Pizza Yum Yums

I thought I'd share with you my girlfriends concoction I am gonna call Pizza Yum Yums. They are nothing more than french bread cut into about 2" slices with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni) on top. Pop them under the broiler and voila! Pizza Yum Yums!

I have been revamping my art studio these past few days. I've got myself a nice U-shaped work area going and hope I can make it up there more often and get back to creating some things. I'm even including a place for my son (3 1/2 year old) to color and hopefully allow me to continue working!

I love to find new art blogs and I've found quite a few good ones lately. See them under my "Inspiration" list. I learn blogging techniques from them and get stimulated to create which is really helpful lately. I do more creating in my head these days than anything else and I'd like to change that.

I'm hoping to see the Central High School craft show tomorrow to see what kind of handmade goodies made by the local folks I can find. I haven't even thought about Christmas shopping yet and maybe this will spur me on.

Now to start something new that I saw on one of the great new art blogs I was telling you about (L. Gruger), I give you my version:

"This Artists Observations of the Day"

Feeling of the day: hopeful

I'm grateful for: pre-made cookie dough

I am wearing: purple and blue

I thought about today: my mom

I miss: Wink (a sparkling drink) and my mom, of course

Best thing I did today: Play frisbee with Asher

Today I visited: http://www.etsy.com/shop/paintallnightstudios

What is your Reason for the Season?

I thought this poem was outstanding. Please allow me to share it with you. Jesus is the reason for my season... and everything else.

"Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not a Christian was praying*

*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*

*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*

*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*

* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*

*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*

*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*

*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda..*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*

* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*

*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty*

*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*

*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*

*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*

* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*

*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*

*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

Not Happy Holiday !*

Please, all Christians join together and

Wish everyone you meet during the

Holidays a

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christ is ¡The Reason¢ for the Christ-mas Season!

Cave In Rock

I love to travel, but if you look, most of us can find a lot neat places to learn about and visit in our own back yards. With the economy the way it is, now is a perfect time to take advantage of what you've already got.

We recently traveled through Cave-In-Rock, Illinois to cross the ferry to get to Kentucky and stopped in to see the cave again. The town is named for the 55-foot-wide cave that was carved out of the limestone rock by water thousands of years ago. It is steeped in bloody history. It was a great hideout. There is a rocky cliff with the entrance to the cave under it. It was perfect to perch up there and wait for you victims... if you were a villain that is. As people were floating down the river henchmen would disable their boats or force them toward the yawning hollow, where the hapless pilgrims would be robbed, or worse. Few victims lived to tell their story according to the history.

There is a book by historian Otto A. Rothert

"The Outlaws of Cave-in-Rock"

that tells the story of the gang, The Notorious Harpe Brothers, a pair of killers fleeing execution in Kentucky. If you can find it, it's a quick read and I found it interesting I guess because it (the cave) is something that I can see and touch and visit. The cave has names carved in it everywhere. There are some really old ones too. We saw one that was 1859 I believe. I'm not quite sure how they got to the ceiling of the cave unless the floor of the cave has changed since then.

The cave also served as a backdrop for the movie “How The West Was Won.” If places can be haunted, I'd be willing to bet this place would be.

If you have time and are interested in this sort of thing click on the above link for the Harpe Brothers, it is interesting.

It's Friday the 13th!

Friday the 13th is usually always been a lucky day for me, as has the number 13. Not sure why, just have had some good things happen to me on those days. Once I won 2 rings, one carat diamonds each, on the 13th. The 13th was the first full day I had with my son, so I'll count that one too. Did you know that we have had 3 Friday the 13ths this year?

Here's a little interesting info on the superstition of Friday the 13th from about.com:

LEGEND HAS IT: If 13 people sit down to dinner together, one will die within the year. The Turks so disliked the number 13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary (Brewer, 1894). Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor. If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names). There are 13 witches in a coven.

Now I need to check the amount of letters in my name! phew... I'm safe!

I went to Michaels yesterday and went crazy. I bought some Martha Stewart glitter and it is so deliciously glittery I can't wait to play with it! It's a little pricey, but it looks so much better than the cheap looking regular craft glitter that I was used to. Her stuff is 30% off til Saturday.

Have a Happy and Lucky Friday the 13th!

Happy Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day and I wish to thank each and every service person, retired or active, for your service to our great country. In fact I want to thank you each and everyday. If it wasn't for all of you, we would not enjoy the liberty that we have today.

My dad was drafted in 1972 to the Army. He served at the Pentagon and said that made a man out of him. We lived in Washington for 5 years and I have vague memories of life back then. My dad has always been proud of the fact that he served his country, and I've always been proud of my dad.

Please everyone, thank a Veteran today.