Happiness with a Bow Tied on Top

So....I got my app. in for October Afternoon on Saturday. It took longer than I expected to get everything pulled together, scanned and e-mailed that I forgot to attach my supply list to my e-mail! ARGH!!! I sent it immediately after, but I sure hope that doesn't hurt my application. I have some very good feelings about this so I hope my instincts are right and I'll soon get a call. (Selected team members will be announced Sept. 3rd -- that would be the best birthday present I could ask for!!!)

Saturday was also my wedding anniversary...17 years. I just can't believe that. I always feel like an impostor when I say that because no one expects a 34 year old to have been married that long. I think people are surprised to see how much *in love* we are with each other. I still feel like a high school kid sometimes...well, minus the nights parked in a car... ha ha! Oh, wait, there was that time a year ago...dang, maybe things haven't changed that much after all.

So, ahem, back to my weekend. We went out for a very lovely dinner at Johnny Delmonico's - an upscale steak and seafood place. We'd been there once before a few years back. We ordered a blue crab cake appetizer and ordered a bottle of wine. We had a yummy salad of field greens, candied walnuts and goat cheese, bread and Chateaubriand for our meal. This steak was the absolute best I've ever tasted! It truly melted in the mouth. We also had steamed asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. We were overstuffed but wanted dessert too so we ordered coffee and dessert too. Hubby had an apple tart which was amazing! I ordered a slice of chocolate cake which -- I'm not kidding you -- was about the size of a hardback book and about 4" wide on the outside edge. I ate some, but took most of it home.

We were so full I thought walking would be nice so we headed to State Street to do some people watching and window shopping. It was a bit too early for the weirdo's to come out, but State Street always has a vibe of it's own and that was fun to do. I wished I had my camera to capture the near-full moon right above the capitol building at dusk--beautiful!!

On our way back we spotted a new psychic shop that opened up recently. Hubby jokingly said we should go there, and I said "yes, let's go!" I've always wanted to do that. When we got to the shop we saw the sidewalk sign which said:

Palm reading $15
Tarot reading $45
Psychic reading $55

Since I read Tarot cards we went for the psychic reading. Hubby went first and then I did. Here are some of the highlights:

• Hubby and I will be taking a vacation near water within the next six months. If this happens I'd be in heaven since we can't afford a vacation.
  
• She saw a positive investment for us that will be very successful come spring or summer. That's ironic because we're meeting with a financial adviser this week!
  
• She also saw a move or remodeling for both of us. Not planning on either so we'll see.
  
• There were many things she told me that dealt with more emotional issues and behavior patterns.
  
• Oh, she also told me she saw me pregnant!! That was quite a surprise since hubby's shootin' blanks. She tells me she doesn't care, she sees a pregnancy. I protested enough that she said it's possible it's about someone else, but she sees it for me.
  

We shared our experiences with each other on the walk back to the car. I was left with a general unsettled feeling, I think because I'd wanted to do that for so long, and what I was told was not what I expected. I also wish I would have asked a few more questions.

Sunday I woke up to Kate making coffee for us and both kids wishing me a very excited happy birthday. What a lovely way to wake up!

In the afternoon we drove to Williams Bay to celebrate my birthday along with hubby's brother, grandma and cousin with a cookout. Weather was gorgeous!! We brought Milo along and he was quite spoiled with attention! We brought the cake down, ordered from Carl's Cakes. A four layer chocolate cake with a light chocolate frosting and raspberry filling. Oh my God! It was so delicious I had two pieces and could have eaten more. I got just what I'd wanted for my birthday! ;-)

All-in-all it was just a wonderful weekend!

(By the way, my birthday isn't until this coming Sunday, Sept. 2nd, and Hubby will be out of town. Anyone care to party with me? Some martinis might be in order!)

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - And the winner is...

I appreciate the advice and comments I received last week about my mental dilemma. It is true that I'd love to be on the October Afternoon design team and I have decided to go ahead with my application. I need to submit three scrapbook pages, one altered item or mini album and one card when I send in my application. The deadline to apply is August 25th.

There are still some doubts that are going through my mind - not about whether or not to apply - but whether I am "good enough" to even be in the running. My cure for this is a reminder that everyone in this world has self-doubt no matter who you are or what you've accomplished. As long as I enjoy the process that's all that matters!

I've been having a great time letting my creativity just flow uninhibited and am coming up with some ideas and pages that I love, and some that aren't turning out the way I'd envisioned them to. This week I am feeling settled and mostly organized so my Virgo world is a happy one!

Peace.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - I've been mud wrestling

I've been mud wrestling . . . with myself that is.

It may be time to write up some new goals with time lines. I just can't seem to get a good focus on my life right now. Maybe I'm way overthinking this. Please share your thoughts/comments with me. I could really use them right now.

We have some heavyweight contenders in the ring:

Scrapping - Love my review team work with ScrapFriends, love scrapping, still have free time to just play. Have been entering monthly contests. Belong to a kit club. Fallen in love with October Afternoon and am considering applying for their design team. Have been wanting to be on a mfg. design team for a long time.

Writing - Want to do more of it, need to do it more regularly. Try to establish a daily routine of writing even if it's only for 15 minutes. Would like to finish a novel and try to get it published. Receive a lot of praise here.

Family - This is what really makes me feel unfocused. Not sure why. I spend time with my family and still have time to do my own thing, but if I join another design team how will that change? Hubby will be starting school next month so it'll be just me and the kids three nights a week. More opportunity to scrap on those nights.

What should I do, should I apply for the October Afternoon design team? It feels like too good of an opportunity to not at least try for. Should I keep my scrapping at the level it is at now and focus more on writing? Or should I do all three?

I do have to say I'm a person who works well with structure and keeping busy. I love so much, and seriously mean it when I say I wish I didn't have to sleep. Debating on how busy to be, I'm thinking "Hey, you only live once! Might as well live it to your fullest!

So, I'm thinking apply for the design team. I may not even get an offer - actually, I likely won't get an offer, but hey, I can dream! Please give me your thoughts.

(Now after reading all of this you probably think I'm over-analyzing everything. I agree, but that's just me. Totally focused and serious at some times, and playful and creative at others. Welcome to my cerebral jungle gym!)

Today's babblings and an eventual scrapbook page

"Nineteen Minutes" is a novel I've just started reading by Jodi Picoult. This story shows how with an ordinary lapse of time - nineteen minutes - your life can be changed forever. And not just you. Hundreds, thousands or even millions of lives can change.

That is one frightening reality.

This book takes us through a school shooting and its aftermath. The story is gripping and, unfortunately, realistic.

In my own state, an hour or two from where I live, a young boy is currently on trial for killing his high school principal. The thing is this boy looks like a good kid.

I mean, someone you would never look at and think of as dangerous.

This is the reality that my children are growing up in.

I've wondered if it is the media continually seeking out stories that we will not be able to turn away from, like gawkers at a car accident.

But every day these shocking news stories become my reality. A reality that I must carefully navigate. Tiptoeing through the minefield of life, all the while hoping that I am choosing a safe path.

It is scary, and it is real, and it could all be over in just 19 minutes.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - It's a Boy!

(Shhhh....I know I'm a day early but...I had to share!)



OMG...where does the time go? I mean, seriously, it's been THREE weeks since I've posted. I'm so sorry I haven't kept in touch better. No time like the present, eh?

I'm a new mom to Milo, a mini Aussie we picked up on Saturday. Isn't he the cutest?

We made the long drive to Hudson, WI (near Mpls/St. Paul) last Saturday to pick him up. We didn't tell the kids what we were doing. Katie had spent the night at a friend's house so I talked to her mom about our plans for the day and asked if she could keep her until we got back so Korbin was the first one to be surprised. We left home around 7:15 AM and got back home around 4:45 PM. We had to stop a lot, every hour on the way up and nearly as often on the way back. Milo did great in the car. I was amazed.

Korbin had just fallen asleep as we pulled into Hudson so he was pretty dazed once we reached Willow River Farm. He loved petting all of the animals, but didn't "get" that we were there to bring an animal home. He was quite nonchalant about the whole thing.

Once we got home Korbin and I spent some time playing in the backyard with Milo and Kevin went to pick up Katie. When she came in the house and saw dog toys she was totally confused. Kevin told her to go look outside. I have to say her excitement totally made up for Korbin's sleepy surprise earlier in the day.

I wasn't in a rush to name him but we were tossing around a bunch of names. Kate was funny because every name she picked was food related: chocolate, smores, snickers. Hmm...and this girl isn't even a chocolate freak like Korbin and I. Anyway, the name Milo just popped into my head and we knew it was meant to be his name.

Milo is 8 weeks old and is very, very good! He's a super fast learner and has adjusted very well to our house. The cats are another story, but we'll get to them in a minute. The first night we brought him home he was up every 2 hours to go outside. He's adapted better and now I'm only getting up once a night.

He loves to be around us and will follow us all over the house. It sure makes it easy to keep track of him. Outside is the same way. We could easily train him to walk without a leash. This need to be around people has made it harder for him to adjust to being alone during the day.

He also had a very poor tummy on Sunday and was very lethargic. We were concerned but he perked up later on in the evening. We took him to the vet anyway for a health check and they found that he has a parasite and that was probably the cause of his tummy issues. He's on meds now and is doing great.

The cats absolutely freaked when he came into the house. They've done nothing but hiss - and neither of them are big hissers. Milo takes it all in stride and usually barks at them trying to get them to play with him. For now he gives the cats the dominance they want Each day they've come closer to each other and can now pass each other without hissing, but the cats are still not ready to call him a friend. I'm sure this will happen soon. Milo needs a playmate and they will enjoy him.