Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Pioneer Woman

Last week I went looking in the www for a recipe for pioneer beans and I stumbled across this website that has completely consumed all my free (free?) computer time. I'm sorry I didn't post anything sooner. This lady is a hoot! Her website is www.thepioneerwoman.com and you must go there right away. Right now, go. She has recipes, (if you want a coronary bypass) but her best stuff is actually photography. She has step by step tutorials on Photoshop and even has her own free downloadable actions. You can even print your own photos from her gallery for free and she has giveaways- like a Kitchenaid mixer and Photoshop cs3! No lie- free stuff. For free. Anyway, wedding girl has taken over my life and sick monkeys and last week of school... I think I have given you an idea of my crazy life right now. Oh, and #4 monkey got the humanitarian award in her class and #5 monkey got the art award that was given out by the art teacher no less! I love being a mom.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Prairie Angels

Here is an incredible painting by Leon Parson. He is an art professor at BYU-Idaho. If I could do college over again I would have majored in fine art instead of interior design. I like designing homes but the client always gets in the way of my freedom. In painting you are the boss. Anyway, back to Leon, I asked him if he would sell this painting titled "Prairie Angels" and
a) I have no money to buy it, and
b) He's not selling.
But, he made prints and you can get one at http://www.onewest.net/~parson/LeonHome.html
I bring him up because I want to do a painting like this of my great -great grandmother who walked across the plains in 1856 with the Ellsworth company when she was just five years old. I'm trying to get it done for my family reunion. I wanted to know if anyone would be interested in having a copy. Let me know. I'll post pics as soon as I get them.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day


Happy Mother's Day to me. I am the luckiest woman alive. Eight children are definately a joy to have and on the "Spoil your Mother" Day it is the best. My 20 year old sent me a homemade card that was so cute and sweet. I also got to talk to him for about 40 minutes. That was awesome. # 4 gave me a wonderful pendant that has a "M" on one side and a crown on the other. I love it. It was made by my friend Kathy Jones. You can buy one for yourself here http://www.charlenecharms.blogspot.com/ All the other monkeys gave me the best handmade gifts and poems. #3 and #4 are great poem writers. All my kids have artistic abilities. I hope they use them to relieve their stress like I do. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Friday, May 9, 2008

The start of my Blog

I am going crazy. My daughter is getting married and is falling ill at the same time. Not the flu or a cold ill but episode of "House" ill. We have taken her to neurologist and the ER for CAT scans- nothing. Not that I want there to be something, but we would like to know why she is having fainting spells and seizures. Maybe she is allergic to work. I know I am. So here I go and start a blog. Maybe I'll get some pictures in it, even though my Canon 20d got stolen. (The best camera ever!) That is another story altogether.