Catching Up

What to say, what to say....

Well, let me catch you up a little. I was to go back to KS last Month Aug, however due to an injury I suffered, I was unable to go.

I guess I can't just leave it at that huh? Well, one Wed night I decited to get my hubby and go to the new pub within walking distance of my house...well we both drank a tiny bit too much and had to do the pub crawl back home (never having done this, I was somewhat confused and asked my lovely husband to carry me.) As stated neither of us were feeling any pain so when he dropped me on my tailbone, I didn't think much of it. Except, that I didn't get to sleep that night and, after having x-rays at the hospital the following Sunday, decited that a 14hour ride in a car to Topeka Kansas was not in my plans any longer. D was disapointed naturally, but he was a good sport and didn't give me too much grief.

Having said that, my friends were wonderful the whole time I was layed up especially Deb and Ash, they both checked on me daily. I Love You guys!!!!

Since then I have been busy working toward my trip to Pittsburg/New York I'm going on a Polymer Clay Retreat the end of Oct and then heading up to NY to visit my friend Sue. I can't wait!!!! It's going to be so much fun

I'm still working at the Radio Station engineering the football games on Friday nights soon however, I'm going to be doing basketball in Nov. and that will be about 3-4 nights a week.
Good Money!!!<---smiling---

Anyway, I'm slowly getting my studio togeather and I'm doing more and more art. It's all good!!!!

Bye for now,

The Feirdo

Just returned from Oz!!!

Must tell you about my receint adventure in travel....


As stated in my title, I reciently returned from Oz or Kansas as the case may be.


Let me just tell you that KS this time of year is HOT!!!!!


I honestly thought I would expire several times....


Now you may ask "Why on earth would you go to KS in the Middle of July in the first place?"


And to answer that question, I state here and now that I love my husband!!!! I would not travel to KS to go to a 20th year High School renunion with or for anyone but him!


He had a wonderful time, I on the other hand shook hands with a bunch of people that I will never see again who don't know or give a damn about me.


Anyway, aside from meeting a bunch of phony people (there are a couple exceptions) and smiling untill my face hurt, we did have a pretty good trip. As stated he had a wonderful time, and I did enjoy walking around the zoo in Topeka with him.



I now take a moment to honor the Artic Fox that was overheating on a stump in the Topeka Zoo. You could just hear him thinking..."Kill me now!!!!!"
Most all the rest of the animals were inside avoiding the opressive heat....Unlike us Tweedle Brothers who decited to roam around the Zoo!!!!

click here to read about this picture

Now about those exceptions I was talking about, David and Irma. David went to school with my husband and Irma his girlfriend, made the whole renunion situation bearable for me. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and friendship!!!!

Ok here is the punchline......we get to do it all again next month!!!!!! Not the renunion thing next month it's a wedding.

Imperfections: A Lovely Little Story

Got this from a friend in e-mail.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!!
Kirsten

Imperfections


An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course , the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream " I am ashamed of my self, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are,
there would not be this beauty to grace the house.

"Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

To all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Happy Mothers Day

For about the last two years, every Monday morning I get together with some women for "Art Day". I truly love these women. We are a good group, we came about during a time in my life where I was looking for an outlet where I could just hang out with other Artist and maybe some talent would rub off. I had been doing my own art, but I was stalemated where I was at the time. Some of us are schooled in classic art methods. But there are others of us, myself included who have no "formal" training. It is the ones who do that offer critique in loving and supportive ways to those of us that don't have the 'book sense'.

Now I'm going to mention how these wonderful human beings have personally helped me. First off let me mention, that at 37 I am the youngest member of the group....( unless you count Roxy and I don't really only because she is 3 and well, a dog-I'm not being derogatory she really is a pet of one of the members-kind of the group mascot)

but I digress...

Over the past few years these women have supported me in so many ways:

One helped to 'get me in' at the radio station

They all have come to MFB to show their support, some even came twice!!! (or really tried to):)

They threw me a wedding shower---It was beautiful!!!!

They came to my 'Wedding'. One put up the decorations, another went with me to Traverse City (60 miles - one way) twice to plan, then shop for food,then lent me her silver for the Reception. Another lent me her home for the reception, another made sure all the food got put out and then that everything got cleaned up. And still another, offered to buy the cake and in the past has subtly helped me out with my art (A few days after the 'wedding' this person showed up with 2 big packages-stating gifts for the wedding.)

I have no family in town, and these women have supported me time and time again. I am so fortunate to have them in my life. I look up to them, and consider them equals. But have it be known, that every once in a while, they treat me like a daughter(and I love them even more for it)

so

Happy Mother's Day

to

Elaine

Robin

Paulette

Deb

Renee'

Carol

Pat

&

Kay

Cheers!!!!!

It's time for this years Mary Free Bed Art Show

I entered, and last Sunday, Donovan and I got in my little car and traveled down to GR(Grand Rapids-approx 2hrs south of us) It was my fifth year participating in the show, and the shows' 25th year- A Silver Anniversary for the MFB Art Guild. They even gave the participating artist a lovely silver frame with the invitation for this years show-art work done by Gerald Pudlick(who I am honored to call a personal friend)***be sure to check out what MFB has to say ***

It was a wonderful event, the ladies of the Guild really go all out and make it a very special day for us(the Artist)

For those of you who are unaware, the Mary Free Bed Hospital is a wonderful facility that works to help people with mental/physical limitations caused by birth or accident/injury. I, myself have never been a patient of MFB however, I did attend The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, when I was much younger. I still remember my experiences there.

Now, back to the art show, what makes this show special, is that all the participants have some sort of mental and/or physical disability. There are so many fascinating, creative, and very talented people at this show that I am again, honored to be allowed to call them my contemporaries!!!

I am so fortunate, to have the people in my life that I do, several of my friends came down from north west MI to see my work and support me in this show, while others supported me with wishes of good luck and sending their love. Thanks so Much to: Robin, Chuck, Pat, Elaine, Renee', Deb, Paulette, and as always, to my Donovan- I love you all so much!!!!!

One other person I wanted to acknowledge, my friend Verlie. a woman who in her own right is an extremely gifted and talented artist. Take a look. Verlie also was the person who introduced me to MFB.

Earth Day

Tomorrow is Earth Day, and while I by no means think of myself as a conservationist, I do wish to support efforts in my own meager way. The images are frightening, however isn't that the way that Americans seem to be motivated best? By fear.

A point hammered home by watching Micheal Moores' Bowling for Columbine. Which I happened to catch the other day.

Perhaps fear is the wrong motivater, maybe what we need to do is develop a helping and sharing mindset, one that encompasses the need for the things that need to get done so that the next generation can enjoy the nature and animals that we fleetingly enjoy today.

What do you think?

It's Frigging April allready!!!!

You just gotta love NW Michigan in the Spring.....


Apr 11 Today
Windy with snow showers this morning evolving to a steady snow for the afternoon. High 38F. Winds E at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snowfall around one inch.
Apr 11 Tonight
Snow along with gusty winds at times. Low 32F. Winds ENE at 20 to 30 mph. 3 to 5 inches of snow expected.
Apr 12 Tomorrow
Windy. Snow during the morning will give way to snow showers during the afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 80%. 1 to 3 inches of wet snow expected.
Apr 12 Tomorrow night
Snow showers early becoming more scattered later. Low 31F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 40%.

I mean seriously.....we just had Easter for cripes sake!!!
Ok I'm kinda in a pissy mood.....I'm cold, and I'm tired of it.
fractal snowflakes.....kinda cool

I'm Baaaaaccckk!!!

I know, I know, it's been a while but honestly I've got a good excuse....
well maybe not a good excuse, maybe just an excuse....
ok, ok here is my awful reason for not blogging...Hopefully you will forgive me...
My egreeous error my sin was/is are you ready.....???

Ok enough! ok here it is......I got a job! I know it's unforgivable, but bare with me cuz it's really cool!
Here's the Skinny....
Last September, I took a job as an engineer/board op for the local radio station,when we would broadcast for the local sports teams, and their events I would make certain that the ad spots ran correctly. I didn't mention it before because I didn't know how long it would last.
Well about a month ago that part of my job ended. However, shortly after Christmas-time, I started my very own radio show on Sunday Mornings 9-12. OnOLDIES 101.5 WMTE.

In addition I was made Director of Community Relations Marketing which is a very fancy title for the fact that I am now the Telemarketing Department .
So, in short(the only way I can be)

That is why I have not been in touch!!!

Now, having said that, my plan is to blog a couple times a week-or at least once a week.
My goal is to blog on day that I journal. I recently got a new (well new for me) laptop and once I get a wifi card, I'm good to go (I hope)
So until we meet again,
see ya!

Hi Folks

I have had quite a busy past few months.
I've ignored my loyal readers, and for that I apologize.
But to tell you what I have been up to ...well, where should I start
Ok I'll start with the most exciting news first
My Guy Donovan and I are now "married"

Please allow me to explain... on October 1st, we stood in a circle of
family and friends and stated vows of love to eachother in a Commitment Ceremoney
It was a beautiful day and I hope everyone had a lovely time!
Following the ceremoney, we traveled to my friends house and had a very nice reception.

It was a beautiful day all around, thank you to everyone who attended and those who could not make it but sent heartfelt wishes.

Prior to the Event, I was planning the thing!!!!!

More later.....Thanks for visiting!!!

Well Hello again!!!!

I'm baaaaack!!!
Let me just tell you, planning a wedding is tough(or in my case a Commitment Ceremoney)
I'll let you know all the gorey details very soon
I miss this place.

It's amazing what people CAN accomplish!!!

***please note***
This post at one time had a YOU TUBE video attached to it. That video was removed by the user at YOU TUBE. Then subsequently removed by me on this post. Sorry for any inconvience.
Kirsten

This Father does it all just for the purpose of seeing the smile on his son's face. If you want to see the most profound reflection of the Father's love for us that you've ever seen....watch.

Time taken to watch this is well worth it. Read this and then watch the video (the website link is at the end) Strongest Dad in the World [From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly] I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons.

Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day. Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right? And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life. This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

``He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an institution.'' But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told.

``There's nothing going on in his brain.'' "Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want to do that.'' Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried.

``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore for two weeks.'' That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!'' And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. ``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor.

For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?'' How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think? Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own?

``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. ``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' one doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life. Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every > weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. ``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad would sit in the chair and I would push him once.''

I honestly can't believe that it's the first week in August! This year seems to be flying by!
I'm currently working on a show at the local community theater Leader of the Pack. It's going great and I'm sure our opening (tomorrow night) will be wonderful!!!

So now you know why I haven't written lately. But it is late and I should head to bed.

A little something and my secret obsession

Here is a little blast from the past.....

And guess what????

Project Runway is running the new season starting tomorrow!!!!

I'm so jazzed!!!!

My idea of Heaven

Today, I shall be dicussing my idea of heaven. As I have experienced it reciently, I thought I would share. ...

First let me start by saying that I'm sorry that I have not been keeping up with my blogging commitment as of late...My move and my so called job had kept me very busy, since I am no longer working and have settled (some what) into my new home. I am now prepared to take up the mantel and resume blogging once more.

Now back to my idea of heaven... Reciently, my bestest girlfriend Ashley and I had a "girls day" First we went to the movies We saw THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA- (I had listened to this book on tape as I traveled home from UT last Christmas and laughed through NE) Then, we went to a fine arts show, where they had lots of beautiful handmade jewelry and paintings and pottery and all kinds of things. Man it was great to just hang with her and look at fun stuff!!!!

Here is a little look at what went on in my little community this 4th of July !!!

A Warning!!!

The Following is a letter I wrote describing what we(and the people above us) went through for a month:

Here is the letter:

Greetings-

We regret to inform you that we will be moving out of the apartment on 231 2nd Ave. This letter shall serve as our 30 day notice.

We arrived at this decision due primarily to the problems associated with our bathroom. A brief history, over a year ago we had a major flood in our bathroom, it was said to have been caused by a broken pipe. We were forced to throw out countless personal hygiene products as well as bandages and first aid supplies that were ruined and now unsanitary. The pipe was fixed and we assumed that was the end of it.
About 6 months later, it happened again. After both of these instances a service was sent in to suck up the water in our carpet.

The larger problems and the events that precipitate our decision, stared on May 6th 2006(Saturday). We awoke to find wet, soaked carpeting in the bathroom. We phoned Ed (the matinance person assigned to our property.) early that morning around 7am. No answer. We phoned again around noon. No answer. We phoned WSRM left a message. We phoned Ed a third time that afternoon. No answer, no callback. Finally, around 10pm, water started “raining” down in one corner of our bathroom ceiling. We phoned Ed, WSRM, then the emergency numbers and the emergency cell numbers.
Eighteen (18) hours after our original call, we received a call back; it was WSRM stating that they were sending someone over to see what was going on. He arrived around 11pm or so, looked at our ceiling, went upstairs and examined their bathroom and then stated “looks like a leak”.

The next day, we received a call stating that they would contact Ed and send him over on Monday. Ed did arrive and assessed the damage to our floor, then went upstairs to “fix” the problem. Later that day he stated that he had reset the toilet and if that didn’t work that WSRM would need to call some plumbers. That evening, it happened again around 10pm.

In the morning I phoned Ed and got no answer, no callback. We phoned him 3 times throughout the day; finally calling WSRM we were told that they had calls into several “professional plumbers”. No one called the next day. We phoned and were told that they were still looking.

On Thursday May 11th, WSRM entered our home stating that they had attempted to phone. Upon entering Kirsten was told that the apartment was in an unacceptable state and unless it was “taken care of” they would not be able to renew our lease.
Admittedly, there was an abundance of ‘clutter’ around the apartment; in addition, there were a number of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. However, there were no bags of open garbage, or open food boxes (what Ginny assumed was cereal was indivualy wrapped meal replacement bars in open boxes). Just as stated before, a lot of clutter.
We went over to WSRM upset and angry. We were told they were doing all they could. After Forbes and the plumbers had been in, it seemed the problem had been solved.

We were told to contact Ed the following week to see about repair to the ceiling and carpet (now having been wet 13 days and has developed a musty odor) He came and put up sheet-rock and replastered the ceiling the 18th-20th. Halfway through this process, Kirsten noticed some leaking from the pipe behind the toilet. Ed stated that he had noticed that too and placed some calking.
The following Monday the 22nd, after all this work had been completed, there was a “rain-storm” in our bathroom worse than all the others save the original flood more than a year ago. After some investigation with our neighbors upstairs, we discovered that the problem was coming from their bathtub. We phoned Ed, WSRM, and all the emergency numbers.

The next few days, contractors started on the repairs. Our neighbors upstairs moved out, and it was at this point we decided to leave. As of the 27th of May, we still had wet carpeting! This was a month after we reported the problem on the 6th of May.

In doing the “new” repair work, they had to remove the walls around the toilet. One can witness black mold growing on the wood and mortar. They also had to remove some of the sub-flooring under the toilet due to water damage. We were also told that the sewer line had a crack and was leaking fumes from top to bottom.

In conclusion, we have attempted to be patient, however, at this point, or patience has worn thin and we are moving out.

Just a little something to celebrate summer

Happy Summer!!!!!

I love this picture!!!

Moving-An addendum to May 13th post "Rain"

Wow, canI just tell you about the lack of customer service offered by my rental Co.

It is now 3 weeks into the whole "flooding incident" in our bathroom and our carpet has yet to dry. In point of fact, we had another "flood" the other day, after they had replaced the ceiling and painted. Now they are just going to have to do it again!!!

In the meantime, we have decited to move. The new place is much smaller, so a yard sale in on the agenda for this weekend.

Then next weekend we will be out of here!!!!YAY!!!!
I dunno, you tell me, is 3 weeks an excessive time to have these problems??? Or is it just me???
Would love to hear your opinion.

Thanks for letting me vent....again

An Artistic Dream

More Magnetic poetry

I like to paint with passion, imagination and color.

Why?

I have to make a surreal smear of psychedelic grace through fiery aesthetic and abstract movement

My art will scream of pain no more.

You suffer a stroke and then (try not to) think of my life as a mad miasma!

(For I am a) wild woman and shimmer in (this) world!!!

The bracketed words were not in the 'magnet box'

If you didn't like my stuff check this out-->

Rain

You know the old saying "Rain, Rain go away, come again another day."
Well this whole week I have been plagued by the stuff. It started in my bathroom last Saturday morning, happened again that night, then a final time on Monday night. (After maintance had been here to "fix" the problem). It's now early Sat morning a week later and we still have wet carpeting and gigantic holes in the ceiling. Don't ya just love renting. Come to find out only yesterday, that there was a clog in the upstairs neighbors plumbing!!!! UGH!!! How frustrating!!!!

But it really has been raining here the past few days cold, wet, stuff. However, it does make the flowers grow!!!
Ok I'll stop bitching now ...thanks for letting me vent

More Magnetic Poetry

Death is bold for recall,
feelings of a bygone yesteryear
cluttered with days written to use.
I was best alive!!!
Thinking love will be fair,
makes me muse on the impeccable mess
I know as you.

I have no idea what this means, it just happened.