Saltzworks

Technique Vaulting Club

2012-01-14T21:53:00.006-07:00

Having Fun!

This is our newest add to the daily line-up of things that keep us busy

Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club

Lex has not been training for long, just a few months, but give her some time, and maybe, just maybe she will be at this level...

--2006 Women's Gold Medalist, Megan Benjamin (Mt Eden Vaulters), performs her freestyle on Leonardo at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, Aachen, Germany. --

Obviously this means that Lex has recovered 100% from her appendicitis and is back in the saddle (so to speak ;)

Appendicitis

2011-10-20T21:58:00.000-06:00

Life Happens.

Guess what we've been doing this last week...

Is it Appendicitis?

It is - headed off to surgery

Successful surgery, and into her room for the night

...and, almost 24 hours later, time to go home

When your kids grow up... you have no say

2011-10-14T13:17:00.006-06:00

Sometimes having adult children is almost enough to give you a heart attack. Yesterday was one of those days.

I almost lost him yesterday

This is a training where they launch over the lake, and proceed to do maneuvers that deliberately cause the parachute to fail. Sometimes things go wrong. Gives new meaning to boys will be boys.

A sign of the times: Things you'll do for a job and to be better at your work.
Cloud 9 Paragliding.

Stills:

In trouble

worst case...back up chute coming up through your first wing's lines

Lucky Lucky Lucky

Puppets, More Puppets and some Costume prep

2011-09-26T11:57:00.030-06:00

The 2011 22nd Annual Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is over.

If you missed it, watch for next year's event on Labor day Weekend.

Or, if you can't wait, there is the Midwinter TSI (Timpanogos Storytelling Institute) in February.

Lex loves helping mom work (scratch that...PLAY) in the Fanfare tent each year!

It's looking official - The OPL's Puppet Festival looks to be an annual thing from now on. Hundreds of kids came, enjoyed free puppet shows from 10-2, created their own marionettes and puppets in the free make and takes, and manipulated a giant marionette to boot. Yeah for some fabulously talented puppet volunteers in our community!

It's almost October!
It might be a tad early for Halloween... I take that back, it is not too early if you are a kid. Kids have been planning cotume choices since last November. So it's only early if you've lost some of that kid magic. In any case, I stumbled on some amazing fabrics a few weeks ago, mostly for use in library displays, but one piece in particular is multipurpose... - I had to look up some how-to videos :)

Oh, and soon to come . . . Wannabe Puppet Workshops at the OPL
(November 10 & 12, 2011 call 801-229-7161 for more information)

2011-07-07T16:41:00.010-06:00

Busy
I've noticed that when life gets the busiest, my ever present planner does not reflect my life accurately - and the same goes for my blogs!

The busier I am, the less I blog (which only makes sense) but my planner entries also dry up.

Looking back I see these huge blank spots, days and weeks of what looks like vacation - no entries, no appointments, no notes. I haven't fiugred out if this is a bad thing, yet.

You would think that when I am swamped that I could benefit from some organization, some lists of things the need to get done. Or, is it that I am running from one thing to the next so fast that the time it takes to sit and think and write it all down is a luxury I cannot afford. Either that or it's too scary a prospect to actually look at it all. I just might have to give up if I were to see it all in print!

All that to the side, have to update here because . . well, just because.

Writing Conference

The Writing and Illustrating or Young Readers Conference was AWESOME! If you are a writer, are getting started or just want to make those all important connections that are vital to getting published, you should not miss this one-of-a-kind event. There is not another conference I know where you get to spend 4 hours every day for a week with only 12 other students and a highly qualified published teacher/published author. Martine Leavitt is amazing! Seriously read Keturah and Lord Death, you will see why I am in awe.

Fabric Arts Boutique

Closely following the conference (as in that Saturday) the Orem Library held it's first annual Fabric Arts Boutique. This was a starter year, and things did not happen like I dreamed, but if you didn't score some incredible fabric and textile deals you really missed out. I don't think we can pull those kinds of deals off again. My pocketbook is not happy, but my little crafter soul is.

Plus, we raised funds for the Center for Story along with educating the public with exactly why we need to build onto the library.

Rock Canyon Literary

Next, The Rock Canyon Literary Agency L.L.C. is officially 'outed'. We've opened up submissions, although it's still fairly restrictive--we have high expectations from our clients--we will accept proposals for representation,we've got Facebooking and Twittering started (albeit, not a lot of chatter going on yet) and...of all things (I know, huge run-on sentence going on here) we are brainstorming having an editors conference next February.

After all, it's the editors that authors want to connect with right? It's great authors that editors want to find too. What if we were able to bring the best of the best together each winter in conjunction with what happens at the Timpanogos Midwinter event? What would you (as a professional storyteller, prospective children's author) want from a conference--to get published, right? Let's see what we can make happen shall we? Keep watching!

Writing Librarian

Last - I've been madly writing and planning and working, I even posted in The Writing Librarian. Not a lot, but some updates and a little back story/side story from the novel.

Oh, can't forget the 'regular' stuff!

ie: The FOURTH of JULY!!

It was some fishing and relaxing at the cabin . . .

Uh oh, Lex has one . . .

Did I ever mention I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to touching the fish?

Not going over there again! No thanks. I'll stay on this side and just watch from now on.

Caught a few of this little imp - must have been read too many frog princess stories or something, she was KISSING the worms!

Utah has new fireworks laws - kids in a candy shop, not that I got any of THOSE pictures. Justin did tho'...I'll post when he uploads :)

Ta for now!

Finishing up George,

2011-05-25T22:47:00.001-06:00

the stuffed dog who wanted to be a real puppet . . .

When we left, George was an eating puppet, but not a talking puppet. Time to make George talk!

Sew another bag, this one does not have to be wide like the stomach.

Long and skinny.

Sew all 4 sides - a tube with no opening

I wanted to support George's mouth a bit better - use heavy poster board or cardboard.

Trace the shape of his jaw and adhesive it inside his mouth.

Now for a very tricky part, click on the photo to enlarge it and look at it closer. I've cut a slit in the bag.

Now FOLD THE BAG IN HALF.

Snake one half to the top of George's mouth, tack it in.

Take the other half and snake it under the stomach and tack into the lower jaw.

The stomach will be sadwiched by the two halves.

Sew the openings together - if you look closely you can see where the fold is.

And now it's done folks.

Hmmm, what if I sewed some fake 'chunks' in the lining of the stomach, that way if it ever turns inside out I can really gross out those scouts that come in wanting a tour and a story ;) Maybe not. You can't say I don't think like the kids I help everyday though!

Something I did for the Library . . .

2011-05-22T08:35:00.001-06:00

Turning a Stuffed Animal into a Specialty Puppet

First, let me tell you that I have been carrying my copy of Bark George (OPL Link) by Jules Feiffer in the car for months.

The reason?
I've known for a long time that I wanted to figure a way to 'do' Bark George in a story or laptime.

The problem:
How do I work out the mechanics of it? Is it going to be an Old Lady Who Swallowed the Fly style of telling? You've seen the varieties, small animals and a swallowing old lady; big cardboard lady with a hole cut out for her stomach that you drop the animals into; a dress you wear and you get to act as the old lady and your 'belly' grows.

As good as these sound, they just weren't feeling right for George. George has to be 'hiding' the animals from the beginning and the vet takes them out.

Well - I'm telling you all - head on over to your local Goodwill or second-hand store. Find a LARGE stuffed dog with a likely mouth. You'll know it when you see it. It might take a few months, but when it happens, you'll know it!

Let me introduce you all to GEORGE!

Click on pictures to open up a larger, close up view

He has the perfect deep mouth I needed, it's almost already a puppet, and he's fairly large. The only drawback, he's not the same breed as found in Feiffer's book. Beggars can't be choosers.

To help this page load faster, I have inserted a page break. If you want to see how I made George the stuffed animal into George the specialty puppet . . . read on . . .

First: WASH him

Put him in the quick wash cycle with detergent and lots of fabric softener. Do NOT dry. If you do a dryer, use the air-only cycle. It won't dry him completely, and you will need to keep fluffing and turning him for a few days to get him completely dry... or, since you are going to open him up anyway, open him up and let's get started . . .

I found a likely place to cut through a few stitches to open him up. I chose the top of his back where there was a seam.

Survey your stuffed animal, think of how you plan on holding him when he's done. THEN start cutting.

There was a stain left from a big red bow. Yes, George used to be a Georgette. I will put a collar on George when we are done to cover this up.

Here you see the exposed the stuffing.

Time to pull out all the stuffing. Air it out to dry and let's continue with our work.

George had a very good mouth.

Deep and Wide.

I was very lucky.

Cut into that seam there in the back of the mouth and open it up.

The bigger the better, it's hard to swallow a cow if you only have a little throat.

Sew a bag. A big bag. A bag that reaches all the way to George's tail!

The best option would be to use some stretchy material. I only had cotton, but it worked with a little extra effort.

You should probably use BLACK fabric and BLACK thread.

I also sewed a casement, so that I could gather the mouth of the bag. You can use whatever you like, just know that you need the opening of the bag to fit the opening of your soon to be puppet.

I only had white thread. White thread shows from inside George's mouth.

One large Sharpie marker and a few minutes later... it's black thread now.

I colored the thread AFTER sewing. NOT before ;)

Here you see the bag as I have stuffed it's back end into the mouth opening.

I'm very visual, I had to make sure I had it right side out from the inside of George.

I used some curling ribbon I had on hand to do the gathering. It does not have to be permanent, you need to gather it only long enough to sew it.

The bag is sewn in the mouth opening. It's all puckered and gathered in there, but since George's mouth was fairly big and deep to begin with, you can't tell.

Tack the end of the bag to George's tail region. That way you don't pull it inside out when you pull the swallowed animals out of him.

Here you see the bag pulled up and through his back.

Now add the stuffing back in. The key here is to stuff him LOOSELY.

You are going to need room for the swallowed animals later.

Here he is again!

See. You can't even tell. He still looks like a stuffed dog. Not a puppet!

You can play with what animals George has swallowed. Use what you have and what fits.

Key: Put that last animal in first. Keep them in order.

It's probably good to get to know them by feel as well.

WAIT

We aren't done yet!!!

George is still open in the back.

I still want him to be a puppet with a workable mouth!

How do you do that when you already have a bag attached to the mouth. A bag that will be filled with hidden animals no less!

I've got a solution.

But you will have to click to THIS POST to see it ;)

2011-04-30T13:00:00.002-06:00

I needed another project like I need a hole in the head.
But then I just wouldn't be me if I weren't doing a dozen things at once.

Telling Stories ---
--- One Stitch at a Time

Check it out- Come if you can - it's going to be so very f.a.b. FABULOUS!

Seriously, this really is going to be AMAZING!

click here for more information

Oh my... an endless supply

2011-04-22T10:02:00.003-06:00

The latest from Lex . . .
_________________

Mom?

Can you remind me when I'm grown up that I wanted to be an author.

Unless 9 year olds can be authors.

If I can publish books now, you can be my editor.

Oh, and after I finish The Pucker Princess, I have another idea . . .

Everyone thinks dinosaurs are extinct (big raised-brow pause here) but what if they AREN'T??!
_______________

I swear, I should write her as a character in a book.

Puppets etc.

2011-04-15T23:54:00.004-06:00

Making puppets again -

Stuff is squishing out the sides again - my life gets super busy and instead of doing the things that I know need doing, I head sideways into a new project for relief.

Photo blog on how to make ping pong puppet eyeballs.

If you recognize him at all, you'll see he is the beginnings of a Storyteller Puppet ala James Christensen style. The Festival Merchandise Committee thought it would be kind of cool to have a storyteller puppet. And, if it's possible, more than one.

___________________________

Want inspiration? Some e-how videos, good stuff

Tools and Supplies: How to Make a Puppet eHow.com

Gutenberg is in the middle...

2011-04-14T21:13:00.005-06:00

A taste of what can be overheard in our house:

You know The Gutenberg Press is in the middle of it all.

Me: Oh?

Yep. You see Marco Polo decided he wanted an adventure and after he went all these places exploring China, he got home and he wanted to have all his adventures written up. He did exaggerate a bit though.

And so Gutenberg printed up all about Marco Polo and then Columbus read all about Marco Polo's adventures and he wanted to have adventures too and so he discovered America.

See, Gutenberg is in the middle of it all.

Things Lowes needs to fix

2011-03-28T18:54:00.000-06:00

Hi, my name is Alexis and I am taking over my mom's blog today, because I went to Lowes with my dad and, well just, here it is:

Thirteen things that Lowe's needs to work on.

1. You can't just sell everything already made, you have to let the people make some stuff on their own.
2.   Expensive doors.
3.   Weird color on most doors.
4. Glass on doors weird.
5. Rugs need to be more soft.
6. Hello, enrtertain kids.
7.   Work on making the lights prettier.
8. Pink ,blue,and green wires. Really?
9.   Old people stuff. Come on, that's all you have?
10. Cotton lamp, ew.
11. White fan, ew.
12. Weird blinds.
13. Leperchaun day is over. Get the decorations off.

Seriously

That's all.

Interlude...

2011-03-21T18:59:00.001-06:00

There is just too much going on for me right now to even begin to cover it all, but I had to butt in here (amongst all the crafty posts) and mention some news . . .

I received a reply on my picture book submission from one of the publishing houses!

First, let me preface by saying that I submitted this manuscript at the editor's request - I had a chance to do a pitch

~this pitch~

(Keep in mind that it was pretty off-the-cuff and not as polished as I would have liked. I was trying to remember my cover letter stuff. I would re-word it if I were to use it later in my cover letter or whatever.)

______

Oliver used to be ordinary--yesterday.
Oliver, to his surprise, has begun to float.
Oliver has lost his gravitational grip.
     (wish I'd phrased these better here)

Unfortunately schools aren't equipped to deal with kids who develop an unusual aptitude like altitude.

Ordinary Oliver, a picture book tale for anyone who has found themselves on their own, and overlooked, by their grown-ups.

     (he then asked for a 'comparison', an "it's this book meets that book" kind of thing)

Ordinary Oliver: It's Tuesday meets The Shrinking of Treehorn with a twist of Bad Case of Stripes.
     (I could not remember Imogene's Antlers - I would have liked to throw that one in there too.)
____________

Excerpts from the reply:

' . . . love the imagery, Amy. The fact that Oliver floats . . . and no one notices intrigues me. I think you are a talented writer and you hit the market with this idea.'

'Your word count is right on. You've got a great cover letter. Your story is well written, and works well when read aloud. It is obvious you have done your research and are familiar with what kids are looking for.'

Now, they did not pick this up, partly because they only publish 1-2 picture books a year and partly because of the type of house they are. They often have a requirement that those picture books have a strong take-away message. I am completely okay with that. It's what I knew already. It's just so nice to have an editor give me such positive feedback.

So... I am still submitting Oliver. But it's hard to remember to follow through since I am on to the next three, no that's five projects (I'm not including any craft project in that count, that's just the manuscripts that are itching my brain at the present time), I've got to get better at the follow up.

In any case, here's to hoping for the right eyes to see Ordinary Oliver at the right time.

2011-03-21T18:22:00.000-06:00

Finishing it off...

Putting on the Cover

Supplies:

Scissors

PVA glue

Flat brush

Waste paper

Wax paper

Weight

Trim the crash

Carefully line everything up, is the block sqaure in the cover? Brush PVA glue OUT (start in center, brush to edges) Get glue on the top of the crash too. Carefully - VERY carefully roll the cover over and onto the endsheet.

I didn't realize how critical this part is and how difficult. Be VERY particular, because once you've rolled that cover over and onto the endsheet you will not want to lift it back off. Messy, messy and you are more than likely going to tear something.

Flip and repeat to back side.

Insert a piece of wax paper between cover and the loose endsheet. Then, under the wax paper, place a piece of heavier-weight paper. This one is to absorb the moisture so you don't get warping. Do this to BOTH sides.

Now weight it all down (.more than one weight would ahve been nice), and let dry.

Want to know what's on deck?

Here is sneak peek at my next project!

Curious? Go here; see if you can guess where I'm headed . . .

Decorating the Naked Book

2011-03-21T17:37:00.002-06:00

Why Naked Book? Because there is no cloth covering on these boards!

Decorating the Boards

Supplies:

Lined (and now dry) cover

Gesso
Flat brush
Modeling Paste
Spatula
Various stuff to make impressions in paste
Acrylic paints, variety

Bowls for mixing paints

Water

Sponge

Metallic Rub'n Buff paint
Cotton cloth

Rennaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish

Paint a layer of Gesso on front and back of cover. You don't have to paint on the INSIDE of the spine, but DO paint the OUTSIDE of the cover.

Apply Modeling Paste to the outside of the cover.

Not too thick.

Now, with your assembled 'things to make impressions' start playing in the paste!

Make sure you get a thin layer of modeling paste on the spine. If I were doing this one over, I would do a lighter layer on that spine.

Also make sure you are not getting paste on the inside of your cover.

DO get the edges of your cover.

Let dry, thoroughly. Sand rough spots when dry.

Assemble what acrylic paints you want. A touch of metallic is fun too!

You are going to mix enough water in a bowl with your paint to bring it to a milk-like consistancy.

You will apply a WASH of color with a wet sponge.

Remember: With a wash, start with the lightest colors FIRST. Build your color up.

Half way done...

When acrylic is dry, buff a VERY TINY amount of metallic polish with a cotton cloth.

WARNING: a little goes a LONG way.

To protect acrylic, rub a tiny (very tiny) amount of Renaissance Micro Crystalline Wax with another cotton cloth.

A preview... the finished books from our workshop!

Next: The last step... Setting the text block in the cover.

Assembling the Cover, Finishing the Signature

2011-03-21T17:09:00.000-06:00

We have a bit of finishing to do before we can get to decorating the boards...

Finishing off the Text Block and Assembling the Cover

Supplies:

Crash or Muslin
Finished signature
Waste Paper
End papers
PVA glue
Small brush
Liner Paper
Lined cover boards
Pencil
Weight

Apply PVA glue to the flattened spine of your text block.

Line up crash (or you can use muslin) and glue to the spine of the text block.

Tipping in the endsheets...

The endsheets shown here are already folded in half.

Using the straight edge of a waste paper (the green paper here) apply PVA glue to the exposed edge of the folded endsheet.

Always brush OUT, off the waste paper and onto your surface to be glued.

This prevents glue from being swept underneath the waste paper edge and onto paper you don't want glue on.

Lift off waste paper.

Flip over the end sheet (glue side down)

Lifting up the crash, you don't want it glued down yet, line up and tip in the endsheet.

Repeat process for the second endsheet.

Both endsheets are tipped in and you are ready for the next step...

Applying the Liner to the Cover Boards

We are using this liner inside out.

Fold in the head and foot so it measures the same height as your text block.

Glue down the folded flaps

Round the liner paper over your spine. Even up both top and bottom.

Line up your cover boards over the liner. Text block is still inside.

Mark with a pencil the glue lines - where your cover boards end and your liner/spine sticks out.

Place wax paper over the crash, you don't want glue on any of the text block yet.

Now brush PVA glue on the liner, adhere the cover boards. Weight and dry.

At some point here you want to trim your endsheets to match your signatures. A metal edged ruler/straight edge and a good blade are highly recommended.

Next: Decorating the Cover

Rounding the Spine / Bookmaking

2011-03-20T17:09:00.002-06:00

Prepping the Boards and Rounding the Spine

Now that you have your signatures sewn, it's time for the next step.

Supplies:

PVA glue
Sand paper on a sanding block
(I've used a piece of sandpaper applied to a remnant of a board)
Liner paper (regular white paper)
Cover boards
Your sewn signature
Small brush
Weight
Bone folder

First, you will need to line your boards. Using a PVA mix glue, glue paper liners onto each side of your boards. This paper can be just regular weight printer paper.

When dry you will sand off the excess.
Sanding off is much easier than cutting.

Now place the signature between the boards. Pull out the signatures until they stick out about 1/4 inch. Hold the whole thing with a weight.

Using PVA glue and a small brush, apply glue to the signatures.

You want to get a bit into those round edges, between the signatures.

Rub off excess glue with your thumb. Let dry almost 5 minutes, or until damp but no longer sticky.

With a bone folder start to flatten those rounded spines.

Here you can see the difference between a flattened section and the other.

Lift and pull the fore-edge of your text block, then roll your thumb over the top of the spine to start to round out the spine. You are trying to get the spine to curve in at the top and bottom (not the head and tail of the book). When you have worked over one side, flip the text block and work the other side. You can use a rubber hammer on larger text blocks. This small one won't show a lot of curve.

Here is the finished rounded spine.

Keep watching...

Soon: The naked part, or in other words, Decorating the Boards...

The Naked Book ... an A. Dean Larsen Workshop

2011-03-17T22:50:00.006-06:00

I've just finished a pre-conference workshop presented of the A. Dean Larsen Book Collecting Conference. What a great class! Judy is a fabulous teacher, so well prepared, so sincere, so very dedictaed! I look forward to this conference every year.

Today's inspiration came from Christopher McAfee's

Naked Book of the Apocalypse

There are over 80 photos that I took of the whole process.
You don't get them all today.
Today you only get the French Sewing on the signatures.

Watch for upcoming posts:

~Decorating the Cover
(we used MODELING PASTE and ACRYLICS WASHES!!)
~Rounding the Text Block
~Putting the Cover on the Text Block

... plus a few little how-to's

~ Locking a needle onto your thread
~Gluing 'out'

p.s. click on the pictures to see them large, click again to get them really up close.

Supplies

PVA Glue
Bone Folder (or teflon folder)
Paper Piercer
Pencil
Cutting Blade
Brush
Straight Edge ruler, preferrably metal edged
Wax Paper
Waste Paper (so you don't get glue everywhere)
Paper for signatures
Protective mat so you don't ruin your table
Beeswax
Needle and Thread

Fold 4 pieces of paper at a time. This is a signature. First with your fingers, then with the bone folder. Mark all the top corners of each signature with an x.

Use a Sewing Template (EVEN number of holes), set it INSIDE the folded signature and pierce holes in each signature.

Hold piercer at a 45 degree angle to pierce

Stack the signatures

Now flip all the signatures, except one, over to the top of desk. Place weight inside first signature. Take waxed thread (lock the thread on the needle) and starting on the outside pull thread to inside, leaving about a 4 inch tail.

Sew in and out up through all 6 holes in the signature. Pull thread taught but not tight. Tighten by pulling threads straight out the top and bottom of the 'book' so you don't rip your papers. Bone fold over the thread, you want to mold the paper over the thread that is inside the signature.

Place signature 2 on top of first signature. Place weight inside to hold in place. Now go back down the spine. LINK the stitches as shown for a nice French stitch.

Tie a square knot with that beginning tail when you get to it.

Pick up the TOP edge of the far side of the linking stitch to get that herring bone look of the French stitch.

Kettle stitch as shown to link the ends of the signatures

Don't forget to rub the bone folder over the signature, it cuts down on the bulk and molds that paper over the threads

Set the next signature on the block, place the weight and continue stitching.

Remember, taught but not tight. Oh, and make sure you haven't left any loose loops inside your signatures.

Kettle stitch again

Another kettle stitch, pull up to tighten. More linking stitches

TWO kettle stitches to finish it off. Cut thread, leaving another 1 inch tail, trim the first tail to about 1 inch as well.

Watch Tomorrow for Rounding the Spine

Our fallen friend

2011-03-04T22:03:00.003-07:00

A few pages to remember our fallen friend and co-worker, Jim Reams.

Management by Walking Around "Jim's gone MBWA"

if you look closely, you'll see Jim, our great leader, sticking out his tongue

Jim, our beloved city manager unexpectedly passed away last fall. Jim was a hero to all of us here at the city, his passing has left us with heavy hearts.

This is a project I have been working on for the last 5-6 months. As hard as it has been, as busy as I have been, I am still glad that I took it on. It's the least I could do in remembrance of this great man.

It took a mass appeal for any and all photos that anyone may have taken in the last decade, of a very reluctant subject no less, before we managed to gather a fair collection. In no way am I aiming to scrapbook every photo, but there were are some gems.

Picture Book Marathon

2011-01-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have not been posting a lot lately. Call me crazy, but I've been re-directing all my extra time into manuscript writing. I currently have two picture book manuscripts out for submission. I was planning on attending to my much neglected novel writing for the next few months when guess what cropped up - - -

The 2011 Picture Book Marathon!

Artist: Nathan Hale / follow this link to Nate's blog

For anyone who writes or illustrates for the picture book market - it's not too late. You can still sign up and join in the fun. Just follow this link to the PBM's website. Scroll to the bottom and sign-up instructions are posted.

The craziness begins Feb 1st

p.s. Check out Nate's posts from the 2010 Picture Book Marathon - here is the start. You'll have to scroll up through February to get the rest - it's worth effort!

Orem Public Library Kids Literature Preview...

2011-01-31T15:55:00.001-07:00

Soon - very soon, the Orem Library Children's department will be posting regularly on a blog!

Here is a little preview of the post I've prepared :)

Otto Grows Down by Michael Sussman, illustrated by Scott Magoon

New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2009, 30 p.

Suggested Interest Level: Ages 4-8

Otto gets a new sister, and she’s just in time to ruin Otto’s sixth birthday. Otto is not happy about the new addition, which is made abundantly clear when he uses his one birthday wish to, “wish that Anna was never born!”

True to the secret power of birthday wishes made under the correct conditions, Otto gets his heart's desire. Unfortunately, when Otto rewraps and returns all of his presents, he starts to get an idea that something may have gone horribly wrong. From leaving the barber with longer hair than he started out with, to getting out of the bathtub dirty instead of clean, Otto's un-growth is producing more than a few undesirable consequences.

As Otto arrives at his fifth birthday he attempts to fix his fateful wish. No luck. Fourth birthday? No. Third? No. Otto is stuck and the situation isn't looking good as Otto’s second birthday also comes and goes.

Now, its Otto’s last chance; his first birthday, but what can he do, he can’t even talk anymore!

Find out more by checking out this delightful, sometimes disgusting book on being careful of what you wish for and learning that maybe that new baby isn’t so bad after all.

Like it? Want to read more picture books like this?

Picture books that deal with new siblings

When the New Baby Comes, I’m Moving Out by Martha G. Alexander
Brand-New Baby Blues by Kathi Appelt
No More Kissing! By Emma Chichester Clark
Bye-Bye Baby by Richard T. Morris

Picture books about new babies for the slightly older reader

Boss Baby by Marla Frazee
How to be a Baby --by me, the Big Sister by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Born Yesterday: The Diary of a Young Journalist by James Solheim
A Baby’s Coming to Your House! By Shelly Moore Thomas

Picture books with a touch of that unexpected magic:

Flora’s Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall
The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide
Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy
Monster Baby by Dian Curtis Regan
Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Imogene’s Antlers by David Small
Chalk by Bill Thomson
Tuesday by David Wiesner
April Wilson’s Magpie Magic: A Tale of Colorful Mischief by April Wilson

Picture Book Map

2011-01-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Just quick...

In my writing I have found that a little chart, that I believe I originally got from the author Debra Frasier, has been tremendously helpful.

For anyone plotting out the pacing of their picture book, for anyone who just wants to visualize their story, for anyone who likes writing picture books... this might be useful to you.

Have fun!

Storytelling Festival - Favorite Quotes

2010-10-17T20:29:00.003-06:00

I've been a little busy lately, it seems there is never enough time to do the little things like post.

Part of that busy-ness was going to Jonesborough Tennessee for the National Storytelling Festival at the beginning of October.

If you have never gone to a storytelling festival you are missing one life's treasures. Go to a good one if you can (Timpanogos or Nationals) or go to a smaller local one if you can't, no matter what, do go.

If you went, if you've seen these tellers live, you'll get a kick out of these. If you haven't seen them live, you really don't know what you are missing.

My favorite quotes from Jonesborough

...sorry, no quotes from Timpanogos - I was too busy working it to be able to sit and listen to anyone.

Donald Davis

If mom walks out, she's won. If you can't argue, you can't win.

A vacation? No-one that'd ever slid down my family tree had ever gone on one of those.

Carmen Agra Deedy

Hell's gonna be what you fear the most.

On decorum: All decorum went away with cell phones

Their family tree don't fork.

I've just turned 50, so I've left kindness and estrogen behind.

If the world goes down in flames it won't be 'cause of the stone throwers, it'll be because of the ones who do nothing.

Kevin Kling

Okie Doke

Bil Lepp

Everything in this bottle came from my garden.
Everything from my garden is in this jar.

Hot Chick: (the politically correct version) A woman of attractive descent.

Skeeter's first law of force and motion: Bodies being chased by the law tend to stay in motion.

Why light a fire with one match when you can build a fire out of matches.

Vegans so Vegan they won't say "Glad to meet you."

We were just married, but before we had kids; so we had more money than we don't have now.

Kim Weitkamp

If you an't bleedin' you ain't fishin'.

Norm, it's my aim to keep this bathroom clean. Your aim would help.

Misplaced kindness has its fruit. Even a stray seed will sprout roots and can grow.

Many a home has been burned down by burning good intentions.

Kathryn Windham

They's so sorry they ain't fit to tote guts to the buzzards.

On packing for a vacation: You're going to see, not be seen.

Disclaimer - you REALLY have to see these teller's live to appreciate their genius. These little snippets aren't near as side-splitting funny here as what you see when performed live.

Too Much a Pirate already...

2010-10-16T20:26:00.001-06:00

Recent converstaion with Alexis:

I'm so excited to be a princess for Halloween mom.

That's good honey.

What are you going to be?

I don't know sweetie, I have all those costumes from Summer Reading, I could be Alice, Maid Marion, or a Pirate.

Oh mom, you can't be a PIRATE for Halloween, you're too much of a pirate already and the whole point of Halloween is to be something different than what you are everyday.

...aarrgghh.

Photos Rule!

2010-09-24T21:21:00.011-06:00

I love seeing people realize their dreams.

I love it even more when it's someone I love.

Check out what my most awesome daughter--in-law Thai has been doing...

Thai White Photography
http://www.wix.com/thaiwhite/photography

p.s. Thai, you've been pretty sneaky, not showing me those photos of Lex! WOW, they are fabulous. Hint, hint, Christmas?

Writing or just plain going nuts?

2010-09-20T03:03:00.002-06:00

Notes on writing:

When its 2:00 a.m. and the voices in your head have decided to pull an all-nighter, its probably not a good time to remind yourself that becoming a writer really was a choice you made.

Although, that choice thing is a bit debateable. I personally think that all I ever did was let the toe of the beast in my door, I really can't pinpoint the day I opened the door entirely and allowed it to consume me.

That said, the voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas.

Excitement

2010-09-17T19:45:00.001-06:00

Remember when, probably as a kid, but hopefully as an adult too, you were so excited about something that you could hardly breathe?

I'm having a bit of that in triplicate this week.

So, what have I been up to that has me more excited than working on the Summer Reading programming did a few months ago?

1st- I was awarded an employee award yesterday. My incredible co-workers nominated me and I was given a beautiful trophy along with a bit of monetary thank-you. I honestly work with some of the most incredible people. I would be nothing without their constant help. The only reason I got the award is because I had their support to get there.

2nd- I've been taking a writing class at the local college (one of the local colleges) and although it makes me feel ancient, I am having the time of my life! It's nerve wracking, tense and oh so much FUN! Even better than the class are the people I get to work with, in particular author Rick Walton. This guy is amazing. Ask any Utah childrens author, of whom I hope to join in their ranks soon.
...little side note here, Rick, being the brainaic that he is, is starting a literary agency for professional storytellers - in particular, working with the giants of storytelling and getting them published as picture book authors. I get to help! Rock Canyon Literary...

3rd- (oh, but certainly NOT the least)- I am studying (with a professor at the other local college) script and text analysis. I was introduced to the concept last February at the Timpanogos Storytelling Midwinter Conference. It was a life-changing experience. You might ask what script and text analysis is? Well, it's simply the most incredible way of breaking down a script or text (actually just about ANYTHING that has a story) and being able to really know and pinpoint what makes a story work or not work.

Where am I going with all of this? I am a bit unsure at this point, all I do know is that the moon is looking mighty close right now and even if I just land in the stars I'll be there with a huge smile on my face.

Yahoo... some family pictures!

2010-08-08T23:05:00.001-06:00

It's only been over 2 1/2 years.

...and one of just the kids

...and in the middle of it all - a vacation

2010-08-02T17:34:00.002-06:00

Oregon

Peace

Amy, Lex & Brian / Ecola Beach

Thai

Brian & Jason playing Frisbee, me in the middle and Lex in the front / Seaside Beach

Young Love - Jason & Thai / Ecola Beach

Father and Son, Jason and Brian / Gearhart

Half-way

2010-06-30T09:27:00.002-06:00

Is the glass half empty or half full?

Now that we have hit our half-way point in the Library's Summer Reading program I'm not sure if it's a happy thing or a sad thing.

I know that it's a huge challenge for staff to deal with the constant every day crowds,

(yes, that's Mark & I doing the 'Find Your Pirate Name' on Pirate's A-Plenty, Pirates Ahoy! Day- oh and I have Pirate Will Reed there on my arm... he got a little obnoxius when he wasn't picked as a volunteer. When I finally let him volunteer with the other kids he didn't like his pirate name!! Silly guy.)

There is never a down moment. If for some reason there is a lull in the coupon redemptions, there's the booklists that we've run out of copies that need printing, there's the endless cleaning to be done (budget cuts have librarians doing double duty as the janitorial staff) and if you've got all that done (yeah, right) then there is shelf-reading and straightening and planning for the next week's program.

But, I can't help it. I'm going to miss all this when August hits and all the books come back as families turn their efforts and energy into getting ready to go back to school.

...some pictures of the last few weeks of BUSY at the library - oh and the Mermaid/Forbidden Sea display!

The Monte L. Bean Museum and crowd of 554! Yes, the photo is only of half the space.

Amy on Medieval Day with Mr. Troll and a young patron - sorry for the goofy look, but I do get excited when I talk to the kids about books!

Drew Briney the Storytelling Juggler ( www.jugglingtricksunlimited.com ) juggling KNIVES!!!

...and the Mermaid Display!! Which - by the way, check out Sheila's book Forbidden Sea - it was released on July 1st! It's a pretty darn good read!

Evolution of a puppet...

2010-06-04T22:19:00.004-06:00

When working with puppets never assume you have control.

I thought I was making a boy puppet - you saw what happened in my previous post.

I tried again. This is who I got.

Puppet Making Secrets of Barry Gordemer... and more

2010-05-29T17:57:00.007-06:00

Well, I don't know much about the puppet making secrets of Barry (see the youtube at the end of the post), I've not watched the link myself yet.

But... I have found out one thing - puppets have a way of making themselves in their own way.

I swear, I was making a boy puppet. A young schoolboy. I even have the clothing, little white button down shirt... well. apparently this little guy had other plans for himself. Now just look at him

Silly guy - Now I have to go back to the drawing board and try this again.

Who me? You can't mean me. I'm just an innocent puppet, you're the one who made me.

Oh, I'm so embarrassed

hee - hee, his eyes blink! I made the ping pong/coat hanger eye blinking mechanism that Mark found for me a few days ago - I embedded the youtube in my previous post.

...and the final product... Let me introduce you all to

Will Reed

Click HERE for more puppet antics by Amy
...and HERE for Will's latest

---

Now for YouTube and the original reason for this post:

The next project...

2010-05-25T22:27:00.012-06:00

Keeping Very VERY busy

Fairy Wings and Bug Things

Beware...all ye who enter the realm of the Looking Glass...

A Book Feast fit for royalty

Just Imagine...

...Mermaid dreams and Pirate screams

I've done my first puppet show performances - about 2 weeks ago, I created a new webpage, I've been prepping for the Library's Summer Reading Program, created a display - -

and now, I've been asked to do another puppet show performance - in two weeks.

It's for the HawksLanding-apalooza -yeh, a mouthful. Just a neighborhood get together with a parade, kara, er, kareo, uh, how do you spell kareoke anyway?? And now, if I can pull it together and take the day off work, a puppet show.

This is a hard one though. Now I have to create my puppets and possibly the stage too. I don't know if this one will be doable, but here's to trying!

The following is my research into making my own puppets...

Watch Puppet Building Tutorial- Blinking Eyes in Educational

View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
http://www.ehow.com/video_2389536_tools-supplies_-make-puppet.html

http://puppetsbrazil.blogspot.com/

http://puppeteersunite.com/

Ever heard of wix.com?

2010-05-16T14:21:00.002-06:00

Wow, just over 24 hours ago I first found out about Wix and WOW!

I gues I knew that there were free web building sites out there, yesterday I had my first experience with one.

In just about 8 hours I had pretty much grasped the whole "how-to" of it and had created a website. Well, not really 8 hours, I was only able to work on it off and on while I was working. But still - WOW.

I had been playing with doing a Summer Reading blog for the Library summer programming. Then Matt K. happened to show me Wix.

So, I bet you guessed it, I have created a website instead of a blog! I can't wait to upload video clips from the programs this summer, the booklists, the crafts and projects and just plain cool information we've dug up wile preparing for the weekly programs!

Check it out... OPL Summer Reading

p.s. oh, and it's all free too!

As distant and as far...

2010-05-07T13:36:00.001-06:00

So, do you ever find yourself wondering what bloggers do when they are out in the 'there' and not blogging? I mean, not everything gets blogged, right?

I mean - me, you - we can be anywhere. You can access the Internet at any time. We could be thousands of miles apart, and yet, we can be as close as the computer screen in front of you.

Ha! Anyway, if you didn't wodner (Amy hte dyslexic librarian strikes again...let's try that again...) WONDER before, maybe you will now...

I, for one, have been an absentee blogger. I must admit I've been filling my days with other stuff, non-blog stuff, you know, life stuff.

The truth of it is I have been having a blast creatively. Writing, planning, preparing, practicing....

Are you curious as to what it is? Check out the progress here

Votes?

2010-04-23T09:11:00.000-06:00

There's one week left of voting to win. Eighteen bloggers will win prizes ranging from a Blog Interviewer t-shirt, to a $50 wifi extender, to a $400 blogging information seminar.

Right now all you need are 55 votes to catch up and win for the month of April.

Me???

Are they sure they don't just send this same email out to everyone?

I could really use a blogging seminar, maybe then I'd learn to do this stuff!

I've been Interviewed...

2010-04-15T22:57:00.000-06:00

So this has probably happened to LOTs of you bloggers - right?

I've been interviewed by Blog Interviewer.

They say that there will be 18 blogs chosen in the month of April to win $1,000.00

There is no way I'll win that - it's a popularity vote. I've never won a popularity vote in my life.

All in all, if you are curious:

Go ahead and follow this link.

There you will find everything you never wanted to know about what goes on in my noggin and all about my bloggin, oh, blogging.

Pulled over for Potholes

2010-04-08T22:36:00.002-06:00

Fun things happening over here!

First - I have to mention that I got handed the OPL Summer Reading programming (watch for the blog I'll start keeping on this!) last week. In case you are unfamiliar:

It's 20 programs that needed to be set up, planned and scheduled by this Friday.

We have over 2,000 kids sign up for Summer Reading.

These are full on, 45-60 minute long performances with puppetry, magic, juggling, demonstrations, competitions and special guest stars! We get several hundred kids per program. Some of the programs run simultaneously. This does not include any of our regular 6 story and laptimes that are still occuring every week.

Anyone that knows me will know that I tend to get carried away sometimes. Just a bit.

Okay, a LOT.

I've been so giddy with excitement over what I am planning that I can hardly stand it! I've been a planning machine. An obsessed maniac. Imagine an evil professor hatching his plot to rule the world - put a twist on that, see me concocting a scheme that blows the socks of the kids of Orem and turns them all into library groupies.

Well - Thursday night I was so wound up that on my way home from work I got PULLED OVER by the police!

The officer came up and with a surreptitious sniff and glance into the interior of the car and asked if I was okay. It was rather obvious she suspected to find alcohol or some other nefarious substance as a cause for my erratic driving.

In my defense, it wasn't JUST my excitement, it was also POTHOLES bigger than my car.

Usually I can just glide around them, smoothly moving from the far side of my lane to the edge of the road in a delicate, and practically memorized, dance of pothole avoidance.

Not last night.

My concentration was taken and no matter how slow I drove, the potholes kept popping up out of the dark in a random attack pattern that my distracted muscles couldn't keep up with.

Slower than the speed limit driving.
Erratic pothole avoidance.
Bingo - you're pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence baby!

Lesson Learned. Maybe.

Don't know if at the ripe age of 43 if change is still possible.
Since I haven't grown up yet, there's only a slim chance of doing it now.

Bookbinding Part 3 - Sewing the Coptic Binding

2010-03-30T22:34:00.000-06:00

The Finished Product:

Prepare your space:

Stack book covers and text block, spine away from you, in the order they will be sewn.

Top cover on the top. (I had to use my glue bottle to keep it from sliding out).

Signatures (11) all lined up and arranged so that the punched spine holes line up together.

Top right corners all lightly marked in pencil.

Beads, 1" worth, on a strip of masking tape ready for you to put on your middle signature.

Bonefolder

3 1/2' of waxed linen thread - cut in half.

Curved needle

*Tip: Squash end of waxed thread ith your bonefolder to get it to go through the eye of the needle.

- Take the top signature and the front cover. Place them upside down on the edge of the table. Spine towards you.

- From the center of the signature, bring thread out the left hole. Leave a 3-4" tail inside the signature.

- Flip cover and signature over so that the cover is on top and your thread is now on your right.

- Bring thread from outside of cover and down between signature and inside of cover.

- Bring thread out on the right side.

- Insert needle back between cover and signature and then up through the cover to the outside.

- Pull thread up and out of the cover leaving a loop out on the spine.

Hold the loop, tug it towards you firmly, make sure your threads look straight and neat on the inside of your cover.

- Bring thread down through the loop and pull firmly straight down, tightening the loop.

*Do not pull too hard, it will rip out your signature! (you get three guesses on how I found that one out and two don't count)

- Now go back into the signature, in the SAME hole.

- Move up one hole and come back out to the spine - repeat the inbetween/out and around/up and out with a loop/down through the loop, tighten/back in the same hole.

For this book we then did a French stitch (a long stitch) in the center. These stitches are not connected to the cover. Just take a long outside stitch.

-Once you have gone the length of the book, press with the bonefolder over all the stitched places. This forms the paper around the thread and reduces bulk.

- On the last hole do not go back into the first signature, instead pick up your next signature and go into it. See above illustration

- Place your sewing weight on top of the signatures, but leave your cover up.

- Align your signature papers so they are square.

- In the middle, at this second french (long) stitch you will 'pick up' the bottom long stitch. Just go under it and back into the next hole. You are just connecting the long stitches it creates a herringbone-like pattern.

-At the end of your second signature you will now start linking signatures together with kettle stitches (a tear-drop-like loop that goes down 2 signatures in the right and out the left, then back up and into your same hole)

-Flip over the whole book and keep repeating until you get to your middle signature. ie: If you have 11 signatures, it will be on signature 6 that you do not pick up the long stitch in the center, but instead add about 1" of beads. This beaded stitch will NOT be linked to the lower or the upper long stitches.

* Tip: unthread your needle, roll the flattened waxed thread into a point and thread it into the beads. Re-flatten and re-thread your needle and away you go.

- Repeat until the last signature. On this signature you will repeat the cover-adding stitches, the same way you added the first cover. Tie in the ends with a double then a single kettle stitch.

I need to do a few more books, take a whole lotta photos and add to this - this is not easy! Do try youtube searching for videos, that combined with what I've got should get you started. Oh, and feel free to post questions in the comments ;)

Or, try learning a coptic binding another way... check out these videos I found on Youtube:

Bookbinding Part 2

2010-03-23T23:04:00.000-06:00

Preparing the Signatures and Cover boards

First, here is a photo of the kit:
* click on photos to enlarge

Supplies -
PVA glue
1" brush
Paperclips
Awl
Pencil
Sewing weight
Ruler
Bone folder
Single-edge blade
3/4" wide measuring board
Sewing template
Text-weight paper for signatures
Paste paper (inside of covers)
Waste papers - to keep a clean surface
Archers watercolor paper (cover)
Cutting mat
Scissors
Waxed linen thread 3 1/2 yards for this little book
Curved needle
Beads (keep them on a piece of masking tape - keeps them from rolling around and getting lost!)
Viewing mat - for finding the sweet spot on your cover paper

- After measuring and punching the holes in your cover board you will want to create a sewing template. This will help line up your text signatures with your cover.

- Take a folded heavier-weight paper that is the exact height that your signatures are going to be, width is not important.

- Mark the holes as shown on the sewing template.

- Fold sewing template inside out and punch holes with awl or piercer.

- Fold all your signatures and trim them.
If you don't want them trimmed then your pages will all be slightly different widths.

- Press each signature's fold with a bonefolder.

This book has 5 papers per signature for 10 pages when it's in the book.

- Taking each signature individually, place sewing template inside. Paperclip in place - line up top and bottom of template to the pages and then punch.
*small holes, nothing huge is required.

- Mark the top corner of each signature - you will want to keep all the signatures lined up with all the top corners together.

For this book we added two centered holes. These will be sewn with a French stitch.
This is the stitch that will hold a 1" stretch of decorative beads.

If you want any easier way - go here to Quiet Fire Design - and buy a piercing cradle.

- Hold awl/piercer at a 45 degree angle to punch- this puts your hole right in the gutter of the fold.

- Finish off the cover boards by cutting off the 'uglies' - the bumps from your piercing of the holes.

- Use sandpaper to smooth out the last of the bumps.

- Get your cover paper. Lay it on some waste paper and glue from the center out.
(make a circle in center and then pull glue out to edges - things go smoother if you glue this way)

(photo is of paste paper, you couldn't see the glue on the white watercolor paper)

- Place the board over the cover paper, line up with registration marks.

- Flip over and use a bone folder to lightly press cover paper to cover board.

- Before you go further - pierce the holes.

- Mark them from the inside, then push through from the outside in.

The wetness of the glue holds the cover paper down inside the holes.

- Flip over and trim cover paper down to 3/4" - - remove waste paper that has glue excess on it.

- Fold over the corner at a 45 degree angle.

- Cut the corner off. Leave about a 1" + 1/2" of the thickness of the cover board's distance from the board edge.

- Apply glue (always glue out to edge of the paper) on the bottom (tail).

- Roll board upright, folding the cover paper over the edge as you go.

- Smooth out inside of glued cover with thumb.

*Tip: Use waste paper wisely - don't scrimp and don't get glue where it's not supposed to be- PVA glue does NOT come off.

- Now repeat for top (head).

- After you've glued the top (head) and bottom (tail), now do the spine and the front edge.

- Press down the mitred corners before glueing spine and front edge.

- When all four edges are glued tap corners with bone folder to soften.

- Punch holes again, this time mark the holes by piercing from the outside in, then completely punch through from the inside out - wrapping the paper into the hole so you don't have bumps.

- Glue in the paste papers, the inside piece.

- Pierce holes again.

- Fold each cover individually in wax paper and press with sewing weight or other weight for 24 hours or until fully dry. The wax paper is to prevent glue seepage from getting on the opposite cover.

...next - sewing a coptic binding, the one needle way.

Bookbinding and A. Dean Larsen Conference 2010 - Sink Art

2010-03-22T22:58:00.000-06:00

It's been too long!

Life, it never gets quieter - or less filled.

So, been doing some FUN stuff. I took the pre-conference bookbinding workshop last Thursday. It's part of the BYU A. Dean Larsen Book Collecting Conference. It was so inspiring! My class was taught by Judy Sommerfeldt, she was very thorough and a good person to learn from - just in case you ever have the chance to take her class.

First - We learned how to create Sink Art - it's how we made the designs for the covers of our books:

Supplies:

Cover area with plastic - and wear an apron - I learned this the hard way.
Brushes - all sizes
Ink droppers
Scorers - to make comb marks or lines
Permanent Ink
Chalk (once they get on wet paper they become permanent and won't rub off)
Watercolor paper (Arches is great)

Apply permanent ink:

Let it dry a smidge

Add some score marks if desired

Blow some of the drops into fanned out sprays

Keep some parts puddled, let some edges dry (the wet parts will wash away, the drier it is the darker it will be.)

Wash ink off in the sink, get some good water markings in there, swirl the water around a bit.

(Good thing there were come willing people in the class that allowed me to snap some photos- washing the ink off your own paper and taking photos at the same time just did NOT work!)

Now wash it well, you want to get rid of all excess ink so that you have some nice white contrast areas

Add chalk, walnut ink and salt (if desired)

Then dry completely...

Now you look for the 'sweet spot' - the piece you are going to use for your cover.

Make some registration marks so that you can remove the frame and trim the paper.

You will want to trim the paper 1" bigger than your book cover.

Turn the paper over, line up the book board with the registration marks, lift up paper and board to a light, using the book board's shadow, copy your registration marks to the back of the paper.

Label the top and also front and back cover

Options: you can cover your book with fabric as long as you back it with facing you shuold be okay. The iron-on stuff is just fine - available at any fabric store.

I'll post more on assembling the book soon!

Long time no see ;)

2010-01-09T04:16:00.001-07:00

Just a quick little post-op note -

My hardware removal surgery for my back went well. Wednesday evening I was doing better than I thought possible after having that 8" incision opened back up.

But, it did not last. As soon as the anesthetic wore off and when I tried to move from IV medications to pills - well, it's been very yuck!

The balancing act of trying to get the right combination of pain and anti-nausea pills working was awful.

In any case, I think I'm through the worst of it and I expect to be released Saturday morning.

Nothing like spending 4 to 5 days in the hospital when I was only expecting 1 to 2.

Cabin anniversary weekend

2009-11-18T20:56:00.002-07:00

Just a quick post to try and convey some of what our anniversary weekend was like...

We got snowed in at the cabin - can you say delightful! Mom and Dad ended up staying the weekend. It was such a nice, comfortable and peaceful way to spend our anniversary.

The cabin - from below in the meadow

We went for a 4-runner ride up and around - we had to stop and warm up at the hotwell!

do you dare me to touch it?

...and the cabin is gorgeous! Gary did fantastic cabinetry work and mom did such a great job doing tile - oh, and all the work she did to make handmade patchwork quilts for every bed!

Mom and Dad have basically built this whole cabin. The logs walls were raised by a contractor, but all the inside stuff - well, that's all family! Justin did plumbing, Gary the cabinets, Jason the case and base, Sara & Angie the caulking and the rest was pretty much mom and dad - and at their age! I manage to do a lot in my life, but I'm still playing catch up to my parents. They run circles around me.

Basement kitchen

Living room from the stairs - the floors are reclaimed fence wood from Virginia

from the other angle

more of Gary's cabinets and mom's tile

the loft (the tv is here - can you tell by the couch potato? LOL)

one of the bedrooms

Journal Jar Questions

2009-11-03T16:36:00.003-07:00

For my class, and anyone who might be interested!

Here is the list of Journal Jar questions that I compiled from multiple Google searches.
It's seriously about 10 pages (I prefer printing it in landscape format- it's best for cutting up and making strips.)

Journal Jar Questions

What lessons did you take as a child? Did any carry over into adulthood?

Describe your first job.

What is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to you?

What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?

Did you have a close relationship with any of your grandparents? Tell about it.

What were your father's best traits? His worst? What traits do you share?

Describe your Sundays as a child.

Tell about your favorite Aunt or Uncle

What is your advice for good health?

How many brothers and sisters do you have? Tell about each of them.

Tell about a practical joke that was played on you or that you played on someone else.

What did you do when you were a child that got you in the most trouble and how did your parents handle it?

What are some of the superstitions that you remember growing up with?

Describe your parent's courtship and wedding as best you can.

What is the most important lesson, message, or advice that you have learned that you might pass on to others?

What convinced you most in your choice of a spouse?

Tell something about each of your children, their personalities, their talents, and the traits that make them each special and unique.

Write a want ad that describes your spouse.

Tell about a frustrating experience you have had with a car.

Did it snow where you lived as a child? What kinds of things did you do when it snowed?

Describe a typical day during your high school years.

What are your favorite colors, flowers, food, activities and hobbies?

Tell about a special date you had with a girl/boyfriend.

What things do you enjoy today that you enjoyed doing as a child?

Describe them then and now.

How did you like being the oldest, youngest or middle child? What were the advantages and disadvantages?

Do you have a favorite author - who? why?

Describe a trip downtown as a youngster.

Tell about your favorite books as a child, youth, adult.

What kinds of chores were you responsible for while you were growing up? Tell about them.

What board games or card games did you play while growing up? Who did you play with?

Did you ever go bowling? Tell about it.

What were swimming suits like when you were young?

Tell about an experience with one of your children's teachers.

Were you ever lost as a child? Tell about it.

Did you ever break a bone or have stitches? Tell about it.

What were you afraid of as a child? Why? Did this fear follow you into adulthood?

Tell about a time in your life when you were surprised. Tell about a time that you surprised someone.

Tell about sibling rivalry within your family.

Describe your room as a child. Did you have your own room or have to share it with a sibling? Tell some experiences.

Do you remember your family getting a new piece of furniture, a new car or something similar when you were a child?

Tell about what you did while visiting your grandparents or aunt and uncle.

Did you ever roller skate, ice skate, ski, or something similar?

Did you share any special interest with your mother or father?

Did you walk to school or ride a bus?

Where did you live while growing up? (city, state, country)

What was one of your favorite treats as a child?

Did your grandmother make any special desserts or food that you enjoyed?

Tell about a time that you helped someone in time of need.

Tell about a time that someone helped you in time of need.

Tell about your first car.

Have you ever picked up a hitchhiker? Or been one?

Tell about your first serious boy/girlfriend.

What form of transportation did you have while growing up?

Tell about a party that you hosted at your house or your parent's house.

Tell about a disastrous experience.

Did you ever save money for a big purchase?

Did you go to college or have vocational training - where or when?

What do you think about movies - what is your favorite movie and why?

Who was your best friend while you were growing up? Do you still associate with them?

What did your parents do for work while you were growing up?

What is your favorite book?

Tell about an experience you had with your friends while growing up.

Tell about the most trying experience you have ever had.

Tell about going to a high school dance.

Describe the places where you hung out with your friends as a teenager.

Tell about a person in school who was mean or snobby.

Tell about a double date.

What games did you play in your neighborhood?

Tell about some of your family traditions - Christmas, birthdays, Graduation, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, hunting, funerals, weddings, Mothers and Fathers Day.

Do you remember any outstanding family trips or vacations?

Tell about where you were and what you remember at the time of a historic event in your lifetime.

Did you have a bicycle? What was it like?

Describe a childhood birthday.

Describe a childhood Christmas.

Describe a typical school day as a child in elementary school.

What education did you receive other than at school?

What was your favorite place to go with your family when you were young?

Tell about retirement. When, where and what will you do (or are you doing) with your time?

Write one sentence that tells "how to live successfully".

Would you choose differently if you could choose occupations again? Why? Any advice?

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Describe the most serious illness or accident you have had.

Describe your first home as a young couple.

Describe your wedding day.

Did you have a job as a child? (paper route, lawn mowing, babysitting, etc.)

What were some of your favorite playground activities?

What fragrance would you say takes you back in time and what does it remind you of?

Where did you go to meet new people when you were in your youth?

Tell about your temperament as a child - has it changed?

Did you ever set anything on fire or know someone who did?

Did you ever get a spanking? Grounded? Tell about what you did and the punishment.

Tell about a star gazing experience.

Have you ever spent any time out of the USA?

Describe how the ways of doing household chores was different when you were growing up than it is today.

Did you ever have a favorite scary story while you were growing up? What was it about?

Did you ever have a graveyard or a haunted house experience?

Did you ever keep a secret about someone? Are you still keeping it today? Tell about it if you can!

Tell about going to the County Fair or the amusement park when you were a child.

Describe getting a Christmas tree with your family as a child. Tell when and how it was decorated.

Tell about "hand-me-downs" you received or gave.

Tell about the "Tooth Fairy" and other personages you remember.

Tell about learning a skill from either of your parents, cooking, sewing, cleaning, fixing things, etc.

Describe what you think it is like to live with you.

Describe one of your favorite outfits of all time...a dress, shoes, shirt, hat.

How did you feel about school?

Were you or do you remember anyone in your school class being punished by a teacher?

List and tell about at least three good qualities about yourself.

What do you feel has been the most significant event that has taken place in your lifetime and how has it affected you?

Tell something you remember about your relationship with your grandfather.

Tell something you remember about your relationship with your grandmother.

Tell about the homes you lived in as a child. Do you remember any of the addresses or telephone numbers? Who lived next door?

Tell about your involvement with a civic or political group.

Did you grow up with music in your family?

Tell about a bully in your neighborhood or at school.

Name the most romantic song you can remember and tell why.

Make a list of the things in your junk drawer and tell why you are keeping them.

Tell about some of the most exciting experiences with scouting.

List a few of the simple things in life that make you smile and tell why.

Name the personality trait you most admire and tell why. Do you know many people with this trait?

Do you remember your favorite childhood fantasy?

Did your mother or grandmother sew, quilt, knit or crochet? Tell about things made.

Describe a typical day in your life from what time you get up in the morning to bedtime.

Tell about being a grandparent. Name your grandchildren.

How did you feel when you first became a grandparent?

Tell about how, when and where you learned to drive a car. Any accidents or tickets?

Tell about a special anniversary.

Did you have a childhood hideout? Where? Describe it. What kinds of things did you do there?

Tell about religion practiced in your home.

Tell of a time that you felt God was there to help you in your struggles.

Tell about the experience or person you feel was the most influence in your life.

Was there a special teacher in your life? (Not necessarily in a school environment).

Tell about the changes in society in general you have seen in your lifetime.

Tell about the changes in morality you have seen during your lifetime.

Tell about fashion trends you have seen in your life, what you wore as a child, teen, and adult.

Tell about a food that you hated as a child...do you like it now?

If you could be an animal what would you be and why?

Write about a "one on one" experience you had with your father.

Write about a "one on one" experience you had with your mother.

Tell a story your mother told you from her past.

Were you ever in a drama or speech class, on a sports team, or in a club?

What is one of the most exciting places you have ever visited? What made it so exciting?

Tell about a camping or fishing experience.

Describe a favorite vacation of your married years.

Tell about home cures or old wives tales, hiccups, toothaches, earaches, arthritis.

Where were you and what were you doing the day the wall came down in Germany or the coup in USSR or Dec. 7th - World War II started or ended.

Describe your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses / suit etc, if male.

Write a description of your husband or wife.

Describe your mother's wedding dress - what do you know about her wedding?

What is your greatest joy, your greatest sorrow?

What is your favorite book and what do books mean to you.

Describe your yard as a child - did you help with the yard work? What are your memories - Draw a diagram if you can.

Tell about Family Reunions.

Tell about your teen-age social life - your friends, dances, dating, outings, church functions etc. -

What would you like to be remembered for?

How did your father spend his time supporting his family?

Tell about your life as the children left home - new interests, what did you do with the extra time - new employment, moves, hobbies, etc.

Tell about handed-down talents, foods, clothespin dolls, willow whistles, pottery, quilting, whittling, meat drying etc.

What were the favorite places to go with your family when you were young?

Tell about any ancestors that you know about - name dates, etc. for historical purposes and any stories about them.

Tell about anniversaries, celebrations, trips, and gifts.

What were your fears, expectations, and anticipations about getting married?

What is your mother's best trait? Worst? = the traits you share.

How do you feel about winning? Losing?

Tell about your courtship.

Describe a favorite childhood friend and something you did with her or him.

Have you met or worked with famous people? Who - Where- etc.

How did you become engaged?

What is your child-rearing philosophy?

What can frighten you the most and why?

Describe your conversion to the gospel.

Do you wish you had more sisters or brothers, and why?

Where did your Grandparents live? What was their home like? Did it have a certain smell or look?

Write your testimony of life - marriage - the gospel.

Tell about each of your children's names, birth date, where, doctors, circumstances surrounding the birth - raising them in the home- problems, joys etc.

What is your advice to those younger than you?

What is your favorite scripture and why?

Tell about your first crush.

What church callings have you had and which did you enjoy the most?

Do you remember any of your four grandparents? Any greats? What were their names? Any memories that you have.

Tell about your mother: personality, characteristics, stature, coloring, talents, temperament, family stories about her, her role in your home, etc.

Do you have a favorite General Authority? Who and why?

What do you fantasize about doing or being?

What is your personal secret of happiness?

Describe a perfect spring day and activities on that day?

Thinking back was there a teacher who had a great influence on you?

How did you become engaged?

Did you have a favorite TV, radio, program as a child? Tell about it.

Tell about a favorite trip or vacation.

Write about some places you went with your father.

Write about some places that you went with your mother.

Describe a typical day during your Jr. High years.

What kind of extra-curricular activities did you participate in at school?

What do you think brings good or bad luck?

Tell about all the places you have worked.

What are your food preferences and how did they come about?

How did your mother spend her time?

Where you responsible for household chores? What were they? Which did you enjoy most/ least?

What are your most deeply and imbedded values?

Rusty Pickle, again ;)

2009-10-25T19:42:00.022-06:00

Just can't keep me from that Rusty Pickle!

I really thought that creativity and going up for the October Rusty Pickle Challenge was not going to be an option after all that was happening family-wise recently.

But then that Rusty Pickle Panama Jack paper just kept calling to me! Combine great papers with a class I've been preparing for in November.. and tada! You get a nice blend of both:

Journal Jar ala mode!

My Favorite Dish!

Generous Slices of LIFE!
*The photo is a stack of my journals served up on a plate.

The Recipe:
(the hang tag on the side of the jar)

The Supplies:

Rusty Pickle Panama Jack:
RP Sun Yer Buns
RP No Shoes, No Problem
RP Paradise
RP Tequila Sunrise
RP Sail Away
RP Margaritaville
RP Blue Alpha Stickers
RP Tag Set
Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Basic Grey bling-it
SEI Epoxy Alpha stickers
Ultra fine point black Sharpie
Misc beads, twine and other bling crystals

I, ever the recycler, have used an empty Costco-sized jar for my Journal Jar. And, since you can't really have a journal jar without a journal... I've taken a plain old .50 cent notebook from the local school supply store, covered it with more Rusty Pickle Panama Jack, then just add an adorable and functional beaded bookmark and it's done!

------

If you are interested....

The "Preserving Your Story" Class in November:

I was asked to present a beginning basics of scrapbooking class by a co-worker. When I found out that the other class that night will be on canning, well, I thought to myself - best of both worlds - how about canning (preserving) your memories!

The best way to start preserving your own stories is to start writing them. And what is more appealing than writing in a fun and creative way, or in other words, the scrapper's way!

Easy, fun, creative and definitely a gift-worthy project - that is if you can bear to give it up! I presonally recommend making more than one!

For the class, after a little presentation on supplies, basic needs and ideas, I will be showing 3 versions of Journal Jars:

1- A Basic version - of which I'll have pre-cut peel and stick labels all ready for them to stick on the canning or recycled jars I've asked them to bring.

2- A Medium version - a spruced up version of the peel and stick basic jar, it's got ribbons and flowers added.

3- The 'All hands on deck' version - yeh, you guessed it, the one shown above! ...hey, they have to know what's possible ;)

I am also giving everyone a notebook. After they choose from some pre-cut coordinating papers they will get a chance to put everything together. My goal is to keep this whole thing SHORT and EASY. I want to be helpful, but not intimidating to new scrappers.

After the class I will send them emails with a 10 page list of questions to print out, cut and put in the jars. It's a free class, so I've got to control costs somehow!

Have fun!

p.s. I totally Googled for a whole range of Journal Jar ideas and Journal Jar questions - if you want my collection of questions - just leave me a post - I'm sure we can figure out a way to get them to you too.

Printable Documents
Pages of Journal Jar questions ~ printable document
Preserve Your Story - Scrapbook Basics document
3x5 Journal Jar Recipe card

This is addicting...

2009-10-01T19:46:00.004-06:00

I feel very grateful and humbled to have been selected as the Rusty Pickle Sketch winner again.

(Rusty Pickle Blog Sept. announcement) (click here to see the October ideas!!!)

I see the other talent out there and I feel so lucky to have been picked.

So, THANK YOU. This means a lot to me - especially this week.

..... I'm a little scatter-brained right now

Those of you that know me IRL, will know that my sister-in-law (my husband's only sister) died tragically yesterday. We are holding on, holding it in and trying to get through the next few days. For some reason we think that if we can keep it together long enough for the funeral to be taken care of, then maybe we'll be able to keep holding on afterwards. It's a tough situation and one that I would not wish on anyone.

I might add that this brings me to one of my main reasons to scrap - to hold onto memories, to capture the feelings and keep them close and visible. When my boys were teenagers I thought they would be the death of me. It was really tough, raising 2 incredible, but still very challenging boys along with a 2 year old. I tell ya, you get NO sleep between the Teen schedule and the Toddler schedule. Scrapping those feelings, frustrations and hopes was what saved me.

My main regret with Becky is that I don't have those memories for her. We seemed to have drifted apart, got busy with our lives and just taken a lot for granted. I thought we had years still. Now we don't. Now she's gone.

Sorry to go on and on. I guess I just want to say to everyone - hug your loved ones, call someone you've not talked to for a while, mend fences and if you like to scrap - well - keep the memories alive with your art.

Another Sketch Challenge from Rusty Pickle

2009-09-25T23:47:00.011-06:00

Oh, how late it is! I just kept going until all of a sudden... it was almost midnight! Yikes.

I decided to challenge myself with the September Rusty Pickle Sketch Challenge.

My brain started going all it's different ways and before I knew it I was creating a layered mini Acrylic album from the sketch!

(find the sketch here )

The idea that is behind this mini book is an old memory I have, hence the 70's-looking papers and the worn and distressed look. Ha, it's not just the age of the memory I'm bringing out with the papers, it's also a little pun on wrinkling and aging! I never can resist some little tidbit that if someone really looks closely at my pages they will see that there is nothing done by chance...

ANYWAY... When I was seven and riding the bus to school every day, I would sit there and think my seven year old thoughts to myself. One day I was thinking that if everyone had to get wrinkles when they got old, I'd make sure that mine were LAUGH LINES, and that would be okay.

Silly seven year old! Anyway - the photos are of me at age 7, 25 and 40.

Supplies used:

Rusty Pickle Candy Land
Rusty Pickle Rock Star
Rusty Pickle Pashima alpha stickers
Zig Markers
Scrapworks Acrylic Album
misc. ribbon and bling
... oh, almost forgot I painted with some Tim Holtz Daubers

More old pages finally finished...

2009-08-30T16:04:00.004-06:00

Git'r Done

...my pre-expo motto! Can't have old projects laying around if I want to add to it all at the expo :)

I'm floored!

2009-08-29T11:02:00.006-06:00

I think I should let contests inspire me more often!

Check this out:

http://rustypickle.typepad.com/picklelicious/2009/08/august-sketch-winner.html

(a bigger photo than what I posted earlier...)

p.s. Rusty Pickle has LONG been a favorite paper line of mine, I know I'll drool over every last item they create - They just do it right ya know? I'm excited to be going to the Expo in another week, oops, that's probably 2 weeks from today - yikes, I'm ants-in-the-pants-itching to spend some creative time again and it's rather disappointing to realize it's still 2 weeks away :(

Rusty Pickle August Challenge

2009-08-24T19:35:00.008-06:00

Time to get back to 'playing' - well, now that I've got time while Lex is in school -

- I always did feel the creative bug bite around the same time the kids started school each year!

Cleaning up...

2009-08-11T18:08:00.009-06:00

Whatever do you do with OLD pages that you just never quite finished...

And when I say old, I'm talking at least 5 to 10 years since I started them. Hey, there weren't any such thing as rub-ons, bling or glitter paper back when I did some of these.

With the ever useful-can't-waste-a-single-thing attitude that I inherited from my Depression Era grandparents I've decided I need to match up some of those half-finished pages with photos that have been sitting oh-so-lonely-and-unappreciated in my files - and here they are:

Of COURSE I had to add a little to them, play with them and in general just spiff them up enough to pass the mustard. I don't think they'll make my 'Cream of the Crop' list, but hey, they are done, they are in albums and I've got a few less projects in my to-do stack.

..and one that I never quite liked and had to change up a bit...

Sheesh - this has made me want to create some NEW pages, something up-to-date-less-embarrassing-and-a-little-bit-more-hip!

25 Lehi High School Reunion...

2009-07-17T21:38:00.010-06:00

Taking a Photo Trip down Memory Lane -

It's High School Reunion time and I've been going through some old memories. It's kind of mind boggling to think of the time that has passed. I have to admit that it is also very very fun to go back and compare and see if Lex really does look like I used to...

...and, just because I really really liked this when I heard it :

8x8 Digi pages / Quotes

2009-06-20T12:48:00.010-06:00

Just having some fun with the same digi elements from last weeks post...

p.s. My friend has the Book Binder tool from Provo Craft

You buy the book cover, it has a glue strip already in the spine.
You can buy pages or print your own - double sided
Insert pages in the book cover.

Heat up in the binder machine and you've got a 'Shutterfly' look alike book that you did really cheap!

- that's one of the reasons I've got all these 8x8 digi pages - they print, cut and bind beautifully.

Dad's Day

2009-06-14T12:48:00.016-06:00

Just looking at ideas for Father's day when I came across some photos of Brian and Alexis at the Library.

Combined with a some digi work I'd just done - and tada! A quick little page.

It's probably not the photo I'll keep in this page, or I might just think on the page today and alter it, leaving the photo... In any case - here it is :)

...and one of Brian out hiking...

...and one of him from Iraq

Got to love this guy - been married for almost 25 years and we're still going strong.

He really is one great husband and dad

p.s. These digi elements are from the Veronica Spriggs "In His World" Premier June kit - I LOVE all these kits from Linda Sattgast / http://scrappersguide.com/

Stephen King On Writing

2009-06-04T14:38:00.003-06:00

On Writing by Stephen King

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved the first half of the book - and I don't totally recommend skipping to the middle and reading from there. Besides, if you love reading as much as I do, you won't skip anything... but WOW to the second half! Incredible book for any want-to-be writer to have in their 'bag'.

View all my reviews.

Dance Recital

2009-05-27T09:27:00.015-06:00

Coming up in just a few days Alexis will have her Dance Recital!

I'll be posting some photos very soon...
______________________

Here they are!

Alexis had a storytelling part - she told a story intermixed with the dancing inbetween. She memorized SO much - it was amazing!

That little girl has a memory and seems to be quite the little performer on top of that.

Oh, she did inform me that there was no way she was going to "...use as much expression as you do mom" - yes the girl used the word 'expression'.

As you can see, I think she still did use a bit of expression ;)

... the costumes were ADORABLE, I just wish I could have snapped some better photos.

Lexy is in the middle - this was for the song 'Ain't I Sweet' Lexy is in the middle - this was for the song 'Ain't I Sweet'
_____________________________

Thai did a lot of work on the backdrop - it was incredible! So much detail - Look, there are even litte pom poms on the dress and toes!

Now I get to scrap it all!

Thai & Alexis

and a few more layouts

2009-05-25T22:51:00.006-06:00

I got in TOO much of a hurry and some of the photos of the pages are not-so-good. But hey, I DID finally get some pages done after ages and ages of not getting anything finished :)

Hugs!

The next few pages...

2009-05-23T16:41:00.006-06:00

busy busy busy...

Working on some pages...

2009-05-17T17:34:00.011-06:00

Okay, so they are not completely original - I had to take the sketches from some magazines (June '09 CK & Feb '08 MM happened to be the ones I grabbed).

I had very little time and a deadline - In any case - here are some things I'm working on for a retirement gift for a co-worker at the library

I'm just happy to have completed some projects!

8 down, 12 more to go... wish me luck!

Wowie Owie - Owl Imprint

2009-04-20T22:19:00.014-06:00

Want to see something really cool??

I promise, this is NOT a photoshopped image. This is the real deal. It's also rather amazing...

The images:

The story:

I was shown the window today, a few days after it was originally discovered. We suspect that our recent spring snow storm was a bit much on the night the owl took his faceplant into the window. How else would he have left a full-body print like that? Also, if he was wet, it would have helped to leave such a clear impression. It was probably late on a stormy and windy night, poor thing.

We never did find the owl, fortunately. But, we still worry about it's survival. To have taken such a hit. We can just hope for the best and wish him better luck in the future.

Anyway - I happened to be walking outside at just the right moment and snapped a photo as I was leaving work today, those of you who know me KNOW that I almost always have my camera handy. At one point I even carried it on my keychain (in a camera case, but still - attached to my keys!)

UPDATE

This story was picked up by the local newspaper -

Newspaper Link The Daily Herald

oh, and one parting shot - I could not resist a word to the wise...

Potentially Embarrassing Admission

2009-04-02T19:23:00.003-06:00

Scratch that - it IS embarrassing - I get red in the face everytime I think of it, but I'll tell it to ya anyway 'cause everyone needs a good laugh - right?

The back story:

So, most of you know that my DH has been off in Iraq for a year. And, well, he's home now (yeah!). It's been GREAT to have him home again. He looks fantastic - lost inches on his waist and added them to the shoulders - not that he wasn't spectacularly fit before he left!

Last Monday:

Jason (our oldest) was picking Lex up from school as Brian has gone back to his real world job and Jason gets to 'work off' his free rent by being the school taxi when he is not out in Minnesota flying for Mesaba.

So, Jason asked Lex how she liked having Dad home now.

She responded that it's great. There's just one thing that bothers her. She said that "BEFORE Dad came home, Mom was always very polite". "Now, she's not polite anymore. Just in one thing, but she's just not polite."

Jason, being the curious kid he is, asked her; "Why Lex? How is Mom not polite anymore?"

Lex replied, "She called Dad a 'Sexy Boy', and that's just not polite."

Well, when Jason could breath through his laughter, he immediately called me at work to give me the scoop.

When I got home I did have to ask her if she thought I was rude (well, after being confronted by the 'Sexy (laughing) Boy'). No she, said; "You're not rude, just not polite"

It's a darn good thing I didn't ever add the word 'Toy' to that!!!

A Real Quick Hello!

2009-02-01T12:27:00.003-07:00

Life is crazy!!

Still thinking of you all and checking out your blogs - hope you all are being more active online than I!

When life settles a bit I'll be back to posting some more :)

Time Flies doesn't it?

2009-01-04T18:36:00.014-07:00

How did your Christmas go? We had snow, snow ...

and more snow!

We tried to keep it simple, we all headed down south to the canyon and had a Cabin Christmas! Paper chains, popcorn and paper snowflakes on the tree. We didn't go overboard on the gifts, just spent time together - it was a nice change of pace.

The kids LOVED being able to walk right out the door and sled down the hill, taking hot cocoa breaks as needed. I think we've started a new tradition. We even had Sm'ores around the campfire on Christmas night.

I think I managed to get some great snapshots that I'll get to scrapping - ya think?

Okay, so it has been LONG time no Blog - What else is new?

It's JANUARY!!!

What HAVE I been doing? Well, besides the Holidays, going back to work and submitting my picture book to an agent!?

Yep, I did it. Now I just wish I could reach into the mail and pull it back. It's so hard to let it go out into the big wide world. What if it gets lost in the slush pile, what if he doesn't like it? I can't possibly think I'll get published can I? What was I thinking??!!

So how many of you are into goal setting and the whole New Year Resolutions thing?

I have to admit that I'm not big on the whole it's-January-set-your-goals kind of girl. On the other hand I do set goals, write them down (I swear there is some kind of magic that happens when you WRITE your goals, before you know it, it seeems that they happen) and work on obtaining them. Just not in January. It's like going to the gym in January, it's freakin' crowded in there! I prefer to achieve my goals alone, quietly and most of all, not because of peer pressure.

Well, I have a LOT of catching up to do, check out all your blogs - I can't wait to see what you all are up to for "oh-9"!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:56:00.008-07:00

In the name of Family Fun and being thankful - here is one of my most favorite memories from this fall - my dad and my daughter, bridging the generation gap. I would be hard pressed to name who was having the most fun; me watching or them swinging -

Doin' it Digi-Style!

2008-11-26T12:06:00.012-07:00

Have you tried digital scrapping yet?

Holy cow, what a lot of fun!

And, it's inexpensive!!!
(well, if you don't include the having to have a computer to do it all on)

________________________________

Take a look at the few I've been working on...

You have to check it out - I got the digi kits from Shabby Princess

Puppy Love

2008-11-16T13:40:00.004-07:00

We have a new member of the household!

Yep, welcome Jack - the mini schnauzer...

...he may be little in body, but he is packed full of character! From tearing around the house with a corner of a rug in his mouth, begging the cats to play and just charming everyone with every little tilt of his head.

Lex is in heaven. On the way home from dance Friday she asked me if I knew why she kept laughing in her head: "because I get to go see Jack!"

Before we get our hopes up too much, I have to say that he is just one loan from my sister. He had gotten into some bad habits and we are trying to break him of them by changing his location. But, it very well could turn out to be on a more permanent basis. I just have to get thinking of what to do when I go back to work - it's a bit much to think about and I do get overwhelmed. But then he will hop up on my lap or tilt his head and just look at me - irresistable.

Chili Sauce & Jalapeno Jelly

2008-11-07T12:25:00.013-07:00

So, now the Elections are over and I for one and sick and tired of the whole thing. I swear. If I hear one more thing about the economy and such....!! grrrr.

Okay, so I can't resist, just one last opinion, I'll try to stay off the soapbox in the future:

We've had worse times.
Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and go to work.

p.s. Nobody is served if all we ever do is wait on someone else to bail us out of our own stupidity and bad decisions. Grow up people, and take responsibility for yourselves. Mommy and Daddy (read as Uncle Sam) shouldn't have to bail you out. Plan ahead, stop thinking that just because you want something now and the credit company is giving you the go-ahead, it doesn't mean it's a wise buy. Think. Plan. Prepare. Stick to it.
____________________________

Okay, enough of that -
As promised... the Chili Sauce & Jalapeno Jelly Recipes!

Amy & MaryEllen's Chili Sauce for Canning

14 lbs Tomatoes (28 cups)
9 Bell Peppers (2 yellow, 2 red, 5 green)
2 Yellow Onions, medium sized
2 c. Brown Sugar
1 c. Granulated Sugar
¼ c. salt
2 ½ c. Cider Vinegar
2 Tb. Nutmeg
2 Tb. Allspice
2 Tb. Cinnamon
1 ½ Tb. Ground Clove
1 Tb. Paprika
1 Tb. Ground Ginger
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper, if desired

Peel, core and remove all spots from tomatoes. Dice or you can process in a ‘meat’ grinder.
Dice bell peppers, removing seeds, or again use the grinder. Chop onion.

Combine all ingredients in very large stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until reduced to a soft mash consistency.

To can: Pour into sterilized pint bottles, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Clean any spilled sauce from the bottle rims, put lids on immediately, lightly tighten rings onto bottle lids. Heat process the bottles in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes (rolling boil, water completely covering jars). Remove jars from water bath, re-tighten rings and let sit. Do not touch lid centers, wait for each bottle to seal (they will pop and the lid will no longer have a raised portion in it’s center). Any unsealed bottles must be refrigerated and eaten promptly. Makes approx. 21 pints.
________________________________________________________________

From what my mom has told me, Chili Sauce is what was used before ketchup/catsup. It doesn't taste anything like ketchup, but it does go on just about anything you would put ketchup on.

Try your Chili Sauce out on eggs, omelets, in breakfast wraps, on meatloaf, as a tortilla chip dip, in tacos, burritos and any Mexican dish.

Remember, you can cut the recipe down and make smaller batches. I was getting my tomatoes from a large and well fertilized garden, we had an abundance this year.

AND... here is a surprisingly delicious recipe for Tomato Soup:

1 Quart Tomatoes
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 finely diced Onion
1/2 tsp Marjoram
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp Ground Cloves
Salt to taste

Bring to a slow boil and serve hot with buttered bread on the side. Serve with grated cheddar cheese melted on top.

p.s. I do not like tomato soup - this recipe passed the test, I could not stop eating it! All those flavors - very addicting ;)

Jalapeno Jelly

First: Get some rubber gloves - you'll thank me later ;)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Jalapeno peppers (2 cups chopped)
2 c. water
1 c. apple cider vinegar
4 c. sugar
1 pkg sure-jell pectin
1/2 tsp. butter
1-5 drops green food coloring (I used the flourescent one - it was surprisingly pretty)

~Finely chop the peppers, discard the seeds
(here is where the gloves come in handy - no you don't HAVE to have them, but be beware of rubbing your eyes anytime in the next 24 hours- just ask me how I know...)

~Combine all ingredients, including food coloring and bring to a rolling boil, stirring continuously. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

~Remove foam (the butter should have reduced most of this) and bottle/can:

To can/Hot water bath: Pour into sterilized pint bottles, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Clean any spilled sauce from the bottle rims, put lids on immediately, lightly tighten rings onto bottle lids. Heat process the bottles in a boiling water bath for 5-10 minutes (rolling boil, water completely covering jars). Remove jars from water bath, re-tighten rings and let sit. Do not touch lid centers, wait for each bottle to seal (they will pop and the lid will no longer have a raised portion in it’s center). Any unsealed bottles must be refrigerated and eaten promptly.

Serve Jalapeno Jelly on crackers with a schmear of cream cheese. It is also superb served with Jalapeno Poppers (like the kind you get at Costco).

Have fun!

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T10:16:00.003-06:00

Supergirl and her Pumpkin Kitty to the rescue!!!

This was our first try at fancy pumpkin carving - and from a home grown pumpkin too! Not too shabby ;)

Did you give up on me?

2008-10-30T12:53:00.006-06:00

So, did you give up on me ever posting again??

Hope not ;) 'cause I'm baaaaack!

First, you gotta see this - Lex on the phone to daddy in Iraq - isn't this adorable?!!

I've been busy busy busy! You would think that being off work I would be LESS busy, but no. I have no idea how I fit work into my schedule before, honestly. Or, I wonder if I just find ways to fill my time no matter what I do or how busy I am.

My mother has taken to calling me 'Molly Homemaker' If I don't show up on Tuesdays to do some sort of homemaking project at her house she makes my dad call me to see where I am and to make sure that I know they are home (they do travel a lot and are not home EVERY Tuesday). Anyway...

So a few of the projects that I've schlepped over to my mother's house (where I can get help as I need it)are:

Canning:

Peach jam & syrup, Cherry jelly & syrup, Chili sauce, and Tomato sauce. I still need to do the Jalapeno Jelly :0 (Many many days of canning!)

(NOTE: We created the Chili Sauce recipe, and a super incredible Tomato Soup recipe - I'll post them if you want - oh, don't be misled by the name 'Chili' - it's got no hot peppers in it at all, just spices and bell peppers)

Sewing:

Olivia Quilt,

Serendipity Quilt,

Civil War Quilt squares of the month,

and the last of my Summer Quilt. Oh, and I did manage some general mending in there too.

On the other days I've scrapped - Christmas stuff, so I can't show it, you'll just have to take my word on it. Okay, so I do have this altered bottle - got to love this recycling stuff, particularly when the economy has been the way it has lately!

I am still being very careful about my back. I can't sit for too long, or stand or walk for extended periods of time. I get exhausted easily too. But I am crossing my fingers, hoping that I can return to work at the end of November. I don't have a dr.'s clearance for that yet, but if I go asking, return to work papers in hand, I just might get the okay. Limits in place I'm sure, but at least an okay.

Anyway, lots to pack in in one blog, but I'll work at doing it better :)

THANK YOU!

2008-08-26T12:47:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to send out a great big THANKS to everyone who has visited me and been there for me (online and IRL) while I have been recuperating :)

Home from the Hospital

2008-07-30T09:19:00.004-06:00

I'm Home!!

It was a rough morning, started with a real bad bout of nausea, but after a phenegren (sp?) shot I managed the ride home very well.

I've been given some exercises to do for this right leg that isn't working too well. According to the therapy records they have down that a hemorhage is the culprit - makes sense as I did lose a lot of blood after that first surgery, I'm sure I did something when I was so nauseated and 'tossing cookies' that first night. It explains the need for the units of blood too. I think the Dr. might still be debating whether is was that or an allergic reaction to the BMP (bone growth hormone) that they used in the fusion. In any case, they halted the progression of the numbness with that second surgery and I'm feeling happy happy!

My mother stayed with me, my sisters came over and it was a very nice to be out of the hospital.

Now I get to figure out how to do things here at home. A challenge to say the least! I'm up for it though :)

Still in the hospital

2008-07-28T11:25:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone,

It's been a week since the first surgery and surprisingly, I am still here. At least all the bills for the month had showed up before I went in :)

Just an update:

I am doing better every day. Started on solid foods, got rid of all the drains, iv's and tubes. Well, I still have a locked IV.

Hard to type as the one IV is in the crook of my arm (last place they could get one) and the other arm is wrapped in a K-pad (warm water circulation hot pad) to work on fixing the place where the last IV infiltrated.

I may, just might, be able to come home tomorrow. We have to see how I do today. I am 'unplugged' but still very unstable and weak - I cannot walk without assistance.

Pain meds are finally getting worked out, we've figured that I do best on a 1/3 dosage, any more and I get very sick.

Well that's it for now - hopefully soon I'll feel up to some crafting and writing and catching up on everyone's blogs

Cheers!

Complications - - but doing OK

2008-07-24T15:21:00.005-06:00

Hello everybody!

So long story, but I'll try to tell it :)

I am still in the hospital, the 2-3 day stay is now looking like an 8 day stay.

I am doing well, just had some problems the day after the fusion. I developed some right leg numbness, my back has only ever affected the left leg, never the right.

My foot started to feel wooden, all the way down from my mid-back to my big toe.

I spent Tuesday night getting a CT scan and MRI done. Wednesday morning it was decided that they needed to open me back up and do a wound exploration and debridement (is that the right word??) Anyway, 48 hours after the fusion I was back in the OR.

The Dr. removed some tissue from the spinal canal, there was edema and swelling. I had lost a lot of blood from the drain and my hematicrit was at 26 (normal is 40 and above), So I ended up having to get 2 units of blood during the 2 hour surgery. The Dr. also removed all the BMP (Bone growth hormone) from the fusion. While none of these things could be directly linked to the numbness, I get the feeling that the Dr. thinks I was having an allergic reaction to the hormone.

I feel good about the surgery, I got lots of anti-nausea meds before the pain meds could make me too sick. The right leg is still very numb, but the numbness has stopped spreading.

Also, and this is awesome - it is the RIGHT leg that is numb - the bad ankle! It couldn't have been better if it had been planned. To not be limping on an aching ankle while I am trying to recover from back surgery - honestly, the stars must be lined up for me.

Whew, it does take it out of me to concentrate and type , I'll sign off now -

Hugs to you all!

Doing good

2008-07-22T16:23:00.003-06:00

Real quick, as I am just 24 hours post-op:

Doing great. Been up and walking 4 times.

Have had lots of nausea problems, but the pain right now is less than what I was living with on a daily basis before the surgery.

They did do a 2 level fusion, just as planned. The Dr. said that it was just as bad as we thought, but not worse. The next level up is very likely going to be a problem in the future, but for now he just did the 2 levels.

Dr. said that I'll be in here for 4 to 5 days.

Oops, spoke too soon. Just got my Oxygen levels checked, I'm low, so now I have to go back on it. I'd been off it all day.

Too bad I don't have my camera and cord, I could post a photo of my view. I think you all might be able to manage a visual though - picture hospital ceiling and walls from flat on your back :)

Hugs all, I'll be up and running soon I'm sure!

This it... I think

2008-07-20T22:07:00.003-06:00

Well, keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'm scheduled to go in for back surgery tomorrow morning.

Screws, rods and lost of staples afterwards. They have me booked for a 5 hour surgery and I should be in the hospital for 2-3 days if everything goes great. I've heard of up to 2 weeks if things get iffy. I will really try to not be iffy.

I can have internet access at the hospital, but don't know if I will be up to it, we will just have to see.

I'll be back as soon as possible, I promise.

Lots of hugs out there to all of you, my friends, I really do appreciate knowing you all, working, playing and reading talking with you - you are what is making this deployment of Brian's bearable.

Thank you.

Does it get to you sometimes?

2008-07-13T18:43:00.009-06:00

The sky is gray, the air is filled with dust, I can barely see the outline of the mountains across the lake - -

it's getting to me today - the total blech of it all.

Or, maybe I'm just feeling those Sunday blues, the 'I have to go back to work tomorrow and I didn't get near enough accomplished on my days off as I needed to' feeling.

On the other hand - Lex learned how to ride her bike! Finally! She didn't have a chance the last 2 summers, for one there was no sidewalk or road, just really soft gravel and farm dirt. For the last, well, I think the newly moving in our house sidetracked a lot of things.

So, with the help of her older brother, and a bit from me, Lex has mastered the two-wheeler bike with no training wheels.

(I took video the first round. She was so excited to be riding that we had to go back out just before bedtime - in pajamas - and that's when I had the camera.)

I can tell now that she was really ready, once she got the balance thing down it was a done deal. She can make tight turns and stop - things I did NOT learn for that first year after I taught myself. Of course, it was in the steep hills of Fort Ord. I remember that I had to put the chain back on the bike everytime I crashed - I only crashed everytime I rode it.

Now take a look at this one: I love how she has to have the tongue going!

Today WAS supposed to be the big day...

2008-07-09T07:42:00.005-06:00

Never plan on anything. That's what I've just learned.

I was scheduled for back surgery today.

Yesterday I got the call - the Dr. has an emergency and he'll be gone for the next 2 weeks.

Hence, no surgery today for me.

It's like stopping a train, there is so much that went into preparing for surgery today, and now all the changes that have to happen. I even have to re-do the EKG and all the labwork. Not to mention all the work implications. Holy cow.

So, the new day: July 21st

Don't get me wrong, I'm kind of grateful for the extra time! But yikes, the feeling of taking hit is almost as much physical as mental. It messes with your mind I tell ya! '-)

Making Cards...

2008-07-05T21:06:00.004-06:00

I just had to do a little something, and I have a lot of July Birthdays
~no peeking you July Birthday people, you know who you are '-)

So, just some quick cards, one more thing to cross of my major list of things to do before Wednesday!

Congrats to Rachael & Tracy

2008-07-04T11:10:00.002-06:00

I just have to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to my awesome incredibly talented friends:

Rachael Chamberlain (pgs. 62 & 7 2)
and
Tracy Polacheck (pg. 99)
(I didn't miss any pages- did I?)
who are BOTH published in the August 2008 issue of
Memory Makers!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Photos from my Bri!

2008-07-04T10:48:00.005-06:00

I got photos from my far away love!

Take a look at this hunk - yep, he's mine, hands off ladies :)

His truck there

His 'house':

I can almost feel the heat coming out of this photo (what, it's like 120 degrees or so there !??!!)

It's not going to be fun without him, waiting here at home, having major surgery without him. But he has it worse than me for sure.

Now I just have to get photos from my youngest boy over in Kuwait.

I do love my boys in uniform '-)

These are going to be famous people someday!

2008-06-26T21:00:00.006-06:00

It's a Class Photo of the fantastic Author Kathi Appelt along with our BYU workshop class of 08 :)

Yep, famousness in the making :)

Stock Parade!

2008-06-26T20:46:00.004-06:00

Well, I totally forgot about the Annual Lehi Rodeo Days parades starting tonight! Three parades in three days, Horse parade tonight, Children's Parade tomorrow night and Big Float Parade Saturday morning. Rodeos all three nights too.

Photo Op sooner than I thought :)

The Haul!

Lex is currently experiencing her first Rodeo right now. The tickets sold out while I was parking the truck. Good thing Grandpa E and Lex made it in :) Now I get avoid the hard seats, heat and dust and just pick them up at the gate at the end! Couldn't have planned it better if I had tried!

p.s. I knew I should try to go when, after I asked Lex if she wanted to go to the Rodeo and she asked, "What's a Rodeo?" - that's MY kid asking that! I've not only been, but rode in the rodeos! Holy cow, I have totally neglected teaching my child about her heritage!

Bad News

2008-06-25T21:48:00.004-06:00

Okay, I have been avoiding this post.

Last week I got the results of my Discogram (where they inject dye in the discs in your back to see the extent of the damage in there) and the news is kind of bad.

I've known that my back has been bad since the accident. I've just tried really hard to ignore it.

Unless some kind of miracle happens in the next two weeks though, I'm afraid my time has run out. I am scheduled for a fusion (PLIF, for the technical term) on 2 discs and the third one isn't very far behind. The Dr. did say that if he got in there and the second disc was fabulous, he would only do the one. There is a chance that he'll do all three though.

On the other hand, since my over-riding coping philosophy is "Ignore it and it will go away", I fully intend to make good use of my time off.

I took a BYU workshop last week : Writing for Young Readers and I am so psyched about writing! I have ideas just percolating in my brain. I have been using every spare moment to write it all down.

My worry right now is that I have SO many ideas and SO many different styles! From non-fiction, informational picture books, Fantasy/Sci Fi middle grade novels, Adventure novels, Fingerplay and Laptime/Storytime stuff, to stories set to Classical music.

My goal is to have at least one picture book manuscript (it's already done and I'm procratistinating about sending it off to my workshop teacher for a final review - I have to stew on it for a few days) and one partial chapter book manuscript and a series proposal ready to send off to the agents and editors before I go in for surgery.

Do think I'm keeping myself busy enough? LOL!

In between all the above I AM jotting down all the stuff I have to get prepped before surgery. Sheesh, kind of humbling to think I'll be so dependent for so long of a time afterwards. From what I read it could be 3 months before I'm allowed to drive again.

Anyway, kind of a long non-picture post, sorry you all. I'll see what I can do to remedy that soon.
I will keep you all updated and I will still be doing some scrapping I'm sure :) Can't keep these hands still.

Recycling - Scrappin' Style!

2008-06-13T23:33:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone!

Still having computer issues, hence the late hour that I'm actually getting online and posting anything - it just takes SO long to get the photos off the camera and then to photobucket.

Finally, I have the mini album I made for a gift. Ignore the photos, you've seen them before, I promise I will really really try to not use them again (or at least not post the projects I do with them!), but it was for a gift.

Anyway...

Like the post says, this is a recycled project. LOTS of recycled stuff here:

Supplies:
Heart Candy Box - bet you couldn't figure that one out ;)
Plastic packaging - 2 of the pages were cut from leftover packaging
Corrugated packaging
Daisy D's
Misc. Rubons, Chipboard. Flowers and Bling

I used fabric to make the binding. The cover/top of the candy box, holds the album together. Or is it that the bulk of the pages hold the top on, either way, it worked out nicely. I just used the box itself to create the page pattern.

Well, thanks for peeking :)

Have a GREAT weekend all! We are doing the Orem Summerfest tomorrow, rides, parade and fireworks!

Missing a computer still... again... whatever...

2008-06-10T21:35:00.013-06:00

Grr, nothing like getting a new computer and having it in the shop 3 times in less than 6 weeks.

That's OK. I'm going to tough it out, muscle it through and just try to not get too frustrated as I work around it :)

_________________________

So, hey, whatcha all been up to? Besides my computer woes, I've had it a bit busy. June (end of school, beginning of Summer Reading) is a VERY busy library month.

It's been beyond busy at the Orem Public Library. We've been signing up hundreds and hundreds of kids a day. Doing the Teddy Bear Picnic,

~here Lex is with the FlashFox just before the Teddy Bear Picnic this morning

Renaissance Kids, Afternoon Adventures and Shakespeare for Kids too. This is all on top of the Storytelling Festival prep that is typical for June, sponsor packers, ticket printing, brochure printing and distribution - the works I tell ya!

At home it's not been much different. I've got to finish my quilt squares in preparation to get the 'final' month's block this upcoming Saturday. I've sewn covers for my front room couch and loveseat,

brown ~brown and teal, mostly brown though. Sorry for the dizzying photo, I was trying to not capture the busy bookcases in the background. I'll have to try some new 'Whole Room' photos as soon as I get the rest of the material - I had to back order some.

Lex graduated from Kindergarten, has learned to Drive

~No, not a car! LOL! This is Buster, a good little pony, perfect for learning to drive a cart

had a dance recital,

~this pose is from the song 'Hey Daddy', and as if you couldn't tell, Lex's favoritest costume

and got a new summer haircut.

~Not the best photo of a new haircut, she had been playing for a few hours already before this snapshot, but you can at least see the cut

And that's all just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak!

THIRD post today

2008-06-01T23:34:00.004-06:00

Yep! Can you tell I've missed having a computer at home?

It's late, almost June 2nd already. Lex is asleep, there is a cool breeze coming from Lake Mountain to the West of me, the windows are open and I am actually kind of freezing here.

It must be the late hour. I really should be getting some sleep. Oh well. Life is not so easy for the parenting single. Well, it's not like I didn't have any warning, and it's not like this will be forever. DH is just off to war. Most of the guys come back.

Maybe it's the quiet, broken by a whistling wind. Maybe it's just Sunday night.

Whatever it is, I'm missing my other half something fierce right now.