Seasonal Felicitations

2012-01-28T20:18:00.001-05:00

Edith taught me how to make this card.
Inside verse says: "You make my life happy."

You can view the tutorial here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWYQGUYfx0k&feature=player_embedded

Making Cards

2011-12-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

This Christmas season, I have taken to making some greeting cards using Asian Fabrics. Here are some of those designs:

New Candy Bar Cake for Cecilia

2011-12-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

Cecilia retired Friday. She was one of my co-workers. I wish her the joy, rest, good times, and continued blessings on the road ahead. Here are photos of the candy bar cake I created for her:

Candy Cake

2011-10-15T18:28:00.000-04:00

I made this candy cake for a raffle at work to benefit an ex-co-worker with level 4 breast cancer. One of the supervisors gave me money to buy the candy.

Rainy Day

2011-09-05T18:54:00.003-04:00

It is pouring rain here today. We've had some major thunder and lightning exhibitions lately. Today, I woke up late, turned off the air conditioner and opened both of my windows that open. Then I watered my 2 tiny plants and found a red lady bug on one of the containers. What a welcome surprise!

I did not realize until much later that I was missing calling Mom. I used to call her every Sunday afternoon. She has been gone now since 2008. I had started back to college to finish my degree and was making A's. It's funny about weather and how it can bring back cherished memories.

I have also been working on some greeting cards for friends. This one is for an upcoming swap:

Country Living

2011-06-25T11:02:00.003-04:00

I wrote this poem in 2006 and submitted it to a poetry contest online. I won a place in a book of poems later that year, but never purchased the book. The poem reminds me of small town country living and my hometown. ( click on photo to enlarge)

Field Workers

2011-05-11T18:41:00.000-04:00

Do you think it is going to be a cold winter? There are so many bumble bees covering a neighborhood bush, I hated to get too close to it. These are three of the photos that I took today. The bush itself is covered with giant pink clusters of smaller pink blossoms. In many clusters there are as many bumble bees as there are tiny flowers. In the past I have had allergic reactions to bee stings so I did not want to test out my vulnerability with bumble bees.

I dared get close enough to the bee for this photo.

Cropped Photo for Close-up of the Bumble Bee

Original Photo

The Following is a Pencil Sketch of the previous photo.

Spring Flowers

2011-04-22T14:16:00.001-04:00

I love to take pictures of flowers.

It was pouring rain today, but I was able to get these photos.

My Mother loved flowers & always had gorgeous gardens. Apartment living has its drawbacks, but I am glad to find local plants in gardens and yards to film.

Sympathy Cards-Different Realities

2011-01-11T21:44:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of mine lost her husband this week to the effects of Parkinson's disease. Unlike others I have known, this man stayed gentle and kind to the very end. When I attended his funeral, his children shared the many aspects of their father. The funeral was more like a celebration of his life and accomplishments than any other event. The manager of my job knows one of this man's sons and has only glowing words to tell of him.

This first card is the sympathy card I gave his grieving widow, my friend.

This second card I gave my friends who have been friends of this man and his widow for over 45 years. Although they live in another state, they came to stay with my dear friend and to help care for her husband throughout the worst days of his illness.

Both of these families believe in the risen power of Jesus Christ and that the husband has gone home to be with his best friends and loved ones in a heavenly realm.

The inside verse thanks the second couple for their level of love unbound by measures and cords in showing true love for a friend, now gone. And wishes them condolences for the loss of their friend.

Face in the Hill

2010-12-17T19:37:00.001-05:00

Remember this picture? I took a similar one earlier this winter.
If you click on the picture, it should open up larger in your browser.

Now look above the last train car and below the house on the hill. Can you see the face in the hill? The other picture I took is just below this post and the face is not visible. Is it the lighting or is there really a face portrayed in the hill? See what you think.

Snow Before Christmas

2010-12-04T13:46:00.000-05:00

Sometimes common sense is better than an expert opinion. After all, we are in DECEMBER and Christmas is only 21 days away. We were supposed to have heavy snow storms in our area, but as of 2 pm this afternoon, the weather report may be wrong --at least , I hope it was a little wrong. This is the view across the river from my window.

We've had flurries all morning and the snow is just beginning to stick, especially in higher elevations. Feel free to download this picture as a background for your computer desktop, but do not link to my site. Thank you.

Further South

2010-11-15T20:11:00.003-05:00

These are photos from a local paper in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area from last Friday's snowstorm.

This final photos shows students on their way to class in Bemidji, Minnesota.

I am glad I live further south and we have only just had our first frost. Most of the leaves on our trees have fallen, so winter is coming, but I am glad we are not dealing with this kind of weather. At least not yet.

Missing Dad

2010-10-20T10:36:00.000-04:00

I have to admit that I am somewhat down this morning. I have been waiting for a job to call me back to tell me that they want to hire me. Almost no job does a background check\drug test if they do not plan on hiring you, yet here I wait.

I got an email from a friend to tell me her father passed away in his sleep this morning early. That little bit of news made me remember a picture I saw recently. And that picture reminded me of my Dad. It has taken me nearly six years to miss him. He was a cruel man, but time lessens all that and I wish I could tell him of my accomplishments and hope he would be proud of me.

This is the picture that reminded me of my Dad:

My father was a farmer and it was not unusual to see him walking across the fields.

The photo was clipped from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/39095182#39095182

65 Airmen Fallen from the Sky

2010-10-18T09:04:00.000-04:00

Ever wish you could see a different view?

2010-09-14T20:46:00.000-04:00

I find life to be extra hard some days. It seems as if there is too much life to handle. I wonder if I will ever get over some of the things that happen during life that tend to turn my hair white. . .

This picture was a black/white background on bing.com. I cleared the hazy view from the windows and added a view of a river barge loaded with coal. I took the photo from my new apartment window and shrunk it to fit in the windows of train.

The black & white image is taken from this site: http://www.sodesk.com/albums/wallpapers/widescreen/1920x1200/microsoft_windowsvista/normal_windowsvista-1920x1440-01-1067.jpg

Shoes

2010-08-28T17:34:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder what shoes I fill. Lots of shoes in this world. These are working shoes but for summer and gardens. They were sitting outside on the table to dry. I wonder what people think of me by the shoes I wear when I am shopping, or working, or sitting at my computer. Some people have whole closets full of shoes.

This week I must have grown an inch or so in maturity. It was such a hard week for me. A simple misunderstanding put my world in a tail spin that lasted for over 2 months. It's too bad there is not a hot line phone where you can call someone and say, "Tell me what to do." But then I wonder if I would follow the advice given.

MoJo Card Challenge June 2010

2010-06-28T17:48:00.003-04:00

Here is the card I created from the square sketch #145 this week:

The background flowers are in the garden out front.
A small scrap of a baby blanket under a paper frame.
A wooden pink dogwood flower replaces the star.
The inside sentiment simply says, "Thanks Mom!"

Butterflies and Summer Flowers

2010-06-16T20:18:00.002-04:00

I love looking at nature and taking pictures of it. My Mother was a gardener and loved to be outdoors. I, on the other hand, am allergic to both types of dirt -- the smell of it makes me ill. I love to take photos of flowers and butterflies, caterpillars, and spider webs. I do not like bugs, snakes, or spiders.

Here is a photo I took today when I was out:

The background is from Digital Arts Cafe designers, which is out of business.

I did not create the artwork,but I did take the photo.

Bleeding Hearts

2010-06-12T10:37:00.000-04:00

Bleeding hearts were my Mother's and Grandmother's favorite flowers. When I first lived in Florida, I was able to get a clipping of a white bleeding heart vine. My friend now has a wonderful house plant growing from that clipping.

This is a picture of this summer's red bleeding heart plant at her home.

Fav Digital Layout

2010-05-28T11:14:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite digital layouts. The pictures are from when I last lived in SW Florida. The elements and background are from ShabbyMissJennDesigns.com and the link to the kit Beach Shack can be found http://www.shabbymissjenndesigns.com/shoppe/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=126&zenid=c523071dc076044c85153dab60d6e43b

Wordle Practice

2010-04-22T14:18:00.002-04:00

For school today, we were required to create a Wordle using our personal leadership philosophy.
This is how mine turned out.

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1943535/Redo-_less_words

Some Days Feel Like Rain

2010-04-07T10:18:00.003-04:00

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2356/2083849596_78417acc58_b.jpg

Today, it feels like it is raining, even though the sky is bright and blue. It will be a wonderful day.

I am tired this morning, but already up paying bills and working on my assignments for school. I dreamed of Mom again last night. Sometimes, I see her in my dreams and I say, "Mom, come here I want to show you something." But when we get to what I wanted to show her, the picture has already changed. And then she is gone. I miss her so, but it is time for me to go forward into the beautiful day.

Crafts

2010-04-03T14:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I decided to make a number of blank greeting cards. Two of my senior friends now live in a senior facility and in an effort to help them and other residents in their care facility, I have sent many of these cards to them. My cards are not as fancy as store-bought greeting cards, but I can only hope that they bring a little bit of sunshine into a senior's life.

Here are some photos of those cards:

Into the Grey

2010-03-28T16:57:00.000-04:00

Starting a new journey can often feel like going on a journey into the fog or heavy mist. You do not know for sure where you are headed, only that you are going down a new road. It is a new adventure. It can be scary or great. A lot of how you look at it depends on your attitude.

This picture was taken on the top of a mountain in Jefferson National Forest in the middle of heavy fog and pouring rain. I could not see in front of the car more than a little bit and it was scary, yet I knew that even if I missed the road and fell off the mountain, everything would some how turn out alright.

I have to remember this when I start out again in a month on a journey to find yet another place to live and a new job. I know some of where I am going, just not the practical things, such as where will I live or work and how will I get what I want to bring with me to where ever it is I am going. A lot of questions now, but time will show me where I am headed. I just have to listen carefully and keep walking.

Newsworthy

2010-03-13T18:28:00.003-05:00

Remember what it felt like the first time you ever ate ice cream or visited an ill friend in the hospital? Sometimes, you have to step outside yourself and try something new. Today was like that for me. My current management is restructuring and my last day at my current job will be March 26, 2010. The future awaits.

What will it hold? Is it a gamble? Will I survive the next sequence? Only time will tell. But for now I have loose ends to tie and keep treading water as I have been doing.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Spring Card

2010-02-18T10:34:00.009-05:00

This is the first page of my sample video I created using Camtasia Studio. The link is at the bottom of this post.

References
The quilt is from a Smithsonian exhibit. The quilt was labeled appliqued and embroidered quilt top signed by Frances Jolly, N. C. Dated 1839.
The photo was found on http://www.riverviewgardenresort.com/gallery/large/river_meadow.jpg.
The picture of the ladies having tea or coffee was taken from http://www.debthelpideas.com

And here is the link to the video:
http://www.4shared.com/file/224592834/99fe56d3/Spring_Card.html

SAD times

2010-02-11T01:18:00.002-05:00

Winter months are a time of change. The world cools off and prepares itself for the year ahead. Every time zone experiences different winter months.

SAD_Times

Net Sufing

2010-01-17T15:47:00.001-05:00

Today, I found a site where I can watch church online in streaming video. I got so burned out after the Florida Revival hinted of being religious. Just a bunch of hypocrites. Overly emotional people. Always pushing God stuff on you. Never listening. I believe in God but wanted nothing to do with anyone that way. And the last 4 churches I have been involved with bordered on cult more than believing in a Holy Trinity or anything.

I love crafts and was surfing for templates and backgrounds for this site and found this site:
http://www.worldrevivalchurch.com/media/live.php You have to register to view their stuff, but it is worth it. The real church in near Kansas City, MO and is more than entertainment. I mean look at it. They are in Kansas City; part of middle America. Good old home values and all. Laid back conservative folks. Not taken to fake stuff. Kansas City, Missouri is where cattle drives were routed to to sell cattle in the 1800's. A slaughter town. Now they have this crazy, almost looney church that really gets you. Check it out. Let me know what you think.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-11-11T12:47:00.004-05:00

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Brown Sugar

¾ Cup Sugar

1 Cup Butter (softened)

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 Eggs

3 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Cream the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Add in chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for about 11-13 minutes. We like our cookies soft and chewy in the center and very lightly golden around the edges.
Recipe found here: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/01/16/sick-day-x-2/

Mom

2009-10-18T14:18:00.003-04:00

Did ya ever notice that even if you did not get along with your parents they taught you the basics of everything you ever needed in life?

My Dad was a horrible person to us kids most of his life, but changed 2 years before he died. All I ever wanted was an apology from him for the way he treated me. Two years before he died, he gave me that apology, but then I had to change. I had to forgive him and mean it. Yesterday, or last week. I began to miss him. And wonder why he would not let us share his life with him.

And even though I miss my Mom terribly and struggle with tears and crying on some weekends, I want to be like her. She was always ready for new adventure. I want to know more about them even though they are gone. And see who they were from someone else's point of view. But maybe my brothers and sister are still grieving and I should not bring up the subject just yet.

I wish you could see me now.....

2009-03-20T23:37:00.002-04:00

I am sitting at my computer desk working on paying bills and getting ready for the next few months. Because the heat in my apartment building has already been lowered in preparation for the warmer spring months, and I have been shivering for awhile, I got this "brilliant idea." Get a hat on. So I found one. I am wearing a turtleneck sweater with the arms wrapped around my face and the shirt trailing off behind me like a Romanic scarf. I am warmer but what an odd affair.

Next, April 4, 2009, I will begin an experiment, a great adventure if you will. But more about that later. 'Tis enough to say that I'm excited.

Did you get a copy of the book "The Shack" and read it? I found another copy and have already given one away and am beginning it again to see what I may have missed.

The Shack

2009-02-19T01:58:00.001-05:00

BMine (Valentine) Kit

2009-02-08T15:31:00.005-05:00

I made a new scrapbooking kit today.

This a picture of what is included in it.

To download it go to: http://www.4shared.com/file/85112480/43c2a62d/MSS_BMineKit_paper.html

http://www.4shared.com/file/85112602/66919967/MSS_B-Mine_Elements.html

Minneapolis, MN Snow Day

2009-01-31T13:38:00.003-05:00

I was just talking to a friend in Minnesota and wanted to add this LO that I had done a while back. One of the things about Minneapolis in the winter is how bleak and dreary the days can be. I tried to show that bleak outview in this LO that was of a time when the temperature outside was supposed to be below 60 degrees and the busses did not run. Sometimes it is just too cold to stand outside and wait for a bus.

Another view of Minneapolis, MN snow

Recording Heritage

2009-01-31T10:58:00.003-05:00

One of the things that gives me endless pleasure is recording my heritage in digital scrapbooking. I belong to several sites that offer new templates or sketches to complete the layouts (LO's). This is one of my most current LO's. The kit used was Winter Wonders by Adelina from digitalarts-cafe.com

Facebook

2009-01-25T08:49:00.005-05:00

I've just joined Facebook and am sharing life with my friends as well as supporting great causes like contributing to cancer research for St. Jude's Hospital in such fun games as a scavenger hunt. Come and see! There is no spam or spyware on the site. Click on the title to see.

New Beginnings

2009-01-24T00:14:00.004-05:00

It would seem that I am on a new journey. The last one ended quite unexpectedly a few weeks ago. My best friends in this city moved to Florida to retire. I am so excited for them as they begin a new chapter in their lives as well. How I wish I could find work in Florida but alas that will have to wait for now.

Here is a digital layout from their new journey and mine......

The sketch is from Jen Maceyunas and the elements are from a collaborative design package on Digital Scrap Book Pages.com

Jen's sketch link can be found here: http://digitalscrapbookpages.com/galleria/showphoto.php/photo/84276

Memories of Florida

2009-01-24T00:12:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite digital scrapbooking layouts. I used elements and background from a kit by ShabbyMissJennDesigns called Beach Shack which can be found here:

http://www.shabbymissjenndesigns.com/shoppe/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=126&zenid=c523071dc076044c85153dab60d6e43b

Winter has come

2006-12-30T09:52:00.003-05:00

Winter has Come

Ere in the time of chill
And winter skys be grey
Trees are seen though bare
Are full of life unseen.

Truth tis told,
Squirrels scamper up and down
Their bounty most unseen.

In whitened trees
yet bare, brown, stark
Sit against the dawn
For spring soon comes
Its banner flys
On hastening winter skys.

Here sit I in castle dim
And think of times not here.
No one knows nor speaks
The hour nor date
Whence comes the Son of Man.

M.Steever 1/24/2009 copyright