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Saturday 30 January 2010

Past is Not Forgotten

Past is Not Forgotten
(made with Adobe Photoshop / PSD available for download here)

Credits:
ACF Image
Old Frame
Post Card
Locket


Every Friday the folks over at Art Creation Friday post a new challenge, a picture or a background. The challenge is to use that picture or background to make an atc (artist trading card) or card, altered art, altered digital art, or something else you like.

Want to join in on the fun?
Click the image above to visit Art Creations Friday

Friday 29 January 2010

One Extreme to Another & Friday Fill-Ins #161


Winter has returned to us with a vengeance. Today there is a couple feet of snow on the ground and the wind is blowing ice and snow against my windows. Yesterday the weather was so mild, I was out and about with only a sweater. The kitten and I were captivated by the hundreds of Stalings hungrily gobbling up tasty treats from my lawn. Today there is no sign of them; the cold north wind has driven them into the forest where they are taking shelter in their cozy nests. That's were I find myself this Friday night; thankful to be safe and warm in my cozy nest with my family nearby.

Now on to the Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Wouldn't it be easy to stay inside all weekend, in your comfiest clothes, doing absolutely nothing in particular?
2. Ah! It's like a breath of fresh air!  New and improved and better than ever!
3. I love the taste of Earl Gray Tea in the morning.
4. My favourite place to be is curled up in my big comfy chair that is by the fireplace in the living room.
5. The first thing we're going to do is get a room with a view that looks down over the palm trees and the sand.  Then we will sit on the beach and watch while the sun dips below the horizon and paints the sky vermillion.
6. Thunder boomed and lightning filled the sky. Drip, drip, drip;  the raindrops hit the roof.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to curling up by the fire sipping a glass of Riesling, tomorrow my plans include errands fist thing in the AM, then painting the media room, and a fun evening with the ladies and Sunday, I want to put the second coat of paint on the walls and maybe off to the market for something delish for dinner!

What are your plans for this weekend?

Tuesday 26 January 2010

I love a challenge!

Every Friday the folks over at Art Creation Friday post a new challenge, a picture or a background. The challenge is to use that picture or background to make an atc (artist trading card) or card, altered art, altered digital art, or something else you like.
Here is what I made using these images provided for me:



Looking forward to participating in the challenge on a regular basis.
(made with Adobe Photoshop)



Want to join in on the fun?
Click the image above to visit Art Creations Friday.

Monday 25 January 2010

Monday Questions #4


1.  In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?
No, not unless I look back at my journal or if this blog is still around.
2.  If your life was a novel, what would be the title?
Slightly Off-Center
3. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
Fear. Fear of failure, of success, of being alone... I know I need  to let it go.
4. Would I be friends with myself?
Ummm, probably not.  I'm far too moody and mopey.
5.  No matter how bad things get, are you aware that someone always has it worse than you do?
I am aware.  Remembering there are others worse off then myself is usually that slap in the face I need to wake me out of my self pity mode. 
Monday Questions #3 
#2 
#1 

Sunday 24 January 2010

January Blues


January makes me miserable.
Misery oozes out
making everyone around me miserable too
(misery loves company)

I want to travel to someplace,
anyplace warm,
but I'm far too cheap frugal
so a trip it out of the question.

It's impossible to buy good fruit in January.
Another thing about January:
I really DISLIKE football.

Friday 22 January 2010

A Bitch + Friday Fill-Ins

Blood work day :( Yeah, I know, my life is not very exciting these days. I'm back to seeing my GP once a month and getting blood work once a month as well. Seems an old health issue may be back but I won't know what's going on 'till I see a specialist in June. Yup, June is the earliest they can get me in, so in the meantime I'm mildly panicking. They put me on a cancellation list but it's not too likely anyone will cancel their appointment after waiting six months/year to see this particular specialist... so, for now it's regular blood work, med adjustments and doctor visits once a month.

So, here i am, bitching about my my petty little problems while watching the news and seeing all the problems the people of Haiti are faced with, more than a week after the earthquake. People are suffering - dieing, children are having limbs amputated because the damage is far to extensive to fix, and some still are waiting to receive some sort of treatment for their injuries.

The news sometimes has way of shaking me out of my self-pity-party.  Puts life into perspective sometimes; I am very lucky...

Now on to the fill-ins
And...here we go!

1. You have a chance to grow and broaden your sense of who you are and who you can be.
2. Live life in the moment... right now!
3. There is a  light in your eye that keeps shinin',  Like a star that can't wait for night.
4. It's best to save then buy, rather then buy now and pay later.
5. It's time to shine.  A moment down through millennium, Unveiling the secrets of song to be sung, Waters of life flowing soft to the touch ,Wisdom remembered have we forgotten oh so much. Raise up your mind  ~Queen
6. I would like to go see "up in the air" but wont have time this weekend.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending the evening with my girls, tomorrow my plans include the usual errands then girls night get-together and Sunday, I want to go for brunch with hubby and maybe take a drive to the valley in the afternoon!

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, make your peace today.

The rising sun casts long golden rays
that shone through the billows of the morning clouds. 
I had to shield my eyes from the glare off the freshly fallen snow.



A sunrise like this one is rarity around these parts in mid January. 
January thaw perhaps? 
I put on a sweater, grab my camera
and head outside for some quick shots of the indigo sky
right before the sun rose above the horizon.



I wonder what the afternoon will hold?

Monday 18 January 2010

Monday Questions #3


  1. Do I procrastinate?
  2. Do I stand up for myself?
  3. Do I complain?
  4. Do I hold grudges?
  5. Do I have trouble making decisions?

»Click to read my answers«

Monday Questions #1, #2

Thursday 14 January 2010

The Lost Kokology File - The Stolen Berries

Look what I found in my draft folder over the weekend.
Who wants to play KOKOLOGY?

What is Kokology?
    Tips: 
  • Say the first thing that pops into your head 
  • Don’t try to predict answers 
  • Be honest with yourself 
  • Be prepared 
  • Keep an open mind
Everyone likes a nice person and most of us try to be good in our own lives. Why is it, then that there are so few people in the world who are good all the time? As hard as you may try, there are always those rotten days of moments and weakness where it just feels better to be bad. Whether that takes the form of driving too fast on the highway, cheating on a test, or "liberating" a box of pens from the office, we've all done things we can't be proud of or justify. The key to becoming a truly good person is in accepting the bad parts of your own personality and admitting that you're not perfect, not in trying to act like a saint while the devil on your shoulder whispers in your ear. We all succumb to temptation sometimes. But in the next scenario you might just get caught...

1. On a stroll through the countryside, you come across a field of delicious-looking strawberries. Your stomach starts to rumble, and there's no one else around. Only a fence stands between you and a free lunch. How high is that fence?

2. You sneak into the garden and begin to help yourself to the fruit. How many berries did you eat?

3. Suddenly the farmer whose berries you're stealing appears out of nowhere and starts yelling at you. What do you say in your own defense?

4. After all is said and done, how did the berries taste? And looking back, how did you feel after your berry-stealing adventure was over?

You can leave a comment with your answers or keep them to yourself  - it's up to you.


Note:  Reading this in Google Reader? 
Answer the questions before you continue to scroll to reveal the key to "The Stolen Berries"

»Click to reveal key to The Stolen Berries«



Monday 11 January 2010

Monday Questions #2


  1. If you could be more ambitious in only one aspect of your life, what would it be?
  2. What are you doing to develop your special talent(s)?
  3. What big mistake have you made recently and what did you learn from it?
  4. Is there something in your life that you always wanted to try but fear has been stopping you from giving it a go?
  5. What one thing would you  try if you knew you could not fail?

»Click to read my answers«

Monday Questions #1

Sunday 10 January 2010

Clean Up



Spent most of the weekend doing mostly nothing and cleaning up in between. I managed to get caught up on all the dirty laundry -woohoo! Also did some cleanup on my blog, e-mail and facebook. Facebook; deleted one years worth of accumulated private messages. E-Mail; Deleted pages and pages in my in-box. Blog; Read through all unpublished blog posts, decided what I should hold onto and what should be deleted.

Here is a list of  titles from potential posts that will forever be lost somewhere out there in cyberspace. Some of these post in draft were completely finished and unpublished because a) I thought they sucked b) Didn't have the guts to push the "publish" button:
  • With the lights out, it's less dangerous.
  • I want the stars and the moon. ( Is that too much to ask for?)
  • Touché!
  • Life's a bitch...
  • Death. Then What?
  • A Privilege to Know You
  • Within a Moment
  • Ambivalence
  • Something in my... Soul?
  • Between Awake and Sleep
  • Dropping Like Flies
I still have a few post in draft that I decided to keep for now.  Who knows... One day I may have the courage to click that "Publish" button.

Friday 8 January 2010

Friday Fill-Ins #158 - Tip of the hat to The Beatles

Click the link below to play along.

And...here we go!

1. There are places to go today and things to do but I'm feeling kind of blah and my ass is dragging.
2. The Beatles sing "all things must pass" and "it's not always been this gray" (obviously they have never been to Eastern Canada in the winter).  Today my head is in the clouds where my mind can blow those clouds away.
3. Standing in the shower this morning, I was imagining myself in a warm tropical paradise.
4. I can't seem to get the gears in this old bean of mine to get moving... oh boy!
5. He went out tiger hunting with his elephant and gun.  In case of accidents he always took his mom. - I always thought this song would have been better if recorded with out Yoko Ono screeching in the background.
6. With all this cold and snow, how can I possibly keep my mind from wandering?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going home and snuggling up in my comfy PJ's, tomorrow my plans include grocery store, hardware store, furniture store and Sunday, I want to cook a nice dinner for the family, maybe watch a movie or two!

Monday 4 January 2010

Monday Questions



1.  What do you do when you can't sleep at night? Do you toss and turn, count sheep, get up and do   something productive, check your email/facebook/blog?

2.  What is your most unusual morning ritual or night time ritual?

3.  If you had to choose one thing that gives you the most comfort, what would that be?

4.  What are you currently obsessing about?


My Answers:

1.  I usually toss and turn and think about all sorts of weird and wacky stuff:  If the professor could build a radio system out of coconuts, why couldn't he fix a hole in their boat?

2.  At night I count my meds to make sure I haven't forgotten to take one - I really should get one of the medication minders at the pharmacy.

3.  Jammie bottoms or a pair of really comfy jogging pants.

4.  Right now I am obsessing over dust around my house that everyone else in the house claims they cannot see.  My aunt once obsessed over fruit flies that no one else in her house could see. Turned out she had a semi-detached retna and was seeing floaties she thought were fruit flies.  Note to self:  Make eye appointment asap!!