Two years today

Two years. Wow, two years have gone by since my mother died of cancer. Two years ago I thought how can I possibly go on without my dear mother? My mother who was my best friend, and the person who knew me better than anyone. My mother, who loved me more than anyone ever would in my life. My mother, whom I was joined at the heart with. A lot goes on in two years that she has missed, that we have missed with her. Life just keeps on going even though she isn't living right along with us. How can life possibly still go on? Yet it does.

Somehow though, I choose to be happy. I could so easily have sunk into my misery and still be there. Not that I don't dip down into that deep dark abyss that is grief. I do it often. I just don't stay there. I choose to be happy. Not happy that she's gone of course, but happy to be alive and enjoy the things that she enjoyed.  I got my optimism from her. I smile to myself when I see, hear, smell and taste things that remind me of her and in an instant I'm taken back to a time with her. There is not a day I don't run through my mind my memories of her, usually many times a day. In fact, most of my days consist of thinking to myself what I think my mother would be saying in whatever situation I am in.

I choose to be happy because my faith takes me there. I do think some people are happier people by nature, kinda the glass is half full thing. But I also believe you can fight your urge to be negative and put yourself in a happier frame of mind and be around happy people and surround yourself with things that you know make you happy. Even if that happiness requires a pill... take it. Accept it. Pride or stubbornness only stands in your way most of the time. It's so much easier to be happy... I'm not saying you have to be a happy idiot, but  just try it. Just smile, it starts you off in the right direction... Laugh and your practically there.

As I am writing this, the wind is blowing and my wind chimes are happily singing. Along with many I have bought, I have a set of chimes that were my mothers and I cherish them. I like to think that is my mom speaking to me from heaven through the chiming sounds.

So today while I've already shed many tears, I choose to be happy. Can you?

Lovin' from the oven - Banana Bread Bonanza!

Today we had rain and temperatures colder than normal and I had some bananas that were way past their prime so that makes a great combination for Banana Bread! Oh the wonderful smell that fills the house... so warm and homey.

I've made lots of loaves of banana bread in my lifetime, as it has always been a favorite of mine and my family growing up and now my family as an adult. My most favorite recipe and the one I always go back to is from a great long time friend, Amie (a very gifted artist) and it's the best I've ever tasted. I've used this recipe for a long time now and added a little cinnamon and walnuts but that is it.

start with these!

add some yummy walnuts

makes a lot of batter

I always work in a mess and make a bigger mess ;)

So here it is in all is yummy deliciousness... baked in my mother's loaf pan :)

Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons of sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in sour cream before added)
3 really ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup of flour
handful of walnuts (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F

Cream sugar, butter and eggs. Stir in mashed bananas, vanilla, sour cream w/baking soda dissolved in it and finally the flour.

Bake in a greased loaf pan for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out fairly clean and not gooey. Top will be pretty brown and firm. Let cool some (if you can!) and enjoy.

My first Face Painting gig!

I haven't mentioned anything about it, but I just had my very first Face Painting booth at a craft fair this past Saturday. I didn't know what to expect and I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to make the kids happy but boy was I wrong.

First of all, I had the best time painting all the cute faces and was amazed at how long a kid will stand in line to get their face painted! Secondly, they were all very happy with their faces and I impressed myself at how at ease I was while doing it and felt like I did a great job considering I've had no training or experience with this at all.

All I had done was watch a couple of you tube video's and looked at a bunch of pictures. I had bought some face paint and practiced a couple things on my arm. I painted a tractor on Asher and war paint and that was about it. I had an idea for a Face Painting sign to hang from my tent and it turned out great I thought. I printed out the faces that I felt I could do that I got from the internet and put them in a binder to refer to and voila! I was in business!

Once I had the first couple kids come and go, the line got long real quick and didn't let up the whole time. I didn't even take a break to eat or use the bathroom! I was numb by the time it was time to pack up. Non-stop for 7 and a half hours. I hurt so bad and learned so much and gained a ton of confidence. Even a local newspaper took my picture of me painting and took my card, so I might be in the paper.. haha.

Funny how sometimes things just fall in your lap. Face painting was one of them. I had no intention of ever doing it, but felt very comfortable and was pleased to make some money at a show. I am thinking of doing birthday parties and such.

This sure puts you on the spot to come up with something quick and talk about keeping me loose and fresh! I think this could be a great way for me to be spontaneous and creative. It was great for my ego, as the kids were so happy to have it done and even the parents seemed to be impressed even though it was my first time.

I wish I had taken more photos, but here are some of the faces that I did that I actually remembered to ask to photograph. Everyone was so nice, it was just great. Kinda made up for getting my van hit in the Walmart parking lot on Friday... well maybe. hahahWhat have you done to push yourself out of your comfort zone?

CMOE Dinosaur is finished!

I just took the final photos of my painted and adorned wooden dinosaur to benefit the Children's Museum of Evansville. I'm quite happy with how it turned out. You can see the project start to finish through this link. Start with the September post at the bottom of the link's page.

This angle shows the metallic paint a little bit. I used metallic paint on almost every inch of it. As you can see, my special touch that I was hiding from everyone was adding what I call glass blobs. These are actually little glass squares and I thought they would be perfect for this dinosaur.

I also adorned his toes with more glass blobs that show the metallic paint from underneath. The pictures just aren't doing the metallic paint justice. I just love the shimmer this guy has and the glass adds a little extra special sparkle.

The mouth is where you insert a quarter, this is after all what they have to collect donations for the museum in several local businesses. There will be a plastic coin collector belly where the giant hole is. I'm not actually sure who will be bidding for these dinosaurs and if they are businesses that will use this as a donation collection, but I kinda hope not. I think it would get nicked up, scratched and broken if it were just out in the public not being protected. I hope this will be viewed as artwork and not a donation box.

So there he is... I've wondered if I should name him since it wasn't asked of me, but since I usually title my work I will. I call him Seymour.

Feed me Seymour!

Thank you friends for your encouraging words and thoughts. It's been a fun project and I'm ready to move on to the next.

Ya know what I love?

Ya know what I love? No, not Pineapple Upside-down Cake... Daryl does and this is for him as his belated birthday cake. But this turned out beautifully didn't it? It really fluffed up and was about 3 inches above the skillet.  Here's the recipe, it's a Duncan Hines recipe. It tasted good, but it is sooo sweet and I don't think it needed all that butter and brown sugar or the pudding for that matter. My mom had a great one that went like this:

Mom's Pineapple Upside-down Cake

Yellow Cake Mix as prepared except replace water with pineapple juice. Heat your iron skillet, add some butter and brown sugar and scramble it up with a fork then pour in your batter over the top of the pineapple and cherries.

pretty simple, huh? Tasted better, too.

Anyway, I lost where I was at. Do you know what I love????

I love to read a blogger's very first post. It reveals a lot of someone's vulnerabilities and honesty. After a few posts, they start to get into the groove and then their personality starts to show up more and then as it progresses you really get a feel for who they are. But there is something about that very first post that intrigues me and I usually try to read it right away once I find a blog that I like. You can tell the spit fire's from the easy going ones. The crafty ones and the cooks, the business people from the free spirits and on and on. Every one has a story to tell, that's why we're doing this after all... to tell our story and to connect with other souls out there... kindred spirits. I love this place that is BlogLand. Oh, and I truly love all my friends on here that visit me when they can :)

What do you love?