Just A Quick Note

Lest any of you followers think I have fallen off the face of the earth, I haven't...yet, anyway!

I have somehow unwittingly been caught up in the tide of Susan Boyle mania and have been busy answering emails, phone calls, and other such things. regarding my Susan Boyle character mini. I surely am rooting for her, she has had to endure a lot of sudden attention...and I must say this whole experience for me has made me feel for those who have to be under public scrutiny. It's amazing the opinions and remarks that others will spout off about someone they have never met- I guess that is the unfortunate side of publicity, it brings out the nice comments, but also the cruel and cutting ones too.

Well, the best of luck to you Susan, I mean that! I want you to make that audience rock tonight!!!!

Paul Potts

Ok, you must be wondering since I have talked about Susan Boyle, and now, Paul Potts, that I must watch Britain's Got Talent. Well, I do, on YouTube of course... and I have to say Paul Potts won me over immediately as did Susan.

If you haven't watched him try out on Britain's Got Talent, I urge you to. There was something so touching about how he was this very ordinary guy, working in a cell phone warehouse, and he harbored this special singing voice that most likely his co workers had no idea he had. Then he comes very timidly ,and looking very uncertain, onto this stage-in front of the notorious Simon Cowell, and the other two judges, and a huge audience...and he belts out a rendition of Nessun Dorma that made tears spring to my eyes. I liked him so much, that I immediately went into action and hunted for his cd...and now I can listen to him sing all the time , especially in my art studio. I just love working to inspiring singing!

The story of Paul Potts and Susan Boyle makes me think of something constantly now. When we go out to work, or just our daily business...I am willing to bet that we are surrounded by people who have a talent that hasn't been broadcasted...something wonderful, spectacular, and like these two, it stays hidden from the public world.

Many extremely talented people have normal, even mundane lives and you'd never know they could sing beautifully, or maybe paint a beautiful picture, or a hundred other special talents.It goes to show you, once again, what looks dull, ordinary, or simple and plain on the outside, could be sheltering something unbelievably special. It sort of makes you look at those around you with new eyes, doesn't it? It's a lesson we all need to be reminded of, I think!

Making Edgar in my Sleep

Edgar Allen Poe, that is...

When I first started doing miniature characters out of wooden clothespins, I made only female characters for the longest time. I found them easier to do. But, I knew that if I wanted to challenge myself, I would have to do male characters. Oh how I hated doing the suits...eeek! My first attempts were awful, in my opinion. I butchered them...

Well, persistance pays off folks...I kept at myself...learning, trying new techniques, and now I have practiced and learned and taught myself to the point that I no longer shy away from male characters... I can do Rhett Butler, Mark Twain, just about any one, kings of all kinds, and my top selling man character, Edgar Allen Poe and the Raven.

It takes patience to make things on such a small scale, but I have trained myself to have it and it has paid off...but as with most successes, it did NOT happen overnight! I have found that if you do something often enough, you can improve to the point that you really almost could do it in your sleep!

So maybe before I go to bed, I will bring my art supplies to my bedside tonight and see if an Edgar Allen Poe materializes while I am sawing logs...you never know!

Moms Will Always be Moms

Moms are funny creatures..it seems to be a consistent quality of mothers to worry about all the things that no one else thinks of. And no matter how old you get, your mom will still act like a mother...

Just the other day I drove almost 3 hours one way to visit my parents just for the day with my four teens in tow.When I got there, my mom asked me what time I got up to get ready to come. "I've been up since 5:30 Mom" I reply. She shook her head and said, "You ought to go lay down and take a nap before you leave today or you will be too tired to drive home..." I'm fine Mom, really...I get up at that time every day to see Hubby off to work- really, I do.

Later, as I got ready to leave for home after the visit, my mom asked me if I was sure I had enough gas to get home. Hmmm?

Let's see...I am middle aged, raising four teens, married over 20 yeaars, worked several jobs including an online business and my mother asked me if I was sure I had enough gas to get home? Errr...that must be a "mom" thing...

Then, after I assured her I had filled the tank before I came, she proceeded to tell the kids to make sure they talked to me all the way home to keep me awake. Eeek ! That would have driven me nuts to have four teenagers talking to me non stop for 3 hours in a closed in space while driving at 65- 70 mph....I assure you!

But that wasn't the end of it- my parents both walked to the end of the yard and their heads moved back and forth together in synchronized rhythm watching for cars they thought I wouldn't see as I backed out. And right before I pulled away, I was instructed to call them when I got home so they could rest at night knowing I had made it home. (I did , by the way or Mom really would have worried about it until I called.)

I guess I have to admit though, I am most likely as bad as anyone in this area...my husband laughs at me when I give a flurry of instructions when my teens go off somewhere..."Call me when you get there, don't speed, let me know where you are..." and my personal favorite thing I say, "Remember to behave yourself because God is watching your every move and He'll tell me if you misbehave.."

I tell Hubby when he tells me to stop worrying that it is my duty and job to fret over the kids because someone has to since he doesn't do it enough for my taste...He still laughs at that one and I don't know why....

I guess I am like my mother after all...

I Hate Having to Home Sell .....

No, we do not plan on selling our house - we just moved here a year and half ago...so I am hoping that doesn't have to happen any time soon. (But with the job market being so strange, who knows what can happen?) I simply do not like the whole process of selling and moving.... at all!

At any rate, I have been through two home sellings, and to me the worst part is trying to cope with the people coming in to see your house. I have gotten in some ridiculous situations with that...like when I had just made dinner so everything was in shambles in the kitchen and the realtor calls and asks if they can show the house in 10 minutes . I should have said no, but what did I do? I said yes and proceeded to shove every pan, plate, dish etc etc under the sink in the cabinet, even the food... I have no idea what the people thought when they smelled fried chicken coming from under the sink, but I don't think they bought the house...someone else did.

And once when a realtor called and wanted to show the house...we set a time, and they walked in the door an hour early, (without knocking I might add!) There I was, with my four kids sitting in the floor, and I am pretty sure we scared those people as well as they scared us...

Or take the time I had had it with having to get out of the house on those spur of the moment showings so I decided I would climb up in the tall playhouse attached to the swingset in our yard. I thought they wouldn't even see me up there. What happened? The couple being shown the house looked out the window at the same time I decided to peek over the top of the play house and I think I turned them off from buying...After all, wouldn't you be deterred if you saw a middle aged lady in a kid's playhouse peeking at you at the house you were considering buying?

Well for now, I hope that is something we just don't have to do any time soon...I don't think I could stand the thrill of it all. But if we do have to, I am practicing the words, " Tonight isn't good, or tomorrow AFTER dinner.."