Carol's random babble

Cayla graduated today.    First was church. Dad didn't enjoy it much because he couldn't hear very well. We do have the receivers for the microphone system, but they are set up for the Spanish-speaking people and nobody knows how to (or if it's even possible) have different receivers on different channels like Spanish and English. So he spent part of the time in his car. He also has back problems, and  lying down helps that. At Cayla's graduation, we sat on a bench on the track (like in the background of this photo). He went to his car while the valedictorian was speaking, because he couldn't hear. I couldn't either, but I was bound and determined to video the part where Cayla crossed the stage (and I did). After commencement was over, Dad took me back to my place. Donna and Jessica arrived right after we did. Cayla went to get Kent, since she couldn't remember how to get to his place before the graduation ceremony and he missed it Suzanna sho...

It's a little after midnight. I've got potatoes cooling in the kitchen to go with enchiladas after Cayla's graduation Sunday afternoon. I've crumbled the queso fresco and cut up an onion. Part of the cheese is still in a block because it hasn't thawed yet. We discovered years ago that the cheese crumbles better if it was frozen first. And the onion might be in bigger chunks than normal because it was nearly midnight when I was cutting it and, quite frankly, at this time of night I don't feel like cooking. It's been a long day and there's a couple more ahead. Cayla graduates on Sunday and leaves Monday to spend the summer with my dad and stepmom, and she'll be working to save money for college. Also on Monday, I'll have to go into work pretty much as soon as they leave, as I have a big project that's due Tuesday and it's nowhere near done. Some things that have happened lately Cayla's last band concert What w...

The Internet is great. I love it. There's so much to do, see and learn online. I could spend every waking hour surfing the Web. I play games, read Facebook posts, do family history research and more. But ... While there is so much available on the Web, that doesn't mean it's okay to take it. One issue is truth. Just because it's online, doesn't make it true. I see this all the time with forwarded emails (less so now) and shared posts on Facebook (all. the. time.). People see a Facebook post that they agree with - or disagree with - and they have to share it, often with their opinion on the subject matter. They rarely check to see if it's true. Sometimes these are innocuous things, like faith-promoting stories. But other times it may be health advice (water can save you from a heart attack! Well, no , actually .) or stories of abducted or sick children (those two boys kidnapped from their grandparents? They were returned safely to the grandparent...

I went out last night to get something for supper and saw this. Time for a trip to the mechanic.

Apologies, people! I forgot to start this on Sunday. Okay, if you have read my blog at all, you may have seen a few entries about My Memories digital scrapbooking software. If not, you can check here , here , here , here , here and here . The good news today is that you can get it yourself FOR FREE. Just go to My Memories , create an account and click on the software link. You want to get MyMemories Suite, which is the main program. Click on Add to Cart . You should see Enter Coupon/Promo Code . Use this code: FreeTreatEE148 . Copy it from here and paste it, as it has to be exact. THIS CODE IS GOOD THROUGH OCT. 26, 2013. You can click on Proceed to Checkout or go back to the main page and click on Free Kits in the Shop listing. There's a variety of free items, including fonts, quick pages, papers and mini kits. There are hundreds to choose from, which will give you quite a selection to add to what's already in the program. The next screen after Proceed to Chec...

It’s Halloween Giveaway Event Organized by: Mom Powered Media . Co-hosted by: Capri's Coupons , My Silly Little Gang , My Dairy Free Gluten Free Life , Oh My Heartsie Girl , Giveaway Bandit and Growing Up Bilingual . Growing up, my sister and I didn't get to go trick or treating much. I only remember once that I was allowed to go. We lived in the country from the time I was about 3 until I was 14. Dad felt that it was "begging" like actual begging on the street, so that was pretty much not allowed. I took my kids trick or treating, though. Amanda's first trick or treat night was when she was nearly 2 1/2, and we lived in Chicago. We went around a long block in our neighborhood. I was pregnant with Cayla and it was chilly and dark. On the way back home, we stopped at a house that had a porch light on (which was the sign where we lived in Iowa when I was younger that you welcomed trick or treaters). We knocked, a man came to the door. He looked surprised, ...

In response to this blog post "3 Ways to Increase Your (and Your Child’s) Creativity" , I commented: I never told my parents this at the time, but I gave up on being artistic in kindergarten. We made "Indian" clay pots and to my eyes, my little pot was misshapen and ugly, while it seemed that everyone else's pots were delicate and lovely. I felt that I could not ever catch up, so I gave up. I'm still trying to overcome that. It's been 47 years and that self-doubt, that self-criticism, still holds me back. I try to get around it. I have scrapbooked, both physically and digitally. I have used Photoshop and Illustrator to create and manipulate images. I used to draw, a little, back in high school, but would never show it off. I have written (well, you know that, you are reading my blog) fiction, nonfiction, columns, blog posts, talks that I have given at church, a eulogy for my mother. And yet I still don't feel good enough to say "I am cre...