asked it happened so heres hoping (they say tomorrow should be back in the 50's)

Just when you think...

This is the same frontyard angle that I posted yesterday.

They warned us it was going to get cold, possibly rain and there was a slight chance of SNOW. They were right on all counts. I would love to say "well, it does not look like it will stay" but I know better as I look out and its building up. Sydney walked over to the window and gasped then said "ohhhhh". I feel another batch of cookies coming on.

It has been snowing since I posted this morning so I think I will stay home from work, make banana bread and catch up on my DVR shows. A self imposed SNOW DAY. The infamous Heart Run is scheduled for tomorrow and they have a record high of 7000 entries - this could get interesting.

UPDATE: it is 11pm and its still coming down. The Heart Run has been cancelled for the second time (1st time was due to a volcano eruption) in its 30 years. I spent some time today looking at the housing market in Arizona - its so tempting.

I'm Meelllttting

Hey Pops, look at the front yard! Time to change the oil in the camper, fill the tank (hate to see that gas total), put ice cream in the fridge, charge the camera - okay, that one is for Thelma, tell Chena Hot Springs the shuttle driver is shuttling south, and come on down.

Into the Deep

Seth has been taking swim lessons since he was 2 with Ms. Susie. His class meets in the small pool and just recently he asked to go into the big pool. Leap of faith for mom as she is fully clothed and the thought of jumping in if anything goes wrong crosses her mind - mainly because its happend once already when he was a daring 3 year old. On this day he announced no need of a kickboard and dived right in. He can do the crawl stroke and put his head in the water and here I think he forgot all his skills from being excited. Just another "taking off" moment to share.

Going down

Sunday was the warmest day yet, so the deck got cleared off and the chairs brought out. Time for spring cleaning, de-cluttering, garage organizing, and the ever popular "what can I post on craigslist today?"

Zoo outing

The sun was shinning and so we threw the stoller in the car, packed snacks and took off to the Zoo. The trails still had snow but was mostly mud so it was more of a shove then a stroll but Sydney liked her first visit. Odd to visit the moose at the zoo when we had two in our backyard this morning - we shall name them Hannah and Ivan.

Zoo Day

Taking off

Zootalo, que bueno, fantastic - however you shout out something good, I said it when I figured out how to post a video without going through Youtube. This blogger site is starting to make me feel techy, but let's not get crazy as I know there are things I just will not get and therefore I have techy friends to go to.

This video was taken of Seth on his 6th birthday when he, yes he, decided to take the training wheels off and test his bravery. One little push and off he went and although he did not say it you could tell he had a sense of FREEDOM plus as he put it "I can go way faster". What a big and brave milestone for him and also for mom and dad who just stood there in amazement. I could not stop thinking that one day he will get his license and take off again - okay, thats a ways off and I must remind myself to enjoy the moment.

New Gadget

I fear the day when Blogger says that we have to pay a user fee to continue our world of blogging - much like Classmates.com did - got me hooked on trying to find high school friends and then 4 months later said I had to join. Anyway, I figure part of blogging is our sharing with friends and family about some of the products we buy - so free adverstising for all and since Blogger has celebrated their 8th year of existence without charging I have a good feeling we will be charge free. Well, I decided to get a shuffle - and yes its a (Product) RED although I love the color red (power, passion, love, strength)- and load it with motivating music for my workouts - less stress of carrying around the nano that holds my CD collection. Now I need your help to load it - what music do you workout to?

A Reminder

A Creed to Live By

**********

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others,
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important,
Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart
Cling to that as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give
Nothing is really over … until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect,
It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks,
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tightly,
And the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't dismiss your Dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope.
To be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget where you've been,
But also know where you're going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored every step of the way.

Author Unknown

Been Tagged

Okay, I have been tagged and am finally getting to it and I tag: Krissy and Susan (because they need to make a post already) and Sheila (so she has something to do during the wind storms)

1. link to the person who tagged you.
2. post the rules.
3. share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. tag at least 3 people.
5. make sure the people you tagged know you tagged them by commenting to them.

1. I self diagnosed my hypothyroid condition, had the doctor do the test and he confirmed it. Then I tried to get a self-diagnose discount and he did not go for it. I get to take a pill everyday for the rest of my life to keep my energy up, hair healthy, and nails strong - but mainly so I don't fatigue so easily.

2. I have 2 major regrets in life so far. The first was not learning how to fly airplanes. I had the best teacher in the world - my dad, the pilot to help out, but I did not understand the aerodynamics and being 16 I just was into other things and did not have time to commit, but trust me when I say that being in a Cessna flying over Anchorage and the mountains is one of the best experiences I have ever had. My second regret is that I was not there when my mother passed away in the hospital - if you are ever in this situation - screw the visiting hours rule and stay as long as you want.

3. Quirky food issue - When I eat out and get the most wonderful choice of eggs, bacon and pancakes I have to have the pancakes on a seperate plate. This way the syrup cannot touch my eggs and bacon - there is just something wrong with a sweet taste on those and prevention is key

4. Hair - I cannot have my children leave the house with "bed head" and enter any public arena. Why parents let their kids look that way is beyond me.

5. I loved Star Trek before I loved Star Wars and yes I had a crush on Captain Kirk. My 2 favorite Star Treks were "the city on the edge of forever" when Kirk fell in love with a human (Joan Collins) vs some crazy looking alien and "the trouble with tribbles." Nowdays, I still get my Shatner kicks with Boston Legal - now that is a quirky show.

6. I am in a desperate search for some photo albums that I have of me pre-mom. Especially of the ones from college and my sorority days. Let's just say they need to be kept in a safe deposit box until the kids grow up but still available for me to remember the crazy days.

Go Phil

These two make watching golf entertaining. Tiger the cool cat under pressure makes the sport look so easy. Then there is Lefty, the maverick, who you root for every weekend. His shots out of the sand traps are legends in the making - I just wish he would hit more fairways. The Masters begins today and I am hoping for a showdown.

Sydney's adventure

Sydney has figured how to entertain herself around the house and I am enjoying the time I get to do other things when she plays. This day things were very quiet and then all of a sudden I hear a scream - the scream that makes moms stop what they are doing and go into "save the child mode" Well, this is where I found her, she got herself stuck and tried to get out between the black rods - Hence, the scream so of course I took pics first then saved her.

Jack Lalanne - Stop being so Tired

I came across these old "teachings" from Jack. You all know him from his Juicer infomercials - but his message said here has transpired time. Exercise, eat healthy (these days called eat clean) and don't be so stressed - be happy and grateful for what you have.

Jack Lalanne - Unhappy people

Funny how something that was talked about back when tv was in black and white is so true today.

Duck, Duck, Polar Bear or is it Tag?

I sure hope he left his car unlocked. Pictures taken in Shishmaref, by Nome, Alaska.

So Cruel

The driveway was dry, the remaining snow on the streets were snow birms that were receeding inch by inch, I could see the grass in the yards and fall leaves that were not bagged up. I was anticipating the principles announcement of "no more snow gear needed", I was putting gloves away for the coming (and welcoming) of warmer days and pops was getting the camper prepped for a late April visit. I even took a Claritin to head off the blooming season allergy suffering, and thought to start running outside. Then it started, ever so lightly, with a few flakes that you could count as they softly fell. 15 minutes later, no more counting, but the anguish of "winter is not over yet" filled the soul. How ironic that the Land's End Beach Wear catalog arrived on this day- rubbing salt on an open wound. The white flakes fell for a straight 11 hours so what's a girl to do? make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and watch the Star Wars Trilogy - may the force be with you - but send us the sun please.

Doe Rae Me

From his early days, Seth has always been a hummer. While he played he would hum, while he was dozing off to sleep he would hum, while in pre-school he would hum (Mrs. Davis was a bit concerned). I had gotten used to it and like my uncle who could no longer hear the crickets on the farm "uncle Ron, how can you stand those crickets all day?" "Oh, hmm those are crickets", I could not hear the humming. My sisters on the other hand did not have this "defense mechanism" and Beth would ask "how can you stand that?, Seth No HUMMING" Her efforts rarely worked because off he went humming. Yes, I even looked into autism or the new asperger syndrome and although repetitive humming is a sign of something - he did not match the other "red flags" so I was not concerned.

Well, thanks to the wonderful world of public school and specifically music class, Seth has turned into a singer. He will come home with some interesting songs and I can sit in my room and listen to him sing in his. Much like when Sydney wakes up and starts gabbing and then chuckles from some amusement.

This past weekend, Seth was playing outside with Gabby and a friend of hers. That night he had 2 lines from a new song. "I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky" - Yes, a wonderful Mariah Carey song - I guess there are worse songs out there. I thought oh, oh, sort of a girly song - but then he started to add in his own lyrics. "I believe I can poke your eye" and "I believe I can eat a pie." Can you tell he has learned Rhyming in school and so now we make our own lyrics up and it just gives us a good laugh. Mom: "I believe its time to go to bed" Seth: "I believe I am not tired at all." Pretty soon our daily life could turn into a musical.

How Curiosity leads to Beading

It all started with a question. We were sitting around the dinner table in Mexico and my lil sis, Beth, was wearing a very cool necklace. I asked her where she got it and she said, "oh, I made this." What? So then more questions came. How do you secure it? where did you get your beads? where did you learn to do this?

Back track to the previous Fall trip to Fairbanks. I was at one of my favorite stores there called If Only. Very difficult to leave that store without buying anything - especially if you like leather bound journals and very impressive pens. Anyway, there was a necklace with various cube stone beads that caught my attention, but I resisted buying it because of the price. My mother-in-law, Thelma, observed my interest and later she gave it to me as a Christmas gift.

Well, in this bead store there were all the strung cube beads and I pretty much bought them out and started the madness. Beth gave me a little clinic on making them and off I went. It has turned out to be a fun pasttime of getting together on Sundays and having a beading "sit in." We then sell our items at the gallery. Beth and Jana are way more creative then I (Beth's work is the blue and orange/red necklaces in the pics), but I like to keep my style simple, plus it keeps me away from the bead store. I have since expanded my style to Zuni Bears, pearls and larger cube beads.

Beth is pretty much a walking beadstore as she has the largest bin of organized beads. I should take a pic of them next time. Table conversation usually goes like this: Beth do you have something for this?, oh probably. Beth do you have a black bead? Yes, what size or shape. Beth, I need.... I am sure I have it, just look.

Jana, Beth and I are even considering a trip to the Tucson Bead Festival - we might chalk it up to gallery morale but are scared of how much we will spend.