332 Scene of the Crime

Saturday, approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, I stumbled across this horrifying discovery. Poor Rebecca, laying lifeless on the floor. Her neck, apparently broken...

Her legs, at unnatural angles....

I called the cops, but the first guy to arrive on the scene totally compromised the evidence. At one point he dropped his donut on the victim, picked it up and continued to eat.

Later, the police searched the victim's former lodgings. It is clear that this was no accident. Obviously a struggle took place here!
While searching the vic's former residence we came across another find! OH NO!! Its a COPYCAT Killer!

Yes Mom, I am trying to clean Katie's room .... then she is in charge!

331 Our Foster Child

Do you know this face?

Are you missing this face?

Do you live in the Horn Lake Intermediate area

(if you do, you get that description, if not it probably isn't your dog)

Temperatures are record low for this area. This poor pooch has been wandering our street for at least two weeks, and I could NOT leave him outside in 14 degree weather. He is sweet and so gentle with kids, which leads me to believe he has a home somewhere. However he is failing in the house-trained area, which makes me think he has been wandering for a while.

The kids would be perfectly happy to adopt him, but I would prefer to find his real home. As cute and sweet as he is I would rather not have an extra animal right now. Our cat is FREAKING OUT!

If you know where he belongs PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Posters will be going up soon. And I will be calling the vet first thing on Monday.

Until then, we are trying out a few names. Katie keeps calling him Winn-Dixie. I wanted to call him Dirty Panda, or DP for short. My friend Linda suggested Dip, so we would have Chip and Dip. My friend Candy said he looks like an Oreo. Feel free to add your own suggestions to the comments!

330 Snow Day? SERIOUSLY!!??

This is the view I woke up to outside our backdoor. Katie was behind me, asking if she had to go to school. "Honey, there isn't that much snow. You probably have to go, but let me check." And I pulled up the county school webpage and there it was at the top ... SCHOOL CLOSED.

Wait ... WHAT?!!? So I looked out the door again ... and I still saw this same dusting of snow. But of course to Katie it might as well have been a blizzard! She was so excited!! She wanted to get suited up and go out right away. Of course, as always happens, we couldn't find her weatherproof mittens. Well, I found one .... but since Katie thinks they are toys when she isn't using them for their intended purpose we can't find the other. It will show up in a few days when it isn't needed. I finally convinced Katie that her velour pants would not fit under her skinny jeans ... and she was OFF! Yes, she did smack me with this snowball right after I snapped the picture. She even attempted a snow angel ... in the hammock. AND THEN ... Connor woke up! And of course he wanted to go outside as well. So, I got him suited up and away we went!... you knew I would take pics of something not involving the kids ... Daddy even bundled up and took Connor out for some play time!

And ... at the end of the day, as I checked my email... I noticed one from the School .... CANCELING SCHOOL FOR TOMORROW!

...and this is what the yard looked like right then!! I have heard it is because of our extremem cold temperatures. But I think of the fact there might be kids with no heat, who will be home. And not to mention that if the kids were in school they would be inside. When the kids are at home they will be playing outside ... IN THE COLD! And I worry that there are kids who might only get a well rounded meal when they are at school. I do live in Mississippi, so that is all entirely possible. And what about those kids left at home because there is no childcare?!

The school has heat ... CRANK IT UP! I don't know how much more togetherness this family can stand!!

.... OH! And next time, don't make me struggle through the screaming and the tears to get homework done!

329 Comfort Food

Sometimes the simplest things can show our love!

328 Meeting in The Ladies Room

I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever!! And it finally arrived today!!
Around March of last year, Linda Woods contacted me and asked if I would be interested in submitting a picture and some words for a book that she and her sister, Karen Dinino, were trying to put together. No way would I have even considered saying no ... and then she explained the concept to me.
Women in the Bathroom
At first I was a little confused ... women in a bathroom. What does this have to do with the other two books that the Seesters have put out? Visual Chronicles and Journal Revolution. Both about art journaling ...
Want to know the unifying characteristic?
All three books are about learning to express YOURSELF!
Not pretending to be someone you are not. In the bathroom we can be ourselves. We are alone (hopefully) and there is no reason to wear the masks we use in public. Just like in art journaling. Art journaling is meant as only an expression of YOU, it doesn't have to speak to anyone but you. If you think a purple slinky is representative of your college career (just came up with that one, don't psycho analyze me) then journal that. You don't have to have words, just the image, the feel ... even just a color. Whatever it takes to express yourself at that particular moment is what you should do.
Linda and Karen (joined by Pamela Detlor) ended up truly pouring their heart and souls into this project. In the face of publisher issues, they chose to self publish through Blurb (you can buy your copy HERE) And they created their own company I AM ART BOOKS!
Quoted from the book description: What do you see when you look in the mirror?What do you think about when you are alone?What's the best ladies room you've ever been in?Whether you are an idolized celebrity or a struggling single mother, the ladies room is where you create your make believe, and where you face your reality.

I knew right away that my entry for the book would have to include my children in some way. I very rarely am allowed out of their sight anyway. I thought I would take the pictures in our bathroom at home, but I wanted to paint the walls ... or at least clear off the counter. And it just never made it that far. The deadline was drawing closer and closer ... and the kids and I had gone for one of our many trips to the Memphis Zoo. And OF COURSE, that involves at least one, if not multiple, trips to the bathroom.

AH-HA! Hello!!

I am in the bathroom ...

with my kids ...

and a camera!

TADA!!!

The book is even more amazing in person!! It reminds me that I am not alone as a woman. That there are women out there who think about their lives, their bodies, and their families the way I do ... or even that they think differently. And it is all alright that we are different because the similarities are so overwhelming. We all long to be complete. Life, love, accomplishments, creativity. We all long for the coccoon our bathrooms provide. They are our sanctuary from the noise and the world around us. In ouor bathrooms, everything slows down. We can let go. We don't have to suck in our tummies. We don't have to be perfect. In the bathroom, we are ourselves. No one else to impress, so you might as well be exactly who you are meant to be.

And because I am sure to leave out something important if I just tell you about it by myself, here is the description from the Blurb site:

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

What do you think about when you are alone?

What's the best ladies room you've ever been in?
Whether you are an idolized celebrity or a struggling single mother, the ladies room is where you create your make believe, and where you face your reality. Join 68 brave women from around the world for an empowering look in the mirror and a meeting in the ladies room.
Featuring Jann Arden, Amanda Palmer, Rosie O'Donnell, Jen Foster, Sarah Bettens, and SHeDAISY
Visit http://www.ladiesroombook.com for more information.
Reviews: "Meeting in the Ladies Room is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read all year. Throughout its pages, authors Linda Woods and Karen Dinino and dozens of other women embrace and confront the vast array of ideas, hopes and dreams that catch one's inner voice unaware in this private space. The photos and short essays are fascinating." ~Shannon Okey, Author/Editor, knitgrrl.com
"A book that is bold and brave and reminds us just how complex, challenged, strong and amazing we are as women. " ~Alisa Burke, Artist and Author of Canvas Remix
"It's filled with luscious photographs with yummy colors and textures and visuals...It makes you think. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry." ~Kelly Kilmer, Mixed-Media Artist

I can't recommend this book enough ... and not only because I am in it. The stories and pictures of the other women will inspire you. They will make you laugh and think and appreciate.

I am so thankful to Linda Woods, Karen Dinino and Pamela Detlor for allowing me to be part of this wonderful book.

327 New Years Resolutions

1. No Procrastinating ....

Crap!! I already screwed that one up, eh?! Okay, so that isn't actually on the list of Resolutions I wrote... because, lets be honest here (and it is my blog, so I get to be honest) I am going to be late 87.35% of the time. I don't mean to be, but I have this horrible habit of putting other people first. Or maybe it is just a horrible habit of coddling those around me. I can't let go and let people do things for themselves. And I really have GOT to learn to do that. Katie is 7, surely she can dress herself .... I have seen her do it. But the problem is that it might take her an hour to put on clothes. I don't have that kind of time ... or PATIENCE! She is now able to check her own blood sugar flawlessly. Not that she can properly interpret the readings or get her own pills.

So, I wanted to make my New Years Resolutions something that were

(1) achievable

(2) not close-ended

(3) something that might make an actual difference in my life.

And because I was sitting at my desk I wrote them up on the file folder that I use as a blotter (bought a box of legal sized file folders, and slap one down, write all over it, and when it is done I slide it away. works awesome!)

DRUMROLL PLEASE .... My 2010 New Years Resolutions ....

And then, because I was all gung ho about my resolutions, on Friday I made this ... Katie goes back to school tomorrow, so I will be getting back onto that workout kick! But believe me, all the "healthy" changes are not going to be centered around diet and exercise. I have changes that need to be made to make me MENTALLY healthier (no, I am not crazy ... thank you very much) I have some (forgive the use of this phrase) soul searching to do. I need to decide who I want to be when I grow up. I need to adopt a "I am woman hear me roar" mentality in many ways. I have become subdued and complacent when I shouldn't be. I have allowed myself to think the opposite of that old SNL skit .... "I'm (NOT) good enough, I'm (NOT) smart enough, and gosh darn it people do (NOT) like me" And I don't know how I got to that point. I really don't. Admitting it here is a first ... and it is a big step. I can't take a compliment. And that is putting a damper on things. I take silly joking comments to heart sometimes. I epitomize the Carlie Simon song because I totally think everything negative is about me. So, you have my permission to smack me on the back of the head if you see me acting like this. Well, maybe not until the Spring ... right now it might make me cry and no one wants to see the big girl cry. (no, I am not trying to get you to tell me I am not fat ... I meant tall)

One day I will grow up ... it is about time I became the person I want to be.

Anyone else have their Resolutions? their plans? their goals? Comment, link! Please!! ...and apparently, some people have trouble commenting on my blog. I have no idea what is going on. One friend said it eats her first post, but it will take her second try.

326 Happy New Year!