Quirky Quote Contest

"Things are more like they are now than they have ever been."
Gerald R. Ford


Julie, from An Open Book, is hosting this contest. To see more quotes, or join in, click the button above.

Friday Fill-in #60

Chimney Rock Park, North Carolina

1. New experiences are the best thing about traveling.

2. I love a good cup of hot tea when I'm cold.

3. I often use the internet.

4. I'm reading God in the Dock (C.S. Lewis) right now; I am challenged by it.

5. Politics is something I dislike talking about.

6. When I visited France I most looked forward to seeing The Louvre.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet night at home with hubby and kids, tomorrow my plans include some rare alone-time and Sunday, I want to do whatever strikes my fancy!

Breakfast for Dinner - A Growing Trend

I guess the folks who write Family Fun and the New York Times must be reading my blog. (LOL!) The Family Fun recipe newsletter just featured a bunch of "breakfast for dinner" ideas, and in their monthly menu planner they feature breakfast for dinner once a week! Check it out! The New York times featured breakfast for dinner in a little more sophisticated way. ;) Any way you slice it, breakfast for dinner rocks!

This is scary accurate.....Bwahahaha!

Get Your Monster Name

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

The giant slide and bumper car madness at the county fair.

So far, we've been able to attend the Hobe Sound Art Festival , the ArtsFest of Stuart, and the Martin County Fair. Another arts fair, "Artigras" is going on this weekend in Jupiter, but three weekends in a row of art fairs would just be too much for my kids. ;P I contemplated going to the Florida Renaissance Festival this weekend, but honestly all these fun activities are cutting into the budget.


The Stuart ArtsFest and the Hobe Sound Art Fest.


So now we may have to eliminate a few of the future outings I had hoped to take. Our choices are the Ren Fest, the Hatsume Festival at Morikami Japanese Gardens and Museum, and a day trip to Orlando to visit a theme park. It will most likely be Orlando, since my Aunt Cathy will be there visiting from Maine.

Will somebody please remind to save some money from the holidays next year, so that I will be financially prepared for Florida's Festive February? And if YOU ever want to visit Florida, I highyly recommend coming in February. The flowers are blooming and the outdoor festivities are abundant!

Friday Fill-in # 59

1. Snowdrops are are a sign that your snowman is sad.
2. I'm going to be relieved when we are no longer "housebreaking" our foster puppy.
3. A good song is a song whose lyrics have meaning to me.
4. Just one sip and I'm comforted. (warm green tea)
5. In my heart is where I'm happiest.
6. I believe that love is a necessary part of life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing at home, tomorrow my plans include picking up our foster pup from the Humane Society and Sunday, I want to go to the Renaissance Fair!

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Score :: one for the gipper



2. Luxurious :: bedding



3. Party :: hardy!



4. Limited edition :: collectors plates



5. Security ::blanket



6. Betty :: Boop



7. Under construction :: our roads everywhere!



8. Pest :: control



9. director :: Angelica



10. Express :: yourself!

What do YOU think? Go to Unconscious Mutterings if you want to play along.

Friday Fill-in #58

Oooops! I'm a little late again. Do you ever think about things so much during a day, that you forget if you actually did them, or you just were planning to do them when you got the chance? Or is it just me? Anyway, here's what I composed in my head yesterday. ;)

1. I'm looking forward to a visit from my sister-in-law and her husband.

2. Italy is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.

3. I've fallen in love with making Art Trading Cards.

4. Six of one, 2x3 of another.

5. Addiction is a frequently misused term for passionate pursuit and frequent enjoyment of activities that are not truly harmful, ie. video games.

6. The videos my kids create crack me up!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having my sister-in-law and her husband at our house, tomorrow my plans include going to the county fair and Sunday, I want to just enjoy my husband's only day off with him and the kids, doing whatever!

Sand-angels and Soap-angels

I love this time of year in Florida. Who am I kidding? I love Florida all year, the main reason being that there is rarely a time when we cannot enjoy being outdoors. My children may not make snow-angels in the winter, but they have been know to make sand-angels at the beach. *g* And, just the other day, they had fun creating soap-angels.

It all started when my daughter and friends where in our backyard on our new climbing dome. Then, one of the neighborhood dogs wandered into the yard by going through the nearby creek. Of course he was all muddy, so the girls decided to give him a bath. Well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it there were four wet and soapy girls on our trampoline having a blast, and making soap-angels. That's just the kind of thing that happens around here in February. ;) So, what do you do for winter fun?

Removing Labels That Stick

I am reprinting today's whole Daily Om because I can identify so much with what is written. I have been labelled by my family as "slow" - for taking too long for everything, "backwards"- for not warming up to strangers immediately and not being more outgoing. These are only two of the labels that I was "stuck with" growing up, and I spent much of my life trying to prove them wrong.


Fortunately, my children can see the value of who they are, even if others try to throw labels at them. With the knowledge that every moment is new, every moment is an opportunity to change or develope in a new way, I have been very diligent about not labelling my children, not even in my thoughts. I know firsthand how limiting it is to believe that others' labels of you are true. I think part of this also came from my many years of working with children who were given labels by the school system. Once told, I would often forget the labels, literally. In my mind, the only purose those labels served was to allow me to work with these children. The labels told me nothing about who the children were, or how I could be of service to them.


Through the blessing of the children I worked with, and my own children, I have learned to see the positive in so many traits that others would view as negative. This is a gift I have only recently been able to give myself. I no longer fight the "slow" label, but relish the fact that my "slowness" allows me to be more reflective and more appreciative of my life than I would be if I tried to keep up with others. I also know that I have more deeply authentic relationships in my life because I do not allow superficial social interactions to dominate my time. If others believe I am backwards, or have no "social life", so be it. I am happy with my life, and I do not let others' labels to take that away from me.


Just like the saying goes, "Labels are for soup cans." (Sorry, I don't know who said that.)
Don't accept labels from ANYONE, especially loved ones. Discover for yourself the good in what others cannot see. :D


Daily Om

February 6, 2008 Turn It Around

Laboring Under A Label



We live in a culture that uses labels as a means of understanding the world and the people living in it. As a result, many of us find ourselves laboring under a label that has a negative connotation. Unless we can find a way to see the good in such a label, we may feel burdened by an idea of ourselves that is not accurate. It is important to remember that almost nothing in this world is all good or all bad, and most everything is a complex mixture of gifts and challenges. In addition, different cultures revere certain qualities over others, but this does not mean that these qualities are inherently good or bad. For example, a culture that elevates outgoing behavior will label an introvert in a negative way, calling them antisocial. In truth, the ability to spend time alone is one that most great artists, mystics, and visionaries share. Owning the positive side of this label can lead us deeper into our gifted visions and fertile imaginations.


When we look into the lives of any of the great people in history, we always find that they had quirks and eccentricities that earned them less than ideal labels from the societies in which they lived. Many famous artists and musicians were considered to be isolated loners or disruptive troublemakers, or sometimes both, yet these people altered history and contributed to the world an original vision or advances in our understanding of the universe. If we can remember this as we examine our own selves and the labels people use to describe us, we find that there is a bright side to any characterization.

If you have been labeled, remember that all you have to do to see the positive side is to turn the label around. For example, you may be considered to be overly emotional, and the fact that you are perceived this way may make you feel out of control. But notice, too, the gifts of being able to feel and express your emotions, even in a world that doesn’t always encourage that. You might begin to see yourself as brave and open-hearted enough to stay alive to your feelings. You may also see that there are certain paths and professions in which this is a necessary ability. As you turn your label around, the light of your true nature shines to guide you on your way .

For more information visit dailyom.com

Friday Fill-in # 57

1. Once I was flexible enough to do splits.

2. It's frustrating being sick.

3. Today at work I will be cleaning and shopping. (That is some of my "work.")

4. What's IT all about?

5. If I make a mistake I may be embarassed, but I often laugh at myself.

6. When I woke up this morning, I thought, "I hope I can do all that I want to today without becoming rushed or stressed."

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to attending a Concert of Hope by the Watoto Children's Choir, tomorrow my plans include making breakfast and packing lunch for the children from the choir that will be staying with us, and Sunday, I want to go for a walk, maybe a swim!