
A Mother's Prayer
Help me dear Lord, as a mother, I pray
And bless these hands folded in prayer today;
May they be ever strong as they guide, as they teach,
Being never too far for a child to reach.
May they never, with selfishness, try to dissuade,
Nor too quickly punish, nor too slowly aid.
May they point out the pleasures in laughter and song,
And may they show, wisely, the right from the wrong,
So that one day I'll know that I've helped all I can
To make her a woman, to make him a man.
- Mary A. Loberg
Happy Mothers Day to all Moms, near and far. May this day bring you together with your children. And may you all smile and enjoy each others lives.
May peace come to mothers whose sons and daughters are not with them for any reason.
Sunday, May 11
Happy Mothers Day
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Melanie
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Thursday, May 8
I went to San Diego and got sick
A trip I thought was going to be a really nice calm relaxing trip... turned out making me sick. I haven't been here because me and the little man were under the weather. A three day cold we caught from my brother.
Anyway, Sea World was amazing. I would have spent the whole day and night there, but there were reasons why we couldn't. If you click on my photos you will see some of the images I shot there.
These turned out the most intriguing to me. There is no alteration to the photos except for the lightness or darkness of them.
Shamu was awesome~! The penguins looked sedated. And they had puffins in the same exhibit. These Whales... well, it was like watching ghostly embryos underwater. I am glad to have my camera back.
In other self pity news...
I am really sad this week... someone has decided to leave my life without a good explanation. Someone I thought highly of. Whom I guess doesn't think so highly of me.
It hurts when you are a part of something then someone makes a decision to change things... and forgets how much it is going to affect you and/or hurt you and shows no signs of caring. I wish i didn't have feelings. Life would be so much easier.
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Melanie
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Monday, April 28
Fair and Relaxing Ocean Waves
We went to the Fair from 12:30 to almost 7:30. And it was hot. The kid wasn't into the rides too much, but his little buddy was! We found a shady spot and hogged the table for a good part of the day. I was the only adult in our group that got on a ride. I had to ride this one. HAD to.. it intrigued me all day long... calling me to it. That feeling of flying through the air, with hardly any restraint. Once I got past the "unsafe" feeling, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 
The buddies rode the train a few times. They went to get on other rides, but my little guy was kind of scared. But finally they rode this ride 4 times. It was a simple ride. The cars were going around in a small circle then whipping around the corner. They laughed the entire time. 
We spent to much money on BAD fried food, like corn dogs and fried cheese. And too much money playing cheesy rip off games trying to win stuffed sharks. We ate peanuts, funnel cakes, corn dogs, roasted corn, shaved Ice with mango, passion fruit and banana syrup, Lots of water, caramel apple, kettle corn, and bar-b-que. And lemonade. I was burnt out by 7:30.
Then on Sunday to the Beach for a much needed day of sitting and watching the waves. And the seals. And the people. And the dogs. and the kids... laying under the umbrella. I still need some sleep today and not likely. 
Summer is coming.Time for the beach. And that sounds like heaven to me. I love beach time. Haven't had any sleep this weekend. I will write a more creative and intriguing entry soon. In the meantime, enjoy the sounds of the sea. (click below)
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Labels: buddies, fair, ocean, rides, sun, tired, water, wave sound
Friday, April 25
THEIVES!!!
I have recently been perusing the illustration blogs trying to get some inspiration to start painting and illustrating again. Today I came across a blog by an illustrator named Luc Latulippe through another illustrator named Chad Covino. (Both extremely talented people).
A company in Hong Kong has downloaded his entire blog, published it in China and is selling it online. D*MN!!!!
Beware. You never know who is out there stalking and plagiarizing. I am not so sought after, but others may be. Be informed. and stay abreast of information about web thieves.
Good Luck Luc and Chad!
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Labels: art, illustration, internet thieves
Thursday, April 24
Do Carnivals Need Themes?

Peace, Love and Unity. (I guess they do.) People are encouraged to wear tie dye and the whole sixties gear. Yea right. Our community has a lot of activities. Its a great place for kids. Have I mentioned that at all before? And seeing as I am just a big kid this is heaven for me!
Now, for a week, it is the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo. Grooovy baby. Buy a wristband so you can ride all the torturous and rickety carnival rides at one price. I am excited about taking the little one! Fried stuff, ice cream, things that go whirling about, bad carny games, laughing kids and entertainment too. The entertainment, besides the local bands and dancers, includes fire spinners, a hypnotist and a magician. I haven't seen a magician in a long time. I have never seen a live hypnotist. I don't know that the kid will sit through the hypnotist, but magician? heck yea!
When was the last time you rode on one of these!?
You can bet your butt that I am on that ride! We are going on Saturday with a friend and her son, family, etc. That will be the only day I will get to test my nautious levels.
In other words, look for pictures! I can't wait to potentially drop the camera at this event on Saturday. You know I am going to max out that memory card! We are going tonight for a teaser, cuz the kid is dying to get close to the ferris wheel but not on it. I am going to try to get him on it. Not sure its going to happen. Fingers crossed.
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, we are so glad you could attend come inside come inside.... :cheesygrin:
Wednesday, April 23
me new Lens

the camera is back. wooo hoo!!! I haven't taken it out of the house yet (i am a little nervous). I shot some things around the house. These dahlias deserve a little better treatment, but this wasn't too bad. I hope to get out tomorrow night to the fair, and get some REALLY fun shots.
more to come! mem hearts her nikon.
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Tuesday, April 22
New Sounds

ok... WE moved. yea yea you know. Our old place was wonderfully quiet. I got used to the sounds of the "others" in my old place and could sleep through it. The upstairs guy occasionally bounced around. There was the schnozzle horn guy every morning at 730. I could hear everyone peeing or drying there hair in the last place. Don't have to worry about that anymore either, thankfully. The old sounds are gone. We are on to a new set of audible environmental wonders.
In the new place, we have a dog that lives in the house next door. This pooch hates being outside and being alone. He doesn't bark thankfully. But he does moan. Like he is in pain. Sounds like emotional pain. Poor thing. My kid yells this morning, Shut up DAWG!!! :giggles:
We are close to the freeway. About 1/8 of a mile. A new ocean tide kind of sound. Thank God for double pained windows. Smart landlord.
We have two ladies living upstairs. A young girl that lives with them a few days a week. The young girl that lives up there comes and goes a lot late at night. And the girl next door, she parks her car outside my window. (THAT is going to stop real quick. She is testing me I can tell. I don't want to be pissy. I just don't want to look out my window at her car!)
So sounds at home. And now? They are doing construction on our side of the offices for the last two months. BANG BANG BANG CRASH!!! all day long.
I am looking at prices for a zen retreat where no one says or does much of anything that makes noise.
Does anyone remember Ren & Stimpy?
Stimpy you are getting on my last nerve ending!!!
Monday, April 21
its CLEAN!
Friday night, Saturday day, and part of Sunday I cleaned out my old place. Out from the old and into the new. Finally moved. woo hoo!!!!
my ankle hurts. my back hurts. my head hurts. I think I picked up a cold. *sniffle sniffle* but its DONE~
Done, done, and I'm on to the next one... :whistles:
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Melanie
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1:29 PM
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Friday, April 18
Earth Day

You know, I am not a "tree hugger". But I do believe in giving back to the earth that gives us so much. I wish i was more pro-active in my attempts to lessen my footprint on the planet. But we are all works in progress.
Our town is having an all day Festival! Come and join us. You can imagine how much trash that event is going to generate. :giggles:
I hope we all find time in our lives to recycle when possible and realize that fossil fuels aren't worth fighting over. There are alternatives. The money and lives exhausted on this fossil fuel war is overwhelming and depressing. Its affecting the temperament of our society. Imagine if we used those lives and that cash for research and development of alternative means of power. We would be an even bigger world wide power, a more positive and impactive influence on our planet.
Off the soap box. Enjoy your weekends and be kind to your mother.... EARTH.
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Melanie
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Thursday, April 17
Randomized.

Things rattlin around the top drawer.
• Here's your Dork Badge: I am a DORK! Someone is trying to start a website. I may have to be the entertainment director. I seriously find myself saying, what a dork, most of the day while fumbling around trying to appear "together".
• Lately I have been thinking, maybe I should be fucking the comatose. Then you don't have to worry about the "feedback" aspect. Or "pleasing" someone else.
• Thank God for services transfered. Blame the devil for the "extra deposit needed".
• Four year olds are awesome unless you are packing to move. Then, they want to see what is in ALL the boxes, even though its just stuff they ignore EVERYDAY!!!! And now that we are in our new place? He will unpack it where it stands, find the one thing he wants, then leave the rest in a heap.
• I am avoiding some projects in my life because I don't want to be successful at them. I don't want the responsibility of success. I want a quiet simple life with good roll of toilet paper and a "low feedback" aspect lover or roomie.
• In my new house we don't have cable. I am tired of the noise. I find that the kid wants to be outside for a few mins when we get home. I am happy to do that with him. not much of an outside to play in, but... we aren't watching TV.
• I love my new place. I feel motivated to be doing things now that we have space. its amazing to feel like being at home. I didn't feel that way in our old place. (which i still have to clean up.... YIKES)
• Bad clam chowder sucks. You know the type with chewy inedible clams? And if you have had a really good bowl of chowder, you KNOW what I mean. Bad clam chowder is like octopus sushi. Whats the point?
One more day till friday! :dances around her office: and its free bagel and fresh fruit thursday. booooyeah....
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Melanie
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2:23 PM
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Labels: boxes, cable, comatose, Dork Badge. bullets, toilet paper

