And Now, "Clouds" written and performed by Zack Sobiech!!!!

Thank you, Zack!  You've touched so many lives by living!

"Fly A Little Higher" by Laura Sobiech

It was just one of those books that popped up on the screen.  I clicked on it to learn a bit more about the book.  I learned the book was written by the mother of a young man who, at age 18, died from a cancer called Osteosarcoma.  The family lives in Minnesota, and the young man, Zack Sobiech became famous for a song he wrote before he died called “Clouds.” 

I sat looking at the screen.  I remember telling myself that this was not a book for me to read.  One of my children, though an adult, has a cancer called multiple myeloma. I felt that this book would make me feel worse than I was that day.  I closed my iPad, but when I came back, I went back to this book.  I finally clicked on the button, “Buy with one Click.”  I downloaded the book and began to read.  I AM SO GLAD THAT I READ THIS BOOK!

This book is the story of faith in action.  The Sobiech family is a Catholic family from Stillwater, MN.  Although dragged through the depths of this cancer journey, the Sobiech family grew in faith and their trust in God increased.  Laura, the Mom of Zack Sobiech, faced the challenges of Zach’s cancer saying,”This is for your honor and glory, Lord.”  She stepped aside and let God do the work.  That is not to say that the days were all joyful.  They weren’t.  There were many bad days to go with the good ones.  Yet, Zach never lost faith.  He chose to live instead of waiting to die.

This book is well written and a fascinating read.  I had a hard time putting the book down!  Yes, I did cry at times, but I also rejoiced with the family, and I enjoyed the humor of the moments of life that Zack chose to live.  For example, when Zach found out his life would probably only last a few more months, he told his mother, “Well, I guess I can quit doing homework now!” 

If I were to recommend one book for you to read, I would recommend this book to you.  I was empowered by reading it.  Zach was right.  You have to live each moment as if it were going to be your last, and live he did!  Zack left behind a legacy of love, kindness, and living in the present.  Was the book a downer?  Not hardly.  This book was a work of love by Laura Sobiech. 
I’m so glad I pressed the “Buy with one click button.”

I Recently Read a Book that Has Empowered Me Beyond My Imagination...

The name of the book I read is called

"Fly A Little Higher"

by Laura Sobiech

This book is the story of

Zach Sobiech's journey with 

osteosarchoma.

Zach made a decision, knowing that his disease was going to cause him to die in a few months.

He decided to live to the fullest.

Even though he was dying, he wrote music.

He wrote the song

"Clouds."

This song became number one on

ITunes.

Zach and his family chose life,

even though it was difficult.

This video is the story of Zach in his last days.

Get out the kleenex and save 20 minutes out of your 24 hour day

to watch Zach live!

I Heart Macro!!!!!

I Heart Macro!!!!

Things I Would Do if I had NoWhere To Go and Nothing to Do, but when Does that Happen? Listing Saturday

1) I'd roll over and go to sleep until I woke up.

2) I'd read until my eyes hurt.

3) Eat in bed.

4) Watch TV under warm blankets.

5) Order pizza.

6) Snuggle with Pixie on the bed.

7) Stay in my jammies all day.

8) Not answer the phone.

9) Check my email--NOT.

10) Check Facebook, well, maybe.

11) Order pay per view movies all day.

12) Watch Independence Day with Jeff Goldbloom over and over and over.

13) Craft in bed.

14) Not do the dishes.

15) Forget about the rest of the world.

16) Pray the Rosary over and over and over.

17) Eat cold pizza for supper.

18) Give Pixie cold pizza for supper or order another pizza.

19) Write a love letter to me!

20) Take naps.

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.


1) There were a lot of butterflies floating around the milkweed plants this week.  They are really lovely.  It's a joy to see these beautiful insects float and soar around the flowers and leaves outside.

2) I'm making progress again in getting things sorted, thrown out, recycled, and reduced.  It feels good to be able to do that again.

3) I do love this time of year.  Gardens are mature.  People are out and about.  I know it's mostly hot and humid, but that's okay.  Soon we'll be buried under snow and ice.  And it will be cold.  I'd rather be in summer than in snow.

30 Words Thursday:: The Girl

It still seems a little early,

but Pixie senses the start of the change of seasons.

Tonight, she wanted to be covered up

even though it's HOT outside.

It's time.

Taken from Erin's Blog

Treasure's Found:: Inspiration is Everywhere

The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Post it each Thursday.

Add your link to the InLinkz on my 30 Words Thursday post.
(InLinkz code will be open for one week.) Enjoy seeing what others have captured by visiting them and leaving a comment.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've Got to Pay Attention to My Etsy Store, but in the Meantime, Here's Where You Can Find My Beads

These Beads Are Available on

Artisan Lampwork Beads For Sale.

Click

HERE

to see them.

 Claude and The Screaming Pod Vessel Can be Found at

Lampwork Bead Market.

Click

HERE

to see them.

'Dem Bones and I'm a Little Tea Pot 

can be found at

Lampwork Bead Auctions.

Click

HERE

to see them.

I don't know how much is left in my Etsy store, but here's the link if you want to look

ETSY STORE

Thanks for looking!

What I Learned From Annette Nilan Today!

Today started out as a normal day.

Then, something happened.

I communicated with Annette Nilan!

I had been lucky enough to win this bead in an auction on Facebook.

Isn't it great?

So, as I held my treasure in my hand, and I looked at the other side, 

THIS

is what I saw.

Annette had branded her work!

Love it!

I asked her how to do this, and she told me.

What a sweetheart!

First you need this::

Well you don't need the enamel glitter,

I just saw

Sparkly

You can use a plain enamel paint.

It has to be enamel paint.

You also need a small paint brush or toothpick

and a small plate or container to hold your paint.

You also need a bead or beads.

Then you begin by dipping the brush in paint and paint your logo or brand on a small spot on the bead.

Then you bake at 350 for 30 minutes!

 

Easy Peasy.

 

 OK, I'm not as good as Annette, so if you want to see her work,

go

HERE

You won't be sorry!

 

Thanks, Annette!!!

Hey, Why Do Lampwork Glass Beads Cost So Much? My Guest Blogger, Holly Dare, tells us Why.

As makers and sellers of glass beads, we hear it all the time...Why are glass beads so expensive? Well, I'm glad you asked!

Let's take a look at why:


Torch - While a beginner torch costs as little as $50... most glassers quickly move on from the hothead as it's loud and the ability to control the oxy flow is intimidating! Oxygen flow is used to develop colors in pricey silver laden glass and controlling that on a hot head involved grabbing the head of the torch with expensive welding gloves!
The next torch up is $188... but depending on model and features (heat and the ability to control it from big and bushy to pin point accuracy), the price can go into the thousands!
Cost of Glass - The average big hole donut weighs about a gram. Some larger focals, such as a 1.3" lentil, can weigh 36 grams. The cheapest glass is around 9.60 a pound.  9.60/ 453(grams / pound) = .02 per gram. Add in the breakage / popping to be generous and for a single big hole donut, our beadmaker has invested about .03...in glass.
But...that's plain glass. Did you know that most glass gets it's color from some type of metal? The price of gold, silver and copper has been on a steady increase for years. And premium glass that we all find so mesmerizing... costs $80 to $100 a pound!  So that same one gram donut made out of premium glass is now around .33... in glass.

Kiln Cost - So many don't even calculate this in...but they should! A small 6 x 6 kiln uses 1.4 kilowatts / hour  and runs for 12 hour cycle for a total of 16.8 kilowatts. Your electric bill tells you the cost of kilowatts...Mine is 13.3 cents per kilowatt hour + a 10% surcharge from my city.  That come so 14.63 cents x 16.8 kilowatts =  $2.46 per session to run the kiln. 
Fuel Costs - Most of us use propane and oxygen mix torches. A tank of propane can last from a few weeks to a few months depending on output. Prices vary per state but can run from $16 to $26 per five gallon tank.
Oxygen comes in the form of an oxygen concentrator or in a tank. A small oxy con burns about .46 kilowatts an hour. So lets say our beadmaker torches a full eight hours / 5 days a week: .46 x 8 x 5 =  18.4 kilowatt hours x 13.3 cents = $2.25 spent every 40 hours on the oxy con... And this is a small one. Many lampworkers use a large one or have two networked ones... Meaning that number could be four times higher for some glassers!

 Tanked oxy is $35 per  300 cubic cylinder (about a five foot tall tank) but there are also deposits on tanks ($50) and delivery fees. Again, overall costs vary with size of torch, whether the artist works hot or cold and how many hours a day they work.

Cleaning: Once cool, the beads are soaked in warm water and cleaned with an electric dremel with a diamond bit. Let's just say the electricity and water cost is negligible.. 2 cents
Giveaway Money: Etsy takes 20 cents to list plus a percentage. Ebay takes around 10%. Paypal steals 30 cents plus almost 3%. Yes these are the cost of "doing business" but all selling costs must be factored into the price of the bead! And many bead makers often host giveaways and promotions on their fan pages...trying to get your attention!
 Overhead: Yet another thing many artisans never think about. 
Tools... Glass tools are VERY pricey but I'm going with the bare minimum here to make those beads.  Granted, they can be used over and over but they still have to be bought and often replaced!
 Protective eyewear to see in the flame... $60 and up
Mandrels: 1.66 per mandrel. This makes the bead hole and you use one per bead or maybe two beads if you rock your heat control.
Kiln - digital kilns start at $700
Tweezers  $10 To move glass around when you have a little too much on one side and not enough on the other.
Special molding tools- $60 each shape  Ensures consistency in sets.
Decent camera - at least $200
I'm not including a computer since that seems to be a given for selling online but... what about photo editing software??   We've got close to a thousand dollar investment in those beads and it seems only fair to say a buck of those beads should go into "overhead."

 Time: This is my favorite category because so many of us never pay ourselves a decent wage!  Let's say we're making a set of five of those big hole beads:
Making the beads 5 x 5 - 7 minutes each. Let's say six. 30 minutes

Cleaning:  8 minutes

Photography: 10 minutes

Editing: 10 minutes

Description Writing: 10 minutes

Promoting: 20 minutes to an hour

That's an hour and eight minutes assuming everything goes according to plan... An hourly wage MUST be attached to this time! And with fast food workers and other unskilled labor demanding $10 an hour, should the time, skill, cost of educating ourselves AND the fact we play with FIRE all demand a decent wage???

And then as a "professional beadmaker" or one who is hoping to make a living selling her art, you have to contend with the "hobby beadmaker." With no commentary on skills or quality here because there are many talented hobbyists out there... but the hobby beadmaker is often content to simply "make enough to buy more glass." But in reality, that hurts the market and lowers the wage of the professional. Just as Chinese glass has hurt the pricing structure so has the hobbyists.

 Add in that it is a field dominated by women and, sadly, so many women undervalue their time. There was a time when prices were calculated at $60 / hour of time involved... a buck a minute.  Those days are long gone which is another reason there are so many fabulous glass beads out there, longing for homes.

Pricing: That thing we hate to talk about.  But bead makers all need to consider everything above in setting prices! And wholesale... many of us wholesale our beads and that price structure has to be in place before the retail structure!
A good rough formula for any artist is Materials + 25% of Materials costs for Overhead + Labor (for all aspects: making, cleaning, photographing, writing) = WHOLESALE price

Retail is usually double to three times the wholesale price.

So while those fabulous beads may seem pricey, they were made by an artist...with some very real and expensive costs to consider.


Ultimately the responsibility of educating our buyers falls to us...and to them as they must educate their customers as to why the glass bead jewelry costs so much more than  the other jewelry out there. Jewelry designers, like bead makers, are selling miniature works of art. And educating buyers and building an appreciation for the work is the key!




Thank you, Holly!


Here are the places where you can find Holly!


Holly's Beads                                         Glass Beads Daily                       Holly's Glass Beads

Life in the Foothills Blog                       Food Safe Rubber Stamps          Fan Page

I Heart Macro!!!!

I Heart Macro!

Listing Saturday. Reasons to List

Listing is quick.

You can use short sentences or phrases.

Less editing.

You can write faster.

You still make sense.

 No one wants to read your lists.

You can make your lists long or short.

Life is all about lists.

You have more time to do other things.

You can use a notebook.

You can take a nap and then resume.

A list is easier to delete or throw away than a novel.

Even if you loose a list, you can write a new one.

Each list is unique.

You can cross off or delete items as you finish them.

If you complete your list, it does not exist.

You can keep multiple lists going at the same time.

Some lists never die, they only transform.

Instant gratification if you complete one item on your list.

If you find one list you lost, then you can start all over again.

Lists are like a mini history of your life.

Lists will never write themselves.

If you loose your pencil or pen, the list does not exist only a thought that will probably fade away quickly.

If your pen does not work, you don't need to write a list.

You can make a list with drawings.

Your list is you and no one else.

"I List, therefore, I am."

Erma Bombeck 

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) Better late than never.  Even though I know I need to have people around me to get the work done, I'd rather be alone.  Having to work around people, in my house, throws me way off schedule.  I'm alone.  I love it!

2) Yesterday was a fun day of shopping with my dear friend, Suzanne.  She is such an enabler!  I bought some new clothes! I love them!


3) The weather has been mild, and that's good.  The humidity is returning, but it's summer!!  What can I say!

How to Make Your Own Hoola Hoop, and I did!!!

My friend Cori is an amazing glass artist,

and

one of the most creative people I know.

Oh, look,

BEADS!

 

Here are some of Cori's beautiful pendants.

All I can say is

WOW!

 

 

Isn't Cori's work AMAZING!!!!

I don't think that's an issue, but on with the story of the 

Hoola Hoop!

Last night, in a discussion on Facebook about using a Hoola Hoop to get low impact exercise, Cori posted the instructions on how to make your own Hoola Hoop.

You know how I love pink?

Well, my new Hoola Hoop is Pink.  

And yes, it does work!!!

Cori posted the link to the site where she found the instructions on how to make your own hoola hoop.

The site is called

Jason Unbound.

Take a look at the link, and you'll learn how easy it is to make a

Hoola Hoop!

 

I followed these directions, and I covered my hoop with hot Pink Duct Tape.

Cool, huh?

 

Now, I feel good about getting the 

Hoola Hoop to ride my waist for a while.

What I didn't know was that there are moves, with names, that you can do using your 

Hoola Hoops.

Here's the link to all of these different moves!

LINK

And there are even more videos on the YouTube.

Just do a search on 

Deanne Love

on
YouTube

Anyway, 

Say thank you to 

Cori!

She's quite a gal!!!

Dear? Depression,

Dear Depression,

I am using the word “dear” very loosely.  You’ve came to visit me again, and, guess what?  I don’t care.  Yes, you’ve made my days difficult at times.  You’ve made my emotions volatile.  You’ve made me weepy and teary eyed at times.  You’ve challenged me and my doctor to find a medication that works to raise my serotonin, and that’s been a challenge.  You’ve cost me sleep at night.  You’ve even given me some terrifying night mares.  You think you’ve won, don’t you?
I just thought you might need to hear this from me directly.

First of all, there is nothing dear about you.  My problems come from a chemical imbalance in my brain.  I didn’t do anything to deserve the imbalance, but it happened, and it happens to a lot of people.  Yes, you make it hard to live a normal life at times, but, even in my darkest moments there is light because I know these things.

Your stay is temporary.  Between my exercising and working to find the right medication, I’m going to be all right.  Even in my darkest moments, I see the light.  I know there is more than this, and you are not the stronger of us.  I might be down, but I’m getting up each day.  I get out of bed, and I put one foot in front of the other.  I make myself do what you would not like me to do, and that is::  I make a conscious decision each day TO CHOOSE JOY!

Every morning, when I wake up, I give thanks and praise to God for another day of life.  I ask Him to fill me with His joy.  Guess what, He does.  No, my days are not perfect, but they are my days.  Even in good times, we all have bad days.  They are not the end, they are only the beginning.

Yes, you make my days difficult, sometimes, but that only makes me appreciate the good days more.  When there are good days, I am so grateful for the beauty of the day.  I am grateful for the feel of wind in my face.  I am grateful for the songs of birds.  I am grateful for the rain and for the snow.  Depression, you’ve taught me more about beauty than you can ever imagine.

Depression, you test my emotional strength.  Oh, you’ve given me a great challenge!  There are times when all I want to do is cry.  You’ve laughed at me as I walked around my home trying to accomplish the simplest tasks without being able to finish anything.  What you don’t realize, depression, is that those days were, at best, difficult, but now, on these days, I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of being able to finish the simplest task and move on to the next one.  Depression, I might have stumbled, but I got up again.  I’m so much stronger than you’d like me to believe.  Luckily, I’m catching on to you.

Yes, I cry easily at times.  I don’t like to let people see that I’m crying, but people are kind to me.  They pray for me.  They send me their blessings.  Depression, I’m not in this alone.  I am so very grateful for my family and friends.  They help to hold me up when I am down.  Depression, that is a gift!

Just because the chemicals in my brain are unbalanced does not mean that they will always be this way.  You’ve tried, and you’ve tried hard, but you will not destroy my hope.  I’m better than you.  Depression, you’re just a simple test in life.  I’m bigger than you. Even if I stumble, I’ll still get up. 


You know those nights when I don’t sleep well, and those terrifying nightmares you cause me to have, guess what!   I know that nightmares are not real.  They might wake me up.  My heart might be pounding, but they ARE. NOT. REAL.  Nightmares can only cost me a little sleep.  That’s a minor setback in the scheme of life.  If that’s the best you can do, that’s not much.

Depression, you have no idea of the wonderful gifts you have given me.  I’ve become stronger since you invaded my life.  I have become more hopeful since you attacked.  I have become more full of joy.  I have come to appreciate my life more because of the difficulty you have tried to inflict on me .  I should say thank you, and I will, because we both know that you are not a welcome guest in my life, you are only an imbalance.  The imbalance will be changed soon.  I’m not afraid of you. 

When I die and see God, and I am going to say to Him, Than you, Lord.  It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it!

My Photo Set Up!

My Photo Set Up

It's taken years, but I think I might have finally come up with a good photo set up.

Right now, it works for me.

So, I'm going to show you how I put it together

Step by Step.

Step 1

Put the two ceramic tiles on the bed with the pillow as a support.

Adjust the lamp.

Add two sheets of white printer paper.

My favorite props::

A toy elephant and a pumice stone

 

 Organic polymer clay texture props I made.

Another hand made prop.

It can be a wall, a bridge, or just a background.

Ok, Now you've seen it.

Check out the photos on 

Artisan Lampwork Glass Beads for Sale.

 

Which props can you find in the photos?

Listing Saturday:: (Who's Going to Join Me?) Foods I love. Foods I HATE!

Food I love::

bananas
peanut butter
bacon
English muffin
hamburgers
onions
chicken
turkey
mashed potatoes
beef stew
green chile stew
nachos
beef stroganof
pizza
brown rice
fried chicken
rib eye steak
lobster
shrimp
oatmeal
raisens
prunes
watermelon
spagetti
meatballs
meat loaf
potato chips
celery
romaine lettuce
home made salad dressing
pinto beans
tortillas
and many more

Foods I hate::
liver and onions
beets

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) I came to realize that my cardiologist is a very kind and compassionate woman, as well as an excellent doctor.   I was so touched by her kindness that I cried when I left her office.

2) Pixie is fine, but she is still going potty and poop on my carpets.  Since we've ruled out all the bad stuff, we know that this is behavioral.  For Pixie, it's problem solving 101. 

3) I made beads almost every day this week.  I wish it had been everyday.

30 Word Thursday:: Pixie Speaks her Mind

There are "daze" like this.

Pixie doesn't care,

and 

she tells it like it is.

That's why she's a diva!

She understands the saying,

Not My Monkey.

Not My Banana.

Join us.

Taken from Erin's Blog

Treasures Found:: Inspiration is Everywhere.

The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Post it each Thursday.

Add your link to the InLinkz on my 30 Words Thursday post.
(InLinkz code will be open for one week.)
Enjoy seeing what others have captured by visiting them and leaving a comment.

An InLinkz Link-up

It's just that it's been a busy few weeks, so now, and because I know you really like her...

It's Pixie Cuteness Day!

Love That Nose!

When You Shop FaceBook For Beads....

Here are a few things you can do to help your friends (Ahem, people like me...) even if you just want to look at the eye candy in the groups.

BTW, you can find this bead
HERE.

1) Like the beads.   Just Hit the like button.  That helps.  However, in order to get the listing to the top of the pile, it's even more important to


2) COMMENT, even if you just put a heart or smiley face or the word, BUMP.  The Comment will take the bead up to the top.

And remember, there is gorgeous eye candy to see.  If you have the funds, the best thing is to

3) PLACE A BID.  That is THE most helpful way to help a friend. 

If you want to join Artisan Lampwork Beads for Sale,  I'm a mod there.  I'll let you in, even if you just want to look at the eye candy. 

Fruit Flies One, Me None

See it? A little past 11 O'clock in the photo.  It's a fruit fly.  Last night, I was swatting them away, so I cam upstairs and googled it:: How to get rid of fruit flies.

I found a lot of links with the same recipe.

Fermented vinegar
A drop of dishwashing liquid
A bowl. 
If you happened to have them, a rotting banana or piece of fruit.

I had them all, so I poured the fermented (not white) vinegar in the bowl.  I put the drop of dishwashing liquid on my finger and rubbed it on the top of the vinegar to  break the water barrier.  (Fruit flies are too light and will escape because they can float on the water.)  I added a couple of chunks of brown banana.  I put the bowl on the counter, turned out the light, and waited.  In the morning, I came down to find this:: 1 fruit fly, one.  I don't know where the others went, but, at least, the recipe worked.  I caught one fruit fly.  Now, I have to look up:: How to get rid of ants.  More to follow on that.

Listing Saturday:: Things I Never Dreamed I'd do

I never dreamed I'd live in Chicago, but I did for ten years.

I never dreamed I would be a widow.

I never dreamed I'd own a former racing dog who would be an excellent therapy dog.

I never dreamed I'd marry a man who would become an FBI agent.

I never dreamed I'd get over my fear of driving in big cities.  Well, I sort of got over it.

I never dreamed I'd EVER visit, much less spend 2 excruciating years in North Dakota.

I never dreamed I'd ever visit, much less finally settle in Minn-E-snow-at!

I never dreamed that my dog and I would be involved in hospice care.

I never dreamed I'd be a high school special ed teacher for 1 year, much less 14 years.

I never dreamed I’d dye my hair red for the 4th of July, but I did, and I love it!

I never dreamed I'd retire from teaching and never look back.

I never dreamed I'd become a Lampwork glass bead maker.

I never dreamed that I would make and meet so many wonderful artists who work with glass.

I never dreamed I'd own, much less actually want, a computer.

I never dreamed, after I saw my first computer which took up an entire room and spit out cards, that I would own a computer that would fit in my hand and I could carry in my pocket or purse.

I never dreamed I'd become a part of an artist community and love it!

I never dreamed I’d dye my hair pink, but I did, and I love it!

I never dreamed I’d love to mow the lawn, but I do!

I never dreamed I’d travel half way around the world, by myself, on a pilgrimage, but I did!

I never dreamed I’d sing at church, but I do.

Thank Someone in the Service of our Country Today. Thank Someone Who Has Served to Keep Us Free.

Happy 4th of July!

God, Bless America!!!

30 Words Thursday:: Hitting a Wall

We all do it.

We all hit a wall every now and again

I've hit one big time, this time

I just have to pick myself up,

And get going.

From Erin's Blog

Treasures Found:: Inspiration is everywhere

The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Post it each Thursday.

Add your link to the InLinkz on my 30 Words Thursday post.
(InLinkz code will be open for one week.)
Enjoy seeing what others have captured by visiting them and leaving a comment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm Beginning to Feel it...

Yes, I know it's HOT where you are.  It's HOT here, too, but we have passed the summer solstice.  The days are already beginning to have less light.  Now, when I get up in the early morning, I have to turn on a light.  That means autumn is not far behind.

The 4th of July is this week.  When I taught high school, the 4th always meant that summer vacation was half over.  Yes, the cup was empty.  I'd pop into school to check my room and office, visit with the secretaries, and be on my way again.  Or, I'd take the summer workshop classes, so that I could renew my teaching certificate.  Those days would drag by.  One summer I taught summer school.  After that summer, I resolved NEVER to teach summer school again.

Anyway, if you're interested in these leaves, you can find them HERE.  You have to join the group, but I'll let you in.  I'm one of the mods there, so, not to worry.  

I forgot to mention the new list topic for Saturday.  What are the things you done or had happen to you that you never would have dreamed about in your wildest dreams?  

See you tomorrow!