K is for ...

I started working on this yesterday ... a full photo is below.

Kid … I was one once …and I am pretty sure I still am one … at least at heart. I remember that part of my life … it was amazing, I am blessed to have had two great parents who participated in church, the community, school, sports, activities, arts … you name it, they allowed us to experience it and they were always there … they allowed us to make mistakes and grow through the lessons learned …. Geez I could go on and on but I might just save this stuff for my P post (parents).

see .... told ya I was a kid ... it was a long time ago ...

Kidney … Mine are just not the best … so I have to start taking much better care of them ….Enemy thy name is salt …

Kind … I try to be …

I made this little basket out of felt, crepe paper, feathers, ribbon and a tin baking cup ... now i just gotta make a few more but first i need to buy more glitter!

Kalamity officially defined in the dictionary as:

calamity [kəˈlæmɪtɪ]

1. a disaster or misfortune, esp one causing extreme havoc, distress, or misery

2. a state or feeling of deep distress or misery

Yup, that’s me … I think this week I am Kalamity Jo … spelled with K cuz it’s my blog, my post and hey it just fits me oh so well!!! I am a disaster all to myself … Well you see officer, I really thought I was braking hard … I just kinda mixed up the brake pedal with the gas pedal ... that’s how I managed to push this 5^th wheel up and over the two foot cement wall and through the wire fence … seriously, do you think my windshield will hold long enough for me to drive home??? It is really amazing what a small car can do to a great big 5^th wheel … then there was that roasting pan incident … the one where I totally forgot to use my oven mitt … oh I could go on and on and on … but I really don’t want to give you all nightmares … but seriously, my daughter cringes everytime I pick up a knife in the kitchen to cut up veggies. I think my dad summed me up perfectly when he bought me this cute little tile that says “The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow” … yup, that’s me … at least I can laugh at my follies!

The one and only tile ... perfect for me!

Signing off this week as Kalamity Jo! Happy Easter everyone!

Once again Honey has inserted herself into the photo shoot ... honestly, she sees the camera and wants to be where ever it is pointing ... talk about loving the lime light!

Once again I am joining the ONE ... the ONLY .... JENNY MATLOCK!!!... for her ab fab Alpha Meme ... just click on the link to see her blog and browse through all of the other K posts!!!

J is for … Jabberwocky ...

Just Jo in Violet light...

… such a cool word … it just kind of plays before it exits the mouth … jabberwocky!!! I love J words … there are just so many enjoyable J words … like Joy … short … happy … Joyous even! Jacaranda …I love the feel of that one in my mouth …the J … with you teeth almost clenched … the ck coming from the back of the throat, the softer sound of the an and the d coming from the front, requiring movement forward by the tongue … Jamaica … automatically puts you in a different space … instant association with blue skies blue waters and sandy beaches …

Just Jo catches her daughters feet on a sandy beach made from light ....

Jacaranda, Journey, Juxtaposition, Jupiter, Jovial … all favourites … however, I am trying to stick to posts that relate to me as they are going into that great big compendium I am working on … so … kinda leaves me speechless … or wordless for a moment … I honestly cannot find a word that starts with J that is some how works … maybe Just??? ... yeah ... i think that works ...

Just Jo in blues & greens

Yeah, I think that will do for now, or until I read everyone’s J post where I will find there are several words that would have worked but I couldn’t spit them out when needed … so …. Signing off this post …. Just Jo …

Just Jo ... the lights flashed from violets to white ... daughter got a weird shot of me when that happened.

Just Jo's daughter in indigo and lighter blues. All photos taken at the B.C. House, in the Vancouver Art Gallery. This was one of the very many free spectator exhibits that were open during the Olympics and ParaOlympics. This Exhibit focused on wood, animals and light ... tres cool!

I am playing Alphabe-Thursday with Jenny Matlock … for other Great "G" words; check out the McLinky links on her blog.

it's in the cards ...

the "trio" of cards

... well okay, that's so misleading ... it is the cards ... or maybe i should just come out and say .... i made some cards ... yes, that's right ... disregard that other title and that attempt at a title ... i made some cards ... i have been loving making cards ... and i make them with people in mind ... the only problem is that i never manage to get my butt to the post office to pick up stamps and actually mail the cards ... so birthdays go by without me sending a happy little salutation, seasons change, events pass ... and all the while i still have the cards on hand ... so here are a happy little trio of cards, all made with individuals in mind ... (ouch, duh, there are actually 4 cards and one was delivered already) ... and i actually hope to get a chance to hand deliver them over the weekend cuz gawd knows i won't be getting to the mail box with them. Have a super weekend everyone and i'm linking up to Friday Follow!

The up-close and personal details of this card, i just added some glossy accents and glitter to give it dimension and shine!

The 4th card, same paper line, just a different sheet of paper ...

I am completely addicted to making these little paper rolled rosettes right now ... I added diamond glimmer mist to these for added shiny ness ... it just doesn't photograph well

I is for ...

This "tag" is now part of a scrapbook layout.

Imagine … one of my favourite songs … a plea for world peace … beautiful in its simplicity

Imagine ...

Imagination … I think sometimes … I spend far too much time wandering … not lost, just wandering … in my imagination. It is one of the few places where I can experience a utopian existence … it’s very peaceful there, yet very colourful and playful as well … I think it’s a good place to visit …

In … I sometimes feel as if I am walking In through the Out door … yes, like the title of Led Zeppelin album … almost like a salmon swimming downstream while every other salmon is heading upstream … just that kind of “against the mainstream” bit of awkwardness … nothing big … it’s just a feeling. But for some reason … I literally usually do walk in through the out door … or try to. But there are also time when I try to walk out though the in door … these aren’t intentional … I just naturally gravitate towards the wrong door. I can’t tell you how many of times I have stopped in front of the doors at the grocery store, bags in hand … wondering why the door won’t automatically open … and I stand there, looking at the word In and try to process it. Usually about the only thing that saves me from this predicament is seeing someone else exit the store through the out door … my little light bulb clicks on, the misfiring in my brain temporarily stops and I hastily make my way out of the store, red faced yet again.

This building had no "in" sign ... lucky me!

Insecure … I am … but isn’t everyone? In some way … at least a little … right???

Inspire … everyday my family and friends inspire me to be the best person I can be … and I hope that I inspire them in turn.

This is an older layout, I was inspired by a song

Inspiration … I get inspiration from so many sources … from family, love, music, beauty, the earth and all of her glorious elements … life!

This is beauty

I am playing Alphabe-Thursday with Jenny Matlock … for other Great "G" words; check out the McLinky links on her blog.

Pssst, something you should know … I am loving this meme and I am thankful Jenny started it … I find myself looking forward to the next letter … And I do try to leave comments for everyone …sometimes it just takes me a few days to get around to you all. And thanks so much to those of you that leave comments for me, there have been some really wonderful responses to my ramblings and I completely appreciate it … and hopefully, by next week, I should have a whole lot more of my compendium done and photographed to share with you all.

H is for ...

Photos are from our walk on Monday

Home … it’s where my Heart is …

Hayley … where ever she is … it’s my Home … I am so lucky to have been blessed with Her as my one & only child … not a moment goes by that I’m not grateful for her in my life.

My Hayley

Haywire … the name given to my daughter by Grandpa … It was given after a “terrible two’s” episode …

Honey … our 4 legged mistfit furball … we got her when she was almost a year old … truly a misfit … a kennel dog, untrained, never socialized … and yet she just suits us to a T!

Hayley and Honey on one of the three tiny bridges along the path we walk

Heart … Emotionally ~ I have one … sometimes it’s been two big … sometimes its been two small but lately its been very balanced. Physically ~ I am trying to be better to my heart … trying to limit fats, eat more fruit & veggies and my Hayley has been taking me out for long walks, Helping me look after my Health and my Heart

Heaven …. Technically it is still winter but it’s spring here … It’s been spring for a while … Since late February when we got that sunny warm streak during the Olympics … and it was beautiful … the skies where blue and warm and the earth started to send forth her blossoms … crocuses in late January, then daffs, then the cherry trees started coming out … most are in full bloom now and it’s only the beginning of March. And it’s the cherry blossoms that make me think of heaven … it’s the softness, it’s looking up … up towards the sky through the blossoms … when the sun makes me squint a bit so my depth of vision changes and the blossoms start to blend into each other and look like soft, pale pink clouds … and this is when I begin to wonder if this … this beautiful vision … under the perfect sky … if this is what heaven is like. Is it like this little bit of perfection in the earth & sky & air … this feeling of warmth mixed with cool crisp little licks of wind that taste my ears and my eyes and blow my hair … because when I am truly in these moments … as one with these surroundings, that life is so perfect I can only equate a state of nirvana … of heaven ….

Cherry Blossoms on a street by the path

Happy … I am … much more often than not :)

Someone made a tiny Inukshuk on top of a stump

I am playing Alphabe-Thursday with Jenny Matlock … for other Great "G" words; check out the McLinky links on her blog.

G is for …. Grrrr

Grrrr is pretty much how I spent my morning … trying to get my mouse to work … then trying to get my daughter’s mouse to work on my computer …. Now what are the odds that the batteries would be dead in both mouses (do we say mice for computer bits?) would be dead? And what would the odds be that the two batteries I pulled from the drawer were both dead? … and how pray tell did dead batteries get into the drawer when they should have been disposed of??? So I searched hi and low for another battery and voila … several frustrating hours later I can use my mouse …

Glasswing butterfly…have you ever seen one of these? Beautiful …and I do love butterflies … and such symbolism … metamorphosis … souls … spiritual evolution … If you want to see them … just Google Glasswing butterfly.

Google … where would I be with out this handy tool … want to know where to order Chinese food from… How to repair that squeaky gate… Find out what patients think of that specialist your doctor has referred you to … and anything else you could ever want to know or find out about … its part of my daily routine… I Google just about everything you can think of …

Grande… Before the advent of Starbucks, Grande was nonexistent in my vocab … now it’s a word used almost daily … gotta have my Grande non-fat triple latte …

Grateful … and I am … for everything… my life has never been perfect … no knight in shining armour … no white picket fence … yet I am grateful for everything … because I haven’t compromised and I have remained true to myself, despite some dire consequences.

Genuine … yup, this is me … the real deal … I don’t have a need to fabricate or embellish … I pretty much lay it all out on the table … I don’t always think that is a good thing but it is me.

Guilt … you know, I still feel guilty for wrongdoings I committed as a child … I don’t like making anyone feel bad … my adult motto has been “cause no harm” … I do try to abide by this but sometimes I lose focus, the tongue slips and I am back to feeling guilt for some awful deed.

Growing … every day … now if I could just stop my butt from growing … I kid … but trying to grow everyday … in some way … in my awareness … in my creativity … in spirituality … and in so many other ways …

Glad … favourite quote has this word in it … you might have noticed it on the sidebar of my blog … Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars. Henry Van Dyke … so I strive for a state of “glad”

Grey … I associate this colour with depression … but it’s the new neutral … so here I going, trying to do a simple layout on a grey background … not bad … too bad I didn’t measure it all up and get it totally straight and perfect … but that’s not me and here I am … genuine even when I am scrapbooking …

I am playing Alphabe-Thursday with Jenny Matlock … for other Great "G" words; check out the McLinky links on her blog.

PS.........

Hard to believe but this photo was taken during the Olympics ... what can I say ... winter in Vancouver and wearing anything heavier than fleece would be too warm ... oh, and this is me in grey ... and Canada gear ... with Mom and DD ... Vancouver rocked the Olympics!