My First 5K Run

Saturday I got up bright and early. Earlier than I would on any work day. The sky was dark and the rain was falling. This would be the day I do my first 5K run that I didn’t prepare for.

My fitbit alarm sent me a gentle vibration on my wrist at 5:45am. I was up like Christmas morning. I put on my running clothes and shoes and headed to the kitchen for a banana and peanut butter. I skipped the coffee. Well, I did have a sip but not my normal cup. I didn’t want to have to fight a full bladder.

Nick surprised me by getting up too. “Well, I am going to take you. You didnt think I was gonna let you run 3 miles without being there incase something happend, did you?”  I was so happy and felt at ease because frankly, I wasnt sure of myself either. I had come close to chickening out several times. 

Once we were there, the rain was at a mist. I met up with my friend and we headed to the starting line. We told each other not to wait on each other and do the race at our own pace. “On your mark-Get set-Go! And we were off. 

Mile one- I think I started to fast and I'm already out of breath. There are still many runners around me. I just got passed by a mom pushing a baby stroller. I walked a little to catch my breath before we started down a hill into town. I got enough air to start running again. My friend has already run ahead of me so I stuck in my second earphone so I could zone out with my music playlist.

Mile two- The runners are thinning out more as they are all probably at the finish line already way ahead of me. I continue to walk some and run some. 

I have to catch up to that really old man ahead of me. Im pretty sure he’s in his 90’s. I need to ask him what kind of vitamins he takes or what he had for breakfast! It never happened. Somewhere between me fixing my wedgie and smiling at a camera man, he disappeared.

Mile three- There is no one ahead of me and no one behind me. 

The struggle was getting real.  At this point, I’m wondering,“what in the heck was I thinking?” I am now feeling the sting of a blister forming on my heel. “Am I last?” I was beginning to doubt myself again. I wasn’t sure I was gonna make it. 

Suddenly in the distance I could see the building where I started. This gave me hope. I kept on mostly running with walking breaks every now and again. 

(Yes, I had to snap a photo of my view. I mean, you have to know that if a blogger goes running three miles, they have to take a photo. I didn’t stop so it was all good since I skipped stopping at the water table).

I see the finish line- This was like the gates of heaven opening up and letting me in. I saw my husband and the friend that left me behind. I started to feel emotional that I was actually going to finish this! I wanted to cry. But there is no crying in running. That last little stretch to the finish line gave me a rush of energy as I pushed myself to cross through. I felt so proud of myself! Really! I never feel like a winner but this day I did. 

For the record: I was not last. I was somewhere in the middle. I finished in 38:33 minutes which I don’t think thats too bad being the first time ever trying to run. Will I ever do it again? I’m not sure. Ask me again after I get over the soreness. 

MY COMMENT EMAILS!!!

I do not have a post planned for today but I'm breaking in here a minute to complain about a Blogger issue I'm having just in case some of you are having the same problem.

It seems Blogger has updated some security features. I have no idea. It was too much to read but I complied. I mean, I had to comply or it else....you know how that works right?

You see, when my sweet blog readers add a comment on my post, I get a little "DING" email notification letting me know you commented, then I grin and open it up to read your comment.

As of yesterday 5/24/18.....Silence. I mean, notta.
I know at least Jack has had to comment already.

So I log on to my blog and BAM! comments!!!! I was never notified of them. My comment email notifications have stopped. I went to the blogger forum and noticed I am not alone. I lot of bloggers are experiencing the same problem. Ive also noticed my "contact form" is not working either since Im notified by my email too. This can really be a problem.

Theres more. People who follow me by email. They will not get a notification that I just posted a new post. So sad.

I guess I will actually have to log onto my blog every couple hours to see if I have any comments as these make me happy throughout the day. Even if I don't reply to them, I read every single one and some days I reply back right here on the post. Sometimes I only reply back to the reply bloggers via email. Just depends on the day and the subject.

Anywho! I want my notifications fixed. Hopefully they will find the glitch and fix it!
What about you???

Mood Nails

I like to have pretty finger nails. I have given up the nail biting habit so now I enjoy getting manicures on occasions. I have been able to let my nails grow to a good length so I went a while back to have them painted with a gel polish. After I took that polish off, my nails were brittle and I swore I would never have my nails done again ( I say that alot but then a holiday comes up).

A few weeks ago, I was called to do a photo shoot. This meant I had to break down and get my nails done up pretty with a nude or natural colored polish. I had to opt for fake nail tips since mine were just too short for pretty. The nail tech kept trying to get me to get the new “mood” color. There were several colors to choose from but I had to turn down the offer. I promised her I’d try out the new “mood” colors when I get back. 

Two weeks later my fake nails were still holding up but needed filled in from growth. By this time, I would usually have them already off to my natural nails but I decided to go have them filled in and painted. As promised, I got a mood color.

What is mood colors? It’s a gel Polish (which last longer) that changes colors with your temperature. Yellow can turn Orange. Black can turn Purple, etc.

I kept it simple and chose pink. 

I have had more fun with these nails. When they are cold, they are pink. When they are warm, they are white. My hands are always cold so they mostly stay pink. Nick saw them this morning and asked if I need the heat on. haha. By the way, he likes me to keep them red. 

See ! Aren’t they cool? I haven’t had this much fun with changing colors since the mood ring. I may have to try a different color next time. 

 Color: Seashell Pink

Weekend at the Beach

Nick and I took a little trip to the beach this past weekend. We kept putting it off while watching the weather. We wanted to go when it was gonna be sunny and warm. We did not make our final decision to go until Wednesday. So Thursday I worked half a day, then we took off on a four hour drive to the coast.

It was St. Patricks Day weekend with lots of festivals, car shows and parades around. We didn’t go to any though. Nick is not a fan of being in crowds. If we have to fight for a parking spot or bumping shoulders to hear a band, we will turn around and leave. So we just stayed in the campground and enjoyed the little peek of sunshine on the beach.

Here are a couple cars we passed on our walk. We saw many old cars everywhere we went because there was a big car show going on in the heart of Myrtle Beach. We also passed many of them on the highway on our way home as they were heading out.

The campground did have a golf cart parade on St. Patricks Day. We were sun bathing when I seen them riding by. I jumped up from my beach chair and ran across the dune to catch a shot of them as they passed by. I barely got there in time. 

“Don't blink or you'll miss it”. 

We had a pretty good time even though the wind made the 72 temperatures feel like 42. 

We took some long walks, went out to dinner and relaxed some on the beach. 

Then this happened. 

Yes this was a pig on the beach. This guy walked his pig every day.  It was hilarious and everyone would stop and stare or walk up and pet it. 

For the record, Here are a few things you do not say when you see a pig on the beach:

“Wow, what a ham!”

“I smell bacon”

“We are having a BBQ, want to come?”

“You can come early”

“Make sure the pig is dressed”

Ok, I know you animal lovers out there do not think any of that is funny but we had fun joking about it all weekend. The pig didn’t seem to mind. His little tail wagged and a smile was always on it’s face. 

The weekend was too short and now its back to work. We will not be going back again until May. I sure hope its a lot warmer then so we really can have a BBQ. 

Unlucky Weekend

I've gotten behind on my blogging lately. I've just been lazy though I still take time each day to read other peoples post.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Palm Sunday weekend as we enter into Holy Week.
This is probably my favorite times of the year. The weather starts warming up, The flowers are all in full bloom, the gardens start to harvest and I can wear flip flops!

The daughter came home this weekend so mom here could buy her a new Easter outfit. After hours and hours of shopping from one end of town to the next, No luck.
Everything out there is either too short, too skimpy or too expensive. Yes I gave her a price limit. I figured $50 was enough to buy a nice dress or outfit and maybe some shoes. She just could not find anything she liked.
She suggested that Charlotte had more stores to choose from and will just look around there this week on her own.

Meanwhile, Me and Nick spent Sunday afternoon washing the cars, getting milkshakes and relaxing. Nothing really exciting happened unless you call getting a screw in my tire exciting. Yep, right slab dab in the center of the tire was a screw.

 

It upsets me that people are careless on what they haul in the back of pickup trucks that can fall out onto the roads. I'm thinking that's where nails and screws come from. We see at least one on the road every week on our walks.

Nick drove me to work on Monday and took the tire to have it fixed. Its time for me to get new tires so we just had the tire store plug it for now. Tires for my vehicle are so darn expensive, I have to save up for a set. I still have 2 months left before I have to get an extended warranty on my car too. I seriously looked into just going ahead and trading for a new car. 

I remember as a teenager, I would drive on the sames tires until I saw thread. If I would have gotten pulled over, I was just gonna tell the police they were racing slicks.

Nick keeps an eye on my tires regularly. He is one to think tires need to be replaced after a certain amount of miles have been put on them despite how much tread is still left. He assures my safety but
they still look good to me.

Needless to say, Ill be getting a new set of tires before we head to the beach again in May.

My Ear Update

Im being a little slow on my blogging. It will get better soon.
I've just been a little busy. Between working and fighting my ear problem, Ive been working up some crochet chemo hats for a loved one.

I'm still suffering something aweful with my ear. I have tinnitus (ring ears). I could have meniere desease. It's  more advance symptoms of tinnius, that includes vertigo, sound sensitivity and inner ear pressure. I'm feeling it all.

 

Im currently taking "Lipo Flavonoid" for relief, but so far it has not helped. The bottle says it can take up to 30 days to work and so far Ive been taking it for about 15 days. I don't have much faith in it.
Unfortunatly, there is no cure for Tinnitus or Meniere's Desease. There are only some relief remedies.

 

Since I haven't been sleeping well, it was suggested I get a white noise machine. This did help some during the night but I worried so much that it would keep Nick awake, I couldn't relax. He assures me each night that it doesn't, so I'll continue.

A friend told me last week to take two shots of whiskey before I go to bed.

Now, my daddy always told me to stay away from that stuff.  Sorry dad, I had to try it.
It didn't work so no worries on me becoming an alcoholic. Ha.

Tonight I'm gonna try some Melatonin to see if it helps me sleep. Just like the Flavonoid, its not a drug. Just natural ingredients.
I stay away from medicines unless its Allegra for allergies or Ibuprofen for Pain.

The doctors are shocked when I tell them im not on any medication. Women my age are usually on something. Not this girl. I hope to never have to rely on a drug. I'd rather drink the whisky.
Just kidding.

It's off to bed now. Hopeing for finally a good night sleep. 

 

Snow Really?

Here in North Carolina the weather has been unseaonably warm. Its been as high as the 80's already and its still Winter.

After dinner Friday night, my husband asked if I wanted to go walking or go shoe shopping? Well, there was no question there, so off to the mall we went. I wanted some new tennis shoes and flip flops for summer. I had Spring fever and we are planning a trip to the beach real soon. 

We walk through Belks department store and low and behold, they have free wine tasting and free cupcakes! Needless to say, I never got any shoes. We went back out on Satuday and tried it again. I got some new shoes, new jeans and a new shirt. I went old school on the shoes and bought some white leather Adidas just like they wore in the 80's. I couldnt afford them then but can now. Ha. 

We went to a family dinner Saturday night and I want even mention that double layer German Chocolate cake that my Mom made! 

Ooohhh it was soo good, it would make your tongue slap you forhead.

When we got back home, it was late, we took our showers, turned our clocks up and went to bed. 

I got up this morning and looked out the window. I said, "oh no! Snow! It was snowing like crazy! It had powdered the ground and was coming down like a pillow fight from heaven. I jumped back into bed , whining and complianing. Im so ready for Spring. 

Here was my view this morning.

 

If you slept late you probably missed it because by noon the temps were back up in the 40's and there was not even a sign of snow. 

The news station pretty much summed up the day with this meme.

 

I'm Not a Dog Hater

I was called a dog hater the other day. This kinda pissed me off actually. It was said after I refused to take home a stray pit bull. Are you kidding me? OK before you start the "pit bulls are sweet" lecture, Let me just say, I know too many incidents where a very sweet loving dog chewed someone up regardless of what kind it is. So Lets keep those comments to yourself. I'm not dog prejudice.

I have been called a dog hater by others before too.

I do not hate dogs. I love dogs. I like to watch them play, and I like to hug and pet them and when I get my hands on one, Its hard to put it down,  But I choose not to own one.

I have my reasons.

1. My daughter has a real bad allergy to pets. She can stand being around them for a few minutes but then she turns into a sneezy snot machine. If a dog licks her skin, it will break out. I have allergies to them too but not as bad. I just feel like bugs are crawling all over me after I play with one.

2. I do not want the responsibility of finding someone to care for it when I go on a trip. I like my husband and me time alone.

3. Vet bills. Yes these can get expensive and I can't even afford my own doctor bills much less a pet.

4. They smell. I do not care how clean you say your pet is, they stink.

5. They die, then your heart broken. Face it. They do not live as long as humans. It happens.

Does this make me a pet hater? Why would I be labeled this?

Maybe its the look on my face when I see a pet owners dog slobber on their chair. Or that a dog licks itself then gives them a big snoopy kiss on the face. Yuk!

Because I do not like the way they smell and the allergic reaction my daughter has to them, I wish not to sit beside one at a restaurant. If I move, people will call me a dog hater and I'm shamed!!!! This bothers me too.
They do not get it. Is it really becoming a dog world?

I saw a dog in a grocery cart at Walmart the other day. Eeeesh. Though this grosses me out, I can't say anything or I'd be called a dog hater and shamed once again. But I really do not want my food packages to sit where I dog has been.

Sadly, this cartoon is how a lot of people feel. Its ridiculous.

At a family dinner, my family knows the reaction my daughter has with pets, and they still will bring their dogs to dinner. Then they hold them at the table, play with them and then handle the food!!!!!!! They also stink and I really do not want to smell it at the dinner table. No one notices the problem here since they all have a pet. They are used to it. My family of three are not even respected a little on this issue. I'm pretty sure all the act is on purpose.

I'm out numbered and can't say anything. Besides, its not my home. I have to just grit my teeth and hope for the dinner to end quickly and hope my sister doesn't start squeeking that toy! over and over and over.

Do I sound like a dog hater????
I grew up with a dog. But it was treated like a dog. It was loved, petted, talked to, played with and spoiled rotten but it was not treated like a child. It did not get to sit in the chair at the table or the front seat of the car. It did not wear a tutu or pajamas or get to go shopping with me.

Maybe I'm just being an old fart. But I'm not a dog hater.

For the record: 
If I had a pet dog , I would want a Boxer. Those are my favorite.
If I had a cat, I would want a Blue Scottish Fold. I love those!
I also like guinea pigs, and always wanted one of those too.
Sadly my situations prevent me from either.

A Good Marraige

"This post is not about anyone or any fact. It is simply just a thought and opinion of my own".

I have been married for 21 years now. I have to say its been the best years of my life. In these 21 years, our marriage has only gotten stronger. We have raised a beautiful, smart, kind daughter that is now living out on her own hopefully taking in all we have taught her. We have had trials and disappointments that life has thrown at us but, all in all, I think our marriage is one of the rarest of kind. yes, rare. Why? Well, Ill share with you what I think holds our marriage together.

1. I'll start with the fact that we both attend church. Even though we are two different denominations which sometimes causes a problem because he goes to one church and I go to another, but we still go, and that's great. Its proven that married couples that go to church together have a better success rate. My husband even made the comment the other day how we try to keep our lives biblical. We see so many other homes broken, troubled and unhappy because they choose to keep God out of it.

2. We do not do many things apart from each other. Sure I'll have dinner with my girl friends sometimes but it is usually for lunch or on a week night and we do not go to bars or clubs.
When spouses "party" away from each other such as those "girls/guys night out", etc. It can lead to one or the other abandoning time together which is not healthy. Rumors can easily get started which causes conflict, and neglect. I'm not saying its "wrong" to do this sometimes, but I have not seen a marriage continue to stay happy when spouses do this often.

3. We do not take overnight trips apart from each other. As weird as it may seem, we have never spent a night apart from each other. Nope, never in 21 years. One day we may have to if its for business or emergency, but we do not plan any nights away from each other and always go to bed together. Never has one of us spent the night on the sofa or dog house. haha.

4. Never talk bad about your spouse. Remember, while you are letting out your frustrations to your friends, they do not love your spouse like you do, so therefore, they only remember the bad things you say and will continue to see your spouse differently than you do without ever hearing the other side of the story (like mom always said, "it takes two"). It feels good to vent to someone but if you get mad, stay hush for a day or two before you go talking about it. You will find it wasn't so bad after all.

5. We make time for each other. We take walks and share stories of our day. We also sit down to meals together. We turn the TV off and sit around the table as a family. Sure we have enjoyed a meal or two in the living room, but very seldom and even then, we sit together. We have our most intense conversations during dinner.

6. We are each others best friend. We vent and listen to each other. We argue and disagree but we work it out. And if we cant work it out, we try to understand the other and just let it go and try to not let the same conversation come up over and over. No matter how mad we do get at each other, we never cease to tell each other "I love you".

7. We have separate checking accounts. This is a good thing. You each have control of your own money, yet still share with each other (this way gifts can really be surprises). We do not always have to question each other of what each other spends as long as the bills are paid. It is still good to have another account jointly for both to contribute to such as tax refunds, savings, etc. and this account should only be used for joint things such as bills, vacations, remodeling or needed appliances. Try it. It works.

8. If you have  kids, make sure you take time for your spouse and do not give 100% to your child. Go on dates. Share responsibilities and not complain about the fact you do more than the other. Its not a competition. We both work so we both share the chores. So what if you seem like your doing more than your spouse is. You should cherish every moment you can accomplish and be proud of it. This is a big problem in marriages now days. I hear women complaining all the time about how they so more with the kids than the father.....So! Your a Mother. We are cut out for this!

9. Don't complain all the time. Don't pick a fuss. So what if your husband puts the dishes away wrong. Is it worth nagging about? No. Just be happy he wanted to help and when hes not looking, Just adjust the cabinet. Which leads to number 10.

10. Praise your spouse for things they do. Randomly send little love text or leave love notes and appreciation for the other. Play around and act up. We act silly and joke with each other. Sometimes we get sarcastic with each other and do not take each other seriously. Do not let being a Mom or Dad turn you into an old person that has no fun. Keep yourself up, don't let yourself go. Be the person your spouse asked to marry.

11. Last but not least....We do not let each other forget how much they are loved even when we are angry. We always tell each other we love each other before we go to sleep or depart from each other. You never know what the last words you say to them could be.

Again, this all my experiences and opinions and no two marriages are the same.What works for some, may not work for others but I'm pretty sure if you stick to number 1, your marriage will be successful.

Looking at The Bright Side

I don't know about you but I'm getting so worn out by all the bad news now days. Im an Optimistic person and the world today is wearing me down. I still manage to try and focus on the good things.

Seems like people now days strive on bad news. My family has stopped receiving the local news paper now. We use the excuse that it cost to much each month. But really, It just cost to much to read trash all the time. I was tired of getting up and first thing I saw was trashy news head lines or some criminal on the loose. I once counted all the bad news vs the good news (not counting the obituary or sports pages) and I counted 21 bad news articles and 6 good news articles.

I have even stopped looking at face book so much. All that it was becoming was people complaining all the time! I've seen so many unhappy people on there that It was just making me miserable and puting me in a bad mood.

Now I get up in the mornings and sling open the blinds. Id rather the first thing to hit me in the morning be the sunshine and the sound of nature. ......ok, and coffee. When I get to work, I will hear complaining again most likley from people complaining they do to much work. Smh! I just close the door, shuting all of that mess off so I can focus on my daily routine and be in a better mood so I can be pleasant to my customers. I dont need to hear about all the drama in the other room.

I understand that we need to hear things happening around us so we can be aware but most of the things we read about or see on TV is nothing we can do about. So why worry? Why get wrapped up in the bad things going on?

• Instead of complaining about the neighbors grass growing knee high, admire Mrs. Jones flowers growing across the street.
• Instead of talking about the tree that fell next door, talk about how the nice neighbors all came together to help remove it.
• Instead of worring about rain storms coming, roll your car out of the garage and hope it washes the bugs off the windshield.
• If you hurt all the time, or tired all the time.....look in the mirror. It could just be something about yourself you need to change to make you feel better. Mabe your own attitude can contribute to a world of happiness.
• As for the driver that cut you off or sped past your in a rage, maybe they just had a family emergency, or running late for a meeting that could cost them a job. Maybe they are running late because they were too busy watching there child take his first steps or say her first words. You just never know.

Go ahead, try it for a day.....Try staying away from anything that saddens you or makes you  mad....Find something good in something bad. It may even take deleting friends or refraining from any social media. Don't become a victim of bad news and try to be optimistic about everything. It will make you feel good and its fun too.

My Secret Skill

I have a skill I can not talk about. Why does it have to be so secretive and private in my world? Im talking about Phlebotomy.

While others that are certified in this field can shout it out to the world , I have to keep it balled up inside. However, I do have a little key chain I dangle from my keys. Ha.

I have always wanted to be a phlebotomist. I really don't know why. I just have. In November 2013, I did something about it. I found a local school that offered these classes and I dove in with a little money I had saved. My Husband just shaking his head. He and my daughter were the only ones that knew I was going after this certification. I was so excited. As hard as it was for me to keep it to myself. I didn't tell anyone until I was finished just incase I failed. I could not wait until it was over so I could announce it to my family.

When the wait was over and I got the call that I passed, I actually cried just a little. Then I waited until just the right moment to share my accomplishments. I barely got out the word "Phlebotomist" until someone screamed "eeeew! Stop right there". I didn't want to cause a ruckus so I hung down my head and shut my mouth. These same family members can talk about hunting and dead animals around the dinner table but lets don't speak anything about human blood. I was so hurt and discouraged.

That was it.

Its been a year now. No one speaks of it. However, I look at and study my notes from class regularly. Almost every day actually. They are all on my phone right at my finger tips. One person tells me I have to stay hush about it because It could result in me loosing the office job I have been at now for 21 years. I don't understand how. I mean, as long as I'm devoted to my job, It does not hurt for others to know that I have some schooling. I agree with him that I cant risk loosing my full time job just yet but that does not mean I cant do Phlebotomy on the side. Get some experience and then one day go on full time somewhere. Somewhere with benefits and professionalism.  Somewhere I can make a difference and help people. Somewhere I'm respected.

I am currently in the process of applying as a volunteer for the American Red Cross. I have one more step to take on the application. I would like to volunteer in the blood centers. I think just being around this line of work will help me build confidence and get some experience. A place I can enjoy being at. Even though its "Volunteer". I love helping people and get the satisfaction that I did something to good. I could stay at my full time job and volunteer on the weekends.

Right now, I'm stuck between going for it without any support from family, or just wait and carry my wishes around in my pocket. I really would love to hear the words " Just go for it", "Do what you want to do", "make something better of yourself", "Ill be behind you if you fall". I don't think Ill get that but I know in the long run, ill have some experience that I can fall back on if my current job ever ends. I still have 25 good work years left in me. Um....Just don't do the math.

The Corn Starch Experiment

I've always heard that you can use talc powder or cornstarch to remove grease from kitchen walls so when I got some on my practically new leather Toms, I had not choice but to try. Im not real sure how the grease got on my shoes but It was also on my jeans. I washed the jeans and it didn't come out .

After wearing my shoes all day with the stains on them that I tried to get out with water, They made me feel ugly. I was mad that this had happened. I was ready to toss them to the side but not until I at least tried the corn starch thing. The cornstarch is suppose to absorb and pull the grease out. We'll see.

I took pictures incase it worked so I could share it.... and well..... see for yourself.

Here is the greasy spots. Ugly right?

Here they are with the cornstarch on them. I let it sit on there for about an hour.

After about an hour, I used an old toothbrush and scrubbed around on the spots and brushed the leather until the cornstarch was gone...

and so were the spots.

It didn't take the spot out completely but at least they don't look like a giraffe anymore. If I would have left the cornstarch on longer it may have absorbed the spot more.

Pretty neat huh? I think I may go try it on my jeans now.

Ive shared this at:
tuesday-pin-spiration at thestitchinmommy
before-after Wednesday at thededicatedhouse 

Slack Blogger

Yes I've been a slack blogger. I have so much to talk about but do not know how to put it into words. Someone once told me, to gain followers and comments, I need to blog about controversial things. Well, that's one thing I don't like to get wrapped up in. I may at sometime spill out my angers and thoughts of what I think about this world, but I'm sure your just as tire of it as me so I'd rather find fun, happy and inspiring things to blog about.

Another problem I have, is that I cant seem to find time to relax and type. Im at work 9 hours a day and I try to enjoy every moment I can with my husband and daughter and hate to be in the same room with them, typing and ignoring them. I do enough of that with my cell phone.

Most bloggers keep a calendar of things to post. I'm not that person either. I blog about what ever comes to my mind to share that day. I guess you can just call me a spontaneous blogger. I do something and think, "wow I'm gonna share this idea with the world".

Right now, I'm working on a little project I cant wait to share with you soon. Until then, thank you for your patience.

Vintage Bike Recycle

I have always liked to ride a bike. Its something you learn and never forget. I didn't have a bike since I was about twelve until a few years ago. We lived in a little house on side of a main road where there was no place to ride a bike. I managed to teach my girl how to ride one by using the driveway and back yard. It didn't take her long to learn.

One day (about 15 years ago) a stranger came into our yard holding a rusty, shabby, radio flyer vintage bike frame. The bike was in no condition to be ridden. He was looking to make some money. My husband and I felt sorry for the fella and gave him five dollars for the bike and he went on his way.

It just so happened that we were talking about getting some coaster bikes to use at the beach so it was not a whole loss of five dollars. Im thinking these bikes are from the 60's.

My husband said he would fix this one up. He worked hard sanding it down and painting it. He found a bike shop in the next town over and ordered some necessary parts needed to fix this little gem up. He replaced the handle bars, chain, seat, rims and tires. Before long, it was ready to go....

Meanwhile before he even got this one all the way fixed up, the same stranger walked up wanting more money and yes, he was holding another radio flyer vintage bike frame. By now, we seen what was going on here and didn't buy any more from him, but I was excited to see now we have two bikes. Bike (#1) for my daughter and bike (#2) for my husband.

Vintage bike #1 (before)

Vintage Bike #1 (after)

vintage bike #2 (after)

I don't have a before picture of this one but did manage to get a shot of the finished results. 

If you are wondering where is my bike? I actually have a bike given to me by my father-in-law. He had it sitting in his yard sale and I snatched it up. Its a road master brand vintage bike. I have not done anything to mine because its in fairly good shape. However, I did have to get some whitewall tires for it.

Its now showing some rust (Probably from riding it on the beach). I plan to give it a good paint job soon. I also want to add a wire basket to it and a book rack on the back. I am debating on what color I want to paint it. I'm thinking I may keep it blue but not sure.

Wait!....My husband just told me that he found me a basket and its on its way! He is just the best.
I cant wait to show you my finished results so follow me and stay tuned.

Maybe my readers can help on a color. I'd love to hear any ideas you can give me.


Ive shared this at:
dare-to-share at pamspartyandpracticaltips
nifty-thrifty-sunday at niftythriftythings
snickerdoodle-sunday at 2crochethooks

before-and-after-wednesday at thededicatedhouse

Lil Camper Dreamin

People who have never camped will not get this...I have been going camping now for 18 years. We own a nice big travel trailer that we keep stored at our favorite vacation spot. I have grown to love camping. Its nice to have your own little place with our own bed and toilet.

Speaking of "own little space", I have gotten a fever for wanting just that. If you follow me on Pinterest, you will notice I have pinned a lot of tiny little  campers lately. My favorite is the Canned Ham type. They are tiny little 10 to 13 ft  vintage campers. They are just so darn cute. I don't know what hit me, but when I seen this, I wanted one for myself. Not saying I want to be alone, even though sometimes its nice, Im just saying I want a big/little project of my own.

Source

I keep thinking how fun it would be to find one that I can play with. Just a shell of one would be great so I could restore it to my liking. I could not do it in the neighborhood I live in now, but I would love to have one in the back yard just as a resort. A place to think, doll it up, and decorate it in a girly fashion (sorry Husband). But think about it, men have their "man caves", garages, sheds, and workshops. So, why cant a woman have her doll house? Come on girls, you know all of us wanted a doll house at one time or another. This would be a great get-away to read, craft, nap, study, quite time with my husband or just to have a fun get together with girl friends. hmmm wonder just how much gossip and secrets this little thing would hold?

 

shabbyrosedecor.com

I have this bike! Wheels are turning 

 stylemepretty.com

I remember drinking Shasta from a tin can.

Ebay

This is too cute. On the link, there are more inside pictures to see.

adventureideaz.com

I love the chalkboard on the inside of the door idea here.
 

 cornbreadandbeansquilting.wordpress.com

Inside a little Shasta. I love the arrangement in this one. More pictures on the link.  

 

If me and my husband ever decided to go somewhere for a quick over night trip, we could just hook it up to the back of the truck and go. It would be perfect on the side of a lake with a campfire and fishing poles. Hey im up for anything.  My daughter is 23 and still living at home. We need a quick resort sometimes.

 Source

This is perfect! Crafty mind overload!

The inside colors I would use would be aquas, greys, and a splash of yellow or red. 
I could go on and on. The possibilities are endless. Just Google or go to Pinterest and search "tin can campers" and see what happens. Just be careful and don't get suck in and get a fever like I did.

Maybe one day....Maybe one day I can have a ten foot, tin can condo of my own.



Ive shared this at:
tell-me-about-it-tuesday at sweetsillysara Featured!
amaze-me-monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome

Crochet For a Laugh

The other day I was looking around on the internet when I came across some funny pictures of mice, ferrets, chickens and even frogs wearing hats. It was the most usual yet cutest thing.

My mind began wondering and a thought popped into it.  I immediately messaged one of my friends that I knew had guinea pig. I asked her "if I were to make it a hat, would she take a photograph of it?".  She agreed without hesitation. We both thought it would be a good laugh and who doesn't need a good laugh every day?

Soon as I got home and settled, I grabbed my needle and some scrap yarn and started crocheting a little hat. It was so fun, I ended up making her three.

Here is a picture of her guenia pig wearing the green hat. She said it was hard to keep him still so its the best she could get. I guess he was just really excited and was ready for his lucky charms.

She also sent me a picture of the other two hats. I just thought the green one was the cutest and it was near St. Patrick's Day at the time.. It did bring on a good laugh.

When my nephew seen what I had done, he asked if I could make him some kind of hat for a guinea pig that he was soon going to purchase for his girlfriend. So I did. Both of them have a love for farming and horses so......

I made it a cowboy hat. Which brought on another laugh. I cant wait to see pictures of her guinea pig wearing it.
I do not plan to make any more tiny animal hats but it I just had to give it a try. I love how they all turned out and I hope it made you smile a little bit.


Ive shared this at:
f mix-it-up-monday at lourmewithlove
amaze-me-monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome
nifty-thrifty-tuesday at linda-coastalcharm
tell-me-about-it-tuesday at sweetsillysara
made-by-me-122-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
your-whims-wednesday at mygirlishwhims
something-fabulous-wednesday at roubinek
hookin-on-hump-day at mymerrymessylife
city-of-links-party at cityofcreativedreams
nifty-thrifty-sunday at niftythriftythings  

Rapunzel Project

"Rapunzel Rapunzel, Let down your hair"

That quote is all I know from the fairy tail. To be honest, I haven't even see the movie "Tangled".

The other day, one of my customers from my Etsy shop sent me a request. She asked if I could make a hat for a friend of hers whose daughter was a patient at St. Judes Hospital. She said the little girl was starting to loose her hair and wanted to give her something special. She showed me a photo example of the hat that was in her mind. I had to do some searching around. I needed to see some pictures of Rapunzel. At first I was hesitant because I wasn't sure I could do the whole hair braid thing. It wasn't but within a couple hours, I decided I could do this and I was going to make one for this precious child. Somehow I would figure it out.

I began crocheting a hat. That was the easiest part for me. My daughter likes to craft so I asked her if she would make some felt flowers for the hat. Neither one of us knew how this would turn out. I just crocheted and she cut.
Then with a little glue and ribbon, we pulled it off. I think it turned out lovely.

 

 

I ended up giving her the hat. I really hope it fits her. I can only imagine what it would be like to have a sick child. I do not know who this person is but I wish her and her family the best and sending out prayers for them all. And to my customer who requested this gift, you are a very thoughtful and generous person. People like you are few.

I do not plan to make another hat but I have made a couple Rapunzel headbands by request.

Want one? Right now, you can purchase a Rapunzel head band from my Etsy shop.

Blessings


Ive shared this at:
ladybug-blessings
your-whims-wednesday at mygirlishwhims
made-by-me-120-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
whatd-you-do-this-weekend at tumbleweedcontessa
under-100-link-party at beyondthepicketfence
create-link-inspire at thecraftyblogstalker
freedom-fridays-with-all-my-bloggy at myturnforus
Think Pink Sunday at flamingotoes
inspire-me-monday at create-with-joy Featured
hookin-on-hump-day at mymerrymessylife
yarn-party-time-excellent at bugaboominimrme

Phlebotomy Certified!

I cant hold it in any longer. I am now a certified phlebotomist! I am so excited. Call me weird but I have always wanted to be a phlebotomist. I am so thankful for my friend Tammy for telling me where to find this opportunity.

It was quite a challenge for me. I kept this achievement secret for a couple reasons. Only a handful of people knew I was going for this certification. I did not want to take a chance on hearing any negative remarks to interfere with what I wanted to do. I studied like crazy and never got bored of it. I'm just not a good test taker. I was so nervous about the final exam. The National Exam was not too easy and two weeks waiting on the results were agonizing. I lost sleep. I mean after all, I had put a lot of "sweat and blood" into this. Literally!

Class was fun. It was a small class of only eight women and two instructors. It lasted ten weeks. In those ten weeks, I took challenging test which some were perfect and some were below average (go figure). I was interested in the studies the whole time and could not wait for the next class so I could learn more things.

We were already doing capillary sticks within the first 3 weeks. That was painfully easy.

Here I am doing my first finger stick and trying to get the blood in the tube.

Then we moved on to venipuncture. We had to have so many successful sticks to pass the class. We started with an orange. This is where we got comfortable holding the needle steady.

  You can see who the sympathetic one in the class was, now cant we?

The next week we moved on to dummy arms. After one stick to the dummy, I was ready, and the instructors let us practice on each other. We did half our sticks using class mates.

 Here I am doing my very first blood draw.

I was some body's first stick! eeesh. It was perfect. Everyone of was good at it. I think it came natural. My arms looked like a drug user so I had to keep them covered. Eventually I had to tell a few friends what I was up to because I knew I could no longer do this on my own. We had a stick-a-thon, where we had to ask friends and family to come in and let us use them to get our stick quota. That was fun.

Whats Next for me? 
I'm going to continue to learn all I can about phlebotomy and study more the order of draw. I do not plan to leave my current full time job any time soon. However, Id love to do phlebotomy on an "as needed" bases or some weekends for a while until I get some experience. This will gives me a direction to head towards one day. Id love to be in a more professional environment. Its scary but exciting to think about what my future holds.

Special thanks to my daughter and those that offered themselves to be my guinea pig. Also a special thanks to my husband and the ones that continued to keep my confidence on high. They have no idea how much they all helped me and how much I appreciate them.

Children on Facebook

Face it, just about everyone is on Facebook now days. Its fun to socialize, share funny stories, read prayer request, look at someones new baby. Then again there is a lot of drama, ugly pictures, dirty jokes, etc. that come along with it.

Facebook has a rule that you are suppose to be at least 13 to sign up ( I personally think it should be 15).
Kids now days are getting around this, or should I say the parents are letting their kids get around it by teaching them to lie and showing them how to set up a Facebook account with fake information.

(source)

40% of the Facebook users under the age of 18 are actually under the age of 13. This just burns me up!
I know personally a mother that helped her son open up a face book account. He is only 11! His profile states that he is 22. His pictures look as if hes 9 and his little friends? They all look like little tots dressing and acting as if they were teenagers.
I find this to be so wrong and dangerous.
Parents, if your going to open your child up to this part of the world, teach them safety and monitor them. Its not a thing about trust, its about keeping them safe and morally protected.

First off, his page is not even private. So, its open for all the predators and stalkers out there to see everything about him, his family and his friends.
Next, its shows the world where he lives.
You can also see and view just about everyone of his little friends in which I'm sure are only barely 12 or younger. Why? Because their pages are not private either so I was able to snoop all around them. I was disgusted at why in the world a parent would let there child do this.
Parents now days do not monitor their children like they should. I mean, at least make it private where only people they know and trust can see their Facebook. There is a setting for that!
Even though your child is "a good child" or a "mature child" does not make a difference. Children have curious minds. One thing will lead to another. If a little 11 year old is flirted with by "anyone" they will be flattered and carry on with conversation easily. They are too immature to think out the dangers. People on Facebook are real, not a character in a video game (which I have complaints about too but that's another story).

Needless to say, he has asked me already to be his Face book friend but I denied it. I have a rule that I will not allow anyone under 15 to be my friend on Facebook. I am against it, therefore I will not promote it.
I do not put anything on my profile that is not kid friendly but I have friends that will use adult humor or life drama on their Facebook and I wouldn't want a child to see.

Parents! Please. Let you kids be kids. Make them go out and play with the kids on the playground for social activity, not sit in a closed room on the computer talking to "who knows who".

Copyright

I have just added a copyright to my blog. You should too.

You may think like me, that surely there is nothing on my blog that anyone would want to copy as their own but you will be surprised. If someone thinks its a win, they will take it and call it there own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(source)

By placing a copyright on your blog you are simply showing thieves that you do not tolerate this type of activity.

Lets get started.....

Click webweaver and generate your free copyright code. It will only take a minute. Once you have generated the code, add it to the bottom (or wherever you choose) of your blog page by using the html gadget option on your layout. You can scroll down and see mine at the very bottom. ;) Cute huh?

There are also more legal information you may need or find interesting by visiting serendipityandspice. This is were I just learned about the copyright thing.

Its a good idea to always add a source to as of where you copied a picture, clip art or artical you use on your blog that is not your own. And bloggers rule, its always a respectful and fair to add a link leading to where you got some of your information. It also would not hurt to add a watermark to your pictures. I use Pickmonkey for mine. Its a fun picture editing site. Sure, people can still steal and use your pictures but this will detour them to a degree.

I hope maybe I covered a few things you didn't know. Its always good to be safer than sorry.