Ok, this kinda pissed me off

A Story....



The other day, I went to breakfast with my husband, we go every weekend, it's just something we started doing. We love the food and the people.So please understand my beef is not with this wonderful place.


Ok, having said that, I was finished with my breakfast and decided to use the restroom. I went in, did what you do in there and came out and washed my hand. I'm trying to remember if I told you anything about myself...


Ok here goes... real quick....
I have a heart condition which I will tell you more about later. Because of this , at the age of four(4) I had a stroke. It affected my left side to the point that I wore braces on my left foot/leg until I was out of school. (I had a very evasive surgery) but now I can walk brace free.
The stroke also affected my left hand and arm. Some people with stroke become paralyzed on that side, I was lucky, I have regular continuous spasms on my left side that keep my hand and arm up a lot of the time(like you raise your hand in school). So that is what I deal with daily.


Having said all that, here is what pissed me off...As stated, I was in the bathroom and came out to wash, my hand/arm was very bad that day(some days are worse that others), and well there was a lady waiting for a stall...And she said to me "can I ask what happened to your arm"...I was in a mood, so that is why this has affected me so. I get this a lot really,but that day for some reason, it really rubbed me raw, I smiled, told her "I had a stroke, but that I was doing great."


Then, I could've kicked myself cuz what I wanted to say was, something smart assed "I'm possessed by the devil!" Something! Anything! A friend suggested "A witch turned me into a newt....I got better....well, ...except for this!!!" I like that one!!!


Ok, I'm ranting, but I kinda thought it was rude...I wouldn't do that...At least not until I got to know the person better. Am I wrong?


It has affected me, I don't know why exactly, she wasn't trying to be rude, she wasn't trying to be anything-she was just curious, and it got the best of her.

Craziness

Never a dull moment for me really

Yes, lately I've been as busy as this little guy.
(yes, it's a beaver)
But I'm not complaining, things are pretty good , my health, aside from some fatigue is pretty good.

Right now, me and women I hold most dear are gearing up to participate in the annual Relay For Life Event.

We, (the Monday Morning Art Group or MMAG) started doing this last year, when one of our own was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Then, right before the Relay I got the news that cancer was to play a very personal role in the life of a family member. ( I will expand more on this closer to Relay)


It's a fabulous event and I encourage everyone I know to participate at whatever level they feel comfortable.

Test

Test.....yay!!!!

Sent from my iPod

Ode to Spring!!!

Spring is here!!!
Yes this is news
When you spend all your winter in the frigid cold, when Spring actually arrives one is joyous...
I live by the lake so Spring and Summer are a wonderful time around my little town.
We can finally shed our winter skin and bask in the warm weather.
Right now all the trees are budding and trying to grow all their beautiful leaves, the ice cream shops are gearing up for long lines again.
And you can never get enough in the Summertime!!!
I love it,
Hell yes I'm excited!!!

Wow what a weekend!!!

Yes, It's been that kind of weekend!

Ok... Saturday, I went down to Holland MI with the M.H.S. Forensics Team for Regionals

I am so proud of my team!!!

Forensics Regional finalists were:

Christian Parks

Paul Purdy

Jordan O'Hagan*

Cameron DeCillis*

*A note on Mr. Cameron and Mr. Jordan
These two gentlemen were chosen to represent Manistee High School in Forensics at the State level!!!!
Cameron in 4th Place Oratory
Jordan as an alternate in Informative*

I judged 4 (modules)

• Storytelling

• Duo open

• Poetry

• And Duo 9/10

Let me just say that every student I saw was impressive and ready for competition!!!

It looks like I may be judging Finals in Flint MI @ U of M

........

Then on Sunday....

I went down to Grand Rapids to Mary Free Bed Rehab Center,

for the 27th Art Show Reception...

Here are my three pieces:

Elements and Seasons

Pen & Ink, marker

Head and hands Polyclay:

'Bethany'

Medicine Wheel Polyclay and PMC

I received 'honorable mention' for this piece.

Thank You to the Guild, they put on a beautiful reception.

See you next year....

Very Excited!!!

Very Busy Weekend this week...

It's the big 26th Annual Mary Free Bed Art Exhibition

I'm very excited this year for some reason, this is my 6th year participating...I love this show, it's one of the only ones I do a year. To be categorized in the company of some of these people is quite frankly, an honor!




I consider myself an artist, however the work some of these people can produce is awe-inspiring!
This year I chose to try and create a full sized infant as my big project, I had a couple setbacks, but I did it (twice).


First try....





Second try to be posted soon....



In addition to the MFB Reception, I'm judging a Regional Forensics Tournament
Think of it as Drama Club to the inth degree. Some of these kids are amazing!!!
Here's a link to the National League to give you an idea.
Or you can look at Forensics pieces by actual contestants online at you tube.



Wish me luck....

A New Start

As projects go, this is one that I fully intended to maintain well, we see how that all worked out.

From here on out I'm going to try to maintain this blog... we shall see what happens....

What to tell you ….well, I'm still with my husband. A wonderful man I would marry again tomorrow.

Still in Northern MI. It was another horrible winter, but the sun is starting to shine in a springtime sort of way- No snow on Easter this year!!

Yay!!!

I admit it is criminal that in the last YEAR I have not posted anything.... This is going to change very soon...I promise!!!

Much to say, but way too late and must get to Bed!!!

I shall post an update very soon!!!

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.''