Of Lights and Links...

The lights are off the house and tomorrow we tackle the inside of the house. After Christmas Eve and day...I get a bit Christmas'd out. Or it might have something to do with putting it all up so early! :-)

The kids and their loot...


We had a really nice Christmas! Fudge, Food and Family, not necessarily in that order. Everyone got exactly what they wanted...for me that was my All Edges Brownie Pan.
Bakers Edge

As long as I'm sharing links, here's a few more for you...

I have this new addiction lately, Online Scrabble! I'm not sure if I should thank Janie for introducing this to me, or do bodily harm to her! :-) It's just like regular board game Scrabble, just when you think you're winning the person you are playing with ends up stealing the game! :-)
Online Scrabble


A gal from my online reading group is currently living in Dakar, Senegal and is involved in a English Speaking Women's Group there that are doing wonderful things. She was recently talking about this little school she visited, and I made up a little page for her. If you are sick of your kids whining about things, have them read this, it might just put things in perspective for them...
African School

I was telling a couple of people about this, it's a site that matches a candidate to your views.
I got exactly who I thought I would......do you?

Candidate Match Game

Brian and I have spent most of Christmas vacation at the movie theater it seems...
The Kite Runner
National Treasure
Walk Hard
Sweeney Todd

Have a wonderful New Years!

M

My babies!

Hello there!

Most of you remember the drawings of the boys that I had done. There's a picture of one to the left, Sue, the extremely gifted woman that did these just finished some little acrylics for the dogs. I wanted just the dog's face on a 5x7 canvas, and for her to paint a little whimsey frame around their heads, sent her some pictures and thats it.

I got them today, and they are the most adorable little paintings you have ever seen!

Just click on the pictures to see them bigger.

Here's the duo for the mantel-


Close-up of Montana


Close-up of Lego


Sue does the most incredible work, I cant recommend her enough. The link to her site "The Art of Surprise" is on the left there. I cant imagine money better spent than on one of these portraits, her talent is amazing.

I've gotten tears in my eyes when opening the package each time.

Merry Christmas everyone......and Sue, thanks for making my Christmas very special!

M

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to post the Moore's Christmas webpage for this year. We aren't very exciting people and this one just might do you in!

Just go here, and then Christmas '07

http://www.ivmoores.com/

I just have a little bit more cookie making to do, but otherwise Im kicking some serious holiday ass!

Stay warm!

M

Who took November?

Where did the month go?

I made two sites and graphics for friends. One for Custom Kilts and another for these very cool Horse hair bracelets...yeah horse hair. Thats one of the prettiest sites Ive made.

Collins birthday was the 24th of November, Saturday. He wanted to share the cost of a Wii. We had been looking since August for one and couldnt find one. On a whim I looked in Seattle when I was there and found one! I should of bought the three they had, they are going for double on Ebay for Christmas.

Barry and the kids also came that Saturday. Spent the night. The boys watched football on Sun. and the girls and I went to lunch and shopping to pick out their gifts.

House is decorated inside and out, the cookies made and packages sent, and most of the shopping done. Im gonna take a week off! :-)

Got the best package in the mail today. Some from my reading group make and exchange ornaments. Nobody knows what people are making or sending, so its always a suprise. One very nice lass Sue organizes and sorts them all sends them out. I just made a youtube thingie today on all the ornaments that were made this year.



Another Sue *g*, I know is painting the dogs portraits for me. Shes the gal that did the incredible drawings of the boys, her link is on the left. I will post when they are finished.

Hope all is well where you are!

M

Weeeeeeeee're Back!

We are all home and back to normal!

Sunday the 14th I went up to South Bend to do the annual Hospice Walk. We are down to one mile and a hot fudge sundae afterwards. Again it was Fr. Bill's treat on the sundae, I reminded him again I was a cheap date then proceeded to ask how much a sundae was the last time he took a girl out. Well it seems in 1949 a sundae was 35 cents and Im not such a cheap date after all! Fr. Bills retirement home is directly across the street the street from St. Marys college.

After the Hospice walk I met Gretchens daughter , my God daughter Rachael MICHELLE at St. Marys and we went for dinner. Got a little mini tour of St. Marys college which after 14 years of living near there I had never seen. It's beautiful! Rachael has lost some weight it seems that the cooks at St. Marys has nothing on Gretchen......I doubt their brownies are nearly as good! I will be back Rachael although you do make me miss your momma!

That week I also went on my annual trip to Surrey, Canada. I host a little get together with one of my favorite authors and a bunch of fun people off my reading group. We just have the best weekend together. I had mentioned at one time I hated bananas and anything to do with them so they all planned a Banana Intervention in which I was given a lovely banana hat, jewelery, cookbooks, singing gorilla and more. Dared to eat a piece of banana. It was bascially Fear Factor for me, although seeing Ginny in a giant banana costume eased the fear a bit.



Ginny aka banana lady and Gayle are two of the funnest women I know! They remind me of me and Gretchen they have fun wherever they go! Although I'm thinking there is nothing in the world that would get Gretchen in a banana costume!



While driving up from Seattle, I stopped for some snacks for the gathering and found Collin a Wii! He really wanted one for his birthday, so much so he's is paying half the cost of it, and we have been looking for month to no avail, so as petty as it sounds it was a highlight of my trip.

Then the day after I got home we all left for a family trip to Disney World. Staying at Port Orleans as usual. Weather was hot, but overcast, so nice. Not unbearable hot, and not a lot of rain either. Brian got Ian on Everest coaster this year. This is usually the last ride they go on at Animal Kingdom, we had ponchos this year so they were basically dry when they got off.

click on the pic and they are on the top left.



Brian and I took a behind the scenes tour of Disney. You had to be 16 to take the tour, so Ian and Collin went off by themselves. It was pretty neat, we went down into the basement of the Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is actually built one story up and there is a basement below the main circle of it. We also went to where they build and maintain the floats for the parade, and behind the gates where the parades start and finish so you saw a lot of people running around getting their costumes on, and one lady running around with just a green witch chin. What we learned most was, for as much as people think we are Disney crazy.....we are not! *grin*

We left out of Chicago so the doggers spent the week with grandma and pa and we got to visit some too, which was great! By Sunday we were all beat, and I drove three sleeping boys and two snoring dogs home.

Ian and I both caught something. Ian came down with it Sunday afternoon, and me Monday night. I thought it was a cold but it seems it may be the flu. Which is not to horribly bad since I get to sit on the puter alot and should lose the three pounds I gained on my vacations.

Hope all is well on your end!

M

Och-tober!

I can't believe it's October already.

The last weekend in September was niece Kim and her new husband Mike's wedding! Cheryl, Brent and Rosebud came in for the weekend from Texas. Brent and Rosebud took notes since they are getting married in May. For those of you that have seen Georgia's girls, you know how beautiful they are, you may not know that they have the kindest of hearts - just like their mom.
Kim, being kissed by Jamie and Mom...

Kim and Mike...

Girls (well me) like Mike because he kills spiders for us. Boys like him, because he use to race motorcycles.

He is a wonderful sweet man, and if him and Kim have half the marriage their parents do, they will be very happy! They will be making their new home in Dallas, we will miss them way too much and expect them home in two years tops.....no pressure Kim and Mike, but two years or we come get ya!:-) Cheryl can't have you forever! Matter of fact we might just drag Cheryl's ass back with ya! Cheryl, you can only bring two dogs. Choose wisely! *grin*

Brian and I just last night returned from Wisconsin, we had a quick 36 hour trip, about 18 of those hours were spent driving. Renee came up from Chicago. Aunt Bette lost her companion Bob. Bob was a great great guy, he will be missed.......not only by Bette, but everyone that had the pleasure of meeting the man. The whole Wisconsin cemetary tour has left me in a bit of a funk I admit. Too sad.

One of our cousins sent some pics home with us. Renee theres one of you at 5 1/2 months of you and mom wrote on the back you were eating ....it looks like "trash"! I guess too young to talk trash! :-) Renee, Brian and I are guessing you came home through Milwaukee, or you might still be driving...we arent sure! There was a picture with one of you three sisters on Grandpa's lap, I couldnt tell who, till I just scanned it. Georgia, I do believe its you! From the date of the picture, I'm guessing the high chair is mine, must of been napping. :-)



They are mostly duplicate pictures, a couple to scan, and I will get them out to you.

Ian started his new job today. He will be working at a pizza place here in town. Collin is doing great in school, and seems to be growing his hair long...uh oh!

Next week I leave for my reading group gathering in Vancouver, looking forward to some... a lot.. of laughs. Then when I get back we drive the doggers to Camp Grandpa & ma Moores and we all leave for our, I think its our 9th trip to Disney World. So it might just be...

No-waaaaaaaaay-vember when you see me on here again!


M

Ianformation:

Well, it's all about Ian.....mostly!

An acceptance letter came in the mail today, so Ian will be attending Purdue for Engineering. It's rated one of the top engineering schools in the country...plus its close to home. :-) About an hour and half away. He believes a few friends from school are going there also so he might already have roommates he will know. Ummmmmm.......I already get teary eyes thinking about him leaving, you may not want to be near me next August.

And.......we got Ian's Sr. pictures back. I was a bit concerned seeing he is in Jesus Hair Mode, and that will be preserved for.........ALWAYS! Alas, they didn't turn out half bad, and he looks as cute as ever.

Brian comes home from a week in Liverpool on Saturday and I leave for Edinburgh on Sunday. Edinburgh, Indiana...theres an outlet mall there. :-)

Hope to have more news for you soon, but we are just not exciting people...but we like it that way!

M

Africa Hot!

Well, it has been Africa hot here! With that and the kids going back to school I've got a lot done in the past week. In my quest to rid this house of the typical surburban white fireplace that everyother house in any subdivision has, that has been fullfilled. I asked Scotty in California to make me a little bit larger mantal to fit on top of the one we have. His reply, "Let me see if I have a tree big enough." I kid you not! :-) He did not, and had to succumb to the lumber yard at Lowes. But he prevailed, he cut it and put a beautiful bevel on it, and stained it walnut and it looks great! I painted the white, cream and brown glazed like the kitchen cabinets. Painted over the gold on the gas fireplace, and Brian and I retiled over the old stuff. We in turn vowed never to tile again and decided those tile guys are severly under paid!
Heres a pic, click on it to make it bigger, sort of like me opening the pantry door.........

I also just wrapped up the website I was making for author Nancy Turner. She is just wonderful to email with, and it's nice to enjoy the author as much as the stories she tells. I contacted her out of the blue because I loved the cover on her second book "Sarah's Quilt" and thought it would make a neat webpage. :-) It turns out that it is the quilt of her great great grandmother in the story and she couldn't be happier that the website graphics are made from it.
Heres her site...
http://www.nancyeturner.net/

I told her she must be famous because somebody bought the domain nancyeturner.com and wanted to make some money off of her to have it, so we went the .net route. :-)
Kids are back in school, and back in their old routine of getting up in the ungodly hours of the morning. Went to Collins classes last night and he has a pretty good crop of teachers. Ian's open house is next week. Had Ian's Sr. picture taken last week, when I get the proofs I will share some on here.

No news in the Brian dept. with the exception of Mim sending a video of movies of his first year. I will try and put some on youtube and share him (and Brenda thinking he is a huge doll) with the world. They put the movies to music, just the melodys and the first one is.....I feel like a woman by Faith Hill. Too funny! Thanks Mim that was an incredibly nice thing to do!

That's about it...stay cool!
M

Hot Weekend!

Last Tuesday we went on a campus tour of Purdue University in Lafeyette (I will learn how to spell that if hes accepted *grin*) with Ian. Went to the little regular college speal and then we went to a special meeting for the engineering dept. Brian was really impressed and wanted to go back to school! :-) They bring all engineering students into the same program and one class is just different engineers discussing their careers, so the students dont have to pick an engineering field until they are sophmores. The college is huge, but the campus seems smaller. Anyway.....thats one of the places Ian will be applying. You usually find out pretty quick if you are accepted, and we plan on getting the app. in by Wed.

Last Thursday Brian and I left for Niagara Falls. We got there around eighty thirty and went to view the American side at night. They light it up at night. The next morning, we paid a visit to the jewelers that are making the "Claire's rings" and they surprised me with a beautiful bracelet to match the rings. Then they offered one for Diana, and I asked for one for Janet who helped, one for the designer, and I asked for one for Diana's asst because she would remind Diana when we needed stuff. :-) Marie who I worked with a lot when I was making the first orders was as wonderful in person as she was on the phone.

Heres a pic...


After that great visit we crossed the border into Canada and saw the falls on the Canada side. You know me and pictures.....I took only a couple. But here they are...

Niagara Slide Show.

Everyone says the Canadian side is better.......and everyone is right! Not only with the views, but the landscaping around the falls is beautiful. Brian said the Canadian side reminded him of Disney World, and the American side was like the Wisconsin Dells! :-) Oh and special message to Gretchen...they had a Hershey Store there and yeah I got ya a wee something.

After the falls, we headed toward Fergus, Ontario and met up with a bunch of friends from my net reading group at a Highland Games, went to a cocktail party given by Diana and Doug, and then a dinner with the group. It was fun.....but it was Africa hot! I didnt take one picture but I have a feeling there will be a ton of them of me out there to showcase just how bad a picture subject I am!

The van got hit in a Tim Hortons donut shop, and Brian got the guys name, but not the insurance info. Took it to the shop today and the small (in Brians words) dent that the guy( who owned a body shop) hit us said would be around 250 to fix, is in reality 800 to fix. Brian got his name and number, but not insurance crapola. Needless to say Brian and I are in "discussions" of his habit of thinking things are no big deal! In my forty-four years of living, I have found when I person says one of their boo boos is "no big deal" it really means "I'm incredibly stupid sometimes!" :-)

Kids start school on Wednesday.....how they will catch the bus at 6:58 I have no idea!

M

Another Month Bites the Dust!

As usual summer is going way too fast!

Last week Soncerae and 3/4 of her family came to visit on her way to visit old friends in Granger. She's skinny now and I hate her! :-) I haven't seen her in a couple of years and the visit made me realize how much fun we have when we are together.

On Wednesday last week, the boys and I met up with the Simpsons, non-yellow variety, for their annual boating on Lake James day. We got a lot of fun in before the rain started and didn't end. Thank goodness another friend of ours lives on the lake and we had a nice dry place to pass the time. Thanks Betsy! Highlight of the trip was Daniel falling into the dirty channel in a downpour. Just wish I saw it. :-) Thanks for the wonderful day Simpsons!


I finished a webpage/graphics I was making for a friends new candle business. It turned out rather pretty. It really was a joint project, I made the page and graphics, and Angela did all the text and the fantastic pics she took of her candles.
Here's the site...
Tartan Candle Company

Next, Im working on a site for her horse hair bracelets. Which I cant wait for her to sell because I think they are the coolest things!

The kids...they are just enjoying the last couple of weeks of summer. They did have to clean the garage today though. We all saw The Simpsons Movie today, if you are a fan...go see it!
Simpsonize yourself at this site: Simpsonize Me!

Here we are. Im thinking I look better as a Simpson! :-)



As usual Ive been playing on here way too much and laundry is stacking up!

Hope all is well on your end!

M

3-Adults 1-Child

The big news for today is that Ian turned 18! I'm not sure when I got so old but I believe it was about at 1:07 p.m. this afternoon. I always ask the kids what they want for their birthday dinner, they can either stay home or go out. Ian picked chicken/cheese/brocolli casserole...of all things! I guess we are all cheap dates!

Here's a picture....also a hair update too!



Last Friday Mim and Sylvia took a ride out here to celebrate Ians adulthood. We went out to dinner and had cake. Oh and looked at some old pictures Barry was converting from slides. Let me get one to share. :-)

That would be Brian and Norm on the night of their Mafia induction! Im not sure of the year but Im guessing its Brians HS graduation, I remember he wore that suit. Are they stylin' or what?????? I think its .....what?????

Tomorrow we are off to Lake James in Angola to visit and some boating with friends. Thurs. my old (she has a 19 year old *grin*)neighbor is visiting while passing through Indy.

Yesterday my mom would of been 74, it's been two years already. And she is still very much missed.

It's been beautiful here, hope its the same where you are!

M

No News is Good News, Right?

Well, I haven't updated this is bit. I've been working on the candle site for a friend, and the website for the author, both almost done.

Brian's dad popped by at 8 a.m. on the 4th of July. Half of us were still sleeping, so Brian and dad went out to breakfast and we played games the rest of the day. Introduced grandpa to Scattagories and he kicked our ass! It was also on the fourth I found these little fall leaves on the ground already. I dont know if its because its been really dry and we had some very cool nights, but they were only one inch big and with amazing color! I scanned a bunch of them!


Nothing else really going on, just dentist,Dr. and ortho appts. Brian and I golfed on Sunday when it was 92. We were drenched when it was over and it wasn't even raining.

Evanovich fans, Lean Mean 13 is out, and its really funny!

July must be nature month for me, I saw a blue butterfly land on the pile of poo I was picking up the other night. I have never seen a blue butterfly before. It's the first time poo was purty! :-) When I was done I came in and googled it, and it was an endangered Karner variety...just beautiful.


Just made some reservations for Niagara Falls, Brian and I are going up there in August.

Hope all is well on your end!
M

Yellowstone Mancation!

Hello All!

I finally got some pictures of the boys mancation uploaded to a slideshow. I was waiting for two rolls of film to be developed. It usually takes us a year to get film developed. :-) But we took it in this weekend, only to find out that there was nothing on them. We think they got zapped by the airport xray machines. Luckily they had the digital camera with them also so they have some photos. Brian looks as happy as ever and the kids look as put out as ever!

Last weekend Brian and I went and saw Ocean's 13 while the boys saw Die Hard...both groups approved of their choices.

We are expecting rain this 4th of July so we will prolly just hit the movies...maybe "Evan Almighty", or I think they renamed it..."Aunt Cheryl in Texas!"

Without further ado....enjoy the pictures!

http://ivmoores.com/family/slides/mt.washington.html

Have a safe fourth!

M
...this slideshow software is neat, and it's free! Here's the link...
JAlbum

Without Data....

...you're just another person with an opinion!

HUH! You all know I monkey on here making graphics, and theres a site that puts them on merchandise I found. So.....Brian asked me to make a mug with that on it, and some graphs. He gave them to his Six Sigma trainers, and he got one for himself. So I made it...and I said....nobody is going to buy this!

https://www.cafepress.com/ivmoores.88540991

Not even a year later Ive sold around 18 of these babies, the most Ive sold of anything...to mostly women for some reason. :-) We are thinking its female engineers fed up the male engineers they work with. I hate it when Brian is right!

I just finished another You Tube casting video, for the book "Twilight" this time. Lot's of gals on one of my reading groups are in love with this book. It's actually a Young Adult book, hence why the cast is so young that was picked. I offer to make these because its made in Windows Movie Maker and I dont know too much about the program. So I just make the pictures and then load it all in there with captions and music. This one took about 10-12 hours to do...and Im pretty fast with this stuff, it's addicting.......and I dont eat while I do this stuff so all's good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp6jXcb-1w8

Last weekend was Kim's shower, it was lot o' fun! Kim got a lot of bakeware, nice stuff, and Im hoping she didnt see me put it in the van on the way out. Renee, Elise and I stayed till about 10:30 pm, and Georgia & Will had a six am flight the next morning for Key West...and Georgia hadnt packed yet.

Next week sending dear son to look for a job. He had a blocked saliva gland taken out yesterday at the dentist. Couple of stitches is all. Tomorrow night Barry and the kids are coming to stay overnight before heading out on Sunday to take them to camp.

That's about it,
M

These is my Words!

I read this book by Nancy E. Turner back in 98. I had just learned over the spring there was a sequel, nabbed it on Ebay :-), and read it. "These is my Words" is the diary of a young girl (hence the bad grammer in the title) who moves to Arizona in the late 1800's. So it's filled with the hardships one endured making a cross country move by wagon during that time. Starts out with the bad grammar of an uneducated pioneer girl and as Sarah grows, so does her use of the English language and her writings. It's like Little House on the Prairie for adults!

Anyway....I really enjoyed them and immediately after the sequel I went to see if the author had a website. She did.....and it was not very pretty! :-) So out of the blue I emailed her and asked if I could make a nicer one for her, in appreciation of two very good reads! The third book in the series comes out in September of this year, and the website will be up and running on her own server long before then...its still a work in progress, I dont even have the new cover yet, but thought I would share...

http://www.ivmoores.com/nancy/index.htm

Authors are just the bestest!

M

Boy Crazy!

The boys came back from their "mancation" on Thursday. They went to Yellowstone Park for five days, where they hiked and saw lots of animals, especially bison. Had great weather with the exception of one day. I will get a scrap book up of the pictures one of these days. Above is a picture of them on Mount Washington, seems it was very cold and sunny and Ian got a wicked sunburn. He had his hood up like that all the time so it was in the form of a circle on his face! :-) Brian came home with two HUGE blisters . Brought me chocolate as a souveigner...good boys!





I received the other drawing of the boys last week! Sue does just amazing work, and is so reasonable! Her website is on the left...The Art of Surprise!

Went to Rachael's graduation party last week! I had made a little beach bag with necessities for college. Toothbrush, flip-flops, towel, things like that with little poems attached. Also bought her a very very large pair of old lady white cotton underwear and put her name on the back "Rachael's Panties" with the following poem...

Hang these old lady panties on your dorm room door,
and Dad won't worry about the boys anymore!

Sunday is neice Kim's Bridal Shower, she's getting married in Sept. to a wonderful guy. I like him lots, because he once killed a spider for me! :-) Renee and Elise are coming tonight and we will all go to Cinncin on Saturday to Georgia's... sisters are a wonderful thing!



Kids are out of school, Brians back to work on Monday, and Target seems to be calling me....all is right with the world.



M

Mighty Fine Website

I found the best site today go to http://Michelle.youaremighty.com/ Watch it! :-) Then you can put anything in front of youaremighty.com to make your own, you just have to put periods for spaces
for example your.name.
so the url address would be
http://your.name.youaremighty.com/

There's also a willbedefeated.com

Too Fun!

Brian and the boys are getting ready for the "mancation" and I'm off to Chicago for Rachael's graduation party...and hopefully some pizza! So needless to say Im washing every piece of clothing that isn't attached to a body.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

M

Mermaid Day!

A friend of mine Cindy, wrote a sequel to her first novel and it just got posted today at Amazon.com!
"Mermaid in a Bowl of Tears"
I made the website for her first book "Exit Unicorns" and heres that link...
http://www.exitunicorns.com

It takes place in Belfast during the 1970's and it's a great way to learn about the IRA and how it started and it's effects in Northern Ireland. It gave me a whole new perspective on the politics of the region and why things are the way they are. Plus when you have some good sex in there, history is always more fun to learn! :-)

Soooooo if you like Historical Fiction, and love Ireland, there you go!

M

Blogged Down!

It had to happen, you knew it would...I would blog! It is like the never ending Christmas Letter! How scary is that!

I really wanted to get the links of my Cafe Press store, web sites I've made, You Tubes, and share pictures with family and friends and do it all in one place, and this seemed the best route. Plus I saw someone elses blog with this brown and aged paper template and had to have it! :-)

I spent the majority of the day in the basement. I have been looking for something to make nice cheap headboards for the twin beds there. I finally found something the other weekend at a furniture tent sale. You know the mirrors that fit above dressers, well there are always a bunch of these super cheap, but I could never find two matching. I did this year! You can get a 500 dollar mirror for 47! We had a heck of time hanging them, but finally figured it out and here they are....

This is a great way to get a headboard cheap, I can always take out the mirror and put fabric in there. With no mirror you can attach right to the bed frame.

That's it for now!

M