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A proud Army Mom

2011-11-04T14:20:00.002-05:00

I haven't been to my blog in a year and a half and so much has happened in that time. Mitch graduated from high school and 5 days later left for Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and then AIT training as a Cavalry Scout with the US Army. He is now based out of Fairbanks, Alaska but is currently in Afghanistan. Matt is now a junior in high school and driving. He's all about music these days. He's in the Symphonic band, Wind ensemble (2nd year) and also Jazz band this year and wants to go to a music based college. Alex is now a freshman and is all about sports. The fall season was all about soccer and now we are turning gears to basketball! I've been a soccer mom for so many years (8??) and being a basketball mom will be so new to me!! Okay, I'll be back...I promise but I have to go for now!!

Where's the drama?

2010-05-02T08:12:00.002-05:00

I am so sorry it's taken over a year for me to post a new blog!! So much has happened over the past year. The boys are all taller than me now. They tease me about being "height impaired". Mitch is now 18 and graduates from high school on June 10. He leaves for basic training (USArmy) on June 15. He's on the high school track team and reports to p/t when he doesn't have a track meet. Mitch has a girlfriend and she's just adorable! Matt is finishing up his freshman year and he's on the boys tennis team. He's really enjoying himself! I wish I could afford some more lessons for him to help him with control but he's got a really good coach and it's coming. I've been going out with him when we are able for an hour or so at the high school courts. It's so much fun!! I used to play when I was in high school but didn't keep up with it. I forgot how much I enjoy it. Alex is in 7th grade, he's on the middle school track team and plays Elkhorn soccer. All three are involved at church. Matt is an AWANA leader, Mitch is a jr. high leader and Alex is active in the jr high youth group. Between the three of them I feel like I live in my car!!

I'm in the process of planning a party to celebrate Mitch's graduation from high school and leaving for the Army! It's coming together. I can't wait to see the cakes that Rob is making...they are going to be hoot and even though one cake is Elkhorn (purple and gold) with a Vikings helmet (purple and gold) I'm sure Rob will find somewhere to put some green and gold (Packers) in there...I can't wait to find out what he's going to do!!! We're having the party at a local park and I'm on the hunt now to find a volleyball net to put up. I can't wait to celebrate Mitch and his accomplishments. He's such a fine young man. Okay, I guess I can wait because time is moving to quickly and he'll be leaving soon. I'm not looking forward to that. I will miss him.

Well, I've told you what the boys are up to these days...it's my turn! I just finished participating in the Beth Moore "Breaking Free Revisited" Bible study at church. It was just fabulous!! We have a fairly new ministry at church called FOCAS (Fellowship of Christian Adult Singles) which meets every Friday night. We are a small group but I think that after our game night last Friday night our numbers will really be increased. It is a great small group that is becoming great friends and I really look forward to every Friday night!! One of my high schools, (the one I graduated from...Badger) is organizing an all '80's class reunion next year and I volunteered to be on the planning committee! I went to my first meeting last month and it was fun! We meet at The Next Door Pub which was a staple pizza place when we were all in school (well, that and the Playboy club game room!!).

This has suddenly become quite a long winded blog so I'll let you move on to your next blog. Life is good. In the past year I've traveled a road that has lead me to a new life of peace, stability and security like I've never known. I serve an Awesome God and life truly is good.

2009-04-21T20:39:00.001-05:00

I had a really awesome evening! It was nice that we were able to help the Williams Bay Jr. Prom out too!

2009-04-19T15:12:00.001-05:00

Just returned home from a very cold and wet soccer match! It was a very good game!!! Very cold too...

2009-04-18T12:28:00.001-05:00

This is a test of the Dawn broadcast network for facebook, twitter, myspace and my blog...let's see if I did it?

What a week...

2009-04-18T10:13:00.002-05:00

Excuse me while I rattle on, but this has just been quite the week. Easter weekend was absolutely fabulous. It was a time of reflection, worship, gratefulness for what Jesus did for me. We as a family had a very peaceful day with wonderful food together! My parents were able to join us for dinner which was a special treat as Easter is a very busy time for them. My Dad is a Prison Chaplain for two prisons. He had 4 services to preach, communion and the ladies put on a special Easter Drama Sunday morning so Mom and Dad had an exhausting day.

The boys went back to school on Monday. We don't celebrate Easter Monday here, so it was back to work and school as usual. My cat, Syd wasn't feeling very well though, he's been limping since he was declawed a month ago. I had talked to the vet about it and she thought maybe it was just a "habit" because he is a little older (he's 18 months old). But, to keep an eye on him. By Tuesday morning he was just not well. So, I took Syd to work with me to have his foot looked at. So, I dropped him off at the clinic and went to work (my office is in the clinic). April, one of the vet techs came to see me and asked if Syd was having problems going to the bathroom. I had only noticed that he was having problems with hair balls but everything else seemed okay, then I remembered that he sat in front of the boys and I and "piddled" a little the day before...which was unusual. Turns out Syd has crystals in his bladder and his bladder was as big as your fist. Syd only weighs 10 lbs. He wasn't able to go to the bathroom and was straining hard just to piddle a little. We were very fortunate that I took him to the vet on Tuesday as he wouldn't have survived much longer. They put a catheter in him and drained out all the crystals and I guess he has a few pellets too. We are working to melt those down. He was in the hospital for 4 days. He's still struggling and I don't know if he's out of the woods yet, he does seem to be doing better? I'm not a vet though, I'm just a stupid pet owner who didn't even see this was a problem! He's just parked himself in Chili's dog bed to clean himself and stopped to stare at me while I type this!! Well, he will need to be on prescription food for the rest of his life and we're hoping it will be a long life. Oh, I need to tell you the most wonderful blessing out of all of this...on Tuesday when the vet told me what was going on with Syd, they told me it would cost between $800-$1200 for the treatment Syd needs. I was devastated. I can't possibly afford that.

April had an idea though, she suggested that Touced by a Paw a local cat rescue may adopt Syd and pay for his treatment. It would mean though that I would have to give him to the charity. She asked if I would be willing to do that? I said yes, if it would save Syd's life, yes and she walked out...April came back a couple of minutes later, Touched by a Paw had agreed to pay for his treatment AND I was going to be able to keep Syd!!! I will pay for part of his treatment and the vet clinic is giving me time to do that and I have promised to always give Syd his prescription food. BTW, all of this information came to me in about a 20 minute period of time. I can't even describe the different emotions I experienced in that 20 minutes. Shock, grief, worry, surprise, gratitude...God's grace at work yet again in my life.

Tuesday night...after a very emotional day, Mitch informed me that the job he wanted in the Army is not available (Military Police) and that he was going to sign up for infantry. Wow! That was a shock and I expressed my concern over this. I asked him to consider waiting to swear in until the job he wants comes available. He went that night to talk to his recruiter and while he was there another job popped up. Cavalry Scout. So, Mitch is now going into the Army to be a Cavalry Scout. He's so excited and I'm dumbfounded. I can't worry as God's hand is in all of this and Mitch is following God's plan for his life. He was supposed to go to MEPS this week to swear in but there was a problem with the dates so he's not going now until next weekend. He's totally bummed about having to wait but I think he's more embarrassed about having to explain it to everyone who has been praying for him during this time.

Now, we come to Wednesday...I finished work a little early on Wednesday so I was able to come home and relax for a few minutes before we all headed up to church for the evening. Mick stopped in unexpectedly and it was earlier than he normally would too. He stopped by to tell me that he lost his job. His company has been hit hard by the recession and there has been a steady stream of lay offs since the beginning of the year. His boss was let go Monday. He's pretty devastated by this and well, of course, it affects all of us as child support is what keeps us going here! Well, Mick has already interviewed for a new position and he's going to try it out for a couple of days next week to see if it will work out. He's of course sending out his resume and the other people who have been let go are networking with each other and sharing job finds with each other. I'm so thankful for that!! God has a plan for all our lives and I know it's going to be better than anything I can think of!!

Thursday, Mitch was supposed to go to MEPS and we were all at Alex's soccer match. He called to say there was a screw up with the dates and that he can't swear in this week after all. His SSgt dropped him off at the soccer match to inform me of the mistake. Like I said, Mitch is really bummed but I think it's more that he doesn't want to have to explain this!!

Alex started soccer last weekend!!! It was his first game since he broke both of his arms!! He hasn't played in 7 months...which is just hard to comprehend when he usually plays year round (he plays indoor soccer in the winter). He had a really bad game that just devastated him. He has such high expectations of himself and failure was a hard pill to swallow for him. I explained that failure is a good thing as it teaches you how important it is to try your hardest for what you want. Alex has two dreams. His first dream is to play for the US Soccer team in the Olympics and his 2nd dream is to be a minister and follow in his Grandpa's footsteps. Well, when the weather permitted this past week he was practicing and Wednesday night before his youth group meeting he was invited by his coach to join an older boys practice to help him get his bearing back. Alex was really challenged at the practice and at his game Thursday night was back on form!!! His kick is BACK!!! He was awesome as goalie and they won 7-3!!! He's obviously feeling much better now. He has another game tomorrow afternoon against the team they played last weekend so hopefully he will feel better after tomorrow's game too.

Tomorrow is my Dad's 65th birthday!! We're having a small surprise party for him at my parents after the soccer match. Have I told you lately what a blessing my parents are? My Dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma 7 years ago. He had to have a stem cell transplant (they harvested his stem cells, cleaned them and put them back) and couldn't promise more than 5 years more. Well, here we are 7 years later and my Dad is doing great!! The doctors are thrilled by his health and he's become a bit of a poster child!! So, every birthday we have to celebrate with my Dad is extra special. BTW, Dad had his transplant on Alex's birthday 6 1/2 years ago so we also celebrate that birthday too, along with Alex!! Alex thinks it's a privilege to share his birthday with his Grandpa.

Okay, well, I've written what could be a book so I'll let you go and enjoy this beautiful Saturday. (It is gorgeous here in Wisconsin!!) If you read through my ramblings, thank you!! It always feels better to put some things in writing.

Dawn

I wanted to share this story...I received this from a friend...who is a fabulous Mom!!

2009-04-09T21:33:00.001-05:00

Invisible Mother.....

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard G od whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did. The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. This is beautiful and makes a ton of sense. To all the wonderful mothers out there.

The dawn of a new era...

2009-03-31T20:22:00.000-05:00

The dawn of a new era has begun...SSR is officially dry docked and we are officially LIVE for April NOW as we move to a new direction...check it out!!! http://www.ssreflections.com

I think it looks awesome and the best part??? You will probably find something new every day within the blogs featured on our blog portal!! So, come back daily and find lots of wonderful eye candy!!

If you'd like to have your blog included in our lists please email me at info@ssreflections.com and I'll be glad to talk to you about it!!

Happy spring,

Cap'n Dawn

What's new in the Heath home?

2009-03-14T10:23:00.002-05:00

Lots of stuff going on here. Last weekend was my birthday and it was wonderful! I went to a show at the high school on the Thursday night with the boys to see the "Cat's Pajamas" acapella group. They were just fantastic! It was such a fun evening and after the show the guys (Cat's Pajamas) all sang "Happy Birthday" to me!! Wow!! They did their own special version with dancing and clapping. The kids (the high schoolers who call me "Mom") all sang and clapped along! It was such an awesome thing to have happen!! The night of my birthday I went to another concert at my church with some dear friends and danced in the aisles (well, Julia did!!!) to Lincoln Brewster! (the rest of us danced in by our seats). It was such fun!! A group of us then went to Culvers and had a late supper and some very fun conversations!! Cindy, whom I work with surprised me with a cake and flowers and the vet clinic all gave me a card! It was a really great birthday and after last year, I really wasn't in the mood to celebrate it so all I can say is...God is so good and I just don't feel worthy of His blessings but I'm so grateful for them!!

My oldest son Mitch turned 17 this past Thursday. He plans to enlist in the Army as soon as his Dad gets the paperwork organized that is missing (Mitch is an American born abroad and his Dad lost the certificate proving this on a trip to Canada). He won't go to basic training until after he graduates which is not for another year but by enlisting early he earns a really nice addition to his sign on bonus. He had a wonderful birthday from what I can tell. He seems happy enough anyway!! Tonight he has 4 of his best friends coming over for the night. They plan to go to dinner and then to a movie afterwards. It should be fun, I love these guys too!! It's so easy to be "Mom" to such awesome teenagers.

I'm going to be working on SSR all weekend. SSR is changing direction as of April 1 and I have a lot to get done to prepare for the changes. I'm really excited about the new direction (see post below this one) and the response so far has been really fabulous!! If you'd like to be part of SSR's blog portal please don't hesitate to email me at info@ssreflections.com. Trust me it will be a fun place to show off your blog!!

Well, I better get in the shower. The boys will start arriving around noon and I want to get the bathrooms clean first!! I know...seems like a futile attempt with a house full of boys but well, what can I say? I apparently have nothing better to do than clean up after BOYS!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! We're supposed to have beautiful weather here in Wisconsin this weekend. I seem to have a full blown cold but I have the whole weekend to rest if I need it!!

-Dawn

A Special Announcement

2009-03-01T14:15:00.001-06:00

We have come up with a plan to keep SSR alive and available to you as a resource as you continue to craft. As blogs are taking over the net we thought that SSR would continue to stay live and just change our direction. We'll be dry docked! (grin) Seriously, SSR will now become a portal for all art blogs, a place to be found by our readers. We will list YOUR blog on SSR on the art deck of your choice for a mere $2 a month, paid for 6 months at a time. That would be $12 for 6 months which is just a nominal fee!

On the deck page of your choosing, your blog will be listed with an image of your choosing sized 130x130 pixels. The image can be anything you'd like it to be to distinguish your personal art blog. You can have as many blogs listed on SSR as you'd like and it will only be an additional $1 per month for each additional blog. Your blog address will also be listed in the menu which will link directly to your blog.

We will start taking subscriptions for our blog portal listing immediately and will launch the new look of SSR on April 1. Please email us at info@ssreflections.com and we will send you an invoice via paypal for the months of April-September. All invoices need to be paid before your blog will be listed.

Here are a few examples of how to categorize your blog:

Editorial Deck Blog listing -
Cap'n Dawn - http://dawntheath.blogspot.com/ (my personal life blog - your personal blog can be listed here too!)

Altered Arts Deck Blog listing -
Robin Willis - http://rockinrobin1973.blogspot.com/

Digital Arts Deck Blog listing -
Yvonne Busdeker - http://www.ybscrapbooking.com/

Scrapping Deck Arts Blog listing -
Aparna Goswami - http://apemayablog.blogspot.com/

Stamping Arts Deck Blog listing -
Judy Cantrell - http://wwwstampedimpressions.blogspot.com/

We will also accept businesses to be listed on the Making Waves page as they are now, plus a direct link to your store will be placed in our menu. The cost is a mere $5 a month for business websites! If you'd like to have your banner ad placed on our menu then it will be an additional $10 per month paid for 6 months at a time. (ie: to list both your business website and also place a menu ad it would be $90 for 6 months).

One last thing, these prices are our introductory offer. Once we get this established the price will be increased. If you sign up now at the low introductory rate, your rate will always be this rate. If you stop your subscription for some reason and come back later you will then pay the increased rate. Also, we do all our invoicing through paypal, if you don't have a paypal account, please don't let that stop you! Email me privately at info@ssreflections.com and we will do something different!

Cap'n Dawn

February already?

2009-02-08T07:44:00.002-06:00

Where does the time go? It just doesn't seem possible that we are already into February. The Heath home has been very busy! The boys are doing really well, their report cards came on Friday and I was surprised (pleasantly) they were better than I expected. Getting these boys to do their homework is hard enough but for them to actually turn it in when it's done is like pulling teeth without anesthetic! I just don't understand that one...

What's new with me? Well, lots really. We filed divorce papers this past week. I was very stressed about it because there were some rather nasty emails in my inbox that I didn't understand that morning. I responded openly and honestly and apparently that wasn't the answer he was looking for...oh well. Before meeting him at the courthouse I was doing my devotions and it was just so perfect that morning. It was on Hosea 1:1-4; Joel 2:18-32 on God's faithfulness to His people. It ended with this..."God is willing to take every burden, every day, even the ones we think we can fix in our own strength. He will give us that relief and release daily. Try it-right now." I then prayed for the wisdom to say the right thing, the wisdom to keep quiet and that God would bring someone in my path during this time to encourage me. God provided all those things...it was just amazing! I walked out of the courthouse feeling like a 50lb burden had been lifted off my shoulders and I didn't look back. Of course, this is only the first step in the process but I felt God's presence protecting me.

The next big news...I found a lump the day after New Years. I went to the doc to have it checked out and he went me to have an ultrasound done. The tech said...oh, it's just normal breast tissue. Nothing to worry about. Phew! I felt relief. My doc called a couple of days later to tell me that since the lump is still there he's not satisfied and sent me to a surgeon. So, off I go. The surgeon did a double fine needle biopsy. The results of the biopsy came back as fine. Nothing to worry about. So, I head to my follow up apt with my doc feeling that this was nothing to worry about...which is actually what I thought all along but it's always better to be safe than sorry. (ya know?). Well, doc informed me that the lump is still there and that means 1 of two things happened. 1. It's not a fluid filled lump and it needs to be watched carefully. 2. The biopsy missed the lump altogether. So, I have to watch it carefully over the next 2 months (March and April) and have a diagnostic mammogram in May. So, it's not bad news but it's not necessarily good news either. I'm a patient person though and well, I don't think there is anything to worry about so I'm not. I'm just one of those odd people who gets the strange stuff happening to me!! I'll just continue to muddle along as I usually do. I did receive some really good news though...I've now lost 32lbs since last May!!! My doc was very pleased with that and he was very pleased with the filing of the paperwork. He said that it will really make a difference in my stress level now that it's in the works and was very encouraging. (My doc as been my family doc since he first moved to our area after medical school and was at the birth of both Matt and Alex...our children are roughly the same age too!). He's really the best!

What else has been going on...well, lots I guess. I actually had this past Thursday off which was awesome! I met with the accountant and got our taxes filed, met you know who at the courthouse, ran into a friend in the morning and then another one at the courthouse. I got my house cleaned and even went to the dentist later in the afternoon! I had a perfect check up!! It's small stuff but the small stuff turn out to be the biggest blessings at the end of the day.

Oh...yes, NASCAR started last night!! It was fun to watch the race with the boys after church last night!! Dierks Bentley looked as cute as ever!! I met him backstage with Neal McCoy a couple of years ago. He's really cute in person!! Oh, I forgot I was talking about NASCAR...sorry, I digress. Next weekend is the Daytona 500. I had considered having a small party to celebrate the start of the new season but it appears Mitch has to work so that won't happen.

Last weekend I was invited to see Chris Tomlin in Madison. Wow!! It was just awesome!! The group of friends I went with had an extra ticket and asked if I'd like to join them....well, YEA!!!! They had rented a 15 passenger van and we all traveled together to Madison and stopped in Janesville for dinner on the way. It was just an awesome evening!!! I'm still feeling a high from it!!

Okay, well, this has really turned into a long post but I've not posted anything for such a long time. I'm sorry I've neglected my blog. I have been on Facebook quite a bit though...Facebook is really fun!! I've found and been found by so many friends from my youth just lately. It's been such fun catching up!! These were friends who were my sisters in my heart...and well, life gets in the way and I moved to England and we just lost touch. It's been just wonderful to hear from them again and it doesn't feel like time changed anything!! (does that even make sense?)

Have a wonderful week...

Love,

Dawn

brrr...good morning!

2009-01-15T08:08:00.002-06:00

School was canceled today because of the severe frigid temps here in Wisconsin. I'm relieved. I like to know the boys are safe and it's painful trying to get them to dress warm when they are teenagers. "I don't NEED a sweatshirt Mom, it's not cold out" . So, we're having an impromptu pj day at my house!!! I love pj days and we just don't have them very often these days.

Now, I've noticed that Facebook is far more interactive than myspace. In fact, myspace seems to be almost dead as far as activity and I'm getting frustrated with all the movie trailer ads when I go to log in and of course, now they have removed my playlist so I have to use their own version.

So, I've set up a poll on my blog. Do you use myspace very much? Do you prefer Facebook? I'm actually considering deleting my myspace and just concentrating on my blog and my Facebook account only. I'd just like your thoughts on which site you prefer yourself.

Okay...off to make another cuppa tea! Anyone want to join me?

Dawn

my week

2009-01-09T20:46:00.004-06:00

It's been a difficult week. My boys went back to school after Christmas break so we've been working on getting back into a routine. That has actually been better than I expected. We were pretty busy at work which was nice.

I lost two friends this week. Out of respect for their families I won't say too much about it here. My heart just breaks for both families and today was the funeral for one family who I've known for about 25 years. My heart just aches for their loss but I know that one day I'll see my friend again as I know he had Jesus in his heart and was a wonderful husband and father. Tomorrow I have another funeral to go to and quite honestly, I don't know if my heart can take another one right now.

I sat in my craft room last night and created a couple of sympathy cards. I sat there among all my stuff and wondered...what do I do now? I'm so rusty. So, I just did what I am comfortable with. It's not fancy stuff, it's a technique I used to teach and it was fun. Again, they aren't fancy cards but they aren't meant to be.

Okay, I need to go and pick Mitch up from work. I'll be back later!

Dawn

Important news about SSR

2009-01-06T15:54:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone,

Today, I have some very important news to share with you. As you know the economy has been hitting everyone hard and the trickle effect has hit SSR. We've always catered to the small Mom and Pop businesses and offering them a wonderful outlet to advertise for a very minimal fee. Well, the economy has really hit even the smallest of company's and it is now effecting SSR too. We have lost our last paid advertiser on SSR and we can't afford to run without even the basics of fees. We've been free to you from day one but it's obviously not free to actually run and maintain SSR. We did open up for donations about a year ago, so anyone could donate to the upkeep of SSR thru paypal but we've never received even $1 in donations.

So, it's time for SSR to come to an end of this fabulous run we've had! We feel it's time to pull the plug while we are still on top!! We can bow out with our integrity in tact and know that we've provided the craft world with the very best designs and ideas to be found on the internet. I hope you've had the opportunity to print out as many of the design instruction/supply lists as possible because our last issue will be launched on March 1. You will have until the end of March to print out what you would like to keep and make your own idea book.

Thank you for making SSR the premier online ezine for scrapbooking and rubberstamping and altered arts! We've had a fabulous time cruising the world with you!! I've personally learned so much!!

I'll be honest with you, I've had a very difficult time of things over the past year with many transitions. I've been there, done that all before but the difference this time round is the accident Alex had. For the first time in 5 years I was desperate to take a month off, but I couldn't. I've had a hard time getting my groove back since and the computer crash of a few weeks ago has made it even harder as my programs aren't working right. I can't even access the database to send out the newsletter which I'm pulling my hair out over! Quite honestly, I'm tired.

We will keep the ezine list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SSReflectionsezine/) open though! It's such a wonderful place to hang out and I see no reason why we can't continue to share our lives and our art with each other!!

Well, that's it. I will be sending out a newsletter soon which will explain the same things as this post.

Cap'n Dawn

Matt is 14 today...

2008-12-28T09:21:00.002-06:00

The little snot is 14 today. Okay, he's not always a snot but well, most of the time he is. He will argue everything, whine about anything and just well, generally be a little snot. What can I say? He's a teenager. Did I mention he's a complete SLOB too? Oh my goodness, the boy is such a slob. I'm pulling my hair out with the boy.

But, having said all his amazing attributes in life, he's 14 today. We had a "family" b-day celebration yesterday..aka Mick came over for dinner (big lunch) b-day cake and Matt requested a trifle for his b-day. Meg (his girlfriend...they are back together btw) also came over and spent the afternoon with us and came to church with us. I think he had a nice day, he actually liked his b-day presents. I got him some metal "posters" of the Beatles for his room. He actually seems to be pretty excited about them (::shock:: I actually did something right)

Now..for the stroll down memory lane. I had placenta previa with Matt and because I had had a previous c-section and it was done in England (the first one) my doctor was concerned that the placenta would attach itself to the scar tissue from the previous section and I was given a week's notice (literally) that I had a 50% chance of surviving his birth if that had happened as I would bleed out and that Matt had a 50% chance of surviving his birth too. So, the week before his birth which was literally only a few days before Christmas we were dropped this bomb shell. Well, obviously we came through it just fine. He was such a beautiful baby...truly. He was also a beautiful child too. He was nickname the "pretty boy" by some of my friends because he really was a good looking kid. (the little snot). Anyway, we made it through his birth alive. When he was 9 months old he had his first ear infection. It wouldn't clear up. By the time January came around he was barely thriving because of the amount of infection in his head. By March, he was barely 17lbs. and was so sick he could barely lift up his head. My doctor sent us to a specialist in January before it got so bad but the specialist decided that he didn't need surgery that he would treat him with a lose dose antibiotic. Unfortunately he was allergic to the antibiotic and became gravely ill. I took him to a 2nd doctor who did surgery immediately. He was a new child after his first surgery. He could actually lift his head and walk almost immediately. The surgeon told us that he had so much infection in his head that no antibiotic would have cleared it up, he would have just died. He had to suction most of it out and then he went back on a real antibiotic to clear up the rest. It worked briliantly! He was always small after that...but he was alive and he was thriving in his own way again. Well, we ended up having 4 sets of tubes put in his ears over the years and now he has some hearing loss due to all the scar tissue.

The story goes on...he had struggled with so much infection for such a long time his white count was through the roof. We were getting it tested every month to keep an eye on it and it just wasn't coming down no matter what we were doing so we ended up going to Children's Hospital to have him tested for leukemia. That went on for about 6 months (back and forth to Children's) and fortunately he came back clear but they still wanted to be sure. Oh, I forgot...when he celebrated his 1st birthday he was diagnosed with a reverberating heart murmur. (musical heart murmur) and we had to go to Children's to have that tested by a pediatric heart specialist. Turns out it is benign and he may even out grow it in time.

We honestly weren't sure he'd even make it to preschool. He was such a sick child. But, he did and he went on to kindergarten...and now he's in 8th grade and such a smart (alleck) kid!! I accept total responsibility for his behavior. I was so scared we were going to lose him that I treated him very carefully. He didn't get away with bad behavior but I always told him how special he was...from the very first moment. I've created a monster.... (He's really not that bad...most of the time!!! hehehe)

Today, Matt is 14 and thriving, he's got a great girlfriend and he's such a creative child. He's decided that he wants to be a Navy seal when he grows up. So, now I have Mitch going in the Army and Matt in the Navy. Alex wants to go to the Olympics so I know he's not interested in a military career...

So, there is my trip down memory lane...we're celebrating a true blessing today. Matt is here, he's healthy, he's a pain in the butt...but, he's a teenager and i wouldn't have it any other way.

Dawn

Boxing day is here...

2008-12-26T10:54:00.002-06:00

The past 6 weeks have been insanely busy and I'm thankful to have today to catch up and spend some time doing absolutely nothing but potter about the house. I woke up early as I'm so used to doing it my body doesn't know how to sleep in anymore. So, I got up and had a couple of cups of tea while the house was quiet. I cleaned up bits left laying around the house from Christmas gifts opened or not opened just yet...they boys were spoiled again but they had a fabulous Christmas Day.

I'm going to head out to the stores in a little bit to take some stuff back and buy a few things that I need with a gc I received for Christmas. I'm actually considering taking down the Christmas decorations now so I can get my living room back together again. We had only moved in less than a week when we had to get the decorations up and I'm just kind of tired of all the turmoil and just want things clean and back in place again. Not sure the boys are too excited about putting the decorations away just yet...

Sunday is Matt's birthday. He's 14. Since my last post, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day, Alex turned 12, I've moved house, we all got sick, my computer crashed and has just come back all fixed, and we have now officially celebrated Christmas Day. In between all of that we had Christmas concerts and programs to see, parties to go to and of course lots of shopping and snow storm after snow storm after snow storm to work through.

I'm hoping things will start to calm down now into a dull routine of day to day life and that everyone stays healthy and warm as the worst part of winter is about to begin.

Okay, time to get back to cleaning up. Maybe I'll start with myself and head into the shower! I'm going out to dinner tonight for Friday night fish fry! I'm looking forward to that!!

Dawn

Long time...

2008-11-15T10:57:00.004-06:00

I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since my last post. Where does the time go? I've had so much going on over the past weeks. We've launched the 5th Anniversary edition of SSR and it's just fabulous!! I'm so excited about this issue! Who knew we'd be here for 5 years for your education and enjoyment! Let's raise our tea cups and cheer for another 5 years!!

It looks like my family may be moving again in a couple of weeks. I've found a fabulous house just a few blocks away that is even better than the house we are in AND I won't have to deal with Realtors' coming through the house whenever they want. I'm so sick of this, I can't wait to have a home again. But, this means that I need to start packing this weekend and guess what I'm doing instead? Yes, I'm on the computer jammin' to some music and writing on my blog! Seriously, I've been working on the mid-month newsletter for SSR and will be sending it out in a few minutes. I wanted to get that done before I head to my craft room and start packing it away.

My son Mitch has decided that he wants to go into law enforcement for his career and feels (right now) that the Army is the way to do that. He'll get the education and training he wants and he really wants to be an MP. I'm not exactly sure how I feel this right now but I'm an Air Force brat and if you've been reading anything about me on SSR or even my blog you'll know that the military is part of my family history and I am proud to know he wants to continue that tradition. I'm scared at the same time as I'm sure he'll end up in Iraq. But, if it's not Iraq it will be some place else as who knows what will happen over the next year and a half. Mitch is 16 1/2 so there is time for him to sign the dotted line yet. I'm encouraging him to do research and talk to as many people as I can find for him to talk to who are in the military. He's definitely not interested in the Navy as he doesn't want to be under water or on a ship. (sorry Ramie). I'm kind of leaning more toward the Air Force for him and I have a contact who is in law enforcement in the Air Force so I'm hoping he will be able to answer some questions for Mitch. But, as long as he puts a lot of thought behind his decision and does the research I will support his decision. At least I have time on my side and he can't come home and announce that he's already signed up. I'm very fortunate that he's actually discussing everything with me and we've had quite a few long conversations over the past few weeks and he's been bringing home lots of reading material. So, we'll see what happens! He may just change his mind and that's okay too.

Alex goes in for his 4 week check up with the Orthopedic surgeon next Friday and we'll see how his arms are healing. They both look so much better and he's feeling much better himself. He's been playing touch football out the back with the neighbor kids after school this past week. Scares the daylights out of me but have you ever tried to strap down an 11 year old boy who just loves all sports? It's like trying to strap down a mexican jumping bean on steroids.

Matt is doing great. He's getting his hair cut this afternoon but he doesn't know that yet . Seriously, the boy's hair is out of control it's so long right now!! His girlfriend loves it though.... Hailey is a sweet girl and it turns out her uncle and I went to school together and were great friends during school! What a small world it is. Anyway, Hailey's nickname for Matt is "Emmett" from the book Twilight. I seriously need to read this book.

Speaking of haircuts. I cut 4 1/2 inches off my hair this week. Well, I didn't do it, the hairdresser did. It feels so light and it's still shoulder length! I guess I had more hair that I thought!! I have really thick heavy, yet fine hair so the cut has really breathed new life (hehehe) into my hair (yes, I know hair is dead).

Okay, I need to get on with my day. I hope you take a few moments to vote on the poll. I'm really interested in your opinions!!

-me

We're over the hump

2008-10-25T08:34:00.002-05:00

Alex got his casts off yesterday! Whoo Hoo!! We were so excited to see his arms again! He does have to wear a brace on both arms for 4 weeks but he can take them off to sleep and he should take them off at times during the day to try and strengthen his arms. It's so hard to believe he's had casts on for 7 weeks! He was supposed to go to a youth group event last night, capture the flag, but he decided he shouldn't in the end. He's not allowed to run and he can't lift anything over 5lbs and absolutely no sports. He has nothing protecting his wrists now with the casts off so he has to be extra careful now. He was good last night but I'll bet that in less than a week he's going to be back to the "no fear" mentality and it will be like trying to strap a Mexican jumping bean down. He's such an active child and loves all sports so the past two months have been very hard on him. Fortunately it's only a temporary hold on sports and by next spring he should be back to playing soccer again.

The boys were all (all three of them!!! Mitch rarely goes to his Dad's) at their Dad's last night so I spoiled myself with a home spa night! It was awesome!! I then went to bed early and had a wonderful night's sleep. I'll enjoy a quiet morning with lots of tea and then I'm headed out to get my car fixed. I have an apt at 1:00 this afternoon. I hope it's just my brakes that need attention and that it isn't anything more serious than that. It's also getting an oil change. We'll go to the Saturday night community service at church tonight as Mitch has to work tomorrow. Mitch has his friend Dayman coming over tonight and he's coming to church with us. I think he's going to like our Saturday night service as our worship band really rocks on a Saturday night which the kids tend to really enjoy! Tomorrow will be another Sunday watching football and NASCAR and my luxurious Sunday afternoon nap after a cooked brunch...Can life get any better than this?

Have an awesome weekend everyone!!

Dawn

Good morning...

2008-10-12T07:26:00.003-05:00

It's Sunday morning. I'm up early, before the kids with the hope of enjoying a quiet cuppa tea. Oh, too late, I just heard the bathroom light turn on! Fortunately it's just Alex and he'll go and watch tv quietly for a little while before we get ready for church.

I took Alex to the Orthopedic surgeon Friday for his latest set of x-rays and hoping that they would remove the long arm casts and replace them with the short casts. The good news is, his arms looked much improved and they replaced his casts with short casts! He has use of his elbows again! The long arm casts weighed 11 lbs. He carried those around for 5 weeks! He tells me that the short casts are so light that he barely notices them! He also got "designer" casts. They are purple and white stripes. One arm with purple with white stripes and the other arm is white with purple stripes. The best news of all though is that he gets to return to school tomorrow!! He's basically all caught up with his school work. He and Edwin (the tutor) had a monster session yesterday to wrap everything up and he's all set now. I'll take him to school in the morning to get him settled and I want to see if we can switch his gym class to a study hall. I think it will be too hard on him to sit in the gym and not be able to participate. He wants to play sports so bad right now!! He's going to be such a jock when he's older.

You'll never guess what I did last night. I taught my oldest son how to rubber stamp! Yep! Mitch and his friend Jammie are planning a party in November (here) for the return of Jammie's boyfriend Chris (he's in training in the National Guard and has been gone since the end of June). He's finished in November and so the kids are planning a welcome home party for Chris with a joint b-day party for Jesse (one of my "adopted teenage" sons). They are inviting 30 (gulp) friends here for the party! Jammie shows up and says something about "thanks for making the invitations for us Mom". I'm stunned...huh? I'm making the invitations? Mitch said..."Oh, yea..I forgot to ask you!!" So, I gathered up some leaf stamps, cardstock, ink and fibers and designed a couple of samples for them to choose from and then set about teaching them how to create them for themselves. Even Alex got involved and helped!! I cut the cardstock, Mitch and Alex stamped the leaves for the background. Jammie stamped the invitation stamp and then I somehow got roped into writing out the invitations as I had the best handwriting. .

Anyway, the kids are supposed to bring their own chairs and we'll have a bon fire, they can roast hot dogs over the fire and we'll have some other food stuffs. Mitch and Jammie are organizing that . I had no idea that this party was going to be of this magnitude when I agreed to let them have it here! Now I'm worried. Well, we've set some parameters. The party will be outside and they can use the garage. They can use the main bathroom but not enter any of the bedrooms or the basement. (my craft room is in the basement). I know almost all the kids invited and the majority of them call me Mom so I have high hopes that they will treat the house with respect. Just to be safe though I'm removing all valuables/breakables from the main areas of the house!!

I started a new position this past week. I mentioned in a previous blog that I was now working as a production/event coordinator for a local company. I really enjoyed my work but I found that the owner was a serious control freak. Now, I coped with that I just went on with my business and stayed out of the way. I really enjoyed the people I was working with and really enjoyed my actual position. I was not looking for a new position at all. But, my job was very flexible which meant that one week I could be working 25 hours and the next week 40 hours which really upset my budget. Anyway, I received a phone call out of the blue the Sunday evening of Labor day weekend. It was Dan, who owns Pampered Pup the company who grooms my Chili. Dan's been a friend of mine since he started his business. Chili was one of his first dogs! He owns a mobile pet grooming spa which has grown to two mobile spas and one salon at a local vet clinic in 3 years. Dan called me to see if I was looking for a position as his company is moving into another direction and he has a need for my services. I didn't call him back right away as I was at the county fair at the time! So, Monday morning I called him back. He told me what he had in mind and I said sure, I'd be interested in hearing more when you are ready to move forward with this. He literally called me the very next day and asked me if I was free for breakfast that Friday morning. We met, we talked for 2 1/2 hours that morning! (Friday was my day off). Anyway, that weekend was the weekend Alex had his accident and I just wasn't able to think anymore of it. I had a disabled son (temporarily) and that was my priority...besides, I wasn't able to work anywhere at this time as Alex needed 24/7 care. Dan called me that Friday (1 week after our breakfast meeting) and offered me the position with a decent salary and full time hours! I took the weekend to think about it and called him on Monday and accepted the position. I then went to the company I was working for to turn in my notice. I couldn't do it. I made the mistake of bringing Alex with me and they were so concerned and fawned all over my little guy. So, I then tried to do it by phone. (I know I'm a coward). But, they wouldn't accept my resignation. Ack! So, then I went back in (without Alex) and turned in my resignation in person. That time it worked. My start date with my new job was October 6 which worked out perfectly for us as there was a lot that needed to be organized for Alex's care while I am at work. I spent this past week driving an awful lot as my parents took care of Alex for me and there is a lot of road construction with lots of extra detours. But, Alex had the best care, continued on with his tutoring and I was finally able to get back to work. Please note that I've not earned any salary during the month I've been off to care of Alex. Nothing. Nada. But, we're surviving with God's grace and a whole lotta faith!!! Seriously, God has met our needs.

So, now I've rambled on forever, I should finally tell you what I'm doing! My official title is "Spa Concierge" basically, I'm the Office Manager/Dan's right hand. I'm working in the salon for now, but next spring we will be opening our headquarters and I will be running the headquarters. The best part? I'm working with DOGS!!! If anyone knows me they know how much I love my animals. Okay, I'm getting kind of tired of Syd (the cats) constant whining to play outside but he seems to be getting better over the last few days. I've discovered a breed of spaniel that I'd never heard of, it's a Clumber Spaniel. I've fallen head over heals in love with them and would love to have one to care for!! What a beautiful face they have!!! My first week was a week of learning about the different breeds, the different types of cuts and how long it takes to do them. I've learned so much!! I met a 120lb Rottweiler named Max who I fell in love with at first site. He shook and completely drenched me from my head to my knees. He then gave me a big old kiss. What a softie he was...

Why did I ramble on so much with this post? Well, I guess it's because, well, I do love to ramble but I feel like I've finally found some balance in my life. A wonderful work environment with people (and dogs) that I like, full time hours Monday - Friday so my Saturdays are free again (2 days off in a row...what a concept!!) which means that when Alex is playing soccer again I won't miss his games. Alex is healing beautifully and is heading back to school tomorrow! So, everything is well...and I just wanted to share.

I hope (if you actually read this far) that you have a wonderful week. Today is going to be another beautiful day in Wisconsin and I'm going to potter about the garden after church!

Dawn

News on board SSR to share...

2008-09-27T20:19:00.001-05:00

Some websites celebrate a billion hits, we thought about doing that when the time came, but truly, what is a billion hits? "Hits" don't represent the number of people who read SSR, so that would really be false advertising and SSR has always strived for honesty and integrity in all situations. Because of this, we are still here...and we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary!! It's just hard to believe that SSR has been here for you for five years already!! Where does the time go? This is a very special occasion and we want all of you, our faithful readers, to be part of it.

We are going to have a very special feature for the November issue called "The Writings On The Wall...Shipboard Reflections from You..." We are asking YOU to write your favorite memory, or memories, of SSR and e-mail your thoughts to me! Whether you write one sentence or a small paragraph we would love to hear from you!! Please include your name and location with your e-mail. If you prefer, just your state/province or country will be fine. This invitation is for our reader's and anyone who has joined us as a Celebrity Headliner or guest over the past five years!

We have so many wonderful surprises planned for you in November, including a scavenger hunt!! We have a very special guest joining us for our anniversary... I'm sure you can guess who that is as she's been with us for our first four anniversaries! But, I'm not going to spoil it by saying anything here...

Dawn

Tech Support for life written by Teddy Wayne

2008-09-23T18:17:00.002-05:00

Support: Hello, this is Kelly. How may I help you?
Caller: I can't open this Smucker's jar. I've tried running it under hot water and it still won't budge.

Support: I understand you're having trouble opening a jar of preserves. Is that correct?
Caller: Yes, I just told you.

Support: Can you tell me the flavor of the preserves as well as its UPC code? You can find the UPC code on the label on the back of the jar.
Caller: Strawberry, and...let me see...435931419865

Support: Thank you. Do you mind if I take a few minutes to search for that information?
Caller: Fine.

(five minutes later)

Support: Thank you for waiting. Here are the recommended steps: 1. Turn on the hot wter in the kitchen sink. 2. Run the metallid under the hot water. 3. Turn off the hot water and dry the jar and lid with a disrag. 4. Using the dishrag, twist the lid counterclockwise to open the jar.
Caller: Have you been listening to anything I've said? I already tried running it under hot water.

Support: It sounds like you have already tried the above steps. Is that correct?
Caller: Yes! Can I talk to your supervisor?

Support: I'm sorry you were displeased with my help. Please hold while I seaerch for someone else to handle your issue.

(five minutes later)

Support: Hello, this is Roger. How may I help?
Caller: Hi. I was just on with someone-I think her name was Kelly-and I was telling her how I couldn't open this Smucker's jar. It's strawberry, if that helps.

Support: Thank you for the information. Can you tell me its UPC code? You can find the UPC code on the label on the back of the jar.
Caller: I told her that also. Can't you look it up on your system or something?

Support: Do you mind if I take a few minutes to search for that information?
Caller: You know what? Forget it. I'm just opening this thing to make a sandwich for my husband, and I'm not even sure I want to do it in the first place.

Support: What seems to be the problem exactly?
Caller: He can't do anything for himself! If it's not "Pauline, can you make me a sandwich?" it's "Pauline, can you iron my shirt?" or "Pauline, can you water my exotic-plant collection?" Sometimes I want to say, "Water your own Tillandsia roseospicata," you know?

Support: Can you tell me your husband's name and age? His age can be found on his driver's license.
Caller: Harry, and he's 43.

Support: Thank you. Do you mind if I take a few minutes to search for that information?
Caller: Take as much time as you need. I already ate.

(five minutes later)

Support: Thank you for waiting. Here are the recommended steps: 1. Tell your husband you are his wife, not his servant. 2. Remind him that a 43 year old man can fix his own sandwich.
Caller: Thanks. I'll do that.

(five minutes later)

Support: Hello, this is Wendy. How may I help you?
Caller: Hi, this is Harry. Do you handle sandwiches?

Support: Yes.
Caller: Great. How about marriage counseling?

This is a lighthearted take on everyday life from the August 2008 issue of Real Simple magazine!

I hope you enjoyed it,

Dawn

In need of some assistance!

2008-09-21T12:13:00.002-05:00

I can't seem to delete the two photobucket placed albums above my blog and under the slide show. If anyone has any advice I'm listening!!

I'm heading out to some gardening while Mitch cuts the grass (hopefully for the last time this year) and will be back later to try again.

Thank you!!!

Dawn

HOORAY!!! I posted this blog and discovered that the albums were actually BLOG posts and all I had to do was delete the blog posts!!! They are gone!!!

Thank you for coming over to help me out!! I was contemplating pulling my hair out with this one!!

Update on Alex

2008-09-18T09:42:00.003-05:00

We spent most of our day at Children's Hospital yesterday. Well, it really wasn't but it sure felt like it. We both came home mid-afternoon feeling spent and wanting to take a nap but that wasn't possible as the phone was in need of my attention!

The clinic took new x-rays of his arms and the left wrist isn't healing very well. The clinic re-wrapped his "cut" casts and made them much more stable and very heavy. If all is well next week then the plan is for him to be in the full arm casts for 4 weeks (we're 1 1/2 down now), then short casts for 2 weeks and then velcro braces for 3 weeks. IF the left wrist isn't improved next week then they will have to reset the wrist. That means putting him to sleep, breaking the wrist again and resetting it. OUCH!! Then we start all over again with the left wrist. I'm praying that won't happen and that both wrists will begin to heal nicely now. I am hoping that the steroids he was taking for the poison ivy is the reason for the healing not going to plan and that now things will start improving. The reality is, I saw the x-rays and the left wrist really was way out of whack. I'm not a doctor though so I'm just going by my own concerns as Mom.

Alex is taking the doctors orders to do nothing with his wrists seriously now though. Thank goodness! Everyone was looking at me as though I had three heads and was being the "overprotective Mom" whenever I said he can't do something. Now, they understand that I was just doing what the doctor said. Even my parents didn't quite get it and they were at the hospital with me the first time! Now, I do feel a bit validated... That's a good thing once in a while!!

This week has been a crazy week though and we're both looking forward to a quiet day today. I'll get caught up with housework and laundry. Boy, I wish I could get a cleaning company in to help out right about now. But, with my not being able to work two weeks I have bigger concerns than a little cleaning.

Dawn

A rainy Saturday morning

2008-09-13T07:49:00.002-05:00

Alex is still asleep. Matt went to a jr high youth group bon fire last night at one of the leader's house and then went to spend the night at his Dad's. Mitch also spent the night last night! This is only the 2nd time Mitch has spent the night at his Dad's place since he moved out. Honestly, I think it's great that he's finally able to spend time with his Dad but I do worry if it's too much! It's like i have to "de-program" him when he comes home. Not sure if that even makes sense but he's 16 and very impressionable at times. He's also his own man, he's growing into a young man who sticks to his values and has integrity...most of the time. He's still a teenager. He's been so busy with school, work and he's a back stage manager for the fall production at the high school. They are putting "The Importance of Being Earnest" on! Apparently, being that I'm a Brit, I've been chosen to provide most of the props...tea pots, tea cups, tablecloths, etc. I almost fell off my chair when Mitch came home and asked me if he could borrow my Grandmother's tea service!! I haven't had the tea service appraised but we really have no idea just how old it is. My Dad's Mom died when my Dad was 13 so it could have been new to her or it could have been her Mother's. We really have no idea. Fortunately I do have a couple of tea sets that I inherited from family friends who thought I'd like them that are quite appropriate for the kids to use for the play. I have a collection of tea pots that I started collecting when I was 21 so I'm sure I have a teapot they can use too.

Sorry, I'm rambling. I woke up this morning with a terrible migraine. It actually seems to be subsiding now but I will call the pharmacy and get a refill on my Imitrex this morning. I hate the pain of migraines. I feel like I can't get my brain to work and I REALLY wanted to sleep in this morning.

I don't think I mentioned before that Alex has poison ivy. He was playing in the woods Labor Day weekend with his friend Jacob. Well, he came home complaining that he was eaten alive by mosquitos and that the bites were driving him crazy. I treated his legs as though they were mosquito bites but by the following weekend they looked just horrible. Well, the doctors office was closed so I told him we'd get in to see the doctor on Monday. Of course, Sunday night he had his accident and well, that just never happened. We were in the ambulance Sunday night driving to Children's Hospital and the paramedic told me he thought it was poison ivy. Of course that made perfect sense! Unfortunately no one in my family has ever had poison ivy before so I had no idea what to look for. Well, the casts were good as he wasn't able to itch them but they were driving him crazy. I was treating him for the poison ivy, giving him an antihistamine tablet, putting anti-itch gel on his legs but it really wasn't enough. He was improving but not very fast so, yesterday he was feeling a lot better so I called the doctors office. Dr. S. wanted to see him right away so we raced to get dressed and headed up to see him. I also brought the disc with the x-rays from the ER last weekend so he could have them in Alex's file. (Dr. S. has been our family doctor since he became a doctor...he was mine before I married and he was at Alex and Matt's births so he's known the boys their entire lives...he's also my parents doctor and was the doctor who found my Dad's multiple myeloma 6 years ago!!).

Turns out Alex has a severe case of poison ivy and we are treating it with a course of steroids. Dr. S. was concerned about the steroids halting the healing process of his arms but felt that at this stage it may not really make a difference and he really did need the steroids to get rid of the poison ivy. If it actually spread to under his casts it would completely drive the poor child mad. So, he's on steroids now on top of pain killers, Zyrtec, ibuprofen...Alex says he feels like he's taken 50 pills this week!!

I gave him a quick bath yesterday and he felt so much better for it (I've been giving him sponge baths and washing his hair in the kitchen sink). So, we headed up to the middle school to get his school books. We did talk to one of his teachers and got some assignments and brought them home. His friend Justus is coming over this weekend for an hour or two to help him with the work he has here. The teachers will start putting packets of his work together and Matt will bring them home and I guess the school will set up a tutor to come to the house to work with him over the next six weeks. It's just not safe for him to be at school with two broken arms. He's completely helpless. As we were walking down the hall yesterday an older boy (probably 7th grade) was walking toward us. He looked right at us then started running and jumped over the rubbish bin that was right next to us. He almost hit Alex and definitely scared him. I was standing right there and told him that wasn't a particularly smart thing to do under the circumstances. He looked at me as though I had 3 heads. .

Okay, so my ramblings are probably boring you to death! I'll stop now...I promise! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and my prayers are with those of you in Ike's path. Peace be the journey...

Dawn

Thankful

2008-09-11T10:31:00.004-05:00

I'm thankful that I went grocery shopping Sunday morning.

I'm thankful that Alex played a great game for his first soccer match of the season. He scored 5 goals!

I'm thankful that the boys had a fabulous time at the Guy's Night Out event at church.

I'm thankful that Mitch was so excited about the guy's night out he brought a friend!

I'm thankful that Alex wore a helmet while riding the ATV.

I'm thankful that Alex had an instructor in front of him, one behind him and his brother Mitch running behind him when he crashed into a tree.

I'm thankful that the church was only 5 minutes from the ER.

I'm thankful that there were NO internal injuries afterall.

I'm thankful that my Mom was able to come to Children' Hospital with me in the ambulance.

I'm thankful that the two broken wrists did not affect Alex's growth plates.

I'm thankful for morphine.

I'm thankful for the wonderful care Alex received at the two hospitals.

I'm thankful that my Lord was watching over all of us during a very frightening time.

I'm thankful for the love and support of my parents during this time.

I'm thankful that my Dad was willing to stay with Mitch and Matt Sunday night.

I'm thankful that my Dad was willing to leave at 4am Monday morning to come to Children's to pick us up.

I'm thankful for the prayers and support from my church.

I'm thankful for the meals being organized for us.

I'm thankful that my employers are not giving me a hard time about not coming to work.

I'm thankful that I'm here to take care of Alex.

Sunday evening Alex was involved in an ATV accident at a church sponsored event at church. He couldn't get the steering column to turn and he crashed in between two trees. We rushed him to the ER and they were very concerned about the bruising and laceration on his abdomen. We went in for a CT scan immediately. They then sent him via ambulance to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. It was determined that the bruising and tenderness were not a problem. The two breaks though were pretty bad and they needed to put Alex to sleep to set the bones. He did NOT require surgery though. We left Children's around 5:30am and returned home around 6:30am just in time to see Mitch and Matt off to school.

Alex has two casts up to his shoulder's and is quite helpless. He can't open a door, get himself a drink or feed himself. He is completely helpless and in pain. We are trying to keep the pain manageable but the mornings are the worse. He can't play X-box or hold a pen so all he can do is watch tv or movies. We have actually run out of movies to watch now!! I tried to send a post to our local freecycle group requesting that we borrow some movies but the post was sent back from the moderator telling me I'm not allowed to borrow anything on freecycle. I can't leave him alone to even go to the library so we're stuck for now. I did get him to sit outside in the sun for a little while yesterday afternoon but he was uncomfortable so it was a short sit. I barely got my plants watered before he wanted to come back inside.

Well, as you can see, even through an horrific accident there were many blessings.

Oops! Gotta run, he needs to go potty!!

Dawn

I should be getting ready for work...

2008-08-21T09:16:00.002-05:00

But, I'm not. We had an excess of boys in the house last night and I'm tired!! Man, I can't wait for the boys to go back to school!! I'm so looking forward to having a clean house again...

A really cool thing happened yesterday. I'm so excited! A dear friend of mine from years ago moved to Arizona about 10 years ago (it doesn't seem as long as that) and we completely lost touch with each other. Mary and I met at the doctors office. I was there with Mitch when he was 2 and she was there with her daughter who was 1. She had just moved to our area and didn't know anyone. We started chatting and struck up an immediate friendship. We started a local mom's group and we both went on to have more babies and her husband accepted a new position in Arizona and moved away. We completely lost touch with each other. I've been trying to find her via the internet for YEARS! She's a real computer guru so I thought I would eventually hit pay dirt. Well, it suddenly occurred to me that her daughter is probably on Facebook. I did a search and sure enough, the first person I came across ended up being Mary's daughter!! I couldn't believe I found her again!! We've already been sharing emails and pictures of each other's family. Mary is one of the smartest women I've ever had the privilege to meet and I was in total awe of her abilities. Of course, in those days I was naive and overwhelmed with being a young Mom. Mary was a huge source of strength for me. I looked up to her so much...hehehe...my husband wasn't all that keen on it though...

Well, I am just so happy to have found her and yet again...it's another reason to love the world wide web! It really does make the world a smaller place. hehehe...Mary really is a computer guru, and the computer scared the daylights out of me in those days. Now look at me!!

Okay, I guess I better get ready for work. I hope you have a wonderful day!! Matt gets his cast off tomorrow...shoot I should take a picture of it!!! I think he and Ryan (extra boy) are still asleep. Must be nice...

Dawn

It's Friday!!

2008-08-08T09:44:00.002-05:00

I can't believe a week ago I was up to my ears in HTML code getting the August issue ready and we had a fiber cut and lost all internet for 8 hours. It really made a difference in getting August launched earlier in the day but I made it with 20 minutes to spare on the 1st!!

Life here in the past week has been chaos but at the same time we're settling into a new routine. We've had a very eventful summer. Matt broke his wrist skateboarding a couple of weeks ago, this past Saturday Mitch was at work and he was going to load 900 lbs of ice into the ice freezers and ran over his foot! We thought he may have broken his little toe but it appears it was just a bad bruise (thank you Lord!!). He's fine, just a bit clumsy...like his Mom!!! Alex went camping last week with neighbours. He had a great time calling me each day with stories of the fish he was catching and all the smores eaten by the fire. Then Saturday night I received the heartwrenching call that breaks a Mom's heart. "Mom, I miss you so much and I'm burnt to a crisp". Well, I couldn't go to pick him up as it was already late and I had an idea where he was, but not a definite map and it was late at night. They were planning to come home the next morning so we decided after talking to their Dad to just hold off until Sunday morning. The friends went to get some aloe for him and they gave him ibuprofen and he was fine when we got off the phone. Turns out they spent the day at the beach and they put sunscreen on in the morning but didn't reapply and Alex didn't want to put a t-shirt on. He came home Sunday and was sunburned. It didn't appear to be too bad, then Monday morning he woke up full of blisters. We took him to the doctor and he had 2nd degree burns. We were doing everything right. My parents brought some aloe gel with lidocane back from Florida a couple of years ago for me and I was using that on him and giving him ibuprofen. We had to cancel soccer on Tuesday but by Thursday he was much better and he played both games (he's on two different leagues). His team won the morning game 7-6 and Alex made 3 goals and his team won their game in the evening league 11-2! So, he's definitely feeling better!!!

I mentioned in the last newsletter that I'm working. Well, I've always worked. I have been a professional organizer (for small businesses) and a major event coordinator for years. It is now time for me to work on a more consistent basis, the economy has really forced this to some extent but also my family has been undergoing some major transitions over this summer. Anyway, I've been praying for years that I find a position where someone takes my gifts seriously and God has taught me so much during the waiting period. Now, I'm finally working (not full time) but for a local company who was in need of my expertise and attention to detail. I'm absolutely loving my work, I've been with them for almost a month now and each day is different with different problems that need to be solved. I went to high school with the people who own the company and they are wonderful Christian people that I respect and they respect me. I enjoy working with everyone at the company and I truly believe that my being there is a God thing. Funny enough, they have the same thoughts!

My boys are adjusting to my hours and Mitch has really stepped up to the role of responsible older sibling. I'm so proud of them!! They each have their responsibilities during the day and so far, with minimal opposition (and forgetfulness) it's going very well. During all these transitions this summer God has richly blessed my family. I wish I had the space here to tell you all about it but I don't want to bore you either!! This is already a long blog post!!

Well, speaking of which, I have to get in the shower. I need to register Mitch at the high school. I have an upper classman!! How does that happen?? He's a junior this year. It doesn't seem all that long ago that I was home schooling him for kindergarten and now he's 6'2" and becoming a wonderful man.

Yes, I feel very blessed. Thank you for allowing me to share some of my blessings with you...

Happy Friday!

Dawn

Good morning...

2008-07-31T08:27:00.002-05:00

My get a devotional in my inbox every morning. This morning it was exactly what I needed! I'm tired, the adrenalin rush of the past month that has kept me going is starting to wane and I'm tired. So much has been thrust upon me over the past month and I'm just a little overwhelmed by it all. My house is up for sale and we've had a terrible time with realtors and the owner of this house (I rent). Then, Matt (middle son) broke his wrist when he was falling off his skateboard and used his hand to catch his fall. He has a neon green cast that is waterproof!! I had no idea they had waterproof casts?! Which is way cool.

All is good, really, I'm just ready for life to settle into a routine now as I'm tired. I hope you don't mind if I share part of the devotion I received this morning. This was written by Melissa Taylor for the Encouragement for Today Devotional by Crosswalk.com.

My thoughts tell me to give up.
God's Word tells me to be committed. Matthew 5:33-37

My thoughts tell me "I need it now!"
God's Word tells me to exercise self-control. Galatians 5:23

My thoughts tell me I deserve to come first, be selfish.
God's Word tells me to have humility and put others first. Philippians 2:3-4

My thoughts tell to get mad and hold a grudge.
God's Word says forgive as many times as it takes. Matthew 18:21-22

My thoughts tell me to seek revenge.
God's Word tells me to be a peacemaker. Romans 12:18-19

My thoughts tell me take all the credit.
God's Word tells me to glorify Jesus Christ. John 17:5

My thoughts tell me I need to look good on the outside and no one will notice the ugly inside.
God's Word tells me to be pure on the inside and the outside won't even matter. Proverbs 31:30

My thoughts tell me I'm ugly. God's Word tells me I'm wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

My thoughts tell me I'm all alone and no one understands me. God's Word tells me He will never leave me He knows the plans He has for me. Deuteronomy 31:6, Jeremiah 29:11

My thoughts tell me that I'm just not good enough. God's Word tells me that I'm His gift to the world and that I was created in His image. Psalm 127:3, Genesis 1:26

Have a wonderful day!!

Dawn

Exciting times ahead

2008-07-14T10:35:00.003-05:00

Almost 3 weeks ago I (this Thursday) I made some positive changes to my life. You see, without going into too much detail. I made some decisions based on my own fears a year or so ago and ended up making a terrible mistake. I've paid the consequences of that choice for over a year now. All because I was afraid. Well, the situation was getting so bad that I just didn't know what to do. So, I went to a very wise man, the pastor of my church. Pastor Doug and Pastor Chuck were wonderful it helping me realize that I allowed my fears to influence my decisions instead of relying on God. Well, with their help and finding the faith in my beliefs that I've had since childhood I faced those fears and made the necessary changes.

In the past 3 weeks I've experienced so many miracles in my life. I've finally found the stability and peace I've always craved because it is what God has always wanted for me. You see my fears crippled me and kept me from the very place I needed the most and most of that is the shame I felt for the circumstances I was in.

Well, I know this probably doesn't make much sense to you...maybe one day I'll feel comfortable telling you about the exact circumstances but I'm not sure I'm ready to plaster it all over the internet yet!! If you are reading this, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Please keep me and my family in your prayers but know that my family is in a good place.

Dawn

The July issue is live!

2008-07-01T18:27:00.002-05:00

This particular issue has been a bear to put together and I can't even describe the relief I'm feeling right now! The last week of the month is always stressful with the upcoming launch but this particular issue was very difficult. I'm just glad it's done!! It was really worth it though...it's just a fabulous issue!!

I've got this new poll regarding the front page. We'd really like your thoughts on the size of it. Our intent was to fill in all the white space as it seemed to be too much and I love the new color schemes...we have quite a few color choices to rotate!! But, we'd like to know if it is too big or too small or just right. When we first launched SSR computer monitors were on avg. 15 or 17 inches and we had put that into consideration when creating the website. Now, monitors tend to be much larger and that means adjusting to accommodate! So, please let us know your thoughts!!

Dawn

It's a brand new week!

2008-06-23T09:06:00.002-05:00

Today is supposed to be a gorgeous day! The boys and I are going to be working around the house all day. We've got realtors coming tomorrow morning to view the house so we want it in tip top shape! Mitch will finish cutting the grass and we'll get the basement back in order now that it is dried out! I have a particular box that I still need to find that has some very special books in it. Seems silly to unpack a box when I know we'll have to move in a few months but well, that's life!

Our church is having a Revival this week and we went to the first meeting Saturday evening. We were supposed to go last night but Alex wasn't feeling very well at dinner and barely ate anything. He laid down after dinner and fell asleep on his bed. He woke up freezing but with a temp of 102! So, last night was canceled. He seems just fine today. So, we'll get the house cleaned up...aka 20,000 pieces of Lego put away, notepads full of movie scripts and hand written stories...products of Matt my resident slob...;-)

I haven't given an update on Syd lately. Well, last week we let him outside for the first time since taking him to the vet last May. It's been almost 6 weeks since he was neutered. So, we let him out as he's been banging on the doors to go out (he's very stubborn for 8 lbs). His first trip out he went as far as the garbage cans and recycling bins, sat there for about 10 minutes and then came back inside. A little while late he went out back when Chili went out. He stood by a bush scratching his back and then headed to the neighbors. He came back about 10 minutes later and just walked in the house with a mouse in his mouth! Chili went after him and he took off with said mouse in his mouth to my bedroom and hid under my bed with the mouse. I ran chasing after Syd and the mouse and Chili and the boys were running after me. We moved the bed so we could get the mouse and Syd dropped the mouse and the mouse ran into my closet and hid by a shoe. Syd just stands there looking puzzled because he thought for sure he had a mouse in his mouth a minute ago? Chili goes straight for the closet and can't find the mouse (Chili is dumb as a box of rocks but oh so cute). I get Chili out of the closet and carefully head in there to find the mouse. I found it and guess what? It was a BABY BUNNY!!! It wasn't a mouse at all and he was terrified but very much alive. I picked him up and carefully let him free in a safe place in the yard. He hopped off quite happily because he was free!

So, we let Syd out the next day and he did the same thing...brought home a baby Bunny. This time he only got as far as the patio doors and the bunny was safe and sound hopping off his merry way. Although, this time he was quite angry as he was making a lot of noise!!

So, today Syd is outside again and so far, he's not brought me anymore presents! He's come in and out a few times just to be sure this is still home. :-)

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!!

Dawn

The results

2008-06-21T08:42:00.002-05:00

The results for my last poll. Whether to change the arrival of the SSR newsletter was very interesting. 32 people voted out of the tens or thousands who read SSR to tell me that 11 want a weekly newsletter and 20 want it to stay as it is bi-monthly. 1 person requested two newsletters a week. The bad news is only 32 people voted but the good news is that it had very interesting results. I'm going to take this to the Board of Directors for SSR and will let you know what they decide!

Thank you so much for participating in this poll! I really appreciate your thoughts and opinions!

Dawn

The new poll

2008-06-15T15:15:00.003-05:00

I know...I just posted to my blog! But, that was personal and I didn't want it to get mixed in with this special poll.

A few years ago, I asked the SSR crew what they thought about sending our newsletter every week and the word was yes. Well, I never really got it off the ground. Now that we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary we are working on all sorts of great things in the background in preparation and I am wondering what YOU our readers feel about this subject. So, this poll is very important. Please take a moment to express your opinion and send your friends (who read SSR) to vote too. I want a real indication of what your thoughts are on this. SSR has never sold our email list and have taken great care to never spam anyone. We've held true to our values in order to make SSR enjoyable to you and not a nuisance.

Please leave me a comment if you have something else other than the choices available .

Thank you!

Dawn

Life with boys...take 2

2008-06-15T15:03:00.003-05:00

Our first week of summer vacation has been eventful to say the least! Of course, you've probably heard all about the storms raging the Midwest. We've had our share of concerns but they are very minor in comparison to what many many others are experiencing. I'm very grateful that we've been spared such horrible flooding. I am not saying I'm not annoyed with what I've also experienced but I know it could be so much worse!

Last weekend Alex spent the weekend with his best friend since 1st grade, Dylan. Dylan then came to us on Wednesday and stayed until yesterday! He's such a delight to have but boy does that boy eat!!! It's nice to have a quiet day today as he's now home with his family. Dylan is like another son to me so I love having him around and he and Alex never argue (well, very rarely). We've had all sorts of Nerf Dart wars over the past few days which have been so much fun!! So many fits of giggles and I'm not a bad shot myself!

Yesterday was Kid's Day at the local grocery store. Mitch (oldest son) works there part time as a bagger and had to wear a costume yesterday!! He was the Wonder Bread man! I've attached a picture here for you to see my very handsome loaf of bread...he does a Mom proud!! I took all three of the boys (Matt, Alex and Dylan) yesterday to play and they got their faces painted, signed up for a reading program at the local library and played lots of games! They came home with a boatload of prizes and grins from ear to ear. I came home with some awesome meat deals!! Feeding my family these days is getting to be hard work so I look for ways to save money for everything as it's just getting so expensive to shop!

Today is Father's Day. We had a wonderful bbq with my family yesterday to celebrate Dad's (My Dad and my boys Dad!). The food was wonderful, the conversation was great fun and today we are having a quiet day at home...waiting for the next storm to come through.

Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there!! I don't expect any of you to actually read my blog, but that's okay. My heart is in the right place!!

Dawn

I can see clearly now the rain is gone...

2008-06-11T07:54:00.002-05:00

You may know that I live in S.E. Wisconsin. We've had quite a lot of rain over the past week in Wisconsin and so many people have been devastated by the excess water flooding their homes. We are no exception. We have discovered in the past week that the drainage system around our house is non-existent...it's old and it has failed. There aren't basement window well covers on all the basement windows either. When we moved into the house we were told that there had been water in the basement but that it was caused by the sump pump not working. Well, guess what?

We had a waterfall. An actual waterfall was coming through one of our basement windows. I couldn't believe it myself so I took pictures. It was running right through my craft room in the basement!! Fortunately I had nothing on the floor that could be damaged. So, we cleaned up, ran the shop vac and used every towel in the house to clean up and decided we needed to rearrange the basement area. So, I moved my craft room to a different part of the basement which I absolutely love being in. We made my old craft room a "play" room for the boys. I set up a 6' table for Matt to build his lego on, put their boom box on it and Mitch's workout system there too.

It worked great for a couple of days and then Sunday came...we had some wicked storms come through Sunday afternoon and evening. The water started flowing again but from a different part! It was actually seeping through the wall in my brand new craft room!! Ack!! Fortunately, I only had a lafge bookcase there with a collection of some books (I'm a book-a-holic) and now we're clean and dry again.

Now, get this...with all this water coming in, I lost nothing. There was no loss at all!! I never trust basements, and since we have only been here since last September I didn't trust that it would stay dry. I'm so glad I listened to my instincts with this one as there was nothing on the floor that could be damaged. I have most everything we store in plastic containers and all of my craft supplies are in portable containers and safe. So, the only thing I've lost over this past week is sleep. By Monday night I was beyond exhausted and went to bed at 8:30pm!!

But, sleep is nothing compared to what many people in Wisconsin are coping with. 5 homes were washed away in Lake Delton. Lake Delton is one of our favorite holiday spots. We're all in a state of shock as to the amount of water we are dealing with here. The news is full of dams that are failing and rivers and lakes overflowing. As I drive to various destinations I'm shocked at the corn fields that are now lakes. So, the water in my basement seems quite insignificant to what is going on around me. I'm so fortunate, I've been really blessed.

Dawn

What a week!

2008-06-07T07:07:00.003-05:00

I have not been able to get into my blogger account! All week I've been trying and I've gone through each of the help steps a dozen times, cleared out my cache, cleared out my cookies and I still could not get it. Finally, today I used an old password that I used to use years ago (before they required 8 characters for a password) and it worked!! I know for a fact it isn't my "regular" password but I don't even care right now I'm so relieved to finally be back!

This week has been just crazy. We had 3 t-storms right in a row Thursday morning and we discovered that the drainage around our house has failed and we had literally a waterfall of water coming in through the basement windows. The bad news is...it came directly into my craft room! The good news is, I had the foresight to not have anything on the ground that wasn't plastic and I had absolutely no damage or loss. We did spend all day yesterday re-arranging our basement though and my craft area is now in a safe spot from ANY water flows...The basement is still drying out but we have a really good dehumidifier down there and it's doing its job. I even went back downstairs to make a card Thursday night for Alex's teacher. See below:

I picked Mitch up from the high school after his last final at 12:30 and we headed to the gym for a quick workout. We were heading back to Elkhorn listening to the news radio as Walworth County was under a severe tornado warning and the news said there was a touchdown in Sharon/Walworth and it was heading towards Elkhorn. This is about the time Matt was due to get out of school and I wanted to pick him up (he usually walks home). We got to the middle school in time but the school locked the kids down until the tornado warning expired. Well, Matt was safe so we high tailed it over to the elementary school for Alex as the 5th grade does a walk through the halls as all the other classes cheer them on as they leave for the middle school next year and I wanted pictures!! After all, Alex is my "baby" and I no longer have any children in the elementary school...it's so weird. Anyway, we got to the school and as we parked the rain started to come down and we made it inside just as it started to pour. Not even 5 minutes later we were locked down in the tornado area with the kids. We sat there for about 45 minutes or so and then the all clear came. The rumor is that there was a tornado near Lake Geneva which is only 10 minutes from us. I don't know yet if it was confirmed but it doesn't matter. We were experiencing high winds at the time and with rain on top of it it's just not safe outside. We got the all clear and the 5th grade did their parade and I was able to be part of it and get a few pictures...I'm teary eyed again just thinking about it. Alex's teacher is one of the best I've ever known and that is saying a lot as all the teachers in our district are wonderful. She also has daughters about the same age as my boys so we've shared a friendship that is special. She was also Matt's teacher so she's had a special relationship with our family.

Well, I'm all sappy now. School is out for the summer and I'm now the Mom of 2 middle school boys and an upper class man at the high school. Alex is in 6th grade, Matt's in 8th grade and Mitch is in 11th grade...a junior! Wow...does time fly.

Dawn

Thank you for taking the time...

2008-05-30T09:51:00.004-05:00

to vote on this poll. This poll is particularly important as I'm looking at ways to continually improve SSR and know what direction to go for our next 5 years. So, you see...you are a vital part of the future of SSR!!

I really appreciate your comments too. If you haven't had a chance to share what crafts you enjoy please do! There is still time...

Dawn

Memorial Day weekend

2008-05-26T12:52:00.007-05:00

Mitch marching in the Memorial Day parade this morning. The kids were fabulous and it was quite warm this morning to be wearing those uniforms! (Mitch is the tall one)

Alex pulling off a stonker save from a corner kick in the Comet Classic Soccer Tournament this weekend. It was such an awesome weekend of soccer!! (Alex is the goalie in neon green)

Matt goofing around the bonfire! We cooked hot dogs on sticks and then made smores! It was a great picnic!!

It's been such a busy weekend. Lots of soccer and then the parade this morning. We'll spend the rest of the day just relaxing as it has been all go! This is one tired Mom.

Dawn

Exodus 20:16

2008-05-20T15:46:00.004-05:00

I have Exodus 20:16 as my quote today because this morning I discovered someone close to me told a bold face lie about me to my youngest son. (this really has blown me away...it's okay to lie to me as I'm used to it but to an 11 year old?) What breaks my heart about this is that this person knows better but is so used to lying that the consequences don't matter anymore. Now, my son who is 11 and doesn't know how to process these things is wondering why this person would actually lie to him? Why a person he has trusted unconditionally would lie to him...and I'm stuck doing damage control. I was reminded of Exodus 20:16 today which in turn reminded me of the values I've spent the past 16+ years teaching my children.

Now, I have to wonder what will happen now that this person has been shown to be the liar they are. The consequences for this are deep. I doubt this person even cares. Lying has become a way of life these days.

Dawn

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."

Exodus 20:16

A great day and a new poll to boot!

2008-05-15T19:02:00.004-05:00

Can it get any better than this? A fabulous day out and a brand new poll that is just for fun! No SSR research this time...

But, first...let's get back to the research. There were the most votes ever on this last poll which was very exciting! All of the Above was the overwhelming winner of the last poll. Which means that everyone picks their colors based on the project they are doing. I will admit that I TRY to pick colors but I always seem to navigate to the earthtones...Case in point. I made my Mom a Mother's Day card and wanted it to be purple tones and it just didn't happen. I gravitated right back to the earthtones. If you don't believe me...check it out! The card is part of this blog! I did try. Really, I did...I even had purple ribbon glued on the card and took it off at the last minute! I only had about an hour to get this done and even then the kids were bugging me to hurry up so we could run some errands.

Anyway, let me tell you about my fabulous day! I received 2 brand new bikes from freecycle for my two younger boys and I'm just thrilled!! They are basic bikes without even hand brakes which was difficult for them to get used to but hey...we didn't have them when I was a kid!! Then, to top off a fabulous morning I had lunch with a new friend who is from Australia! I met Teresa last week at the local Walgreens. She spoke. I said "Are you from Australia?" She said "why yes...how did you know? Most people think I'm from England." I laughed and said I'm a Brit and I know an Aussie accent when I hear one!!" I didn't spend years of my life watching Neighbours and Home and Away for nothing!!! (grin). Well, we shared contact info and started emailing back and forth that very evening. Today, we finally met for lunch and spent the whole afternoon talking and laughing! My jaw aches as I'm not used to talking to someone for any length of time nonstop. (My boys get bored by me...sigh).

So, I've had a wonderful day and just had to share it with you!

Dawn

Mom's

2008-05-13T09:01:00.002-05:00

I know Mother's Day was just this past Sunday but I came across this fun list in last months issue of "Real Simple" last night and wanted to share it with you! It's just light fun...(please don't take all of it seriously and substitute when needed!)

my mother's 15 simple rules
by Ana Marie Cox

1. The legs are the last thing to go.
2. When you're sad, don't fight it-accessorize it. Get some gin and cigarettes, then play Edith Piaf until the CD starts to skip.
3. Knowing how to roast red peppers will impress more people than you'd think.
4. It's OK to read at the table.
5. But it's never OK to watch TV at the table.
6. You can always substitute white wine for vermouth in a martini.
7. Everything tastes better if it's served by candlelight
8. If nothing matches, no matter. That's just another reason for candlelight.
9. Do not try to order in French at a French restaurant unless you are French.
10. Unexpected gifts are the most appreciated.
11. At work, find the people who can fix things-the copier, mistakes in your expense report-and then be very, very nice to them.
12. The cheap caviar is still quite good.
13. There are five things that will always make you happy if you have them in your home: flowers, a lovely place to eat a meal, a chilled bottle of white wine, Goldfish crackers, and a cat.
14. If you must leave a party and you don't have a good excuse, spill something on yourself.
15. The proper way to end a conversation is "I'm sorry to let you go".

Ana Marie Cox is a blogger and a columnist for Time magazine. She lives in Washington, D.C.

So now I want to know....

2008-05-08T10:28:00.002-05:00

With this latest poll finished and the majority of people printing their own pictures I'd really like to know what brand of printers everyone uses!! I have an Epson and I love it! I'd love to know what you use though. If you have a minute can you leave me a comment and tell me? I'd like to use this information for research on SSR. Well, I guess you've already figured out that I'm doing that with all the polls I've had so far! These polls are such a great tool to know what you are thinking and what is important to you.

I need to think now of another poll to have! Maybe I should do something with regards to our upcoming 5th anniversary? Maybe it's too soon for that? Well, I'll have a new poll on there soon so please keep an eye out for it!

My week has been crazy busy with various different doctors appointments, 2 for me, 1 for Mitch at the urgent care and then one for Sid, the stray tom cat who adopted us this past winter. I had to rush him to the vet yesterday! He's now officially our cat and next week he'll be neutered and will no longer be a tom cat. The poor little guy has been in a couple of nasty fights and was really beaten up. I had to get him looked at, he's now on an antibiotic, he has an eye ointment and I've set up a special "nursery" for him in the garage (until he's fixed and won't spray in the house). He's got a lovely warm cat bed with a heating pad in it to keep him cozy. His litter box, and I bought him some canned food to mix with his dry to fatten him up a bit. He's taking all his medicine without complaint and all the love and attention we can heap on him. I was shocked to find out he's barely a year old, that he was probably a summer kitten last year. That means that he was thrown out when he was just a baby and probably not much more than 6 months old when he adopted us. That's just heartbreaking!! He's such a sweet little boy. So, now I'm officially the mom of yet another boy. So, I have my 3 boys, Chili, my faithful cocker spaniel who is a boy, McCartney our 8" long Japanese Koi who is 3 years old this spring and now Sid!! (should I spell it Sid or Syd?). I'm surrounded by testosterone. Someone please help me!! I need some girl time!!

Dawn

I've changed my look

2008-05-03T12:40:00.002-05:00

I've been playing around with photoshop this morning learning more about it. (It's about time huh?) and I created the new header. I only had the picture of me on there because I didn't really know what I wanted and I wasn't sure how to create what I wanted! This is really basic but it's a start and I really love the rose for the background. Well, the pink didn't really go with the template I had so I've been playing around with different backgrounds too! I think plain is good. I can always change things around later if this is too boring and we need more color!

I had planned to get out in the garden today to do finish up some clean up and I wanted to put more plants in the planters but it's been raining all morning so I doubt that will happen today! I did get some daylillies planted yesterday and some fresh chives I received from a freecycler! I have a patch in the back for a vegetable garden so I think I'm going to utilitize it. With the price of food going up and up I think I need to do more to help keep my food bill down. My neighbor has offered to rototil it for me! That is very kind of him.

You know...the rain put a bit of a crimp in my plans for the day but it's okay. It's a soft spring rain and it's really quite peaceful to listen to.

Well, I'm going to go and finish playing around with my files and I need to go and pick up a prescription from Walgreens so I'm going to go for now! If you are reading this...I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Dawn

Update for the week

2008-05-02T07:45:00.003-05:00

Well, my poll closed a couple of days ago but I've been so busy working this week that I haven't had a chance to create a new one!! Thank you to everyone who voted! This is so much fun! The votes were as follows:

8 - said they would choose scrapping
4 - said they would choose stamping
9 - said they would resign because you can't separate the two!

Well, that is exactly what I did! I did choose stamping at first but grew to resent being made to choose so I quit. Well, that wasn't the only reason but it was at the forefront. I've never regretted it either! When I quit I was really sad for a while and they kept begging me to come back but I held my ground. I wasn't interested in participating in the "politics". I just needed peace. A few months later I came up with the idea to create SSR and with the help of friends we pulled our design team together! Now, almost 5 years later we have completely stomped our main competition! They are leaving us alone now too. For years they would play dirty and try to hurt us but we just took the high road each time and won in the end. I truly believe in karma!!!

Well, the May issue of SSR is live!! It's absolutely fabulous too! The crew has truly outdone themselves! Please be sure to visit it as you won't want to miss any thing in this issue!! http://www.ssreflections.com

This weekend should be a quiet weekend. Alex doesn't have a soccer match at all this weekend. Mitch is having a few friends over for the night tonight so...I guess it won't be that quiet with 3 extra teenage boys around!

I'm planning to get some work done in the garden this weekend!! Hopefully it won't rain all weekend.

Okay, I need to get a new poll together! I need to think this one through first...I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Dawn

Poll closed and a new one...

2008-04-25T08:37:00.002-05:00

Thank you everyone who voted on the favorite blogging site poll! Blogger was the leader of the pack! I personally love all three...blogger, myspace and facebook. I'm still learning about all the features offered on all three but I think blogger is my favoite, myspace second and then facebook. I'm still intimidated by facebook! My son Mitch asked me last night if I was ever going to do anything about the invitations to participate in some of the applications waiting for my attention and I said no...probably not! I'm just not sure about them!!

But, I love blogger for actually conversing with and for blog hopping. Myspace is a favorite because of the new updates features. It's fun to see what everyone is up to when they update their status! Facebook is great for all the applications there are available and yes...I'll figure it out in time!!!

Okay, it's time for a new poll...if you have any comments on it please feel free to leave them with this blog! I love reading your comments!!

Dawn

Design team call for SSR!

2008-04-22T16:39:00.001-05:00

SSR is currently looking for designers to join our fabulous crew! Would you like to be part of the best online magazine on the internet? Are you interested in hanging out with the best designers? What about being part of the fun we have on SSR? If you are interested in joining the SSR crew please send 5 samples of your work and a sample of your writing. Just write as though it will be your first article on SSR! You can write about a product you love, a subject that means a lot to you, or even using a color theme or a favorite technique. Send your writing sample in Word format (preferred) and your designs to editor@ssreflections.com

Please size your jpgs to 475 pixels (the longest side) so it is easier to send through email. We do have deadlines on board SSR so please be aware of this as you consider being part of our fabulous crew!

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me at editor@ssreflections.com and I will do all I can to help! If you applied once before don't hesitate to apply again.

Dawn

New poll

2008-04-21T14:51:00.002-05:00

I've posted a new poll and asked you to leave comments and there isn't anywhere to do that so I've created a blog so you can leave your comments with this blog! I'm very interested to know what it is you prefer for an online community service for blogging.

I should have included yahoo groups but I didn't think that would be a blogging "place" as such. But, we share so much through the yahoo groups and that is really where we create the strong friendships we have online!

Please feel free to leave your comments!

Dawn

Spring is in Wisconsin OFFICIALLY!!

2008-04-18T20:23:00.004-05:00

This is the first daffodil to bloom in my garden and it's outside my living room windows! I had to take a picture as I'm so excited!! Daffodils are my favorite flower and I didn't know what bulbs were here as we moved here last fall. I hope you enjoy our first taste of a real spring here in Wisconsin! I love being able to share it with you!

Dawn

Life with boys

2008-04-17T11:39:00.001-05:00

So, I have the day off and it has turned out to be a gorgeous day! The wind has finally died down and the rain and cold front we were expecting didn't come. I have the windows and patio doors open wide and the fresh air is fabulous!

So, here's my story...the boys have been outside playing soccer, football and hide and seek, capture the flag and all sorts of great outdoor activities all week after school. This also means that I have a houseful of boys all the time as we have always been the house that everyone wants to hang out. I love that! Having a house full of kids is awesome and I know what the little buggers are doing! ;-) Unfortunately with all these boys comes all the dirt and mud. So, today as I'm enjoying a beautiful day I figured I'd clean my floors. After all, it's just me and Chili (my faithful companion...dog) and that means the floors actually have hours of remaining clean before the next onslaught of boys comes crashing through the door.

So, I'm on my hands and knees and my sponge and spray bottle of cleaner getting into all those little corners that mops always miss and cleaning the kitchen and the front hallway to the house. Chili...my faithful companion is at my side where he believes he belongs. Everytime I tried to move backwards or sidewards there was Chili laying down looking absolutely adorable! After all...his place is by his Mom....after all who else will protect her from all the dust bunnies???

Well, my floors are clean as a whistle and will stay that way for a few hours now which is fantastic! The house smells clean and fresh and I feel like I've accomplished a lot! Oh, did I forget to tell you that while I was on the floor cleaning I discovered that my fridge need cleaning as well as my kitchen bin (it's stainless steel). I then had to polish the furniture and if Ramie hadn't called when she did I would have moved onto the windows which is really scary because the only thing I hate doing more than polishing/dusting is doing windows! So, thank you Ramie for calling!!

Btw, I have a knob on my china hutch that keeps coming off. I believe the wood was stripped and the screw won't keep it on anymore. I've tried wrapping plumbers tape around the screw to give it the extra "oomph" it needs to stay on but even that isn't working anymore. (It did work for a couple of years). Does anyone have any advice on how to fix this once and for all for me?

Okay...I hope this blog made you smile. It's just another day in the life of me...always an adventure...even cleaning my floors! Aren't you glad you stopped by now??

Words to the wise

2008-04-15T08:46:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd share some famous quotes from some notable college commencement speeches...

"Without friendship and the openness and trust that go with it, skills are barren and knowledge may become an unguided missle" - university president Frank H.T. Rhodes at Cornell University, 1983

"The country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." - President Franklin D. Roosevelt, at Oglethorpe University, 1932

"You are your own stories and therefore free to imagine and experience what it means to be human without wealth...And although you don't have complete control over the narrative, you could nevertheless create it." - author, Toni Morrison, at Wellesley College, 2004

"I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you have addressed the world's deepest inequities-on how well you treated people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity" - Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, at Harvard University, 2007

"Be active...Be involved. Be heard. Be aggressive. Be smart. Don't be afraid." - cyclist Lance Armstrong, at Tufts University, 2006

and last but not least...

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been." - Madeleine L'Engle

I hope these inspire you today...I know I need the "Don't be afraid" ingrained in my head!!

Dawn

A quiet weekend

2008-04-13T14:54:00.002-05:00

My week has been insanely busy. My new business venture is doing very well and I'm coming and going in all directions which is great! I seem to have really hit on a concept that is needed in my little corner of Wisconsin! It's nice though to have a quiet weekend after all the craziness of this past week.

Quiet...what constitutes a quiet weekend? Alex and Matt both had sleepovers Friday night. Mitch had one last night (he's still not home as I type this). Alex had a b-day party yesterday afternoon and we had the mad dash of deciding on a b-day present. Cash worked out really well there!! I've been cleaning on and off all weekend and working my way through a mountain of laundry but I've stripped all the beds too. I still need to grocery shop for the coming week. We had homework that needed to be done. Well, it's not my homework but I have to be available to answer questions and help organize projects. I've had a fair amount of cooking to do, and even with all this...I have enjoyed catching up and even jump in on a few email conversations on the Ezine group and with the crew! That's been great fun! I have a playlist on my computer of a 100+ favorite songs so I've just keep that going and it's helped keep me moving.

Btw, did I mention it snowed last night? Yep. Woke up this morning to a layer of snow on the ground. My patio furniture was covered! It's all gone now though.

I had a road trip this past weekend visiting my bestfriend Jodi. Well, I had to go to Wautoma, Wisconsin for business and she lives in Waupaca so I spent the night with her and her family. She's just opening up a diner up there so I was able to help her organize a few things so it turned out to be a fantastic trip for both of us! We watched The Break Up which was great fun. Boy, could I mirror some of that with my own life.

Well, I guess I'm just rambling now so I'll go. I've got a poll section on my blog now so I hope you play along! This should be fun!

Dawn

Good morning!

2008-04-05T07:54:00.002-05:00

It's Saturday morning and the sun is shining, the birds are singing and we're expecting temps in the 60's today!! I can't wait to get on with my day. Mitch has two job interviews this morning so I'm chauffer. The boys had some surprises for me last night when I got home! I had a meeting with one of my clients and it finished earlier than I had anticipated so I stopped in on my parents for a quick visit before heading home. I ended up having dinner with my parents and then Mom and I sat down to watch Andre' Rieu The Wonderland!! It was so fabulous!! We have pictures of us in this magical place when I was a child. It was awesome to see and remember the castle and grounds from my childhood. I hadn't planned to stay at late but the boys were having dinner with their Dad so I was able to enjoy a quiet evening with my Mom.

When I got home though, the boys had done the winter clean up in the back yard and even got the patio set out and my white wicker rockers (say that 3x's fast!!). They were all three sitting outside when I pulled in the garage drinking a cuppa tea and playing I spy!! How cool is that?

Okay, I need to dry my hair and get Mitch to his first interview. Have a happy Saturday everyone!!!

Dawn

April SSR has launched!

2008-04-01T16:34:00.002-05:00

April was a real beast to put together but it's done! Phew! I hope we never have another issue like this again as it was rough going. I plan to do nothing tonight but veg in front of the tv and hope for a good nights sleep! You can see it for yourself!! SSR is completely free for anyone to read!!

http://www.ssreflections.com/

This month is fun as we're virtually visiting Oceania!! New Zealand is included in this area which is wonderful as Wendy, one of our fabulous designers starts her radiation treatment this month as the next treatment for breast cancer. My thoughts and prayers are with Wendy every day. I wish I could send her healing powers...you can be sure mine would be for Wendy.

Well, if you are visiting my blog, I hope you have a few minutes to see all that SSR has to offer this month!!

Dawn

My friend Jon needs our help!

2008-03-29T11:42:00.001-05:00

My friend Jon needs our help. He is in a contest right now on www.famecast.com. It started with about 400 people, and now it's down to the top 5!!! The winner gets $10,000!!! Please help Jon! It's pretty easy.

Here's how it works:
1) You can either click the the "Vote" link at the bottom of Jon's website, www. jontroast. com, or just go to www. famecast. com, and click on the "Stages" menu on the toolbar near the top. Go to #4 Singer-songwriter on the menu.

2) Once you're on the famecast, singer-songwriter site, you'll see Jon's picture as well as 4 other guys over to the right. Click on Jon's (Jon Troast) photo and wait for his video to show up. (It may already be up there).

3) Click on the "Vote" link at the top right of the video.

4) If you're not registered, you'll have to go through those steps and it's pretty easy. Then, you'll have to go back and vote. It should ask if you're sure you want to vote for Jon. The answer is "Yes". Then, it should thank you for voting.

5)Once you're signed up, you can keep yourself signed in and just click vote without going through the registration.

6) YOU CAN VOTE ONCE EVERY DAY PER EMAIL ADDRESS (SO IF YOU'VE GOT SOME FRIENDS WITH EMAIL ADDRESSES, PLEASE ASK THEM TO HELP!).

THE VOTING GOES UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY, APRIL 3RD.

IT CLOSES AT NOON THAT DAY SO IF YOU CAN GET YOUR FINAL VOTE IN THURSDAY MORNING, THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT!!

If Jon win this, it would be a HUGE help to cover some of his recording costs. So please tell anyone you can.

One more week to go!

Thanks so much! I've known Jon since he was in high school and he's a great guy who deserves every opportunity and we can help him!

Dawn
(who's suddenly feeling quite old!!!)

Ha! the time has come...

2008-03-18T19:10:00.002-05:00

It's over. He's gone. I washed that man right outa my hair! My prayer is that he is the father to these boys that he needs to be. The boys are doing very well. This week is spring break and they are home. I'm working a few hours a day which is nice as they aren't home alone too long. Tomorrow Matt has his braces put on and then he's spending the time I'm at work with my parents. Mom is going to pamper him and give him some TLC as his mouth will definitely be sore afterwards and my client is literally across the highway from my parents house on Lake Como. My parents live on the Lake Geneva side of the highway so it's a perfect situation for Matt. Alex is spending the day tomorrow at his friend Justus' house and will probably spend the night. Mitch has track practice and his friend Jaimie is picking him up and they will probably spend the day together until I get home with Matt!

Thursday morning I have an apt with a potential new client and then I'll work in Lake Como for a few hours again. Things are going well for work and this new business venture.

Well, that's my news this week. Life is good. My arthritis is under control, I feel great and this morning we heard the birds singing and we have new buds coming up in the garden! Lots of good things happening.

Happy spring,

Dawn

Where is spring?

2008-03-05T14:43:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is my b-day! I'm 44. Man, it just doesn't seem possible that I'm already in my mid-forties. I don't feel that it's possible yet. Next week Mitch will be 16! Wow! Time sure does fly. I'm so glad that I've been able to be home with my boys and watch them grow up.

Mitch went to Disney last month with the high school band. They lead the Disney parade and spent 5 days down there running around the Disney complex. He had a fabulous time and even met up with my brother Darren down there for a day! He came home and had heavy last minute rehearsals for the spring musical at the school. Mitch was part of the backstage crew and being such a big kid they gave him quite a lot of responsibility which he took very seriously. The spring play was Les Miserables and it was absolutely amazing! The kids did such a fabulous job!! Alex went with me to see it and we met my parents up there. It was truly fantastic! Mitch had a great time being part of it but was very pleased when it was over. I think it was a lot of work this time and with track starting this week he was being torn in half between the two.

Matt went to the orthodontist today and next week he will start his apts for his braces. He has a really small mouth and needs some spacers in before the braces are attached. Wow! What an expense that is!! Totally blew me out of the water with that news! When we were meeting with Dr. Andy Matt discovered that Megan, his girlfriend is also a patient of Dr. Andy's! Matt was pretty excited about that!

Alex started the Big Brother program at school. The school district is teaming up with the Big Brother/Big Sister program and matching seniors in high school with kids in the Elementary school. Alex is one of the lucky ones to get a really nice volunteer from the school. He comes over the Alex's school once a week and has lunch and goes to recess with Alex as part of his grade and Alex gets someone to talk to. He's really excited about it and I'm thrilled! Things aren't going so well with Mick and I think it's great that Alex has someone neutral to talk to.

The boys are growing up and working hard in school and doing really well. I guess I can't ask for anything more than that!

Oops...gotta go. It's already time to pick Alex up from school!

Dawn

I'm baack!!

2008-01-14T13:52:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it's been far too long since I've updated my blog. I need to change that! So much has happened since my last blog! I quit my job at the radio station after one of the sales execs stole one of my commissions. I was so angry! Such unethical behaviour and I'm not going to tolerate it. Of course, I'm still waiting for my last commission check so ethics seems to be a problem over there anyway.

I quit my job and the timing couldn't have been more perfect as my Dad was diagnosed with a detached retina and required 2 surgeries for it! I was chief driver for 2 weeks as we travelled back and forth to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee through some pretty nasty weather at times! The 2nd surgery was successful but unfortunately it doesn't appear that Dad will get his full vision back. He's going to have to make some adjustments in his life but he's pretty upbeat about it now that he's had time to get used to it. He has another check up in 2 weeks and with a lot of hope and prayers he will get some positive news from the specialist.

Christmas was very nice! Matt went away for 5 days after Christmas to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with his friend Ryan's family and celebrated his 13th b-day during that time! Alex turned 11 and we had a joint b-day party for the boys at the local bowling alley. It was a ton of fun!!

I created the message board to the right for my Secret Santa on the girlfriends yahoo group! It was difficult to get it finished as I was at the hospital most of the time! I got the call that Dad needed to have emergency surgery as I had just sat down to create this so it sat for another week waiting for me to come back to it! I was so relieved when it was finally finished and I delivered it to my Secret Santa's daughter personally. I had such a fabulous visit with Kathy!! What a laugh we had!! In fact, we laughed so much (about our cats) that she had tears coming down her cheeks!! Oh man, that was the best part about the Secret Santa exchange...visiting with my dear friend Kathy!

Okay, I have so much more to share but I don't want to bore you to tears so I'll stop right here.

Happy New Year!

Dawn

Been awhile

2007-10-21T10:31:00.000-05:00

It's only been a month but it feels like it's been ages since my last post. Where does the time go? Life is busy here but it is for everyone! I spend my mornings at the radio station and I'm really enjoying my work! I've recorded quite a few commercials now and it's really fun to hear them on the radio!! I'm selling public service announcements and it's going very well. I really like the people I work with too! They do love to eat at the station though and I can feel my waistline expanding again...which is too bad, I was finally losing some weight I gained over the summer. Oh well, it will come off as I start walking Chili again.

The boys are doing really well. Matt auditioned for the jazz band and he made it!! He's playing the trumpet for the middle school jazz band and we're all so proud of him!! He just finished his football season and his team won all but 1 game so they had a fabulous season! Alex has his last soccer match next weekend. I think he has two as they have one make up game to play. He's doing really well in school...I think. I guess I'll find out more tomorrow at parent/teacher conference!! Mitch is running the sound for the school play so has been busy with rehearsals after school every day. It looks like he's going to Disneyworld with the band in February! He's very excited!! He and Joelle broke up about a month ago, but they are still really close friends. He's quite enjoying being single and has been spending time with lots of different girls going to football games, dances, etc.

Well, that's life in a nutshell. Well, of course there is more but I have work to do so I need to stop playing with my blogs!!

Dawn

Fabulous news!!

2007-09-25T10:31:00.000-05:00

I received the official call this morning! I am now working for WSLD 104.5 selling promotional ad spots! These are special community service spots sponsored by local businesses. I start tomorrow at 9:00am! YIPPEE!!!

This is a part time position. My hours are from 9am - 1pm but this is flexible as needed!! I will drop Alex off for school and head to work and then be home for an hour before I have to pick the boys up!! It's just perfect!! The station manager, Nora is very nice and I've heard good things about her. It appears we have quite a few mutual friends so I was able to find out who my prospective employer is!

I resigned from the newspaper yesterday. I'm tired of waiting 2 months to get paid for my work. It's very frustrating especially as the pay isn't all that much to begin with. This is just bad business practice. But, it appears the timing is just perfect!!

YEA!! I'm so excited!!

Dawn

Country Thunder is over!

2007-07-25T09:42:00.001-05:00

Last week was Country Thunder in Wisconsin. I received a call Sunday evening begging me to come and help so I did. Are you kidding? Last fall they offered me a full time position as an event planner. I turned it down and I've always wondered if I made the right decision. Well, a week from hell is over and I can safely say that I have definitely got Country Thunder out of my system and I did indeed make the right decision. Part of CT will always been in my heart as I love the people who fly in to work this special music event but I can keep in touch with these dear friends without killing myself or selling my soul by working the event again.

Now, there were so many highlights though. The biggest was that Mitch and Matt got to meet Larry the Cable Guy and watch his show from the stage. They were in 7th heaven!! For me, I met many wonderful entertainers. They were all grateful to their fans and wanted to spend time with them. Neal McCoy was a riot. Such a friendly man. Luke Bryan was just too funny and we had a great laugh. I guess that was the common thread with all the artists I met. They loved to laugh and enjoyed everything they were doing. They made the most of their free time and I was happy to play a small part in that. I worked backstage again. I did the backstage tours and my groups had a wonderful time! I made some people very happy with some special additions to the tours which felt great! My groups even insisted on taking a picture with me. Me! I'm nobody special, I just happened to be there at the right time to do something nice for them. My time at CT was wonderful, exciting, exhausting and frustrating and I'm never going to do it again.

I know...where have I been?

2007-06-04T19:19:00.001-05:00

I know I just shared big news and now I'm posting another blog but I just couldn't resist! These photos were taken on Memorial Day. The first picture is of Mitch standing with the band at the Memorial Day ceremony. He marched with the High School band! The second photo is of Matt who marched in the parade with the Civil Air Patrol! This was the first parade Matt has marched in! The third photo is of Alex waiting for the parade to start. It was a wonderful parade and the ceremony afterwards was very touching. The Celtic Nation also was there, they were the end of the parade and they played "Amazing Grace" on the backpipes. It brought tears to my eyes.

Lots going on in the Heath home!

2007-05-17T07:25:00.000-05:00

Mitch had his high school band awards night last night. I just thought it was a concert for the end of the year but was pleasantly surprised to discover that Mitch received an award! I snapped this picture of him during the course of the concert. I had a wonderful seat up close but I still wasn't able to get many photos because Caitlin was sitting next to him but, I do like this one!

I watched American Idol last night when we returned and I'm just stunned that Melinda was voted off! She should have won. I'm not saying that Blake and Jordin aren't full of talent but they don't have the stage presents or the maturity in their voices yet. Melinda is just fabulous and so very gracious. I'm absolutely sure that she will be a huge success. But, I'm still shocked.

Okay...that out of my system. I should say that I'm busy busy busy planning a wedding! Yes! We are getting remarried next weekend (Memorial weekend). It will be a short simple ceremony. My Dad will marry us (he is a Pastor) and my oldest son (in the picture above) will give me away. I'm heading out today to buy a dress so I should really be in the shower right now instead of writing in my blog but I'm still trying to wake up. It has been a busy week! I was thinking it would be fun to have a Hawaiian themed wedding. Put all the guys in Hawaiian shirts with khaki shorts and everyone wears flip flops. I don't know yet what I will wear but my girlfriend Debbie and I are going shopping today. I was thinking a pretty dress with a shawl would be nice. I started tanning yesterday so I should have some color and hopefully it will give me the illusion of being thinner than I am!!! Gotta lose weight quickly you know??? Stopping my HRT has really taken its toll on my body.

Well, I should get off the computer now. I hope you have a fabulous day if you are reading this!

Dawn

Girlfriends Chicago Crop Weekend 2007

2007-05-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

Ramie flew in from Chicago Thursday night and we stayed up until 3:30 in the morning talking. It was awesome and so hard to go to bed! We probably could have talked all night but we needed at least a couple of hours of sleep or we'd have missed the day ahead. We spent Friday talking, running a few errands and had one meeting with regards to SSR which was a fabulous meeting.

We picked the boys up from school, packed and headed out to Antioch to Remembering When Scrapbook Store. Kathy, Bunnie, and Jenn were already there. So, we settled in and started scrapping. It was the Friday night crop night at the store so there were quite a few people there but it was all fun! Korbyn arrived after getting us checked in at the hotel and then the food arrived! It was wonderful! We cropped until midnight (I didn't think I'd make it that late to be honest but I'm glad I did!). Then Bunnie and Jenn and Kathy headed to Kathy's house for the night and Korbyn, Ramie and I headed to the hotel. Paschen arrived shortly after we did and Korbyn and Paschen came over to our room and we sat up talking until 2:30 and had a couple of drinks. It was wonderfully relaxing and I'm surprised we didn't get a complaint about the laughter that late at night!

Saturday we were at the store for 10:00 and scrapped until 7:00pm. Yvonne joined us around 5:00 and we had an impromptu SSR brain storming session as there were 4 of us together. So, we called Cindy and she loved all the ideas which was great as she is our Creative Director and her stamp of approval is paramount! At 7:00 the store closed so we headed over to Olive Garden for dinner...YUM!!! The food was fabulous and we hardly had any wait at all. Some of us had a cocktail (I had my dirty martini and Rames had a frozen wild berry margarita) and we all shared so much food. It was awesome!! You could have rolled us over to the hotel after dinner we ate so much. We had a quiet night afterwards. In fact, we had beer on ice and we didn't even touch it...we were just too full!! So, it was an early night for us. After a great nights sleep we headed back to the store.

It was just Ramie, Korbyn, Paschen, Kathy and myself on Sunday but it didn't lack for a great day. I know I laughed so much I thought my cheeks were going to crack. We missed Cricket a lot but Carol filled us in on what was happening across the world...seems Cricket was drinking the beer we were too full to drink for us!!! WAY TO GO CRICKET!!! Rock on girlfriend!

We all accomplished a lot this weekend. It was so relaxed, comfortable, inexpensive, fun, and I feel very blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life. We didn't even get dressed up for dinner!! It was just a comfortable time together sharing ideas and jokes. Ramie was a blast but we all knew she would be...

After the store closed we (Paschen, Korbyn, Ramie and myself) headed over to Chili's so we could sit and talk for an hour before leaving for the airport. We ended up ordering all sorts of appetizers and stuffing ourselves silly...

I then took Rames to the airport which was sad. I miss her already! She's the sister I never had and we just have such a wonderful friendship. She teaches me something new just about every day...some of it good and some of it goofy!!! I dropped her off at the airport and headed home. I made it all the way home without incident...I didn't even forget to stop at the toll booths...anoother story there ;-)

Its back to the grindstone today but I have a whole new album completed from this past weekend and some fabulous memories of a great time spent with girlfriends.

Dawn

Fun song

2007-04-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

This song always cheers me up. It reminds me of a time last summer that I sent with some girlfriends! What a great time we had. Alan Jackson is so HOT!! Which, could cheer anyone up as it is...but the song is a fun one!

Dawn

A frustration

2007-04-27T21:38:00.000-05:00

I wrote an article for my local paper last week. It was an interview. I interviewed the principal of the high school. I spent over an hour talking to him, taking pictures and then spent another few hours writing my feature. I even sent my rough draft to him to check my facts. I'm so careful about stating my facts correctly and I will research name spellings, dates on the internet just to be certain. I spent a lot of time on this interview and it was just about 1,000 words so it was long!! But, I sent it in with the pictures taken and my editor (she's the interim editor) wrote back to me stating that it was really well written TWICE. Yes, she sent me two separate emails. That I had done a great job on this and I was thrilled. I've done other interviews but nothing as important as this one. After all, this is my son's high school principal and a man who has been in our district for 24 years. He deserved a fitting feature to what he has accomplished in the 24 years in our district.

The paper came out on Thursday morning and I picked up my copy when I picked the kids up from school. My article was more than half the front page! I was so excited to see it! The picture I submitted looked fabulous too and I was thrilled that we were able to find the picture from 1983 when he first joined us! It was meant to be a surprise for him and he was very appreciative that we found it.

As I was reading the article though I discovered that it wasn't what I had written. My interim editor had changed it around which is not unusual but she had chopped it up completely. It doesn't even flow. It sounds dreadful to read and they put my name on it! I'm livid. I'm embarrassed and I feel like schmuck for trusting her. She had told me in passing that she was supposed to do this interview herself and I think she wanted me to gather the facts and she put it together herself the way she wanted. I wonder why she even put my name on it??? Of course, it would have been plagerism if she had put her own name on it as there were too many similarities. But, the article printed was choppy, incohesive, impersonal, and unprofessional. This was done because she is a complete control freak. I knew this, I've been dealing with it for months, but I work hard and I've indulged her in some of her quirkiness and have not seen this type of change in any of my articles in the past and I've written many. I'm not getting paid enough to put up with this garbage and I won't tolerate this as this will reflect badly on my professional attitude, reputation and conduct. I take my work seriously, I work hard and this isn't my only avenue...thank goodness! In fact, I seem to be in demand and I'm getting paid much more elsewhere! So, I'm not going to put up with this out of a false sense of loyalty that hasn't been earned no matter how much I love writing for my local paper.

Dawn

A fun questionnaire from the Pops list!

2007-04-22T23:46:00.000-05:00

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?My left thumb and the puffy part of the hand between the thumb and the first finger. My boss back when I was 18 was goofing around while showing me his new carving knives and accidentally sliced my thumb and hand open. I had quite a few stitches and he has been wrapped around my finger since... Seriously, Scott is still a great friend and I played matchmaker for him and his wife Melissa. They have been married for 20+ years now.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?Which room? My office is all nautical stuff. My bedroom is framed Charles Petersen prints, my living room is Olde English stuff...John Constable prints and some various Olde English prints.

3. WHAT DOES YOUR CELL PHONE LOOK LIKE?I have the Pantech which is really small. I love it!

4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?Today's Top Country mostly, but anything that's on usually.....heavy metal for a little while and NO rap.

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?7:00 am

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?to be painfree.

7. WHO DO YOU MISS?My Nana.

8. WHAT'S YOUR MIDDLE NAME?Teresa Anne

9. THE BEST TV SHOW EVER CREATED:MASH

10. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?On occasion....usually when I'm home alone and just watched Criminal Minds

11. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?I dunno

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE/PERFUME?Euphoria by Calvin Klein or Tresor by Lancôme

13. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?dark hair...blue eyes.

14. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS?Tea (silly question really)

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?cheese

16. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?I'm not hungry...but chocolate would work.

17. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU MAD?my kids

18. DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE?I used to speak German but it was many years ago now.

19. WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIFT SOMEONE EVER GAVE YOU?I was a very spoiled little girl. My Mom has told me that I wore a new dress every day of the first 6 months of my life.

20. DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE?I like alotta people.....some more than others!

21. ARE YOU DOUBLE-JOINTED?nope\

22. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?Nike

23. WHAT'S YOUR DREAM CAR?a black Jaguar or a Land Rover

24. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?I honestly don't know.

25. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU?Honesty and actions.

26. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED:6

27. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? I dunno. brunettes

28. WHO IS THE ONE PERSON YOU CALL MOST OFTEN?Ramie

29. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST?liars

30. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE U.S.?Yes

31. YOUR WEAKNESSES?remembering my to do list

32. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?hehehe...I'll never tell.

33. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED OUT THIS?writing an article

34. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?Something to do....I'm procrastinating

35. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?my eyes

36. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL?Move back to Europe.....

37. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?clothes

38. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?5

39. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?Nope

40. DO YOU WISH ON STARSFalling stars

41. WHICH FINGER[S] IS YOUR FAVORITE?the one with the longest nail

42. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?I don't remember.

43. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?Yes

44. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?Pit ham

45. ANY BAD HABITS?the computer

46. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD ON THE SHELF?Motley Crue (It's Mitchells)

47. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?Yep.....

48. HAVE YOU EVER TOLD A SECRET YOU SWORE NOT TO TELL?I'm pretty good at keeping secrets.

49. DO LOOKS MATTER?Doesn't matter to me really.

50. HOW DO YOU RELEASE YOUR ANGER?exercise works great! I love to walk when I'm frustrated.

51. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME?Mom and Dad's

52. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY?Yes, too easily it appears.

53. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?Barbie dolls

54. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?139

55. DO YOU USE SARCASM?Me?? never......

56. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT?yes, at the Hedgepeth concert last summer after Country Thunder. I was working though!!

57. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?kind eyes

58. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?Pops, Honeypops, Cap'n Dawn, Queen Berk, Berk, Lovey, Dawnie

59. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?sometimes. Usually only my workout shoes.

60. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?vanilla

61. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE COLORS?earthtones, greens, blues, burgundy's, Tuscany colors...

62. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND?oh goodness....Barry White? Bad Company? I don't know...

63. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE?None

64. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?Jeeves and Wooster is on the telly

65. LAST THING YOU ATE?we had brats on the grill tonight

66. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?Mitch

67. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?eyes, smile, teeth

68. FAVORITE THOUGHT-PROVOKING SONG:"When you say nothing at all" by Ronan Keating (Notting Hill movie)6

9. FAVORITE THING TO HATE:Bad drivers: Those who are talking on the cell phones and not paying attention or drivers to busy smoking to actually drive their car.

70. FAVORITE DRINK:Dirty martinis

71. FAVORITE ZODIAC SIGN:I didn't know you could have a favorite zodiac sign???

72. FAVORITE SPORT?soccer!

73. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?blonde with sexy silver streaks

74. EYE COLOR?Blue

75. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES?yep

76. SIBLINGS?1 brother

77. FAVORITE MONTH(s)?April. I love SPRING!! I love the soft green hue on the trees and bushes as the buds start to come out.

78. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?No.

79. LAST THING YOU WATCHED?Family Jewels with Gene Simmons. That show is just hysterical!!!

80. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?my birthday??? I don't know really....

81. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?YES!!

82. SUMMER OR WINTER?I like winter. It's easier to put more clothes on because its cold than take more off because you are steaming and I don't do humidity very well at all.

83. KISSES OR HUGS?both

84. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?relationship

85. WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS??

86. WHO IS THE LEAST LIKELY TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS??

87. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND UNDO SOMETHING YOU DID, WHAT WOULD IT BE?I don't know to be honest. I believe that everything happens for a reason and helps shape you to be the person you are today. I think everything I've done has helped me to be less trusting...to a certain extent anyway.

88. IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW?Yes

This song

2007-04-20T20:34:00.000-05:00

I know this is a rather odd choice for a song on a blog. But, I can't help it. I absolutely love this song and I met John Michael Montgomery last summer. We actually had dinner together in the middle of a nasty thunderstorm at Country Thunder. We were backstage, he had just finished his show and I was backstage to give another VIP tour. We had to run to get cover from the storm and ended up in line and then ate together. He was such a perfect gentleman and such a talented man. I was management at Country Thunder so I couldn't "fawn" over the talent (and there were times when I really wanted to!!!) but this was a wonderful memory. I love this song and I'm thrilled that I finally found the video to add to my blog. It won't be here for long as I tend to change my songs every week. But, for now, I can just reflect on a nice memory.

Dawn

Writing

2007-04-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I dreamed of being a writer and boy are my dreams coming true! I'm busy busy busy! This week has been a busy week for writing assignments!! I've had 2 business meetings which will generate 3 articles and 2 interviews in the past 3 days. Friday I have a photo op for the paper at the elementary school. So, this will be such a busy week! Now, I need to sit and write my articles. I have 1 done and its already submitted...4 to go! Well, the 2nd article is already half done. I just need to finish it and then get started on the council meeting from last night, Mr. Baumann's interview this morning and then the restaurant feature from tonight. Tonight was really cool...they sent home a care package of ribs for hors d'oeuvres!! YUM!!! I think I need to become a food critic...; )

I had planned to spend all day tomorrow finishing these up but tomorrow is Dad's birthday so I need to go and pamper him a little and I have to go to East Troy to pick up the CPU that was brought in for repair, so, I need to get some things done tonight so I'm ahead of the game or at least on target. Friday is my deadline and I have to be at Jackson all morning to help with the Lumberjack breakfast and I may have to go to a funeral. An old friend of the family passed away this past weekend.

Okay, I need to finish this blog so I can get some work done! Mick took Matt to AWANAS tonight so I can stay home and get going on this. Alex didn't go as his tummy is bothering him a little and I didn't want to risk being sick tomorrow as he has soccer practice and he does not want to risk missing that!! (woe is me if he does...)

Dawn

Evil

2007-04-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

Cap'n Dawn (aka Pops!)

The news today has just mind blowing. I have a girlfriend who's niece is at Virginia Tech. My prayers have been with this entire family, my girlfriends niece and her friends and classmates. I have dealt with evil in my life and it has come from unexpected places...but I just can't imagine someone doing this. 32 kids dead and so many injured. How do you turn on someone? How do you hate someone so much that you want them dead and then do it yourself? I can't even imagine how you hate yourself that much.

The horror of this day will be with us all for a very long time. Kids killing kids...of course they aren't really kids, but I'm 43 so its all relavant...and life is just beginning for them.

My prayers are with you all...(not that I think any of you will read this).

Dawn

Goals

2007-04-13T08:07:00.000-05:00

Cap'n Dawn (aka Pops!)

I've always been afraid of setting goals. I have always thought that goals were something that is way high! (hard to reach) and instead of risking disappointing myself I never set a goal. Well, part of that is that I have ADHD and being organized and setting a large goal is an impossible feat. (yes, you read that right. I have ADHD. It's such a relief to know that I'm not a dumb blonde, I am easily distracted and struggle with staying focused for a reason. Here's another thing...turns out I have a high IQ too. go figure??? How can a Queen Berk (really goofy person) end up having a high IQ?? I've been sitting on this news for months...not sure how to tell anyone...well, Ramie knows!! She knows everything!) I can do short term stuff. I can organize events and other people. I can walk into a situation and take charge and make the situation a success...short term. I complete the job and walk away satisfied that I accomplished this particular goal. I just can't seem to look at myself and set a goal because I'm terrified of failing and then I have proof that I'm a failure. So, I was meeting with Craig yesterday, he's helping me organize my own life. We talked about goals. What are they? How do you accomplish a goal? How can I stop being overwhelmed by them? It's simple...a goal isn't supposed to be an enormous leap and wha la I'm done, accomplished that goal and now what?

It's a matter of taking steps to reach the goal. So, my first small goal is to be a writer. Okay, well, I've reached the goal. I'm a writer. I'm published just about every week in the local papers and usually on the front page! Next goal. I want to write for someone with a larger distribution list. Okay, I've reached that goal. I'm now writing for a local magazine. Look at that? I've already made two steps towards my ultimate goal of being a famous writer...oops! Did I say famous? Everything in my church upbringing has conditioned me to never strive to be famous...that I am "egotistical" and "selfish" for wanting to be famous. I'm supposed to be subservient and humble. Well, I have the drive to be more and I want to write. I want to write successfully! I want to earn enough writing to sufficiently support myself/family. That is my long range goal. Now, I've made 2 steps towards that.

Next step...I want to be published in a mainstream newspaper (Milwaukee Journal/Sentinal??). How do I do that? Some photos that I've taken have been picked up/used by one of the main TV news programs (WISN Channel 12) in SE Wisconsin. Does that count? I didn't get paid for it, so I don't think so. It was a huge honor and it put me on such a high that I was floating for at least a week!! (Okay, I'm still pretty chuffed about it and it was 7 months ago now).

When I reach the next goal...what is next? A national newspaper. USA Today maybe? I don't know. What about maybe a mainstream magazine instead? I have SSR which is read all over the world. Should that count? Is it enough?

I want to write a book. Now, I need to decide what type of book. I absolutely LOVE to do research. So, I think I should tell someone's story.

If you are reading this, please share how you set your own goals. Do you do anything to celebrate when you accomplish a goal?

Dawn

So Tired...

2007-04-12T15:08:00.000-05:00

Cap'n Dawn (aka Pops!)

I don't know why I'm so tired. The last couple of days have been such a struggle for me! I am fighting a chest cold so I suspect that has a lot to do with it.

I just called the furniture store to find out if our new sofa set is being delivered on Saturday as planned and apparently it is not. It never arrived at the store. The latest delivery arrived but our order wasn't on it. So, now we need to decide if we are going to wait for it or find something else. We've already been waiting 2 weeks and I don't want to be without furniture anymore. Well, the owner of the store asked me to call him in half an hour as he was with a customer at the moment. So, I'll wait and see what he has to say when I call back.

The carpets are being cleaned tomorrow in preparation. Well, that still needs to happen as these carpets were gross when we moved in and I hate entertaining when they aren't clean! It's embarrassing and I'm sure I'm the only person who notices but that is beside the point!

Well, I have a doctors appointment at 4:00 so I better get ready to go. Soccer has been cancelled tonight as we received 4 or 5 inches of snow yesterday in a spring storm. Matt is home sick with a bad cold anyway. I wonder if their match on Saturday will be cancelled?

Dawn

ERRANDS

2007-04-10T12:29:00.000-05:00

Cap'n Dawn (aka Pops!)

I seem to live my life for running errands these days. I'm at least organized as I'm doing it. I'm keeping a to do list clipped to my diary each day and checking things off as I complete them. So, even though I'm busy, I feel like I'm accomplishing something! I've had hardly no computer time in the past two days though. Last night I had a very long Town Board meeting to attend and then I had to write the article last night in order to get it to print on time. It was a LONG article! I didn't finish until midnight which makes yesterday a very long day. Well, it is time to go again! I have to get Chili to the groomers for 1:00 then back to the DMV and then to pick the boys up from school! I still need to get to the post office today too!

Dawn

GREAT NEWS!!

2007-04-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

Cap'n Dawn (aka Pops!)

I received some fabulous news yesterday!! I've been commissioned to write for The Spirit of the Lakes magazine! This is a magazine published once a month for our county. I'm very excited about this! The pay is pretty good and the exposure is fabulous! I've already been assigned my first subject and I'll get that done next week...which will include photos!! Well, I just wanted to share my news...I am well on my way to being a freelance journalist!!

Dawn

Good Friday

2007-04-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Well, my week has been very busy! I don't know how I ever had the time to work outside of the house. Of course, I did have a couple of lunch dates this week which was fun! My youngest son has gone to a friends for the day and will spend the night. Hopefully he'll have fun! I took the boys out for lunch yesterday, nothing special just McDonalds but they seem to have enjoyed it. Mick and I went out to lunch on Wednesday...to Quiznos which was fabulous!!

I worked all morning on some format changes on SSR. I doubt anyone will even notice but its been something I've been wanting to do for months and with my work schedule I haven't been able to get it done. I'm not going to tell you what it is...you'll have to look for yourself!!

I guess I should get off the computer now and get the laundry organized! I would also like to make my way down to my craft room...wonder what project I should get started on?

Dawn

2007-04-03T20:19:00.000-05:00

I'm just playing around with my blog trying to figure this one out! I've been blogging on myspace since last July and I've had this blog for over 2 years and I've hardly done anything with it. So, bear with me as I experiment and try to figure this out.

This message board was a project I did in my spare time at the Scrappers ER convention a year ago. I was on the planning committee for Scrappers ER and an instructor over that weekend. It was a fabulous weekend of fun and learning. I did this in the evening at the crops. I originally saw this idea in a magazine which I personalized for myself! I love how this came out and it is still up in my kitchen.

Well, I guess now that I've explained what this image is, I should finish this particular blog so I can see how it worked!! If you happen to come across my blog please say hi!

Dawn

Life Changes

2007-04-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

Dawn aka "Pops": My blog

Well, today is the first day of a new life. I'm gainfully "unemployed" as I'm now working full time as a free lance writer/stay at home Mom! It will definitely be fun and I'm sure very interesting! I already have quite a few stories that need to be written that aren't "assignments". They will obviously include a lot of research which is just what I love to do!

The April issue of SSR is live and just brilliant. Our designers have done an awesome job this month and I'm so proud of them!! What a great bunch of people to work with!!

Dawn

My blog

2005-01-28T22:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I've held off creating my own blog but now, I can't help it. I have to start it so that I can discover what type of pirate I really am. So, here goes...

What kind of pirate am I? You decide!
You can also view a breakdown of results or put one of these on your own page!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

LOL! This should be fun!!!

Dawn