I'm not quite sure I did it right...

Here it is my first experiment in Letterpop. It is still limited in its uses and I find that if you want to upload pictures, it is much faster to downsize them first. I made a 2006, a year in pictures. It was a quicky. The people at Letterpop are trying to integrate with Flickr so that you can upoad directly from there... I think that is a great idea.
Letterpop.

It isn't perfect, but take a look. There are some fun things that can be done here.

Yesterday was one of those peaceful days. Christmas day without pressure!!
We bundled up and hubby went with me on a ride. My goal was to find the ice falls in PeeWees woods. It was very cold and very poor footing for the mules but we made it there and back. Morris went with and he was one tired pooch by the end of the travels. Pictures of all the adventure is on Flickr.

Coming soon ...

If you have Flickr, you need to try Letterpop...will send link as soon as I finish my first project.

I'm trying to do a family Christmas get together and creation just for fun...and of course Teslin's Vacation in Folsom, WI!!!

To light the way

To light the way
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

On Christmas Eve I wait for the magical man...some call him St. Nick, some call him Santa. I call him/her...a spirit. I'm not a religious person, not raised in a religous family.
But I was raised to believe in miracles and spiritual things, things of magic and imagination.

So I know I will glimpse the merry spirit of the magical night of nights. I always feel a special stirring in my blood as I sit in the dark with the tree lights to light the way.

The night is quiet as if it waits also.
In my heart, the child believes.

A magical time of year

I'm a huge fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I play and replay their albums that I own. I read and re-read their lyrics. It isn't just the music which gets you, it is the WORDS.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra link.

These words strike me so hard each time I hear them...I only quote a portion of the song:

THE NIGHT SEEMS TO CARE
THE DREAMS IN THE AIR
THE SNOW’S COMING DOWN
IT BECKONS ME DARE

IT WHISPERS, IT HOPES
IT HOLDS AND CONFIDES
AND OFFERS A BRIDGE
ACROSS THESE DIVIDES

THE PARTS OF MY LIFE
I’VE TRIED TO FORGET
IT’S GATHERED EACH PIECE
AND CAREFULLY KEPT

SOMEWHERE IN THE DARK
BEYOND ALL THE COLD
THERE IS A CHILD
THAT’S PART OF MY SOUL

Mother Mother oh what?

I talked with my cousin last nite and my aunt who is my mom's oldest sister. Myrtle and I talked for a long time as did Sharon and I.
I found out that my mom's place is up for sale. On the way to work today I really wanted to call and talk to her[my mom]. After all, 7 yrs is such a long time not to speak. I used to write letters, sent cards, and this year kept up with the Xmas card.
No reply. [None from sister either]

So I looked up mom's phone # on the internet to confirm that I had the right number from memory. Oh I did. But what a shock to find out that she changed her name? Is that for real? She dropped her last name of 50 some years and took her dead boyfriend's name? Can a person do that?
Wow, is that ever odd. Now I am even feeling more and more strange.

I'm not going into my family's closet here on the internet...nope keep THAT door closed. But gosh, makes one wonder eh?

It is OVER

Anticipation
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

My final exams, my tests...at least for the next two weeks I can enjoy some Flickr time, some photo time and some time spent carefree.

My son and his wife leave for Sweden tomorrow evening and return on the 23rd. They entitled us to the care of their beloved Teslin [our 'grandoggy']. Tonite she is curled up under my feet on her pillow making growing and snoring noises.

When they get back we'll have a Christmas together. The presents under the tree look so inviting and pretty. It is almost a shame to unwrap them. I rather like just looking at them.

When I was a child the packages only held promises of toys and new things to play with. Now I just like to admire their colors and patterns.

Last day of School!!!

Antique ornaments
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

I am sooo looking forward to finishing my final this morning with a cup or two of coffee. I've dedicated this week to taking pictures of ornaments and trying to create some 'looks' with them.
If the weather co-operates today I am going outside for a bit.

I'm actually getting pretty excited about Christmas. Of course the whole 'in law' family is going to be here Friday and gone on Sunday. They have other 'families' that they have to be with. So it looks like I'll have Christmas day to make sure I can get out and ride.

I have to get my butt in gear and get presents wrapped and cards finished. These at least will be pleasant jobs.

The pressure is on...

crkbottombw
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

It comes down to this, I just finished taking a final exam in Medical Terminology and am preparing for the unit on Chapter 7 for this week. I checked and double checked my answers and was sure I was right. Yet to my horror [and you'll think this is funny]--I got three answers wrong out of 200 points.

I don't know how this works out in the long run, but one would think I'd be satisfied with passing which I know I have. But dang it I sure wanted to get as close to perfect as possible.

Now for my A&P class.

Wound up tight

My Friend
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

That is me right now. It is late--or early depending on your view. I can't sleep, keep going over my A&P test and thinking of next week's exams. Trying to keep up the good scores I've been getting and it is driving me bonkers.

3 wks of assignments with perfect scores. 2 tests with 98% and one with a 100%--essay. Yikes, I want to keep it up so I'm trying too hard?

Well tomorrow is a day with grandkids so I'd better get to sleep so I can play adventures with Ariel.

No such thing

Tree glowing
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

As a perfect Christmas but I have one each year. Each year I sit and look at my tree and remember Christmas's past. Oh the past ones of my childhood were not perfect either, but if one squints their eyes and pretends just a little, the past can be a great place.

I remember the year I got a stuffed zebra for Christmas. That was about the best in the world. I remember the year I got a Barbie Doll AND a GI Joe. The GI Joe was much cooler, he beat up Barbie.

Legos.
My brother got Legos and we all played with them. The Legos were hard plastic and broke easily. We made castles for our 'eraser' animals. Long hours were spent in the basement away from the prying eyes of a parent.
Those awful GI Joes! Those naughty Barbies.

Christmas was never perfect, but it always brought about a new adventure with some new toys.

I found a JRT under my tree!

I found a JRT under my tree!
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Morris is really looking forward to Christmas can't you tell? Actually the heater was running when I took this and he was basking in the warmth from the blower. I swear that dog can tell exactly when the blower is going to click on. He is RIGHT there.
He has gotten over missing his 3 yr old little buddy finally. He moped around the house for 3 days after Ariel left. He had so much fun dancing with her and playing tug of war. Ariel was a great toy ... and I think Ariel thought he was a wonderful toy.

Now in a couple of weeks Morris gets to have Teslin for a week. It is pretty fun to have the two dogs together. Teslin thinks Morris is her personal chew toy. I can't wait to take walks with them while her 'parents' are in Sweden.

The good news is that I'll be on Christmas break from school so I'll be able to have all sorts of adventures with the two dogs. When Teslin has to go on the 24th, Ariel will be coming to stay...

Poor Morris, he's going to have severe withdrawals after the Christmas Holiday.

Getting Tagged!

Hmmm, six things about me that are wierd?
1. I like to read books and have a hard time getting rid of them when I have finished them. When I read I cannot hear anything that goes on around me.

2. I love camoflauge clothing! Okay so it isn't stylish, but I like to flit about the woods as invisible as I can be.

3. I hate dresses, hate stockings, and loathe dressing up. Although when I do I must admit I can look nice.

4. I'd rather ride a mule or horse than eat or sleep.

5. I absolutely love to hike in the rain and in snow storms. The more wicked, the better.

6. Wierd, wierd? Okay, I don't have 6 others to play tag with! So isn't that wierd?
So take THAT! ha ha ha! This is my Pillsbury Doughboy and he oversees all of my computer work and makes sure that I do all my homework. If I get frustrated with something I am doing, I can knock him down and he still smiles at me. Now how is that for a friend?
Gosh I cannot wait for a break from my studies...although I am very excited to say that I got a 100% on my last Anatomy and Physiology Exam. They are essays, I mean no multiple guess test.
I do worse on my multiple choice tests for my terminology and I haven't a clue...
Well off to slumber land. I have muscles to twitch in lab and skeleton bones to memorize...
terms to read...

It gets definitely strange [wierd] when you go to sleep thinking of anatomical body parts and their names.
;-)