Holiday Crafting

Normally during the Holidays I'm stressed and I just can't wait for Christmas to be over. I rarely feel like doing anything except bake a few cookies for Pacen's sake and put out some decorations. This year I've managed to stay pretty relaxed and I've even gotten into the spirit of the Holidays. I'm really enjoying the Holiday season this year and I even did some Holiday crafting (above and beyond my normal cookie baking). I made some lip balm and some ornaments.

I found the lip balm recipe on a fellow blogger's blog and even got the idea from her to put inspirational stickers on the containers. I'm going to give them to my friends. Here is my finished product:



The lip balm was so easy to make! Here is the recipe:

1 oz beeswax
1 oz shea butter
1 oz cocoa butter
1/2 oz almond oil
1/2 oz vitamin E oil
4-5 drops orange flavoring
2 drops essential oil (her recipe called for cinnamon. I actually didn't use any.)
5-6 drops pure vanilla
a pinch of ground clove (this is a skin irritant so don't use more than a pinch)

I put some almond extract in my lip balm because I love the smell of it! You can find the first 5 ingredients at Hobby Lobby (or probably any craft store).


I got the idea for the ornaments from Better Homes and Gardens (yes, I am a BHG fanatic!) and when I saw the ornaments on their website I just had to make them! They are ribbon candy ornaments. Ribbon candy has a special place in my heart because it reminds me of my Grandpa Hess.

Sucker for the old and mysterious

As long as I can remember, I have been a "sucker" for all places "old" and "mysterious". I absolutely love old buildings, cemeteries, etc. It's the aura of mystery that surrounds many old places that I love the most. I absolutely adore the historical architecture that you don't see in many new buildings (columns; tall, paned windows; intricate hand-carved details; crow-stepped gables; stone; etc.) and when it comes to cemeteries, I just love the creepy moss-covered headstones. It's kind of sad that they don't make things like they used to.

Growing up, every time we went to my mom's hometown, Palmyra, MO, (my 2nd home) to visit family, I HAD to see my "favorite house" and my "favorite cemetery" (that sounds morbid). I used to make my mom drive past both places at least once every time we were in Palmyra.

One of my Uncles and his family lived a couple blocks from the house so anytime we could get away with it, my sisters, their youngest daughter, and I would wander down the street and gaze in awe at the "spooky" old house. The house was a circa mid-1850s, two-story, rectangular, brick structure with tall windows and a huge wood front door. The lower story windows were covered with very old shutters and all you could see through the upper story windows were old, tattered, shredded, white lace curtains. On the west side of the house was a single story addition and a covered porch. The property was rather dark (even on a sunny day) because of the enormous mossy trees growing around the house. We always wanted to sneak into the house, but we never did. I always imagined that there was a huge staircase in the parlor that led upstairs (the kind that rises to a platform and then branches off to the left and right). At one point I took a picture of the house (back when I hadn't evolved to digital photography) and shortly after that a gentleman bought the house and leveled it. :( That was a sad day for me. I regret only getting one picture of the place and never exploring it (although I would've been in big trouble had I gotten caught).

As for the cemetery, it is filled with moss-covered head stones of all shapes and sizes. There is even a headstone shaped like a coffin (the lid even comes off), which is the one that amazed me the most when I was growing up. Other headstones are at least 20' tall or taller. Some have intricate carvings and others are plain. The cemetery is surrounded by a wrought iron fence and as soon as you step into it the world seems to get dark and quiet. There are many trees growing in the cemetery and they block most of the sunlight. The last time I was there some of the trees had been cut down so it seemed a little brighter, but it still had its aura. As with many old places, it has been vandalized and some of the headstones have been knocked over. Sad.

Luckily my mom is from a very old part of Missouri (only 12 miles from Hannibal - home of Mark Twain) so there are many other old places for me to photograph. Some have been preserved and some are rotting away (sad). I haven't been "home" in over a year, but the last time I was there I managed to get some pictures of a few old & mysterious places. Next time I will spend more time enjoying the mysterious aura that part of the country has to offer.

Life is too short

Today I found out that a friend of mine past away this weekend. He was only 29 and he had a family (a wife and a very young daughter). It is so sad. Why do some people's lives get "cut short"? It's not fair!

Ben and I met back in 1999 when I went to school at Chadron State College. He was the type that was always upbeat and always smiling. That smile...I'll never forget it...it was SO contagious! If you were in a terrible mood and Ben walked in, you had no choice but to smile...that's how contagious it was. Ben joined the Army National Guard in the spring of 2000 and left for training. We managed to keep in touch the past nine years through letters, emails, and phone calls and we even got to hang out a few times. Even though we didn't see each other all the time and sometimes we went too long without a phone call or email, I considered Ben a great friend and I am lucky to have had him in my life!

My deepest sympathies go out to his family. I wish he could've been around longer so his daughter could grow to see how wonderful her father was! She will know through her mom, grandparents, and uncle, but it's just not the same.

This whole ordeal has made me realize just how short life is and how many of us take it for granted. Last night I had a meltdown because I am so stressed over how many things I think I need to get done and how little time I have to accomplish it all. We all need to realize that not everything is as important as we think it is. It's more important to spend time with your children, family, or friends or doing something you truly enjoy. Cherish the time you have and don't spend it worrying about the little things! Get out there and live life to the fullest!

To Ben - Thanks for being such a great friend and thanks for the memories! You will be deeply missed! Rest in peace!


"We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand on one whom we love." ~ Madame de Stael

"Life is too short, so kiss longer, laugh harder, love deeper, and smile sweeter." ~ unknown

110% boy!

For those of you that don't know, I have a son, Pacen, who will be 8-years-old in a month! I can't believe it! 8-years-old! Where has the time gone?! Anyway, when Pacen was born many people assumed he would be a total momma's boy and a complete sissy since he was being raised by a single mother. I just love it when people stereotype. (Sense the sarcasm.) To me it didn't matter...if he wanted to play with Barbie Dolls instead of trucks, then so be it...I would still love him no matter what!

Well, as it turns out he is 110% boy! He loves to get extremely dirty. He loves to play with trucks, dinosaurs, guns (real and fake), and snakes (real and fake). He loves to catch frogs, go fishing, and hunt squirrels (I'm sure someday it will be deer & elk). He loves to put nasty things in his pockets. He loves to make "sound effects" with his mouth (gun sounds, motorcycle sounds, car sounds, etc).

He's not always so active and boyish though...sometimes he is somewhat of a momma's boy. Occasionally he'll still cuddle up with me or picks flowers for me and sometimes he wants nothing more than to have a hug from his mom.

No matter what, he is mine and I LOVE him with all my heart!


Air guitar...
Frog hunting...


"Mothers of little boys work from son up to son down." ~ unknown

True Love

I have never really been a big fan of marriage. Yeah, yeah, when I was a little girl I dreamed of the day I would marry that perfect man in a perfect ceremony wearing the perfect dress, but I grew up and the realizations of marriage came crashing down. It seemed like everywhere I turned people were getting divorces, someone was cheating on their "significant other", etc. After seeing many of those situations I decided I wanted nothing to do with marriage. All I could think was, "What's the point? A majority of people now days are divorcee's or headed in that direction and I don't want to end up like that." I knew that not all marriages were that bad off and I also knew that it wasn't necessarily destined to happen to me, but why take the chance? The last thing I want is to end up as a statistic.

So, I have been living my adult life pretty much avoiding marriage. I was engaged once, right out of high school, but I ended that relationship 1 1/2 years and one baby later. I was only 19...what did I know about love? Since then I have been in a few relationships (a couple have been fairly serious), but I managed to keep them more on the casual side of things.

OK, so you're probably wondering where the heck I'm going with this. Well, at the beginning of the month some friends of mine renewed their vows. They have been married for some 20 odd years (I'm thinking 22, but I can't remember for sure...terrible memory). Anyway, it is quite unusual this day in age to find a couple who has been married for more than 20 years (there are the old couples who have been married for 40 years or more, but I'm talking couples who were married within the last 30 years, not 60-70). My friends are obviously still very much in love with each other and it's just so awesome!

After watching my friends renew their vows, I decided that maybe marriage isn't so bad after all. No, I'm not going to go out and get married right away, but now I wouldn't mind finding my true love and settling down. I wouldn't mind finding that perfect man...the one who will still have love in his eyes when he looks at me after 20, 30, 40, 50, or even 60 years of marriage, the one who will make my heart skip a beat every time I see him (or almost every time), the one who wants to spend the rest of his life with me and who I want to spend the rest of my life with.

My mom always told me I just haven't found the right guy yet, and now I know she's right. I'm still going to be cautious with any relationship I find myself in and, who knows, maybe "Mr. Right" will come along (maybe I've already found him and just haven't realized it). If so, then great, if not, then... whatever.

Here are some pictures of the vow renewal...just look at how in love they are. They were definitely meant for each other. Oh, and yes, they are Irish. :)
"Love is energy: it can neither be created nor destroyed. It just is and always will be, giving meaning to life and direction to goodness...Love will never die." ~ Bryce Courtney

"True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself. It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations; it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart." ~ Honore de Balzac

Vacation

Wow...it's been a while! I've been super busy!

A month ago I went to Cody, Wyoming with Kurtis (he attended the Cody Hotline School for Lineman) and I got to spend a week shopping and hanging out with a couple of my friends and their kids (wives & children of two other linemen who attended). It was a much needed vacation! I didn't get to spend as much time with Kurtis as I would've liked (the time we did spend together was fabulous though), but I still had a lot of fun with Sunny (one of my best friends), her daughter, Autumn, Tiffany (another good friend), and her son, Colton. Autumn and Colt are so adorable! Luckily I brought my camera along and I got a few good shots of the kids (it was hard considering they are both "on the run").

It was pretty chilly the whole time we were there but we managed to get out on the town every day (mostly shopping and a little partying). We attempted swimming one day (the nicest day of the week) and it was a bust (for the kids). Too cold. The kids lasted around 5-10 minutes and then their moms decided since it was too cold it was nap time. Colt informed me that I had to get out of the pool so I could take a nap. After a little convincing he finally decided it was okay that I skip nap time and swim a little longer. Here's Autumn in her swimming gear...

Here are a few more pics of the kids...I love this expression! So cute!Autumn never wants to smile for me when I have the camera out . I did manage to get one shot of her smiling and, as my luck goes, it came out blurry...so here is one where she is almost smiling. :)
The final night we were there Kurtis and I went out and enjoyed a nice dinner and then decided to take a road trip. We headed towards the mountains (in search of Elk) and drove 30-40 miles until we finally saw herd after herd of Elk. As Kurtis was checking out all the Elk I was checking out the majestic scenery. Here is what much of the conversation entailed when we got to that point of the trip:

Me: "Babe! Look at that waterfall! It's so pretty!"

Kurtis: "Yeah, nice. WHOA! Look at that Bull! He's HUGE!"

Me: "Wow...he IS big. Look at the way the snow is blowing off the mountain...it's so awesome!"

Kurtis: "Uh, huh. I can't wait for hunting season!"

Okay, those may not be exact words, but it's pretty close! At one point we saw a sign warning us of Grizzly Bears and I got way excited and declared that it would be so cool if we saw one! Well, lo and behold, a few miles down the road Kurtis starts freaking out because 100 yards or so from the road is a Grizzly! It stood up, looked at us, and then ran away! It was so cool! We also saw some Big Horn Sheep.

So, there is one terrible thing about the road trip...I, being the airhead that I am, left my camera in the hotel room! The one time I didn't take it along! I was SO mad at myself! Kurtis had even asked me if I wanted to go back and get it (after dinner) and I said, "No. It's clear across town. Don't worry about it." He said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Yeah. Not a big deal." ARRRRRGGGGGGGG! I'm such an idiot! I did manage to get some pictures of the mountains on my cell...not the best quality, but they pretty much give you the picture of what we saw.
"No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one." ~ Elbert Hubbard

Adventures in Camping

This past weekend was the first camping trip of the year. I packed up everything I thought we would need (food, sleeping bags, tent, cooking utensils, etc) and loaded it all and Pacen up in our reliable 1990 Ford Ranger. My boyfriend, Kurtis, was very worried about us, thinking we would get stuck in the mud or that something else might happen. The fact that we were going to be about an hour from any kind of cell phone signal didn't help. Finally after telling him a million times that things would be OK and helping settle his nerves by taking his tow rope, we were on our way. We stopped along the way to pick up Pacen's friend, Teagan, and then continued be-bopping down the road towards LaBonte Canyon southwest of Douglas.

On the way to LaBonte Canyon you have to drive on about 20 miles or so of dirt roads. Well, as worried as Kurtis had been I kept imagining that the road would be deep, thick mud and that I'd have to drive most of the way in 4-wheel drive. Well, the worst that we saw were a couple of "rivers" (from all the rain we'd gotten the 3 days before) flowing across the road, until we got to the entrance of the LaBonte Canyon Campground. There actually was mud at the entrance and, yes, it was deep and thick, but we made it through just fine. Not once did I have to turn on the 4-wheel drive.

We cruised the campground looking for my cousin, Joel, his wife, Sara, and their friend, Aaron. We didn't see them and my pickup was starting to smoke and make weird noises so we found a good spot to set up camp. My pickup died just as we pulled in and the smoke really started rolling. The boys ran off to play and I decided I had better check under the hood. Well, a PVC tee that was installed on a rubber hose had cracked and broke into three pieces. I figured there wasn't much I could do about it at that moment so I decided to set up the tent. A few hours later we started a fire and the boys started roasting hot dogs on sticks. Shortly after that Joel, Sara, and Aaron showed up. Apparently it had taken them so long because the way they came was extremely muddy and Aaron had gotten his pickup stuck. After trying and trying to get his pickup unstuck they ended up loading most of his stuff into Joel and Sara's pickup and leaving his in the middle of nowhere. I was just glad the made it. We spent the rest of the evening grilling hot dogs, roasting marshmallows, and sitting around the campfire enjoying a few beers.


Sunday we woke up to a sunny, windy day. After eating breakfast and enjoying a friendly game of horseshoes we decided to work on my pickup. We managed to fix the hose and then we filled some part of the pickup with water (since we didn't have antifreeze). When it came time to start the pickup it wouldn't start. Silly me...I had left the lights on the day before so the battery was dead. We jumped it and decided to take it for a test drive to make sure the hose would stay together. Everything ran smooth and when we got back to camp I left it running so the battery would finish charging. Teagan, Aaron, and Joel decided to play some football so Sara, Pacen, and I decided to walk up the road and check out a waterfall we had seen (caused by the rain). Our little jaunt turned into a full fledged hike. Unfortunately I didn't take my camera on the hike and I missed some awesome photo opportunities. :( While on our hike we think we saw bear poo and maybe mountain lion poo. We also saw many signs of Elk. We didn't ever see any kind of animal, not even a chipmunk.

When we got back to camp Joel informed me that while we were gone water started spraying out the front of the engine! We put more water in it and the boys and I packed up to head home. The pickup started fine, but then it wouldn't move. We tried to fix it again, but to no avail. Finally we decided the best thing to do would be to drive until I had a signal on my phone so I could call Kurtis. Joel and I drove and drove and finally got a signal about 5-10 miles from Douglas! I called Kurtis and asked him if he would be willing to come get us the next day (he was at a wedding). Luckily he was willing. When we got back I set the tent back up and then enjoyed some nice Hobo Pie that Sara and Joel had made. After the boys went to bed us adults spent the rest of the evening sitting around the campfire, listening to Aaron play his guitar and Joel play the harmonica, singing, and getting drunk. It was a good time.

Monday morning (Memorial Day) we woke up to a drizzly, cold, foggy day. The fog kinda made everything look pretty, but I still could've done without it. I managed to get the tent down and get everything packed up (again). An hour or two later Kurtis showed up with a trailer and we got my pickup loaded. We said our goodbyes and headed home. I was so glad to get home and take a nice hot shower (I spent 3 days in the same grungy clothes and I stunk)! Also, I am very glad that my Knight in shining armor saved me!


"The fire is the main comfort of camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another. It is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Kiss me in the Rain!

It is raining, and has been off-and-on for the past 2 days! I find it very exciting! We have been in a drought for way too long and I'm hoping the past 2 days signifies that the drought is over! I want it to do this all summer...OK, not ALL the time, but at least two or three times a week would be AWESOME! The rain pattering on my roof and splashing on the ground outside my window is what put me to sleep the last couple nights, and it was absolutely wonderful! It is coming down hard again as I type this and it is so relaxing. (The picture below is of the street in front of my house...the rain was pouring down!)

I'm not sure how much rain we've gotten, but I'm gonna guess anywhere between 3-4 inches (maybe more in some places). We are in desperate need of moisture, so we'll take what we get!

I took this picture today during one of the rain showers. I love how drops of rain settled on the petals.

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life." ~ John Updike

Ready for Summer

I'm so ready for summer! Mother Nature keeps teasing us and I'm sick of it! One day we have nice warm, sunny weather and then next it's cold and snowy!

I'm ready to wear my flip-flops, shorts, and t-shirts/tank tops on a daily basis! I'm ready for lounging on my hammock with a good book and a tall glass of ice tea or margarita (depending on my mood). I'm ready to run through the sprinkler with Pacen and float on my blow-up mat in our small pool. I'm ready to hit the lake and spend all day (or weekend) on the water (skiing, boating, cliff diving, etc). I'm ready for BBQing and devouring burgers, steaks, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, and watermelon. I'm ready for dances in the beer garden at the Longhorn. I'm ready to float the river. I'm ready for "farmer's tans". I'm ready for camping and fishing and fighting off the mosquito's and ticks. I'm ready for the rumbling sound of motorcycles and motorcycle rides. I'm ready to dive into my dad's pond. I'm ready to open my bedroom window so the night breeze can cool me off. I'm ready to lay in the grass and watch the stars. I'M JUST READY FOR SUMMER!!!!

"Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon...the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~ Henry James