So, since my hysterectomy is a more “necessary” surgery, it’s coming first – October 1, as a matter of fact. We have to be prepared to give the hospital a good bit of money up front, then spend a long time paying back the rest. Which sets back my dream of a breast reduction another year, or more. But at least I’ll be getting healthier, and I’ll have less pain in one area of my life, I should be able to go back to dancing, since I won’t have the weird nerve problems I currently have.

Anyhow, I’ve decided to throw a garage sale next Saturday. I posted the event on KSL and Craigslist, hopefully I can make enough money to satisfy the hospital.

What I’d like though, and I’ll be asking about this in church tomorrow, is for friends and family who have items they have been saving for no good reason – please, can I sell them at my garage sale? Anything left over I can either return or take to a charity thrift store. Kid’s stuff, grownup stuff, anything, really. Or even baked goods – I am thinking I might bake some cookies and brownies and sell them for $.25 each, so that people who don’t buy stuff might at least walk away having left a quarter.

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Cut and paste these questions and ask your kids their answers….it is a RIOT!
1. What is something mom always says to you? Pan: Do chores! Tink: Be nice.
2. What makes mom happy? Pan: Doing chores… and play Wii! Tink: Feed the dog
3. What makes mom sad? Pan: Fight! Tink: Kicking.
4. How does your mom make you laugh? Pan: By telling jokes Tink: Tickling me!
5. What was your mom like as a child? Pan: Like Tinkerbell! Tink: do bathtime!
6. How old is your mom? Pan: 21! Tink: 22!
7. How tall is your mom? Pan: As big as the house Tink: Like Dad
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Pan: play Wii? Tink: jump in a river
9. What does your mom do when you are not home? Pan: Take care of my cousin if she’s here Tink: You play what?? Play games if I’m not here, when I go school? That’s what you do, take me to school. Mom, take me to school!
10.If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Pan: Cuz you’ll be a scientist Tink: Being nice!
11. What is your mom really good at? Pan: Being a mom :) Tink: Doing games, doing hard games, maybe.
12. What is your mom not good at? Pan: Age of Emperors 2 Tink: You’re bad at the fish.
13. What does your mom do for a job? Pan: Do the laundry? Tink: Vaaaaaaaacuuuuuuum(whispered)
14.What is your mom’s favorite food? Pan: Spaghetti Tink: Emmmm, NOODLES!
15.What makes you proud of your mom? Pan: When we play Wii! Tink: Go to Disneyland!
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Pan: A rat, like Ratatouille Tink: a fairy!
17. What do you and your mom do together? Pan: Play Wii! Tink: Play Dora.
18. How are you and your mom the same? Pan: We wake up early Tink: We have hair the same
19. How are you and your mom different? Pan: Because I’m a boy, and you’re a girl Tink: We have different clothes
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Pan: Because you always give me treats after dinner! Tink: Because you love me, because because you give me treats, Fred!
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? Pan: Oh, I don’t know, he gives you stuffed animals? Tink: Because you guys married!
22. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go? Pan: Albertsons!! Oh, and California. Tink: Disneyland, to Tinkerbell Land.

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Maybe it’s because it’s summer, hot, humid. who knows – but I’ve been feeling a lack of motivation to both blog and accomplish my creative projects. I spent time last week working on an awesome puppet show theater, but then I lost motivation and haven’t finished it. Plus moving that thing around made me sore for 3 days.

Anyhow, I know I’m the kind of person who thrives on feedback and positive encouragement. And when I spend all day trying to get my kids to get along, there isn’t much left afterward.

Anyhow, this coming week is the trip to Lagoon, plus we’re re-starting family scripture study – I’d been bad and let it lapse since school got out. Every morning, 7:30, scripture time.

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Why oh why do I get these bizzare painful blood blisters that leave scars when I wear jeans that don’t contain spandex? Does anybody else experience this? And why do they only occur on or near the stretch marks on my hips? Actually, that question I can probably answer myself – I know stretch marks are thinner spots in the skin, and mine are especially thin and delicate.

But come on?! My favorite clam-digger length jean shorts have been pretty much retired because every time I wear them for more than a few minutes, I end up with actual scars on my hips, and blood blisters that take days to heal! I can accept having to wear larger pants after having babies, I can accept being heavier in general, but to have one of my favorite kinds of clothing (thick, sturdy jeans that wear like iron and last forever) now off limits? Oy vey!

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Now this is not artistic per se, but meant to help others with their skills… it’s a basic transposition chart showing the relationship between music written for C instruments (concert pitch), Bb instruments, and Eb instruments. These are the 3 instrument keys I play/read in (well, and Bass Clef C, but that’s another story).

Feel free to use it for personal use, but please link back here instead of claiming it as your own. Please don’t make money off it!

You can find a bigger version (better for printing, to keep in your band folder here.)

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Yay, I got a donation of 25 cents! From Lizzy, who found it under my couch, but STILL. I’m going to find a bank and put it in there, and maybe in 30 years I will have enough for my surgery…

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So I was just thinking to myself – hmm, even though I’ve had ablation and cannot carry any more pregnancies, my eggs are just fine. Why not donate eggs? I looked into some places in the Salt Lake area that take egg donations – and I’m too fat. Lame. With a BMI of 30, they definitely won’t take me, their limit is a BMI of 25. They want smart, college educated, artistic and musically talented people under the age of 30… but not the fat ones. Pfft.

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Here’s BRP #6 – photography session in the mountains! This is the back end of Mt. Timpanogos, on the way to Stewart Falls. I went on a beautiful sunny day, the sky was gorgeous! (Oh, and I met Robert Redford on the hike there, and I got to pet his gorgeous dog, Toby.)

I loved the way the path slopes, dividing it into rock and trees:

The lower half of the falls – you could walk right under it, it was so cool and refreshing. I wish I had waterfalls in my backyard.

The upper part of the falls.

I just love the composition of this shot – all 4 people in the shot, but each experiencing the hike in their own way.

Wish I knew which peak that is. I love this photo for the sky, the way it changes color.

Another beautiful sky photo – this one reminds me of my art teaching in high school, and the way he taught us to paint mountains with a gradient wash and layers of bumpy lines – the mountains really do look that way!!

I do wish people would give me some feedback here – as it is, it feels like I’m sharing my work with nobody, it’s rather lonely and a little disheartening. I’ve got a promised future donation of one penny, and so far, that’s it. I’ve got a long way to go before I can afford this surgery. Wish me luck, at least, even if you can’t afford to donate?

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This is a little something I put together for my kids’ dance recital – Tinkerbell got to wear the same studio costumes that all the other girls wore, but my son gets to wear button down shirts with vests, since we aren’t about to put him in leotards with tutus…

When I found out the kids were going to do this song, and my son was going to be the character in the song, I HAD to go all out and make the costume.

And yes, the straw hat had a purple hat band. Now I just need to learn how to get the video of the dance off my video camera and onto YouTube. My little Dooley was a hit with the crowd. :-D

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Looks like I got ahead of myself! I was thinking so much about #5, I totally forgot to post #4. Now this entry goes up to illustrate one fact – I could never ever be a tattoo artist. Drawing on things that move and giggle is not one of my talents…

Don’t worry, it was only Sharpie and came off easily. I’m still not sure how I got a mermaid with one buff arm and one ladylike arm…

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