The last time I blogged, which was oh so long ago, I talked about my bucket list. One of the things on my list was to be published in one of the issues of Stampington. I accomplished that goal and I am proud to say that my lampshade is in the current issue of Somerset Memories! It's just a picture and a little blurb about the shade but it's in there and my name is there. And this blog is there so I decided I better get on it and blog!

The whole idea of a "bucket list" came about because of going through the awful of ordeal of finding out my oldest daughter had breast cancer. I think it was part of what helped me get through those long months of chemo and her recovery from surgery. She is one year out from surgery and doing fantastic. Just when I thought we were done with cancer my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The start of another journey through cancer just about put me in a tail spin. And there went my desire to share and blog right down the drain. He is now one month recovered from surgery! My lampshade is in print and once again I am going to move forward and start blogging and creating. Thanks Stampington for once again giving me much needed motivation!

And, here is a sideways picture of my lampshade. Haven't figured out how to turn this picture around yet so it's staying like this. The picture in Somerset doesn't show it on the wagonwheel hub because I couldn't send it to them due to the weight. I found the hub at a yard sale in Arizona and never could find the right shade for it so I got busy and made this one using alot of the things I learned in an online workshop by K.C. Willis. I love fabric collage!

 

So, here's to new beginnings on the blog and hopefully a lifetime of never hearing that one of my loved ones has cancer!

I Started A Bucket List

Well, I started it about a year ago. It all began with life altering circumstances. One word that stops you in your tracks and makes everything else seem so insignificant.

CANCER

One word and all of a sudden your whole life changes. So, when my daughter was diagnosed with cancer I did what I had to do. I left my job that day. I couldn't think straight enough to do my job and my boss wasn't one to put up with anything less no matter what the circumstances.  I went straight to Colorado where she lives and talked to Oncologists, and Surgeons. Plans were made and I came home to California for a few weeks to pack. Yup, we moved from California to Florida during all of this. We drove across the country, moved into a new house and I went about the business of making sure (as much as one can) that my daughter would get well.

That's been about one year ago. Chemo is over. Surgery is over. Three month check with the Oncologist is over and they say she is "cancer free".  So back to the bucket list. I kept saying to myself..."just get through this and do the things you've always wanted to do". That's a bucket list right?

One thing I always wanted was to make something that was worthy of being published. Why not? So many of my friends have been published. Why not me? Why? Because I have never thought of myself as an "artist" much less anything else. But it was something I wanted. So, I did it. I made something for me and thought it might just be good enough. It was for a challenge that Stampington had put out in Somerset Memories. The challenge was to show a way to display your photos that was not in a book.

After months of waiting I got the e-mail I had been waiting for. They are going to publish it! But not in the issued I had submitted it for. They are holding it for publication in Spring of 2013! Woo Hoo! Bucket list item number 1...check!



I probably picked a bad time to start a blog and keep up with it like I should but here is a little update on what has been keeping me busy.

We drove here, Dothan Alabama

To pick-up these two mischief makers. Mom is back to work and was left without a sitter for the month of July! So off to Grammy and Papa's they went.

They have been doing alot of this. We have a community pool and Mason (the youngest with the water wings) makes me nervous! Dylan is a great swimmer.

We took them to Titusville for some swimming in the Atlantic. Doesn't every kid need to be able to say they have gone swimming in the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean?

And just to round off their ocean experience we took them to Clearwater which is on the Gulf. They spent the day boogie boarding and still making me nervous!

We thought they could use these in the Gulf since it is called Clearwater right? Didn't happen. There was a storm that churned up all of the sand so snorkeling was out.

Back to the pool and little Mason has decided that he no longer needs his water wings. Here's proof for his mom that he is swimming in the deep end with no help!

And yes, I am still nervous about it!

They will be here with us for 6 more days and then Dad comes from Alabama to pick them up and drive them back to Colorado. These are two well traveled guys!

I'll post more about all of the other adventures we have had. They include lots of alligators!

Thoughts about building a blog

Some things I thought about last night...

My blog is plain and I would really like to "dress it up".

I know alot of people have moved on from blogging but I love the blogs of the people that have hung in there. I am sure there are lots of people out there that would like to blog and are just like me. Not completely computer illiterate but certainly not computer savvy either. Who are you? I would love to hear from you.

I am certainly not in the position to pay someone to build my blog for me. I am determined to do this myself but I sure could use some pointers. Are you with me? Let's find someone who would like to tutor some blogging fledglings. We could make this a self-help group! I'm not looking for a full on "Build A Blog" class just someone who would offer tips and tricks but allow us to figure some things out for ourselves. Does that make sense?

Let me know...is anyone out there willing to explore building a blog with me?

So, here it is. Nothing fancy to say the least. And I know my graphic designer friends (you know who you are) are going to cringe. But, it's mine and I will continue to work on it. Nothing colorful, I have never been colorful. My previous blog Pariscowgirl was built by the super talented Michael Jack Putman of Jack and Cat Curio. Unfortunately I was not quick enough on the trigger to take the name for FB or a web site. I was busy dealing with other important things like a move to Florida from California and a daughter with cancer. So, to spare the confusion I decided to start a new blog and this was available. And, it's me...Once A Cowgirl~Always A Cowgirl!

This will be short tonight. But here is an explanation of the pictures. I started with a beautiful pair of boots that I found on google but in my reading I quickly learned that there are copyrights and intellectual laws to be followed. So, I decided to use my own pictures! That makes it simple. That's me on my beloved Quarter Horse Be or Beezur as I called her. Keep in mind that this was about 35 years ago! Yikes! The horse on the top right is Wally one of my daughters boyfriends horse. The horse on the bottom is Gus my daughters horse. The goofball in the middle is Gus being himself! I love that his tongue looks like an upside down heart on the tip!

Feel free to look back at my old blog. It's totally me. It has stories about my life in Arizona and my move to California. How I met my husband and all the things that I love. As you will see I love all things Country. Wide open spaces, horses, chickens, cows, gardens, country music, and first and foremost my friends and family! Hope you enjoy what I have to say!