Happy & Sad

I'm happy that the busiest part of our convention travel season is about to be over.
I'm sad that summer is over and I didn't do as many things as I wanted.

I'm happy that football season is here.
I'm sad that I only went fishing once (but I do have plans for a second trip).

I'm happy that I have lots of new scrappin' and creating supplies.
I'm sad that I haven't had the time or energy to use them.

I'm happy to be posting on my blog again.
I'm sad that I let it go so long.

I'm not really sure where August went, but I have a few posts about a couple things from the month. Plus, I recently read a portion of an interview about blogging that has inspired me to be who I am and not worry about what I think I should be. Some day I'll be that person, but right now I am who I am and I want to be happy with that person and enjoy life now.

Happy Labor Day!

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Wanderings

I've hit the point in my summer when I realize that the summer is almost over and I haven't begun to do the things I had thought we'd do. But then I step back and realize I could say that about the year too.

So the question in my brain is, what gets some people doing while others (like myself) watch and dream? I realize part of the problem is the time on spend on my beloved computer perusing the creations of others, but honestly, when I get home at night, that's about the level of energy I have.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job, but I also find that without an excuse (and yes I think I've said this before) I don't often create. So I find myself searching and volunteering for things that force me to create. Not the best way, but it's reality.

So tonight I spent most of the evening checking out blogs, following links to other blogs, and posting to Pinterest with the hopes that some day I'll go back to those pins and make the lovely things I've discovered on the world wide web! And if not, at least when someone asks for an idea, I have a few Pinterest boards worth.

Happy creating or dreaming, whatever the case may be.

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Things to remember when fishing

This weekend we headed to Idaho for the Wilson family reunion. One of the activities was fishing, so we took our boat (which also doubled as a Uhaul for our luggage since there were eight of us in the vehicle). Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful. We had a quick breakfast of cinnamon rolls and fruit and headed for the lake.

Several years ago, when we first got this boat, we had a small problem with putting the plug in the wrong hole, which caused the boat to fill with water. The problem was easily remedied - take the boat out of the water and put the plug in the correct location.

So this weekend, we got to the lake, loaded everyone in the boat, and prepped it for launch. I watched J put the plug in the boat, climbed in, and settled in for a fun day of fishing. J backed the boat into the water and then parked. Once she was in the boat, we went to get the life jackets out and discovered water in the hold. Not a happy moment, especially since J and I both knew the plug was in.

She ran and grabbed the car, backed the trailer in, and loaded the boat back on the trailer. We pulled it out and sure enough, the plug was in the wrong hole. What a bummer!!! The construction on this boat has a hole for the bilge pump right above the hole where the plug goes.

The best part, both times this has happened we've had one of J's family with us. And last time, she said she was glad that would never happen again. So, if you see written on the back of our boat "Plug goes here" you'll know why. This is one story that is likely to be told again, but the good news, we had a great day of fishing!

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This week....

• We worked our tails off at work packing and shipping for two shows - Valley Forge and Nashville
• I walked the dogs two mornings - short, slow walks, but at least I was out walking
• I saw Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows part 2 - great movie, hard to see it come to an end
• We went to dinner with Denise and Mom Thomas and then chatted at the house for a couple hours while enjoying ice cream
• I wore sandals with no wraps or bandages on my heel - oh happy day!!!
• I bought the most adorable stamps from Paper Smooches
• I admitted out loud to a friend that I might have a new addiction - Pinterest
• I got my hair cut - let's hope this style works better or at least hides the flaws my hair has :)

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4th of July Balloon Fest

For the past 27 years, Provo has held a Balloon Fest as part of their July 4th festivities. While we haven't gone every year, we have definitely attended quite a few and in looking back, may have been at the first one (but we don't want to admit we're that old).

Each year there are the standard balloons - the Stars & Stripes, the patchwork designs, and even the Piggy Bank has been around the past few years. And then there are the ones that come randomly like Smokey the Bear. And this year, there were two new additions that definitely stood out - Darth Vader and a Coca Cola bottle.

The balloons are spread around a large field and at their designated time start filling with air, which is then heated and causes the balloon to lift. It's fun to walk around and see the varying stages of inflation and to look inside the huge balloons.

This year I didn't do much walking since I was sporting the beautiful, purple cast and it was dewy on the grass. Instead I sat back and took photos. The balloon fest never disappoints - lots of beautiful balloons, a hot, pancake breakfast, and time to chat with friends.

Hope you enjoy the pictures! I also tried out some of my new Photoshop Elements Actions on these photos. I'm kind of addicted the edge burn :)

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Another week...

Why are the week's after a holiday so much longer than other weeks? That sums up this week. Here are a few details.

• I lost a cast and gained a less than attractive boot type shoe
• I wore a real shoes on both feet for the first time in three weeks
• I watched Harry Potter Deathly Hallows pt. 1 in preparation for part 2
• I watched two of my favorite summer TV series - The Closer and Rizzoli and Isles
• I walked a little better each day - less of a limp
• I got home a little earlier than I typically do, but will be better next week
• I just realized I forgot to recap last week - oh well :)
• I added new music to my iTunes

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Close to You

I think the song Close to You was written with Mabel in mind. Bless her punkin' heart, she just needs to be close to someone.

So imagine my surprise when I opened my bathroom door after showering to find this:

She had gotten as close to me as she could, seeing as the door was closed. Not only was she sleeping, but she was zonked! I was able to step over her, get my camera, step back over her, and take several pictures.

I love this hound!! And while some days the need to be close to you is a little much, most of the time there's nothing better than having this sweet baby next to me.

As a side note, I downloaded several Photoshop Elements actions from The Pioneer Woman and used a couple of them on these photos just to see what they would do. The photo above used the edge burn. Here are two more images of sleeping beauty.

Notice the ear is almost over her eye for a complete black out. Used the colorized action on this photo.

Another angle of the sleeping hound. Used the vintage action on this photo.

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