random stuff like boys and hash browns

I am feeling much more myself lately, except the part where I can't think of anything to say. But I figure if I want my readers to continue to return, well then it would be logical for me to pull my head out and cough something up. Okay that didn't come out right. But I know you know what I mean.

Lots has been going on around here, including the unusual phenomenon of southern California continuing to have a pretty decent reasonable facsimile of the season known as "winter". I don't care about the buckets in my family room collecting rain and I don't care about muddy doggie paws. I'm just happy to wear socks and a sweatshirt.

As far as these photos go, I am aware of how random they are. They have been part of my Shutter Sisters 365 project. I am happy to say I have not missed one day, though it has been a challenge. It has though, turned much more into "a moment in my day" than me experimenting with my larger camera or learning new techniques. At least for now. But I figure that's all right too - I am enjoying the process and that's the most important thing. 

The first photo of the TUMS represents what I've been having for breakfast lately! Hah! Breakfast of champions indeed :) My back is still giving me a hard time, which means I have to take a lot of bruhaha, which is hard on my stomach, blah, blah, blah. I know what you're thinking. Why then, am I drinking hot cocoa with half a bag of marshmallows on top if my stomach is giving me trouble??? How's this for an answer: because I wanted to.

Awww...  look at my sweet Angel :) This was late at night when everyone was in bed and no one was eating anything. Then and only then can she finally forsake her taxing job of foraging for food all day and being the family garbage disposal. At this very moment she's dreaming of the potato chip she scored from my shirt pocket.

I do have to admit that I was feeling very sorry for myself at times this week. There was a blogging conference in Salt Lake City last weekend that I wanted to go to so badly my teeth hurt... and it was only made worse when so many of the bloggers that were there started tweeting about how fabulous it was... I know, I know - next year! 

So much else going on too..... things I am holding inside - you know how that is? It feels like an anvil around my neck. It's dragged me down for so long..... I just want to take the anvil off and be free of it. But I will not let it keep me down. And that's when I remind myself of all the amazing things. My boys. My wonderful friends. My projects. Color, and trees, and flowers, and my silly dogs that make me laugh. Oh dear, this whole paragraph sounds absolutely nutsy. Please forgive me - I'll go listen to Joni Mitchell for a while and be fine.    

Back to the usual mayhem at the Walker house. Here we have 5 boys playing ping pong against my front room wall. Yes, you heard me correctly. And I was on the couch in their direct line of fire, so I retreated to the dining room. No, I did not try to stop them. I mean look at their cute faces having so much fun. Meh - I love these boys!

Anyway, it was a very busy week! Doctor appts, lunches with friends, all the usual chores and errands and chaos, carpools, music.... very loud music.... lots of boys and men and friends practicing music.... but it was a great week. And come on, seriously, how could it not be a great week when you come home from church on Sunday and make hash browns with scrambled eggs and cheese toast!?!?! 

here comes the sun

Joy and rapture. A few days' break in all the pouring rain we've been having has been nice. Not that I haven't enjoyed the rain. I like pretending that we have seasons here in southern California whenever possible. And I love cold weather. But I like sunshine too, and the blue sky it brings along with it. My drenched and confused plants were particularly relieved. Look how happy this little trumpet vine is to have finally found the warmth of the sun!

Oh, do I love a turquoise sky!

These plants were the happiest by far - being used to the hot, dry, (revolting), weather we normally have here. If you listen very closely I think you can actually hear them singing. Not for long though - I hear another storm is on it's way. Which means I need to get out the buckets for my family room again, since it rains in there too.......  :/ 

Hearts for Haiti

I am back with a more hopeful heart this time. Thank you for all your sweet comments here on the blog, on Facebook, and through e-mails too. Your comments mean so much to me. I guess we all have our way of working through things. I have a lot going on in my own life right now... that always seems to complicate things. I still find myself sorrowful for the people of Haiti, but I have also been able to rejoice through the miracles that have occurred as survivors have continued to be discovered and saved, as more aid has finally started reaching the desperate, and as I see the outpouring of love and generosity from people all over the world. I know that feeling. We just want to help. 

I discovered another easy way of helping that has been very successful. I know many of my readers are familiar with Etsy, the site for all things artisian! Well, some genius Etsians began a Hearts for Haiti store, and hundreds of us that have our own stores on Etsy have donated items to sell in their store. All proceeds - 100% - go to the Doctors Without Borders organization working in Haiti at this very moment. We even pay shipping for you on everything you purchase! The theme right now is HEARTS because of the love we need to send and because Valentine's Day is on the way. But there are other items as well, and more will arrive. As I mentioned, the store has already been extremely successful - so far it has raised over $13,000!!! That's a lot of money to do a lot of good where it is needed the most - I am thrilled, delighted, and honored to be a part of it. Please stop by the Hearts for Haiti store on Etsy! There's something for everyone and it's an easy and wonderful way to help.  

Here is the Mouse's contribution for the Hope for Haiti Flickr pool - our bunny and lamb finger puppets kissing with a heart sign underneath :) I found out last week that, unbeknownst to me, the Mouse had been e-mailing the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, CURE, and other rescue organizations to ask if he could come help with rescue operations. Sometimes that Mouse just nearly does me in...........

I've been thinking

My apologies for going so many days without a blog post. I've had a gazillion things in my mind I'd love to post on, but probably like many of you, I am absolutely heartbroken over the recent tragedy in Haiti. As I've watched the drama, and trauma, unfold... to see an entire city so collapsed, and such an astounding loss of life... it has been sick-to-my-stomach staggering, to say the least. And to see it all from my warm house, with food to eat and an endless supply of water, and my loved ones around me with healthy bodies and smiling faces... I don't know the words to use. I feel helpless of course. I can make my small donations, I can pray for them day and night... but of course my heart still aches to see them suffer. So to post a recipe or craft or show how my dala horse is coming along... I don't know, those things have seemed almost meaningless recently, and I guess I had a little thinking to do to work everything out in my heart. 

I am so touched of course by those amazing individuals and organizations who rushed to Haiti immediately to help. I mean, right in the trenches, thinking nothing of themselves but to give aid. What would our world do without those people? I know there have already been many stories of rescues, and miracles, and there will be many more. I do take comfort in that. And it does remind me how fragile life is, how *precious* my family is, how life can be there one minute and can be gone the next. Not to be morbid - no, I believe we are supposed to enjoy life also, not just endure it, or fear it. But remember to hold what we have dear. And to always be grateful for it. And try to enjoy every moment. Laugh, laugh, laugh. And love all we can. The love that we've given, the love we've received... those are really the only things we will take with us when our time has come.

One thing that has lifted my spirits a bit has been to participate in the Hope for Haiti Flickr Pool on Flickr. I was invited by a fellow photographer Lydia, who started it, because like me, she felt helpless to do anything and wanted a way to express her love and hope for the people of Haiti. I thought it was such a loving gesture. So check it out and join if you would like to - it has been really lovely watching it grow day by day, and seeing all the heartfelt sentiments expressed in photographs. If you're interested, click -----------> HERE.

Thanks for listening to me babble :) Please leave some comments - they warm my heart more than you know :)       

she does have skills

Feast your eyes people. This one little cube of bionic rice crispie treat is like heaven in your mouth.

This is what I've been up to for the last few days. I know. It was a really nasty job, but luckily I survived... 

So I thought it would be fun to taunt my readers with pics of their awesomeness.

Those of you who know me, know that this recipe is pretty much to die for, and you can find it *HERE* 

Have a great weekend and happy salivating! I'll be working on my dala horse!

hope floats

"To everything there is a season

and a time to every purpose

under the heaven"

I like the new year and all the opportunities it seems to hold. I think it's healthy to say goodbye to the old year, and welcome in the fresh new year with all it's possibilities. Endless prospects, so much hope, the sky's the limit. It's the thought of "new year's resolutions" I struggle with. 

Every year, starting in December, I brace myself for the onslaught of articles, reports, interviews, church talks and blog topics from people and friends who see the new year as a time for self-improvement. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for self-improvement. And these people are sincere. But I think that so many times over the years, I have not had the strength, or motivation, or whatever it took, for my personal resolutions to come to fruition. So the thought of making more every year, only to experience more failure, is very stressful. It takes some of the hope right out of that brand new year ahead. 

But a pessimist, I am not. I have just had to learn that everyone has their own way of doing things. I will admit, it has been somewhat overwhelming for me to visit blogs and read the long lists of amazing goals my friends and acquaintances are up for at the starting gate of this year. Oh, to have such energy! But I am excited to see them reach their goals, and I will be their biggest cheerleader! As for me, I had to do some very deep thinking. And I had to be very honest with myself. I needed to assess where my family members were in the paths of their lives. And I needed to say some sincere prayers to figure everything out. Like, on my knees. And go from there.

I think everyone can relate to needing motivation. There needs to be some sort of motivation involved in order to accomplish something. For example, I have my favorite passages and verses of scripture, like most people. But as far as reading and studying the scriptures daily, that has always been hard for me. Yet I feel it's very important. When I had been able to do it in spurts, my day always went better - but even so, it was still hard for me to be consistent. After years of trial and error, I decided I needed to make a rule for myself. I was an adult, after all, and no one was going to make the rule for me. I knew what worked, I knew what didn't, and if I was honest enough with myself, I could make this work.

For a few years now, every morning after I get the kids off to school, there are a lot of things I need to do around the house. For example: pick up the house, start laundry, unload the dishwasher, etc. There are other things I need to do to get my day rolling - for example: get ready, eat breakfast, look over my "to do" list, etc. And still more things waiting that I am anxious to delve into - for example: work on a craft project, create a blog post, shop for a birthday gift. Well here is my rule: NONE of this can start - NONE of it - until I have read my scriptures and said my prayers. Quick translation: if I want to read my favorite blogs, I have to read my scriptures.  

I guess you could call it a resolution. Perhaps you could call it a goal. For me, it had to be a rule. And there's some sort of motivation involved. There's a by-product involved as well, which is now that my scriptures are being read every day, my day goes much, much better. And more than just learning the scriptures... I feel like I am being blessed for doing something worthwhile. The by-product my friends, is the biggest gift of all.

So back to my hopes for this year. And I do have hopes for this new year of course. They are based on what is most important right now, and much motivation lies behind each one. 

• pray for inspiration and guidance as a mother, on behalf of my children. All 3 boys are in different important stages of their lives right now - each one a unique and critical stage.
• take my health more seriously - age and bad habits have done a lot of damage
• continue creative learning - particularly photography - in order to expand my Etsy store and blog
• let some sad and angry feelings GO
• start recording music again - something I wanted to do last year but never did 

ok - now I can go check Facebook

365 Project

Today is 1/10/10 and the day I designated to start the Shutter Sisters 365 Project!

The above photo - my beautiful snowflake ornament from Jamie, with the sun shining on it - is my first photo!

If you're not familiar with Shutter Sisters or this project, you can find out more about it HERE.

And if you'd like to enjoy looking at everyone's photos, the Flickr pool is HERE.

Some of my daily photos will be thought of beforehand and carefully shot to be as professional as possible.

Some of my photos will fall more in the category of "a day in the life".

I'm hoping to experiment more with macro photography, which is my most favorite style -

but that means making peace with my "big" camera (on manual mode) and actually having to learn things!

Imagine that!

heart of the matter

Set #1

VALENTINE EYE CANDY!!!

***2012 UPDATE - Yes, I still sell my Valentine notecards AND Valentine 5x7's and 8x10's!

This post is to whet your appetite a little, hehe :) Click on the pics to see more detail.

$20.00 for a set of eight (8) notecards - 4x6 photos on a white, 5x7 cardstock card

$10.00 for a quality 5x7 photo print on photo paper, suitable for framing

$15.00 for a quality 8x10 print on photo paper, suitable for framing

*you can also see a variety of my Valentine photos on my Zagg portfolio site -

if you'd like to turn my photos into skins for your gadgets: cell phones, laptops, iPads, etc.

Click on my gumball photo at the top right and it will take you there :)

Set #2

Set #3

If you're interested, just leave me a note here, find me on Facebook, talk to me in person,

or send me an email at megibug (at) gmail (dot) com

Happy Happy!!!

horse of a different color - part 2

I *LOVE* Swedish Dala horses! I think they are so sweet. I had a childhood friend, Kirsten, who was Swedish, and for years now have been friends with my adorable and talented friend Maria, who is also Swedish. I obtained the lovely images above from dalahorse.com, and should you choose to click on their link, you will be pleased to find a brief but interesting overview of the history of dala horses, among other things.

This is going to be MY dala horse. Years ago, in the basement of a funky antiques store in Cayucos California, I found this paper mache horse. At that time it had not been painted so it's coat was newspaper. It cost $8. I brought it home and painted it black, intending to turn it into a dala horse. But it never happened.

So the years have passed, and I've bought and sold a lot of things, but I've refused to let go of my horse. Besides, everyone that sees it thinks it's a big black dog. I can't figure that one out, but whatever... I guess seeing the amazing horse of a different color in my previous post must have stirred something in me - I feel like now is the time for my horse's transformation to finally take place. He's waited long enough.

So the transformation begins! No more big black dog. I want those dala colors to really stand out. This is going to be one pretty dala horse! The horse he deserved to be way back when. Back in the basement of the antiques store in his coat of newspaper. 

horse of a different color - part 1

How totally awesome is this horse sculpture? It's made entirely from found metal objects welded together. I saw it when I was up in southern Utah for Thanksgiving, but I regret I did not find the artist's name. The talent he or she must have to create a project of this scale incorporating all those elements... wow.

I love the outstanding interest all the colors and textures the found items bring to this sculpture. A welded sculpture of a horse would have been interesting in itself, but how much more exceptional is this! Whether you can recognize specific elements or not, it is such a pleasure to look at.  

This is the first horse of a different color I'm going to feature, 
but stay tuned for a completely different one!

lasts and firsts

A new year - 2010 - a whole new decade! Wow!

I hope all of you had a happy New Year's Eve and a lovely New Year's Day to start the year out right.

Our Christmas and New Year's has been blessed with friends and family and very full hearts :)

These are the last 2 blooms from my rose bushes - particularly beautiful I thought.

I spent New Year's Day yesterday watching the Rose Parade (can't even remember the last time I did that),

and then cutting back my 17 rose bushes in order to give them a little rest to store some energy. 

Not as necessary here in California, I know... but who can't use a little rest to store up some energy?

And a few months from now, we will welcome their first beautiful blooms in the spring.

~ It is a time of renewal ~