Thoughts of a Grasshopper

We try to have the kids write their thank you cards within a day or so of receiving a gift. Every day after Christmas they talked about writing them and I hadn't made the thank you cards yet. Of course, I over did Christmas Eve day with all of the baking and wrapping and it took several days of taking it easy for my sciatica to settle down. My son took matters into his own hands. I told of a card I saw on a blog and came up with one version that was close and good but not exactly what I saw. He went back and made the changes and got it looking quite good. He made up enough that everyone could write their thank you notes (even me). Such a good kid.

I still have some sciatica issues, still dealing with having a stillborn baby . . . I have kept busy with family, church and PTA/school happenings. Today I told my husband that I will stamp something before I go to bed. It has been so long since I created anything. He said, "Good for you!" and rolled over and went back to sleep. As I sit here, I wonder how long I'll be able to. I over did it yesterday making fudge, peanut brittle, pizzelles and 4 types of cookies. I also spent a couple of hours wrapping presents. Still not up to a day like that but I did it. We need to deliver goodies tonight. Still, even with the pain, it feels good to be doing what I normally do. I hope everyone has a great Christmas!

From the author's site: Nothing ever goes right for Eloise. The day she wears her new suede boots, it rains. When the subway stops short, she's the one thrown into some stranger's lap. And she's had her share of misfortune in the way of love. So, after deciding that romantic heroes must be a thing of the past, Eloise is ready for a fresh start. Setting off for England, Eloise is determined to finish her dissertation on two spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something historians have missed: the secret history of the Pink Carnation-the most elusive spy of all time. As she works to unmask this obscure spy, Eloise has more and more questions. Like, how did the Pink Carnation save England from Napoleon? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly escape her bad luck and find a living, breathing hero of her own? I had read this book previously but couldn't remember too much ab...

A heartbeat falls silent. Tiny eyes close. A miniature body No longer grows. Mommy is shattered. Daddy is sad. Fate has erased The plans that they had. Through all of the grief that leaves their hearts torn, There's peace in knowing An angel was born.

I read this book this morning. It takes about 2-1/2 hours so it is a really quick read. I cried several times in the book, laughed a little and loved the letters and how they helped this family, mostly the mother, heal from the loss of her husband the previous year. It was nice to read something that has the magic of Christmas and the excitement for the kids and yet focused so much on the real meaning of Christmas. It was touching to learn who it was that gave this family the gift but also the final gift the family received was beyond touching.

Yet another book that I really enjoyed. As I read the book, knowing I was seeing the movie Friday night, I wondered how they would fit certain parts of the book into the movie because quite a bit of the book were thoughts Lily had. They did fit a few in but for the most part, they were left out. I went to the movie with two friends, one of which read the book a long time ago and the other has my copy to read now. Both enjoyed the movie but there were parts they questioned, like kneeling on grits and asked what that was about during the movie. They don't enlighten you during the movie, but show the end result on Lily's knees. Like any movie they altered parts of the book. The movie is worth seeing but I definitely preferred the book. The book starts off with Lily, a 14 yr. old girl, looking at some things her mother had that she kept hidden by a peach tree in the orchard. Her father comes out after her in the night and we get the first impression that he is quite harsh w...

This book is fabulous. It takes place in various locations over a couple of years at the beginning of the Iraq war weaving together 3 stories. One story is based on a CIA agent, another on a Kurd fighter and the third story is based on two soldiers in the Special Forces. Each story is rather fascinating and unfolds showing their point of view and/or experiences of Iraq and the people, fighting and tragedy of what was endured under Saddam Hussein. The book itself reinforced more what I hear from those that have served overseas than what the media portrayed. There were some interesting ideas in the book I hadn't considered. All in all, a great read and one that I think my husband would even enjoy.

This is a card I made before I was down with sciatica for a month. I've been off pain killers for a week now. I still feel a lot of discomfort, but I'm able to function without anything, which is nice and better for the baby. This card is as close as I could get to one on SCS . I had the scallop frame surrounding the image, but it seemed to big with the ribbon. I didn't have the wheel but have ordered it since. I don't know how I didn't see it when I placed the original order. Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Floral CS: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, WW Ink: Chocolate Chip Misc: markers, DD, ribbon In the summer I started a book, Eat, Pray, Love and only made it through 2/3 of the book. I loved the first section, the second seemed to drag and I put the book aside to read the Twilight series. I was reminded of the book recently in a conversation and decided to finish it. The end seemed to move quickly enough. The one thing I appreciated about the book was h...

This is the first book I've read written by Jodi Picoult. I enjoyed her writing style very much and the reality of her books. As I read portions of the book it took me back to the book Please Understand Me when it came to the bullying in school. I must confess that the end provided a twist I didn't expect. I knew the book was about a school shooting and I must admit I liked that the shooting happened in the first chapter. I liked how strong her characters were and how it all unfolded. It was an interesting take on how the bullying affected not only the student but the outcome for many families, including his own after he was in prison and how people viewed them at work, in the community, etc.

I was looking through some pictures that my husband took recently and came across this one of the girls. I don't know what it is about the photo, but it tickles me. Maybe it is the hats and boots but I like it. Our son just turned 12 last week and was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood at church Sunday. My father-in-law came to share the weekend with us. He received his Faith in God award during Sacrament meeting and in the opening of Priesthood he recited the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood and received a plaque for it. We had a little bit of a surprise when we found out that we are expecting. Still early on in the pregnancy but we are excited and the kids are looking forward to having a new brother or sister or possibly twins again.

I don't even know what to say about Eclipse. Back when I was reading the second book someone approached me and told me the book was the best and she was eating it up. It was torture for me. I will admit that I really like Breaking Dawn. A lot of it was redundant from previous books or didn't need to be written because it was implied fairly well. I was extremely disappointed with the end. I'm not into battles or wars, but the way this book ended just left me shaking my head. It moved quick enough and yet it wasn't as quick as one would like to have had. It was more torture for me than the characters in the book. I'm glad I'm done with it and there aren't any more. I'm really not sure what all the hoopla was over. I guess it really comes down to what "type" of book you enjoy and this really wasn't it for me. I'm not willing to take the time to put a more positive slant on the books.

I was talking with a friend and hadn't heard of the lawsuit brought against Obama, the Democratic National Committee and the Federal Election Commission. The lawsuit claims that Barack Obama is not a natural-born American citizen and that he maintained Indonesian citizenship well into adulthood. Apparently, the lawsuit was filed the week before the DNC. I was very surprised at the lack of coverage. When I Googled it, I came up with a lot of blog entries. One blog referenced an article in the Washington Times and I went to their site and located the article.

Ask What Change Once upon a time , there was a young, charismatic and eloquent young leader who decided his nation needed a change and that he was the one to implement it. The people were receptive and ready for a change. He spoke passionately when denouncing the existing System, and the media loved him. Nobody questioned what he believed in or whom his friends were. He would help the poor and bring free medical care and education to all. He would bring justice and equality. He said: I am for hope and change and I will bring you both. Nobody bothered to ask about the change, so by the time the executioners’ guns went silent, all personal firearms had been confiscated. When everyone was finally equal, they were equally poor, hungry and miserable. Their free education was worthless. When the change was fully implemented, the country had been reduced to a Third World status. More than a million people fled in small boats and rafts. The charismatic young leader was Fidel Castro; the nati...

I was heading to bed one night last week and I was tired and didn't think I would be able to read too long, however, I still wanted to read. All of the books I have right now seem to require some thought and I just needed something relaxing. I pulled Twilight off the shelf and started reading, somewhat hesitantly I must confess. I'm just not a vampire type of gal. Right off I enjoyed the writing style of Stephenie Meyer. She holds your interest immediately, which, as of late, I can't say has been the case for other books I've read. I was aware that this series was geared toward young adults. A positive in my mind because it would be a quick read. It was entertaining to read of high school issues/relationships and recall my own experiences. Those memories and reminders of what it was like made the first part of the book somewhat fun to read. I was delightfully surprised at the lack of vampire escapades that I had expected to be there. It is important to keep ...

It is hard to believe we are finishing our 4th week of school already. It has been so busy with school, band, piano, scouts, church "stuff", funerals, and I don't know what else. I was a bit grumbly about a month ago with all of the school supplies that had to be purchased to start school. I'm not talking about the clothes, shoes, backpacks, or lunchboxes, just the basic supplies requested by the schools. The night before school started, I put out everything they had to start back to school and it looked like Christmas. I took a picture to share with my husband, who was away for a month, so he could see what a few hundred dollars will get. Which brings me to a page I did showing a section of supplies once it is packed up. His backpack was very heavy. I found it funny that he couldn't even fit his supplies in it, let alone the 6 books they gave us when we picked up his schedule. Just for fun, I filled out the places I've lived and visited. The northern p...

You Are a Dash Your life is fast paced and varied. You are realistic, down to earth, and very honest. You're often busy doing something interesting, and what you do changes quickly. You have many facets to your personality, and you connect them together well. You have a ton of interests. While some of them are a bit offbeat, they all tie together well. You friends rely on you to bring novelty and excitement to their lives. (And while you're the most interesting person they know, they can't help feeling like they don't know you well.) You excel in: Anything to do with money You get along best with: the Exclamation Point What Punctuation Mark Are You?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found the book entertaining because there were parts where I could identify with due to I was as a teenager and what I must have put my mother through. The not-so-funny part is I'm in the beginning stages of some of these antics with our own kids. There were so many parts to appreciate about Claire as she continued to evolve. The worries of being a pastor's wife, wanting a wedding gown way out of her price range and becoming a dog walker to pay for, serving others through her dog walking business and eventually the assisted living facility she worked at. The ways in which we are quick to judge without having the whole picture. Wanting to be that great parent and struggling to know how to handle situations. The situations that are presented in this book are so realistic and it is easy to get wrapped up in the story and appreciate how things are handled and on occasion, consider what you would have done in that particular situation. The thre...

This card came after the swap was mailed but was part of the swap. So worth the wait and a super cute card to boot. Bev Gerard made the card and did a lot of cutting for this swap. I like the stitching with the DP, it seems to fit perfectly with this set. I was chatting with a friend outside last night when the sun was starting to set. I love that time of night when the clouds get a pinkish hue and the mountains seem to glow. My description can not do justice to what I saw, it was a magical few moments which this picture doesn't really do justice to. Due to the clouds, the mountains don't have their usual glow but it was beautiful.

Here are the cards from the swap I participated in. Created by: Jennifer Moneagle, Janine Tinklenberg Created by: Jessica Newton, Crystal Spencer Created by: Lisa Hoekstra

It has been a while since I read the book Leave It to Claire . I needed some light reading and because I enjoyed the first one so much, I picked up book 2 and 3 at a used store online. Time has been pretty short lately and by the time I'm going to bed and ready to read, I really need something light to read and enjoy. A couple of weeks ago a friend recommended Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About . I know I finished the second chapter but I don't think I ever finished the third chapter. I'm returning it to the library tomorrow. Perhaps another time but it didn't appeal to me right now. I also bought Twilight because so many people have highly recommended it. I must admit I bought it with reservation because I'm just not into vampires. I will read it, but I haven't even tried to yet. I will probably read Anna Karenina and 19 Minutes before I get to Twilight. On to yet another easy read, Claire Knows Best. I really enjoyed this one, perhaps mor...

I was at a friends house recently and she had oodles of peaches and gave me 3 bags of peaches to do something with. Time wasn't on my side to make freezer jam like I had hoped. Church needs kept me crazy busy for most of the week. I found a recipe for bread and for muffins. The kids really liked the bread, so when I was at the commissary, I picked up more peaches. As I was cleaning off the counters last night I noted they weren't going to make it much longer so I made a couple more loaves of the bread. The bread seems like more of a spice bread to me because you can't taste the peaches at all. They are visible but they don't seem to really add anything to the bread. Still, another loaf is gone. I froze the other one for a later time. Peach Bread 2/3C butter or margarine softened 2C sugar 4 eggs 1/3C water 1/3C oil 2t vanilla 1/4t almond extract 2C peeled sliced peaches 3-1/3C flour 2t cinnamon 2t baking soda 1t salt 1/2t baking powder 1C chopped pecans Topping:...

This is the card I ended up making for Jami's sneak peek swap. I was frustrated because I tried to come up with a way to decorate the tree but I either didn't have enough (i.e., brads to use) or it just didn't work out like I hoped. In the end, I think I would like the card better with different colors but I went with the house I grew up and used the red that matched the DP. One last note, it was incredibly stressful to me to be in this swap. The ladies that were in the swap are leagues above me. Hopefully they were happy with what they received. I cut the windows three times and that was rather tedious. Not sure that I would do that many again or at least at one time. Not a terribly good picture but you can see the tree being more in the background with this picture. Stamps: Window Dressing, Lovely as a Tree CS: Celery, Riding Hood Red, VV, Hunter Bella Rose DP Ink: Stazon Black, Hunter, Garden Green Misc.: Dimensionals, VV Grosgrain, Transparencies, DD, CE

All of the family was gathered in Colorado this weekend. We couldn't be there for the whole weekend due to travel, we went Saturday as a surprise. It is rare for everyone to be together like that and we couldn't miss the opportunity. I usually bring food for a meal when we go, but because they weren't expecting us at all, I needed to find out what was on the menu and and go with that. One of the meals was a dutch oven stew. We had done one the previous week when we were there and it was delicious but I decided to make one with a little different flavor. I found this recipe and we all enjoyed the barbecue flavor. I would recommend when spooning off the juice after browning the meat that you reserve some in case you need it. It was on the dry side but my husband just drained it off near the fire pit. You can see in the pit there are 3 dutch ovens. Two of the dutch ovens had stew and the third was a cherry/peach/pineapple cobbler. Byron's One Pot Dinner (1) 3lb. l...

This is the first card I've done with this set. What I'm visualizing in my mind I can't seem to get on paper, yet. The window itself took me 4 attempts and by the time I was done with it I just wanted to go to sleep so I put a card together so I can start fresh today. The DP is supposed to be like wallpaper on the wall but I think to make it more realistic, there needs to be something in the room. This is going to require some thought. Stamps: Window Dressing, Floral Paper: Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, WW, Not Quite Navy, Bella Rose DP Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Riding Hood Red, Not Quite Navy Misc.: Markers: NQN, Real Red, Creamy Caramel; glue pen; DD

This is the last of the swaps that I have to share. I think of three swaps this was my favorite one to receive. The card made by Sheryl Brown is stunning in person, as are several of the other cards. Created by: Delores Wilson, Patty Jones Created by: Elizabeth Kratzer, Stephanie Wasson Created by: Tammy Sparacino, Joyce Pacer Created by: Maria Warren, Unknown Created by: Sheryl Brown, Virginia Haverick

Several weeks ago we watched Holly while her mother had surgery on her shoulder. Holly is a blast and while a child, makes adult comments that make you laugh and smile. The first time I met Holly she greeted us at the door, introduced herself, their dog and asked "what's your name?" At one point during the visit she asked if we would like something to drink. Fast forward a several months. I see her out one day and she gives a curtsy and said, "Your Highness". How can you not love someone that addresses you in that manner. Another month or so goes by and I watched her while her mother attended class (her usual sitter was on vacation). This meant she had to make school runs with me. We played at the park while we waited for my son's school to get out. While we were waiting for the girls school to end, she asked to go in. On our way into the school, my son walked on the grass and she told him to walk on the sidewalk, then she asked if he was alright. ...

This is the second swap I participated in. I will post the third (Glittered and Glorious on Friday). Created by Catie Palmer, Unknown Created by: G. Ferrao, Unknown Created by: Heidi Fergen, Kimber Kindle Created by: Terri Tank, Unknown Created by: Unknown, Unknown