Charles Schultz Philosophy...

So Dawn sent me an email.. I just wanted to share with you.. It made me think, and I really liked what I had to think about for this!

Charles Schultz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the

"Peanuts" comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions.

Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no

second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause

dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the

ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are

the ones that care.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow

in Australia."

(Charles Schultz)

shawn

The Great Minnesota Get Together... or The Minnesota State Fair

Well, the "newbies" went to the MN State Fair today! Yes it was raining in the morning, and yes we had some rain while we were there, but all in all, it was fun! Hannah and I were there for about 6 1/2 hours, and our feet are tired!

Our 1st stop was mini donuts! TOO much sugar!! But they were good... We ate them while in line...

For... the Miracle of Birth Center to open.. I was told that we HAD to go! And to go early! I can see why! We got there are 9am when it opened.. it was PACKED!

We didn't see any LARGE animals giving birth, unless you count watching it on video.. but we did see this chick coming out of the shell! There were about 10 eggs that were in different stages of breaking open...

Then it was off to see some other sites...

We went to the Kare 11 barn.. and Kim Insley was there signing autographs! Hannah had met her when she did a "What's cool in our school" segment at Hillcrest. Mrs Insley actually remember the segment. I don't think she remembered Hannah, but she is really sweet in person.. And she is tiny!!!

Then it was time for some lemonade! Very yummy as you can see!

Then it was off to see some other site, including the Dairy Barn.

And we watched them carve the princess of the day. (Had picture ready, but blogger was being diffecult!)

Coke was doing a display of recycled pop bottles. You got to vote on which creation you liked the best. Hannah liked the dog!

And we saw these really cool topiary

Moose....

horse....

the peacock and the guy who makes the topiary...

and the State Fair gopher... (he has a name, I think.. but I don't know it.. )

It was a blast.. It has been 8 years since I was there.. Hannah didn't remember anything! Surprisingly we didn't eat much at all! Hmmm..

But I think that we saw everything!! We went into almost EVERY building!! I can see why Karen loves it so much..

shawn

AN AWARD... FOR ME???

Well, about a week ago, Jeannie from Dragonfly Journeys nominated me for this award.. I was really happy.. then panic set in.. I read the rules.. and thought.. well, there goes 1 person I would nominate.. then I was reading Michelle's blog, and she got the award too.. There went another.. So, it is not that I am not really really happy to get this.. I am honored really.. I just had to think who I would leave this for as well.. 7 people who I think the blogs are really great.. (actually 9 since I can't nominate Jeannie and Michelle again!!)
Thanks Jeannie!!


The rules of accepting this award are as follows:


1. The winner can post the logo on her blog.


2. Link the person you received the award from.


3. Nominate at least 7 others blogs


.4. Put links to those on your blog.


5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.
So, I am going to nominate:
Dawn's Days - because really to read about what is happening in her life and the kittens.. well enough said...
Taste Life Twice - this is Karen's blog... She is the reason I blog! She does knitting, and scrapbooking and some stamping, is an all around really fun blog to read...
Stamping With Kevin - Kevin is wonderful! He was the 1st male demo for Stampin Up. He has some really great ideas.. and I love reading his blog! This is what blogging is about!!
{stampin' gal val} - I really love her stuff.. I just am amazed when I read her blog!
The Next Big Thing - This blog is just wonderful! The Hillman family is in China now, they were in Africa.. I am honored to know these people! (and for those who don't know.. Gretel was their dog before coming to live with us!)
My Happy Place -which it is a happy place!! She does some really nice work!
My Little Stampin' Spot! - I think she would be a blast to meet!

Anyway.. there are tons more that really inspire me! But this is a small list of people who I read daily!
Thanks again!!
shawn

I am BAD....

Yesterday.. Monday... Was my BFF's anniversary.. 18 years.. I knew it.. I was in the wedding!! I have it written in my calender.. I looked at it about 20 million times this month.. I was good, I sent her hubby a birthday card.. really!!! what is another week to send an anniversary card?? Well.. I TOTALLY FORGOT!!! I remembered about 7:30 last night. Hannah called to rub it in that I forgot.. I am a bad bad bad person.. "Lucky" for us.. we are going to visit Iowa this weekend.. so we can take them out for a drink.. I am a bad bad person... :(

I can only hope that this makes up for it in some very small way!!

shawn

Finished Book

I finished the book, "If I Am Missing Or Dead" by Janine Latus. WOW!

This is from Janine Latus's web page:
ABOUT THE BOOK
In April 2002, Janine Latus's youngest sister, Amy, wrote a note and taped it to the inside of her desk drawer. "Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved," it read, "but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me..."
That same spring Janine Latus was struggling to leave her marriage -- a marriage to a handsome and successful man. A marriage others emulated. A marriage in which she felt she could do nothing right and everything wrong. A marriage in which she felt afraid, controlled, inadequate, and trapped.
Ten weeks later, Janine Latus had left her marriage. She was on a business trip to the East Coast, savoring her freedom, attending a work conference, when she received a call from her sister Jane asking if she'd heard from Amy. Immediately, Janine's blood ran cold. Amy was missing.
Helicopters went up and search dogs went out. Coworkers and neighbors and family members plastered missing posters with Amy's picture across the county. It took more than two weeks to find Amy's body, wrapped in a tarpaulin and buried at a building site. It took nearly two years before her killer, her former boyfriend Ron Ball, was sentenced for her murder.
Amy died in silent fear and pain. Haunted by this, Janine Latus turned her journalistic eye inward. How, she wondered, did two seemingly well-adjusted, successful women end up in strings of physically or emotionally abusive relationships with men? If I Am Missing or Dead is a heart-wrenching journey of discovery as Janine Latus traces the roots of her own -- and her sister's -- victimization with unflinching candor. This beautifully written memoir will move readers from the first to the last page. At once a confession, a call to break the cycle of abuse, and a deeply felt love letter to her baby sister, Amy Lynne Latus, If I Am Missing or Dead is an unforgettable read.

There was a lot to think about while reading this book. Like I said before, it is an inside look at what was "accepted" in the 70's-80's in some marriages and families.

shawn

RAK.. and new phone...

Yesterday.. Saturday.. I got something special in the mail.. I got this really nice, wonderful card! It is from Michelle over at A Stamping We Will Go. She is my stamping friend from UP north in Canada.. It was such a wonderful surprise to get this cute card!!! Thanks Michelle!!!

Yesterday we also went to Sam's Club to get a new cell phone. The PINK one for sure!!!

But not for me.. it was for Hannah! We thought that since she will be starting Middle school, and all the baby sitting, and all the other things.. she needed to have her own.. Both Pat and I had at one time or another given her ours to use. She knows that she will be responsible for ANY text messages... and other charges..

I still think that she is a bit young..

but...

she got it anyway!!

shawn

newest book

OK, I have heard about this book for awhile, and I finally got it. It is a sister's story. Her sister Amy was murdered. There was a note tapped to Amy's desk, with the words, "If I am missing or dead" on the envelope.
I am not very far into the book, but it is good so far.
This is a hard look into what was accepted or allowed in families in the 70's.
I will let you know what I think when I am done.
shawn

Matt Harding

OK, I have to agree with Karen.. this is one of the best videos ever! And yup, I cry every time I watch it.. and I have watched it a lot!! Click here to watch Matt go to 42 countries in 14 months!
shawn

SHAWN WINS GOLD!!!!

The news is in!! SHAWN WON A GOLD on the balance beam!! I know that 3 silvers is great, but somehow.. this gold.. well.. GO SHAWN!!!!

College class of 2012

Every year Beloit College comes out with a list of "products" that have been around for the lifetime of the students. This has been going on since 1998.. Because I guess professors were getting blank stares when they mention things like, oh, Coke in bottles?? or Watergate??
I guess every year after they publish the list, people contact them and say that they feel old, or that life is passing them by..
well, here is this years list..
AND, I do feel old!!!
shawn

Beloit College Mindset List
A snapshot of the world view of the Class of 2012
1. Harry Potter could be a classmate, playing on their Quidditch team.
2. Since they were in diapers, karaoke machines have been annoying people at parties.
3. They have always been looking for Carmen Sandiego.
4. GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.
5. Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.
6. Shampoo and conditioner have always been available in the same bottle.
7. Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino.
8. Their parents may have dropped them in shock when they heard George Bush announce "tax revenue increases."
9. Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.
10. Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.
11. All have had a relative — or known about a friend's relative - who died comfortably at home with hospice.
12. As a precursor to "whatever," they have recognized that some people "just don't get it."
13. Universal Studios has always offered an alternative to Mickey in Orlando.
14. Grandma has always had wheels on her walker.
15. Martha Stewart Living has always been setting the style.
16. Haagen-Dazs ice cream has always come in quarts.
17. Club Med resorts have always been places to take the whole family.
18. WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.
19. Films have never been X rated, only NC-17.
20. The Warsaw Pact is as hazy for them as the League of Nations was for their parents.
21. Students have always been "Rocking the Vote."
22. Clarence Thomas has always sat on the Supreme Court.
23. Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.
24. We have always known that "All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."
25. There have always been gay rabbis.
26. Wayne Newton has never had a mustache.
27. College grads have always been able to Teach for America.
28. IBM has never made typewriters.
29. Roseanne Barr has never been invited to sing the National Anthem again.
30. McDonald's and Burger King have always used vegetable oil for cooking french fries.
31. They have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.
32. There has always been Pearl Jam.
33. The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.
34. Pee-Wee has never been in his playhouse during the day.
35. They never tasted Benefit Cereal with psyllium.
36. They may have been given a Nintendo Game Boy to play with in the crib.
37. Authorities have always been building a wall across the Mexican border.
38. Lenin's name has never been on a major city in Russia.
39. Employers have always been able to do credit checks on employees.
40. Balsamic vinegar has always been available in the U.S.
41. Macaulay Culkin has always been "Home Alone."
42. Their parents may have watched "The American Gladiators" on TV the day they were born.
43. Personal privacy has always been threatened.
44. Caller ID has always been available on phones.
45. Living wills have always been asked for at hospital check-ins.
46. The Green Bay Packers (almost) always had the same starting quarterback.
47. They never heard an attendant ask "Want me to check under the hood?"
48. Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.
49. Soft drink refills have always been free.
50. They have never known life without Seinfeld references from a show about "nothing."
51. The Windows 3.0 operating system made IBM PCs user-friendly the year they were born.
52. Moscow residents have always been able to buy Big Macs.
53. The Royal New Zealand Navy has never been permitted a daily ration of rum.
54. The Hubble Space Telescope has always been eavesdropping on the heavens.
55. 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.
56. Michael Milken has always been a philanthropist promoting prostate cancer research.
57. Offshore oil drilling in the United States has always been prohibited.
58. Radio stations have never been required to present both sides of public issues.
59. There have always been charter schools.
60. Students always had Goosebumps.

Lunch by Hannah, and a Wedding Card

Well, Hannah has finished her babysitting class, so now we have decided that she should know how to make some "basic" meals.. Today she wanted mac and cheese for lunch, and we thought it was the perfect time for her to learn how to make it. So.. Today for lunch, we had Hannah's Mac & Cheese! She did a GREAT job! I was so proud!!!

And as promised in the title.. here is a wedding card that I made for one of the girls at work. She is getting married today in Madison, WI. I am just giving her a card at work! Her colors were the new Pacific Blue and Chocolate Chip brown.. Lucky for me... I really like how this turned out!

shawn

"Christmas is coming early for Twilight fans"

OK, so yesterday I get the bad news about Harry Potter being delayed 8 months..
But today..
Well today..
The news is that the Twilight movie is moving into the Harry slot of Nov 21..
SOOO..
This means another change of my widgets..
But this is a good thing..
OK, I am still upset about Harry, but at least I don't have to wait as long for Edward and Bella...

A little better now...

Well, we were out at the Burnsville Mall, and went into a store... I took Karen's approach.. I asked, "You don't have any Wii Fit's by chance, do you?".. thinking that the guy was going to say, "sorry, no"... But instead of a NO, he said, "Actually, I do... did you want one?"
HELLO!!! I asked, right?? And, just like Karen, I almost jumped up and screamed.. "I GOT ONE, I GOT ONE!!"...
Now, I have to set it up and use it..
I am sure that we are going to take the Karen's motto.. "What happens on the Wii, stays on the Wii"...
A little better now, but still sad about Harry...
shawn

Sad, Sad day...

OK, you all know I am a Harry Potter fan.. OK, a BIG Harry fan.. I have the count down to the movie to the right.. well I just read SAD SAD news..

Next Harry Potter movie pushed back to July 2009

They want to take advantage of the summer movie crowds.. it's an additional 8 months.. 8 MONTHS!!!!!

I was thinking I only had 97 days left.. NOW I have 335!!! NOOOOOO!!! I am sad!!

I have to change my countdown..

SAD SAD DAY!!!

shawn

Sunday Cards..

Well, I did do some stamping this weekend.. I know, I know, pick yourself up off the floor now!
Actually this clear card and the next one, I made at Archiver's this weekend.. It was a free make and take.. Not really what I would make, but it was fun. Hannah went with me and made the cards too! Then we got a free "Hot Spot" item for doing all of the "stations".

Like I said, this birthday card was OK, but it isn't a great size to have.

These two are actually gift card holders. Just something quick. Hannah's last week at Summer Safari is this week, and there are a few people that she wanted to get gift cards for. These 2 have gift cards to Bath and Body. I think that the 2 staff members will like them. Nothing big or exciting.

Then there is this birthday card. I wasn't sure what to do with the sock monkey set.. but there is a birthday coming up on Friday that is pretty important to my family.. (So don't look at this yet Dawn, you can look when Jeff gets it in the mail)... I hope that he likes it. I don't think he really cares about the cards, but one never knows. I found out that Pat keeps all the cards that I make him.. so one never knows.

Hannah had her MRI today at 8:45am. She said it was loud! I sat in the room with her, she did great! We won't know anything for a couple days. They said that the results would be sent to her doctor Monday or Tuesday. As far as I can tell, and by what the doctor said, it's just migraines, but they wanted to make sure!

Not much else going on.. Will try to stamp a little more! Don't hold your breath though!!

shawn

Friday Bad News... and something cute!

Well, yesterday, Friday, we were driving home from Sam's Club. We were stopped by Seasonal Concepts, STOPPED I remind you, and this lady clipped the edge of my car! She said, "OH, it's just a little scratch!" Please notice the chunk of bumper gone! Thank God that Pat was driving and with me! I wasn't happy! No one was hurt, just my car! She was worried that her insurance was going to go up! HELLO!! My entire bumper will need to be replaced! YES your insurance will go up! YOU hit someone who was NOT moving! I didn't really talk to her! I was just too upset!

NOW, on the funny side of things.. I remember an email that Karen sent me.. about an accident with a dwarf!! It was a joke.. something about him getting out of the car and saying , "I'm not "Happy" and that was how the fight started... so anyway.. I wasn't happy, but at least I am not a dwarf to go with that! AND, I am glad that no one was hurt, it is only a car. There are a lot more things in life more important! (I am trying to channel Randy Pausch here). I guess I just think of the inconvenience that this will cause!

But on the cute side of things.. We have a turkey family that is staying close by! The male started off in our yard the other morning. I went to get the camera, because really, turkeys in my yard still is just awesome! He walked across the street and went over by the raspberry bushes.. I slowly tried to get a good picture of him, when I saw the second head.. They started moving toward the trees, when I saw the little one! You can barely make it out by the turkey on the left! BUT, it was SO cute! A turkey family!! I guess I never really thought about turkey families before! But right here! I am keeping a watch out for them.. I am hoping to see them again!

AND, I got my pre order Stampin Up stuff.. and my catalogs.. I am going to TRY to make some stuff this weekend.. NO promises, but at least I am going to try!

shawn

Breaking Dawn

OK, I am a geek! I was the first one to get to buy the book last night at 12:01 at the Borders Books in Richfield. I knew enough to go when the store opened to get a wrist band.. and gee.. there was no one waiting when I got there.. OK the store didn't open until 10am and I was there at 9:30. The store staff thought I was a nut! I admit it.

We went to the "Launch Party" last night too. I guess I was hoping for another Harry Potter thing. NOPE!! Pretty lame.. They did a trivia contest and gave out stickers, and a debate on who was better for Bella - Edward or Jacob ( I was team Edward, just for the record), and they gave out buttons. They also had a costume contest.. But there were only a few who dressed up. They did show the trailers for the upcoming movie.. But really, it was just a long wait. I could have saved myself some boring moments if I just showed up at 11:45 to line up. Oh well.. got the book!

So I started reading some of it last night! AND, finished today! I did take Hannah to the pool, along with my book. I thought she would have more fun there, than stuck home with me just because I was reading. I took a couple breaks.. But am finished!

IT WAS GREAT!!! Just so you all know!

OK, well, off to start re-reading it.. have to see what I missed!! (I did that with Harry too, just so you know...) I really need to get a life... At least I can now do some stamping...

shawn

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

So JK Rowling wrote the Tales of Beedle the Bard for friends last year, and then did a copy and sold it for charity. Well, I didn't figure it to be long before it would make it out to the public. I mean who wouldn't want to make some more money off the whole Harry Potter thing, right? Especially since Amazon bought the book.

So it was announced that The Tales of Beedle the Bard will go on sale December 4th. Pre-order now..

Of course this is the cover for the "standard" edition. Amazon also has this really cool "collectors" edition. You also have to pay A LOT more for that collectors edition.. ($100 vs about $8). Which from what I gather, sort of looks like what she made the original 5. (does that make any sense?)

I guess I will put my order in tonight...

shawn