Three Corners~ Art

For the month of July, Jeanette choose the theme of ART. This theme was pretty easy, as I feel that art surrounds me. However, since I didn't sweat the theme, I found that I didn't take special time to capture photos for the theme. The month flew by, yet I easily was able to pick out three photos that fit the theme.







Please check out both Lindy and Jeanette's blogs to see the photos they choose this month as well.

Wordless Wednesday~Stuck Between a Rock.....

What I take pictures of....when there is NO SUNSET!

Last week, I shared the information that all summer long I have been after the perfect beach shots, but have been relatively unsuccessful.



We have had really strange weather this year.



Lots of wind.....and tons of haze.



I will head to the beach on a gorgeous evening, thinking I'll find just the right light.



Only to see a huge cloud and fog bank roll in minutes before sunset. ARGH!



It can be totally frustrating, BUT...I make the best of it, and aimlessly shoot anything that moves...



or doesn't move for that matter!

Camera Critters~Playing Opossum

Hubby got curious what sort of creatures were lurking in our back yard recently, so he borrowed a live trap. This adventurous little fellow had the misfortune to amble on in. I guess the tuna fish was irresistible.



Hubby was eager to show Sugar and I where the saying, "playing Opossum" came from.



I assure you...despite what it looks like, no animals were harmed in the making of this post. All hubby did as nudge the poor little fellow and he fell to the ground and did this....



And he stayed that way for 5 minutes.


He was good...you couldn't even see him breathe.



We backed off, and soon he took a little peek....



Then a bigger look...



...and he was up and running off back into the woods. I'm telling you....I haven't seen such good acting in all my life.



Happy Sunday Everyone!

Photo Story Friday~A Traveling We Go!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I chose the following photo to share today, as I settle down to bed after a long day of packing. The Sugar and I will be off on a mini vacation tomorrow, and will be away from the computer for SEVERAL days. We hope to have tons of fun things to share when we get back.

This photo was taken 2 years ago in July of 2006, after a long day at the "??????", we'll be going there again....and we are soooooooooooooooo excited. Can't wait to tell you all about it.

The Quirks of Corey

The ever fabulous Jeanette tagged me with the "6 quirks" meme, and since I have a ton of photos to edit....and this will be a quick little exercise, I figured, "why not?"

I've addresses several of my "issues" before here. So it MAY be a bit of a challenge to think of 6 more things that make me weird.

1. Since having Sugar Bear, I have developed a strong dislike for crowds. I am seriously annoying with my "let's not go on a weekend, there will be too many people!" comments. I will bend my literally inflexible self out of shape to figure out what we can do that will NOT include other people. I just get all antsy and weird thinking about taking Sugar Bear somewhere and having to deal with strangers.

2. The only condiment I like is Ketchup. I don't like Mayo, Miracle Whip, salad dressings of nearly any sort, mustard, sour cream ,and anything hot. I have forced myself to find a few salad dressings I can put up with though. Salads sort of just fall apart without dressing. I do eat my sandwiches pain, however. DRY!

3. I drink water 98% of the time. The other 2 % would be milk or some juice. Nothing else.

4. No matter the temperature I need at least 3 blankets covering me while I sleep. Every night, I still sleep with an afghan my Great Grandmother made me in 1984. It has held up amazingly. Not a single hole. WOW!

5. When I am reading the blogs in my reader I always start at the top work myself about a quarter of the way down, then go to the bottom and work my way about a quarter of the way up...then I jump around. I have no idea why I do this...but I do it EVERY time!

6. Okay...here is a Doozy! I can NOT believe I am going to share this one.......I must be nuts!!!! whew....deep breaths....deep breaths.....ready? By smell, I can identify who in the house just farted! Yup...it is a skill....a skill my husband finds rather disgusting and annoying. NO blaming the dog...you can't fool me.....I know who just tooted. I am certain I could identify Sugar's, Hubby's and the dog's with at least 99% accuracy. I'm cool like that. Bet you wish you were me, huh?

Okay....so if any of you are still here....and not pointing and laughing, go ahead and give this meme a try if the mood strikes you. I'll be hiding in the corner, not wondering, "who just farted?".......cause I'll already know!

Wordless Wednesday~Of Flowers and Bugs

For more Wordless Wednesday go HERE and HERE!

So Much For Relaxing.....

Sunday Evening, I sat back enjoying a magazine while Sugar Bear splashed happily in her kiddy pool teaching her baby doll to swim. I was thrilled that she seemed perfectly content to play by herself. This isn’t always the case, so I have to say I was pretty content. Kicked back in my Adirondack chair I cracked open the July 2008 issue of Parents magazine.

Before I became a parent, I was an avid recreational reader. I hate to admit that I haven’t read a “real book” in over a year. I occasionally read a photography book, or even a book on parenting, but no kick back and relax type of books here. It isn’t Sugar Bear’s fault. It is my own. I have replaced my old reading time with other hobbies. Ahem….blogging being one of them obviously. Photography takes up a large portion of this time as well. I do miss reading…..and I know I will be back to it someday. For now….I real blogs…and lots of magazines. You see, I find it much easier to pick up and quickly put down a magazine than a book. I simply do not get sucked into it. At the present time, I have entirely too many subscriptions thanks to E-bay. Sigh….did you know you can get magazine subscriptions CHEAP on e-bay? I’m talking CHEAP! I’ve gotten some pretty unbelievable deals on there, and I can’t pass up a deal. We are talking…..3 years Fitness, 3 years Self, AND 3 years Weight Watchers for………$6.44. Yup…….less than $7 I got 3 years….of all 3 magazines. WOW! My Parents subscription was 3 years for less than $7 as well. It is NUTS!

Anyhow….man, I sure know how to digress, huh? There I sat…..feet all up…..the Sugar more than happy, and I contented to do a little light reading. All was going well, I learned about the best sunscreens out this year, how I have warped Sugar Bear for life by letting her view TV before she was two, and how to tell the difference between many common rashes of summer. Great stuff…..I’m telling you. Then….(why is there always a then? )…I flipped the page to a promising article on page 90 entitled, “What Your Doctor, Babysitter, Preschool Teacher, (and all the other pros in your life) Really Want You To Know…But Wouldn‘t Dare Tell You To Your Face“. Going into to it I was intrigued by the idea, but experience has told me that I often already know what they are going to say.

The Daycare Provider opened the conversation explaining that she likes you to be on time at pick-up, pay attention to your child, not your phone when dropping off or picking up, and to follow the rules. Nothing new here…..I nodded and moved on. Next up, the Pediatrician reminded us that our children are not as fragile as we believe and that every little sniffle is not cause for concern….and definitely not anti-biotics. Again….DUH……old news. Got it!

Then the Preschool teacher took over. Here is where I need to interject that my bachelor’s degree is in early childhood education, and I used to be a preschool teacher. I no longer teach, but I work for a federally run preschool program for children of low-income families. I am very much in touch with this field of interest. As I read the first small paragraph, my nice, relaxed, moment of peace was rudely interrupted. I read with my teeth clenched . I’d like to say that the other two paragraphs authored by this preschool teacher made up for the first, but I can not. I shook my head, laid the magazine on my lap….and stared blankly in the direction of my child playing to contently in her pool. As I observed her joy, my mind raced through what I had just read, and the anger welled up in me. If my Sugar had not been in her pool, I would have immediately rushed to my computer to get these thoughts on paper, but I was tied to her side to ensure her safety. This allowed time for my thoughts to fester, and grow. I had hoped it would work itself out, but alas…here we are, hours later, and I am still worked up. What, may you ask, did this lady say? What could have riled the usually calm and carefree Corey? Let me tell you!

And I quote:



“If a parent doesn’t follow my directions, I’ll assume her child won’t either.” Basically, she goes on to explain that if a parent doesn’t follow through on filling out forms correctly, emailing instead of calling, or putting unacceptable foods in their child’s lunch it immediately “creates a bias against your child. And most teachers feel the same way.”



Sigh…….is it just me….or is this one of the saddest statements you have ever heard? Seriously? Seriously? She is saying that based purely on the parent’s ability to meet her expectations she can judge the child’s ability to succeed in her classroom? Seriously? Is that what she is saying? We are talking PRESCHOOL here. Don’t get me wrong…I fully understand the importance, as a parent, of providing a good example. I get that….I really do, but I can tell you right now, that my own personal middle age forgetfulness, has absolutely no baring on Sugar Bear’s ability to attend in the classroom. It burdens my heart to think that Sugar will be judged by MY own personality flaws. Please understand that I am not suggesting a parent not strive to follow the rules, and be prompt, and courteous, but I AM saying we all make mistakes, and it doesn’t mean our child will automatically make the same mistakes.

Miss Preschool Speaks For All, goes on to state, “the six most lethal words to a teacher at the end of class are ‘Hi! Do you have a minute?’ We hate that. Make an appointment. Likewise, don’t pretend you’re in my classroom to volunteer and then try to use that time to chat about your child’s progress. " Ugh…..again….is it just me, or does this woman not realize that as parents most of us are doing our best to provide for our family, and be a large part of our child’s education. If I innocently ask if you have a minute, I will respectfully understand if you don’t. Just be an adult and say, “I’m sorry, I don’t have the time your concern deserves today. Can we set up an appointment?” How hard is that? And if I am spending time in your classroom volunteering, you can entirely expect that I might ask you how my child is doing sometime while I'm there. It doesn't mean that is the ONLY reason I came. ARGH!

Lastly……according to this particular preschool teacher she knows the biggest secret among teachers. Like to hear it? Ummmm yeah......... you have a reason to be weary, but here it is, and I quote:



“Just as you have a preferred teacher you want for your kid next year, we have preferred students we want for our classrooms. (okay….fair enough….she should have stopped here…..but she didn’t. ) How to become a preferred family? Start each school year by sending your teacher this email: ‘Please provide me with a wish list of ten things you would like for your classroom. ’ She’ll ask for things like Post-it notes, a chess set, a 50 cent deck of cards. When you spend maybe $20 on these items, it goes through the grapevine that you are here not just for your kids but for the entire class-that this is the family that cares about the community, whose child is probably a team player too. “



Okay…..I needed a serious deep breath after reading that. Is this lady seriously suggesting that the only way to become a preferred family, and have your child seen as a “team player” is to spend money in the classroom? WHAT? Again with the child being valued or de-valued by something entirely based on the parents actions. I’m sorry but my financial ability to spend $20 in her classroom should have no baring on my child’s ability to be a part of the community. And this is the biggest secret among teachers? If you ask me….it should have remained a secret.

In my opinion, this article quickly made all teachers out to be whiny, judgmental individuals that base their opinions of the children they work with on the parents ability to meet her standards both personally, and financially. SAD…..I’m telling you SAD. This is an embarrassment to the profession, and a disgusting way to look at life. I am not blind, and I have seen that some people do base their feelings about a child on whether they like the parents or not, but seriously…..should teachers be dong this? Should they actually be encouraging parents to play along with this? “You better suck up to me….or your child will not succeed!"

As a professional in this field, I can think of a whole slew of things that would have been more appropriate to share with parents. Things that would actually help their child’s success in school. Things that would help parents understand the important role they play in their child’s education. Instead, the editors at Parents magazine chose to advise parents how to behave so that their child will not be discriminated against. If this really is the “normal” thought process of the average preschool educator…..I suppose I am glad I know now. Maybe it is time to re-consider home schooling.

Help Me, Help My Friend, Help Her Friend

If that title doesn't confuse you......you are getting way more sleep than me these days.

Please take a quick moment to visit my gal Jo, over at her blog and read this post. I just desperately want to do my part to spread the word. There just has to be someone out there that can help.

Thank you my friends. I appreciate each and every one of your caring souls!

When A Good Cause Gives Me The Push I Need

This is Me. This is the ME that most people in my life have known for nearly 20 years. I have had roughly the exact same hairstyle since I was a sophomore in High School. My hair is naturally curly, which unlike most folks with curly hair, I love. My hair has always been something I have been rather proud of. By in large it is the one feature I can usually count on people noticing and commenting on. My entire life, I have left it unaltered, all natural.



Over the years, my hair has changed bit by bit. Especially after giving birth to Sugar Bear, I noticed a texture change and a darkening of color. I also found that over the years, I tended to get as lazy as ever, and simply just pulled my hair back into a low pony or a high bun. Oh a whole, I rarely take the time to actually style my hair. I shower at night, pull it all up in a bun, and upon awakening I'll just throw the sides up in a barrette and go.



Since last September, I have been very dissatisfied with my hair. I wanted something different, but change makes me anxious, so I found every reason to just wait....and do nothing. NOTHING!

A few months later, Lis Garrett posted about her intention to donate her hair to Locks of Love along with her daughter sometime this year. She encouraged her readers to consider it as well.
I had been interesting in this particular organization for several years but hadn't seriously considered it based on the fact that my hair was layered. You need at least 10 inches to donate, and my shorted layer was no where near that in the past.
Taking Lis' suggestion, I looked into the process a bit more. Here is a snippet from their website:

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

Sometime in May, I made the decision to donate my hair. Given my change induced anxiety, it took me another month and a half to make the appointment. In June, Lis made the cut, and started a Flickr Group called Bloggers for Locks of Love. The excitement started to build and I am thrilled to be a part of this great project.



Tuesday I took the plunge. Not only did I cut my hair shorter than it has been since I was 13 years old, I had it highlighted for the first time in my life. WOW! Talk about change. What do you think?







One of my biggest worries revolved around the fact that I despise having hair falling in my face. I wanted to be sure that I would be able to pull it up out of my face whenever I wanted. I am so pleased with this hairstyle because I can easily put the sides up as well.





It appears that I may still be able to get ready in 5-10 minutes also. A few squirts of water, some curling cream, and I'm ready to go. WOO HOO! Why did I wait so long?
I guess sometimes....I just need a shove.