What Stresses Me Out!

Due to my addiction to love of Pinterest I've been finding lots and lots of great ideas and have even put many of those into action the past few weeks... update on that next!


But today I found something I didn't like... kind of like my special folder on foodgawker labeled... stuff I'm never gonna make... more on that later as well ; )


I'll tell you... I had a physical reaction as I read this post!  Heart palpitations, jitters, feeling of claustrophobia, blurred vision.  I guess part of that could be the coffee I'm drinking, but I've been a coffee drinker for a solid 9 months now ; ) so I'm gonna blame it on the 'Stress Inducing Room' (SIR).


Please, take a moment... visit it here!


At first I was jealous and wanted a 'Crafty Space' as well.  I already have a cabinet, small closet and desk dedicated to all things crafty, artsy, sewing and wrapping related.  But the more I saw, the more I wanted out of the SIR!
Did you read the part where she said her 'formal living room', the living room you see as you walk into the front door was transformed into the SIR??  And the dining room, directly adjacent, was the playroom?  I am not kidding you, my chest feels tight just writing this! **fanning self**
Again, not kidding, I am learning A LOT about myself right now.


Anyway, it looks fun at first, but there is just too much for me.  I am a stay in the box kind of person.  I am not artistic and creative.  My home does not nurture free spirit thinking.  Not on purpose, it's just the girl I am!  My brain simply does not even contain the ideas to necessitate a 'Crafty Space'.  Not to mention having to see it all the time, the SIR cannot be hidden, you cannot close the door, it doesn't even get cleaner or more organized than seen in the photos, that was the SIR at it's best!  Then there is the mess, can you imagine what it takes to keep that place clean, and what, with the cat barfing all over the place... I'm sorry... did you not get that far?... here:
                               To the right of the fireplace is our electric piano for “E”s lessons

(covered in a quilt so the cat won’t barf on it —AGAIN)

Okay, okay, that's not a SIR problem... that is a CAT problem.  Different.

Lastly, and most importantly, I need to know, where do all the crafts that come out of the SIR go?  Where?  I'm thinking there must be some sort of SIR part II, a place where all the peep diorama boxes, fairy gardens, glitter glue jewelry boxes, pine cone elves, recycled milk jug baskets, pom pom milkshakes and clothespin mermaids go to die?

Sad day, Pine Cone Elves!

Oh, and sad day, Strecker kids.  Looks like our nonexistent hopes of an artistic future are dwindling...

Grandpa

Yesterday, on grandpa's 89th birthday, we celebrated his life, but he wasn't there.
I have fond memories of my grandpa, he was always thinking and always trying to get others to think.  I appreciate now that he was always pushing us to think more and never treated us kids like we were, well, kids.  For example, we traveled a lot when I was young, I will always remember grandpa Shiplet randomly asking me which way was north?  It's thinking like that that has made me a navigational genius.  Okay, maybe not, but to this day, I am always aware of which direction is north.

This is taken from the handout at his memorial service yesterday:

May 18, 1922 - May 14, 2011

Thomas Shiplet was born in Big Timber, Montana on May 18, 1922.  He went to school in Ringling, MT where he was on the track team, basketball team and football team.  He graduated Valedictorian of the class of 1940 and was awarded a scholarship to the University of Montana.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering and began a career with the Army Corp of Engineers.  During his career he worked on dam projects in South Dakota, missile projects in Wyoming and Colorado, and worked for NASA in Ohio concluding his career.

Tom was married to Gene Meyer on March 17, 1954 (in New Orleans, LA).  He was the father of four children; Gary, Ida, Irene and Kathy, the grandfather of Kim, Liz, Mindy, David, Amy, Stefanie, Kristen, Sara, Cody, Ty, Megan and Matt.  He was the great-grandfather of Kyla and Colby.

He enjoyed yearly trips to Montana to round up cattle and put up hay.  He traveled extensively for pleasure.  His greatest pleasure in life was restoring Volkswagens.  He gardened throughout his life.  He also enjoyed tent camping, fishing and hiking.

Tom lived a wonderful, long life and spent many hours in his garage helping others.  He was always thinking.  He enjoyed a good conversation and a cup of McDonald's coffee.

Spring in Colorado

Just now I took two pictures.  One out the front window of my house:

Note the green grass, trees full of leaves and lilac bushes with flowers starting to bloom.  Not seen in photo:  Daffodils and tulips.

Then I walked through the house and took a picture of my backyard:

Note:  Not ONE leaf seen on any tree in my yard, mostly dead grass, snow and ice on deck.  Not seen in photo:  Pikes Peak, covered in clouds, most likely being snowed on.

Spring in Colorado = ADD, ADHD or possibly Bipolar Disorder.

Whatever it is, it needs medication.  And it needs to FOCUS, on summer!

After a few snow showers passed through yesterday, May first, I decided that while others suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) during January and February, those of us in Colorado experience it in April and May.  While is seems like the rest of the country is rolling down hills covered in grass, we wear sunscreen while skiing, or ski in bikinis.

Okay, that last one was a bit sarcastic... but as it turns out, with a simple google image search (my fav!) its actually quite common.
As is 287,000 results common.

In fact, it has been "proven" that 99.99% of the time it is more likely that we will have snow on Easter rather than on Christmas.
(**This is not scientific research**)

In my 'neck of the woods', we don't get extreme weather (well, unless living in a dessert with trees is extreme), it's just rather, unpredictable.  Our meteorologists don't even try to predict the weather during this time of year... they just put out the "Trends" for the next 13 days

**okay, they do a real forecast too**

Here, I'll tell you the forecast for the next 13 days:  nice, snow, nice, snow, windy, snow, windy, hot, cold front... wind.

You get the point.  But if you don't, last Thursday I laid out in my backyard, in a bikini, smoking hot-- no really, I was sweating it was so hot out.  I got burned, like lobsta lobsta (translation: lobster) burned, it still hurts.  But on Saturday the high temp was 38 with snow on Sunday.  Got it now?

Now... where's my medication... er I mean, c'mon Summer!!!  I miss youuuuu!