Well I have said it everywhere else - I might as well post it here. The November issues of Graphic Goo and Image-Cafe are fabboo! And I practically need a new hard drive to make room for all the schtuff I wanna download/create due to the inspiration. If everyone would just leave me alone for alongwhile!!! Argh!!! AndI should mention the November Pixelitas downloads, as they are awesome too! Now I am gonna go play.

Friday Five (.org)

1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith?
Several - Mormon, followed by newage psychic crap.

2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not?
Nope - Born again Christian and that is why.

3. What do you think happens after death?
My body dies, but my eternal spirit lives forever, either in heaven or hell, depending on my salvation. I believe I am saved because, even though I am not perfect, no, no even close, I can see God's healing and love manifesting itself in my life. God continually draws me to Him although I do not deserve it.

4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)?
Well, I am concerned with this phrasing. I will just say that my favorite activity that celebrates Christ is singing religious songs, either in church or wherever - especially Handel's Messiah at this time of year. Music is an integral part of my relationship with Christ - it opens my heart to hear. I sometimes get a glimpse of what it must be like to be an angel, perpetually singing His praises. I am often blessed beyond words during these times.

5. Do you believe people are basically good?
No, I do not. I believe that since Adam all are born in a state of sin, punishable by death, which is why Christ came, died, and rose again to pay for our individual sins as well as our sinful nature.

1 Peter 1

Living Before God Our Father
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."[3]
17And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.


The Enduring Word
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit[4] in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,[5] 24because


"All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man[6] as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25But the word of the LORD endures forever."[7]


Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Sometimes I am just overwhelmed with a sense of loss - it just hit real hard. I hate to whine about it. I miss my mom. That's all.

1. What is your favorite scary movie?
Used to love all the Stephen King stories - must have grown out of that. Nowadays, I don't care for movies that are just scary and nothing else. However, I do enjoy a story with a good spin.

2. What is your favorite Halloween treat?
I love candy corn. Seriously, I o.d. on it about once a year. That and Sweettarts. Seriously.

3. Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, describe your best Halloween costume.
Don''t dress up - don't decorate - it's just a "holiday" I prefer not to celebrate. Partially due to the ancient pagan meaning behind it, and partly because people tend to act like idiots - like I need another excuse for that lol! (I am referring to egging of the cars, etc here)

4. Do you enjoy going to haunted houses or other spooky events?
Nope. Trying to keep up with the dust in my own mansion is spooky enough.

5. Will you dress up for Halloween this year?
Like every other year. My momma costume just gets better, more realistic with age. (eek!)

Well the house has been turned upside down in the last few days. We got an a/c unit installed which included new duct work etc and found out we have termites! Yay and Yuck, in that order! Very exciting to see work going forward on the house right now - excitedly picking out tile and cabinets. Hopefully before Christmas we'll be able to move into the new wing. Then we can finish up some old repairs in the old part of the house and hopefully in the spring get to fixing up the landscaping. Wahoo! I may have to go on an internet hiatus in the spring and give that my attention for awhile. We'll see how everything goes. Anyway, that's my thrill for now.

Ian now has two teeth and Kaitlin spelled her first word all by herself - bat! And we moved on to cat and fat and hat etc. Cute.Henry's birthday was a blast and he got loads of great goo for his special day - star trek paraphernalia (sp?) and bionicles and money! Woohoo!

Mostly a crazy day - Henry is 10 today! My little baby is so grown up. Big, yes, but also witty and mature and silly and goofy and sweet. He is beside himself not knowing what he will get. To keep Kaitlin quiet, I turned keeping the birthday secret into a game. When Henry asks, we make up a silly word - gigglehoffen or something. The other day Henry asked and Kaitlin said she'd tell him. She went into the kitchen, got a large fork and came back. "Henry," she said," We got you a dinglehoffer!" [Those of you familiar with The Little Mermaid might get it. You have to be 4 and a girl, or a mom to a girl who is 4 lol!]

1. How many TVs do you have in your home?
Three - Living room and bedroom plus a kitchen teeny one for the am news.

2. On average, how much TV do you watch in a week?
Myself, I watch a few hours some evenings - used to me more but now I play on the computer more.

3. Do you feel that television is bad for young children?
No. But too much or the wrong programming is bad. Commercials, for instance, should be banned.

4. What TV shows do you absolutely HAVE to watch, and if you miss them, you're heartbroken?
Not much lately, although I really like CSI and ER. Oh and Enterprise for the diehard trekker in me.

5. If you had the power to create your own television network, what would your line-up look like?
Ahem. No commercials shown at inappropriate times. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer during Martha Stewart, etc. Lots of fun designing and crafting and well, alot like lifetime, but morphed with tvland.

SO it's saturday. Woohoo. I coulda worked all day, but if I did, the kids would have just sat in front of the tv, so when the baby woke from his am nap, we made pbj's and headed to the park. Nice walk and had a pleasant time. On the way home we ran in to some sadness. A home that a nice older gentleman lived in is looking unkempt. That can only mean he is ill or worse. ;-( I feel bad that I don't even know his name. He was often outside when we would go to the park and just say hi to the kids. That's all.

Then, we went another block and wonderment! There were at least 20 or more butterflies hovering over the fence draped with some kind of flowering vine at the back of this one house. We stood there for 5 or 10 minutes just hoping one would land close by so we could see clearly. They were orange and black and white - like tissue paper flying. A couple of them buzzed us - flying all wonky - I am thinking they were freshly hatched! Wished I had a camera with me.

Good but stressful news: I have three potential clients on the line, and an article due for Graphic Goo and one for Pixelitas. What was I thinking? That'll be it for new stuff until after Christmas, I think. I need to concentrate on things here for awhile - birthday season and choir happenings and Thanksgiving and Christmas and finishing the house. We came up with the money to finish it early and so we are putting a rush on that to hopefully get done before Christmas! That is good then FIL can move in. Can't wait!

1. If you could only choose 1 cd to ever listen to again, what would it be?

This is really hard for me, but it would probably be GLAD: Acapella. It's inspirational spiritually and musically.

2. If you could only choose 2 movies to watch ever again, what would they be?

These are too hard. Little Women for the sheer poetry of it and Jackie Chan's Shanghai Noon because it's so stinkin' funny

3. If you could only choose 3 books to read ever again, what would they be?

Again with Little Women, the Bible for sure, and maybe and maybe a book of Robert Frost poetry.

4. If you could only choose 4 things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?

chocolate, water (seriously), fresh albacore, and apples.

5. If you could only choose 5 people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?

Too easy - hubby and three kids. That leaves one extra. Hmmm . . . . my mom. yep.

Ooh boy got to chat with my bud Jenn this morning. What a fun way to spend the morning! LOL - we can't shut up long enough to notice the time whizzing by.