Show at Black Door Gallery

My show entitled "Quickening" opens on First Friday
September 4th, 5-9 pm.

Kel's Thoughts

I've just returned from accompanying the kids to school this first day, and already I am feeling the pangs of a quiet, empty home. These first days of school are glimpses, the days when we mothers get a taste of the "empty shell," when we are faced with ourselves, with no family revolving around us, sometimes left with our own doubts and fears and shaky confidence. We are faced with aloneness. I light of an unknown future, it can be scary to face. In the present moment, it can be a welcome respite, a new opportunity to listen clearly and grow stronger. There is only today, right now; and to everything there is a season.It is especially quiet after our wonderful week together at the beach. I am grateful for time on the island. It proves to be so therapeutic for me. On the island I have found spiritual inspiration, found restoration of natural rhythms, refound my sense of humor and the eyes to see beauty! I relinquish that which burdens me and trust is restored, broadening my world, opening my eyes and setting me free! I have found a peaceful perspective. Daily I am reminded to let go and place my fears in capable hands.Anne Lindbergh writes... "It is fear that makes one cling nostalgically to the last moment or clutch greedily toward the next. Fear destroys the winged life. It can only be exorcised by love, in which there is no room for fear, doubt or hesitation. Each loves so completely that he has forgotten to ask himself whether or not he is loved in return; only knows that he loves and is moving to its music, in tune to a larger rhythm, a natural swinging between sharing and solitude, intimate and abstract, the particular and the universal, the near and the far. It's the swinging between contrasts that makes it nourishing... absorbs, yet frees, separates yet unifies, (like being immersed in a common sea, or looking up to see a bowl of stars overhead.) ... we have so little acceptance for the winged life of relationships and their eternal ebb and flow, their inevitable intermittancy. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, love, relationships. The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping even, but in living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now..."

Our Condo has it all!!!

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Originally uploaded by chipster61

I was envying some little beach tote carts on the way back from the beach to unload our car. When we made it into our condo and explored around we, found one in the closet!

We also found a couple of boogie boards for the kids and an old fashioned one for me!

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Originally uploaded by chipster61

A roomy living room with WiFi and a large TV for chilling during the rainstorms and relaxing in the evening...

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Which faces a nice kitchenette and dining area.

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Kids Bedroom

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Master Bedroom and 2 full baths.

If you need a place to get away from it all, we highly recommend this is the place to be on Hilton Head Island. It is THE BEST DEAL ON THE ISLAND!!! Click the link below for more info...

Internet, Ocean, Tennis, Pool, Fun! Come Play!!!

We made it! Hello HHI

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Originally uploaded by chipster61

Finally walking on the beach after 12 and a half hours in our cramped Jetta. The trip went relatively smoothly, only one botched turn in the middle of Atlanta. We arrived about 2:40 EST 20 minutes ahead of our check-in time, so we headed straight down to the beach to wade and make sure we were really here!

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View Hilton Head, SC Trip in a larger map

EFA Class of '79 Reunion

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Originally uploaded by chipster61

Had a great time at the class reunion! I didn't get many pictures, but there are several good one's other people got over at the EFA '79 site.

Leaving Keuka

This is always the tough part, saying goodbye to family as we leave the lake. We have the reunion picnic this afternoon and then one more overnight in Corning, before making the trek back to Missouri. I'll try and backfill when I get time. Until then here is the links to our photos on flickr....

chipster61 flickr

Keuka Lake and EFA '79 Reunion

Tomorrow night we leave for Keuka! Pulling the all nighter drive to NY is not my favorite of trips, but it feels like quite a marathon after the first 8 hours knowing that you're only about half way there! Can't wait to see family and friends this week.


View Keuka Lake Trip in a larger map

EFA Class of '79 reunion is the following weekend, Saturday the 18th. It will be held on a farm in Horseheads, just north of the Soaring Eagles golf course. On the web page they have me listed as going to the Friday night party at Bernie Murray's in Elmira, but that is incorrect, I will be spending our final night at the lake with my family.

I have to figure out how to put a link on here. I don't think Kel has made a post here yet, but she just kicked off her artists blog over here.. Check it out, she blows me away!

RevElations

Six Flags

What a birthday celebration!

Gabe and Kel are now official Season Pass holders at Six Flags!

Sierra and I were along for support in the celebration.

After picking up Kel's Caterpillar art in St. Louis we had quite a day enjoying the rides.

I wilted at around 4pm after only getting 4 1/2 hrs of sleep last night.

Kel wilted on the way home after one too many coasters I think it was the Batman that did her in!

Gabe's 11th Birthday

I didn't get to spend much time with him today, but he invited a friend over after school and played together in the backyard. Had a nice celebration with family and then I took off for poker night.

Now if I can be ready to make it through a full day at Six Flags tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Gabe!

I Love You!

Blues with the Blues

It was the best of times it was the worst of times!

It was a tall order already down 3 games to none in the series. They only had to win the next 4 in a row.

The Blues started out good, gave up a soft goal in the first six minutes, but held the Canucks off the rest of the period. You good feel the air just go out of the place when Vancouver took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd period. Not good!

But I'll be damned if they didn't get their sticks out their cracks or heads out of their @$$ and they started playing hockey! They actually came back and tied it up on two amazing goals within minutes of each other. Another puck that went behind the goal line a few minutes later was called no goal by the officials. Boooo!!!

We were on the edge of our seats all throughout the overtime, the Blues were just one shot from extending the series one more game.

Then with only 20 seconds left in the 1st OT it happened. A Vancouver player jumped on a loose puck that was dumped along the boards in the St. Louis zone. The Blues defenseman knew he couldn't beat him to the puck as the rest of the team was making a line change so he collapsed towards the net, Burrows took a sharp angle shot on goal and I could see it hit the twine behind the goalie and that was it. The dream was over.

Vancouver had quite a celebration on the ice and the Blues looked down and lost. Then all of a sudden everyone in the arena started chanting "Let's Go Blues! Let's Go Blues!" It was a nice tribute to a team that had fought so hard the last two months just to get into the playoffs from being last place in the conference in January.

It was fun, but dissapointing. I'm glad I was there!

St Louis Zoo

Went to St Louis today and spent the day at the zoo!

Kel had to drop her Caterpillars off for an exhibit that she was having and the rest of us hung out in Forest Park enjoying the animals.

Has An Easter To You!

Easter was spent at friends house having a great dinner. Thanks Shawn and Caroline!

Also played some wii "Dancing With The Stars" Gabe has got the moves and I thought I did surprisingly well! Shawn was the star of the night edging Gabe out in points, but I think somehow losing the judges votes. How does that happen?

Also got to watch part of the Blues final game of the regular season vs. the Avalanche. The Blues winning it vaulted them from 8th to 6th in the Western Conf. We have tickets to the 4th game, I hope they make it a good one!

Keuka Lake!

It's official! We are going to Keuka Lake 2nd week of July this year. We will be on the west side at what seems to be a glorious cottage on the lake nestled in a grove of pines. I think it should hold our large crew of family very well.

That New Car Smell

Well I haven't really been in the market for a new vehicle, but for the last few weeks I've been eyeing a silver Jetta in one of the Jackson "previously loved" car lots. I eventually broke down and traded in my little red Jetta and hope that this is one is as good as l'il red has been for me.

I need to put a couple thousand into Red to get her roadworthy, but it's still an 11 yr old car when I'm done, so I'm rationalizing that this is really a much better way to go since I'm upgrading 5 yrs and it's in great condition.

I'm sorry I haven't written on this in a while. I'll try to keep remembering it now. Lastnight I stayed at my freind Andie's house. First we went oover to their freinds' house and had some Papa Murphy's Pizza. Then me, Andie, and Andie's sister played. Then we went back to her house where we talked a little and then went to bed. It was fun.