Our Personality Tests

I can't believe I got Tobin to do this, but while I was taking too long getting ready to go, he decided to answer the 76 question test to see how accurate it was. I had already done it while he was at work. It was amazingly accurate and fit him to a T!!! Mine was pretty right-on also. Self analysis can really make you think about what type of person you are! If you click on the rectangle box itself, then click on the temperament blue hyperlink, the link takes you to a paragraph that explains the personality, famous ppl that share that type, fictional characters that share that type, and possible career paths. If YOU want to do the test, click onthe box, then click "Welcome" in the top left, then click "Take the Personality Test."
THIS WAS FUN!!! I guess opposites DO attract on many levels! :)

My weekend

I haven't posted in a few days. I got in touch with a few good friends from high school and college and we have been sending pics back and forth and making slideshows, on myspace, of the good ole times! It was a lot of fun to resurrect some of the old photos and look at some that I had never seen before! The slideshow is basically a flashback of the 80s BIG hair and blue eyeshadow for me, but also a wonderful trip down memory lane!

Tobin went on another float trip over the weekend. Just a short one, but he was glad to be back home. I got a few things accomplished in his absence. Not that I couldn't have done them with him here, but it kept me busy. I painted the shutters on the front of the house, painted the old metal chairs on the back patio, finished my library book (James Patterson's QUICKIE.. wonderful!), finished hanging the curtains in the computer room, went out with my cousin for sushi and Coldstone Creamery, shopped JCPenneys after-hours customer appreciation sale with my mom, hung some scroll sconces in the bedroom, and completed one double page layout. Whew!

Productivity!

Well, I have worked in my classroom twice now. I actually got A LOT accomplished today. My new textbooks came in and get this...I will have 90 actual textbooks and 20 DVDs of the textbook for anyone that doesn't want to carry home an actual book and would rather read the chapter on the computer. This is SO wild to me! I've never had that kind of technology to offer. Two years ago, the text started being offered online. I don't know how many kids really used the option, but it was offered by the textbook company. This year, each kid will not receive their own text like usual. That will also be new for me. That means either accomplishing WAY more than normal in the classroom...doubtful, since I cover an unbelievable amount of info already...but, more likely, we will have to move at a slower pace and the kids will have way more time in class. Great for them, initially, but come time for state testing, we will not have gotten through as much as normal. Oh well, I will just do my best and go from there. Kodi was also working in her classroom, so we visited a few times and that makes me happy. I also got to visit with my boss, Rick, and he helped me in my room while we chatted for about an hour, I think. We had a great time catching up. I am very lucky to get along with my boss so much and like him on top of that! LOL!!! I'm just impressed that I was able to gab so much and still get a lot accomplished!

After I left the MS, I went to JCPenney's. I have needed curtains in my computer room for about 13 months now. I finally found a fairly plain style, but I think it matches very well with my existing picture frames and cobalt glassware on the baker's rack. In the picture below, I am now noticing that you can see where my cats sleep...in the truck on the blankets, and my plant is getting a little out of control. I also need to actually iron the curtains at some point. I didn't get the double-window finished on the adjacent wall, but that can happen in the morning. Another BIG accomplishment was that I used a drill for the first time. I know, I know....big deal, but actually, it was because you have to measure accurately and make sure it's level, or it will either be noticeable to everyone, the screws will come up in to the cabinetry, or you'll have too
many holes in the wall!!! I hung an under-the-
cabinet wine rack in the kitchen and these
curtains in the computer room. Tomorrow I will
finish the curtain job and begin hanging some
candelabra sconces in the bedroom. The Cabernet Sauvignon is impeding my progress tonight....not to mention that I seem to lose HOURS once I park it in front of the computer. :) I also need to start painting our shutters on the front of the house. I may end up painting our metal chairs on the back porch the same color. Or, I may end up lying on the couch reading my new James Patterson book or scrapbooking...you
just never know!

"Kodi Logan style" pages and RECIPES!!!!!

LOL...This is a simple page, but at least it's done! 30 minute page! That is what Kodi Logan style means. I've been quite impressed with how fast she gets pages finished here lately. This page is one of my dad and his soon-to-be wife. They dated back in high school/college days and then lost touch for 40 years!!!!!!!!!! He looked her up recently and they picked up where they left off. Wouldn't that be weird to get a random phone call from someone you hadn't heard from in 40 years, but used to love or really care about? They will be getting married this fall in Eureka Springs.

I would like to start some kind of recipe exchange with anyone that reads my blog, even those of you that breeze in like a phantom and don't make a comment. I'm not talking tacos...we have that every week or so, but things that require minimal effort, but still require a recipe until you memorize it. I would like some dishes that are staple recipes of others, but maybe I have never made them. Maybe we should make a list of the recipe name or quick phrase description. Then, if anyone wants the recipe, they can comment and ask! I will start by listing the 5 dishes we make the most often that actually have a recipe to them.

Chicken and Cornbread Stuffing (casserole style)
Delightful Chicken (includes poppy seed, dill, and a cracker topping)
Taco Soup
Mexican Lasagna
Baked Spaghetti

Beaver Creek at Brownbranch

Tobin woke up this morning with a game plan. He wanted to drive to Beaver Creek, near Mark Twain National Forest, so we could float the Creek and check it out. It is actually located in Brownbranch, MO. Beaver Creek is a spring fed stream with lots of Ozark nature and scenes. It was a great stream for fishing Small-mouth and Large-mouth Bass, Goggle-Eye, Blue Gill, and White Bass. We even saw several HUGE Gar that were 2.5 feet long!!! This is where we "put in" and I was afraid it wouldn't be wide enough for our paddle width!! However,the only problem we had was that they outfitter that shuttled our truck didn't tell us that the river was so low that we would have to portage several times. There were several tricky spots that we maneuvered without leaving the kayak, but three times that we had to get out and haul our kayak through brush, over gravel bars, and over fallen trees. Of course, had he told us that, he wouldn't have gotten his $26! Overall, it was a pretty day and an OK creek. Here are a few shots of our woes. lol

This was the first time we had to portage and it was through some snaky looking reeds!
This time we managed to stay in our kayaks, but it was a tricky spot or you ended up in the root wad and who knows what might crawl out of that!
This was no big deal, but Tobin took my pic as I leaned back to clear the fallen tree.
This was an actual bald eagle nest. It wasn't inhabited, but pretty cool nonetheless! We drove through Forsyth and decided to eat lunch there. I can honestly say I had never been there. Both of us had to crash once we got home. The sun just drained us, I guess.

I even managed to do a "Kodi-style" scrapbook page completed in one hour! I'll have to post tomorrow that tomorrow. A good day overall!

5K Race Day!

Well, today was the day. I didn't prepare like I should have...I guess walking the dogs and joggin' every now and then wasn't the best method, but it was better than nothing! The race was at 7:30 at Phelps Grove Park and benefited women's health. The temp was perfect...70 degrees and fairly low humidity comparatively. There were tons of free giveaways and a big spread of food at the end. My friend, Kimber, had bought my registration fee for my birthday back in May. My goal was to get under 35 minutes and to try not to walk too much. I DID BOTH! I ran a 33:08 and never walked once! My secret was to picture my sister and lil nephews waiting for me at the finish line. But, I didn't dwell on it too much because that would be a downer since they are in Alabama! I'm not overly thrilled with my time, but I'm just getting back in shape, so I can't ask for too much, too soon. There was a photographer taking pics at the finish line, but they haven't posted them yet. I was all pumped up afterwards and got all sorts of things done around the house when I got home! I expected Tobin to say that I ought to run 3.1 miles everyday! Kimber and I plan on doing another 5K soon to see if we can drop our times. Probably not until after school starts though.

I fixed BLTs and fried zucchini for dinner with fresh garden produce. YUM! Tobin and I went to Borders to mill around, read magazines, check out books, and listen to music. This is how we date these days! LOL We each got a vanilla latte. Surprisingly, they had live music there tonight. That was pretty cool. Luckily, we missed the HUGE Harry Potter crowd last night and today. Well, Tobin is off tomorrow and we don't have plans. Sometimes we get spontaneous, so we'll see what happens!

Yea! Tobin's back!

First of all, I enjoyed my "ME" time, but it is very good to have him home. Not only do I feel safer with him here, but he is fun to be around. He makes me laugh and that is a wonderful thing! We have silly fun together.

I completed my "about me" page for the Consider Yourself Challenged contest. I'm lovin' the felt on my pages, and this time I found some glitter felt that was fun. I also enjoyed the different fonts in both the title and the bulleted (jewels) list of blessings. I used flocked letters in the title for the first time also (blessed). Contests make me nervous for some reason, but it was good to do the page anyway. It is a good mile marker in my life and might be interesting to whomever inherits my books someday. I've never really done a page like it. I need to put the date on there somehow. I'd also like to do a "he says/she says" type page...something that shows the differences and similarities between Tobin and I.
My Principal's wife called me last night and told me about an exhibit in Branson. It sounded wonderful, so I called my aunt to see if she'd like to check it out. It is called BODIES The Exhibit and it is sooo fascinating. We waited in line for 45-60 mintues to get in. They had over 10 million dollars worth of human body preservation in so many neat formats. The atmosphere is complete respect, except for some kids that were way too young to appreciate what they were seeing. There were no cameras, cell phones, food, or drink. The exhibits had been people who donated their body to science. They were dissected or cross-sectioned in ways that allowed you to see internal organs, cancers, or disease. They had almost every body system displayed in miraculous ways. It was amazing to see the muscular system displayed in a person playing volleyball or swinging a tennis racket. I wish my students, former and future, could see the differences in a lung of a smoker and nonsmoker. The reproductive exhibits were fabulous. The one-week old embryo was the size of a grain of rice, yet at 4 weeks, you could see tiny arms and legs. I can't imagine a person seeing what I saw today....the inner workings and miracle of the human anatomy... and NOT know that there is a God. Today was the last free day for locals. It will be $22.50 per person until January.

http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/intro.html

We also went shopping at two different outlet malls in Branson. I found some good deals at Bass, GAP, and Skechers! Apparently Steve's Shoes went out of business and all their shoes are being sold for $29.99 or $39.99. I got a pair of Josef Seibel's for $39!!! AWESOME!

2 days without my husband!

Well, Tobin left yesterday for a float trip and should return tomorrow. He is more or less the river guide for 3 of his buddies from work. I have spent my time reading and relaxing, getting things done around the house, and scrapbooking. Not a whole lot different than when he is here! LOL!!
Oh, I did wind up in the emergency room for about 3 hours, but that was right before he left. If you want that story, you'll have to email me. It is a "not for the blog" type saga. He left town as soon as I was stabilized! I haven't heard from him, but we knew that he may not be able to get cell phone reception where they were going. Tomorrow I plan to work out, scrapbook at Jean's again, and get something done with my hair! It's driving me crazy!
You know, it's funny, I lived alone for almost 5 years and was not scared at night (most of the time), but last night, I couldn't turn off the TV and deal with total darkness, slept with both dogs in the house, and my loaded gun under his pillow. Go figure.

Readin', scrappin', and eatin'

That sounds pretty hick, now doesn't it?! lol
I finished a quick page on Hunter today. There is one big mistake. I'll see if anyone notices!
I am close to finishing my Lean Mean 13 book by Janet Evanovich. I love reading her books due to the humor and crazy antics that the lead character gets herself into. I laughed right outloud, all by myself, several times while at the gym today. It is always kind of sad to complete the book because it will be sooo long until another one comes out, but you have that feeling of wanting to keep up with the characters and see what happens next!

Tobin and I had my cousin, Jason, over for dinner. We just barely finished and Tobin got a wild hair to take Jason out in our kayaks. So, they are long gone and the kitchen is now clean again. I think I'll go read for an hour and then take the dogs for a walk!

Two days of scrapbooking with Jean!

I should say two days of scrapbooking and good conversation..in a row! You'd think we'd get an awful lot accomplished, but we visit, laugh, go for lunch, go to scrapbook stores...I really enjoy hanging out with her! I actually worked on three different spreads, but only completely finished one. I'm sure the others will be finished tomorrow...final touches, ya know. Here is one that has been floating around in my head for over a year, but for some reason, I never sat down and worked on it. I think it is because the colors are so crazy. Koen was wearing red, white, and blue, but that didn't play a role in my color scheme at all. Oh well, I like the results.
(journaling: When Koen was 18 months old, Melody asked me to babysit while she ran some errands. I was nervous and excited at the same time! I couldn't wait to have him all to myself, but I didn't want anything to go wrong! We played in the backyard and the threw around a golfball. He ran around in the garden and chased a butterfly. Koen has always loved the outdoors!)

Tobin and I met his parents for a late lunch today and now there is NO need to eat dinner. We totally pigged out at Golden Corral! I did work out this morning though and plan to tomorrow as well! YEA! I've stuck to it so far. Tomorrow, I plan to continue reading the Lean Mean 13 book by Janet Evanovich.

Scrapbooking ALL afternoon!

I am off to scrap at a friends all day and then the doodling class at SG tonight. I need to get to the gym before I head out to Jean's house though, so I need to scoot! I hope you aren't offended by this joke; I thought it was cute, funny, and very quick-witted! I wish I could think as fast as that stewardess! lol

A mother and her 5 yr old son were flying Southwest Airlines from Kansas City to Chicago. The son (who had been looking out the window) turned to his mother and asked, "If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes.
The mother, who couldn't think of an answer, told her son to ask the stewardess. So the boy walks to the galley and asks the stewardess, "If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes The stewardess responded, "Did your mother tell you to ask me" the boy said, "Yes, she did...."
"Well, then, tell your mother that there are no baby planes because Southwest always pulls out on time. Have your mother explain that to you."

10 things you may not know about me...

Well, I was tagged, on MySpace, by one of my former students. Aubree was, and still is, one of my favorite track athletes. I coached her for two years and made friends with her whole family. They are all great people!
I am posting this in both places since I have friends on Blogger and MySpace. If you're on both, you can choose where to place your answers!

The rules in this game of tag are simple -- once you have been tagged, you must write a blog with ten weird, random things, little known facts or habits about yourself. At the end choose at least 10 people to be tagged, list their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you been tagged' and tell them to read your latest blog.

1. I broke my leg when I was 6 years old. I was in traction for awhile, with my leg up in the air and had a pin through my knee for 6 weeks. Then, crutches for quite some time after that. It all happened when my step-dad spanked me for something and I fell on my leg. Not his fault and he probably cried more than I did.

2. I have a 35 year old step-brother that lives in Gainesville, FL ~Elton Henderson My family gets to see him about once a year.

3. I say way more with my facial expresions than most, and maybe even more than I talk, which is saying a heck of a lot.

4. I never applied for the teaching position that I have been in for almost 15 years now. I never filled out an application or even had an interview! I student taught at LR and then subbed for a semester. The principal just turned my name into school board and he called me one night and offered me the job that had already been approved! WOW!

5. I went to Portland Elementary, in Spfd, until 2nd grade, Rogersville from 2nd through sophomore year, and then junior and senior year at Glendale High School.

6. Oddly enough, even though I finally got my act together and became a teacher, no less, I was on academic probation my freshman year at SMS. Wouldn't my students be proud to know that? More due to partying than anything else. Oh, I hated my history class and political science class.

7. As alluded to in the intro, I was a track coach. I coached 7th and 8th grade middle school track -boys and girls for 10 YEARS! Kids were spread out over 3 acres and I was one of four trying to coach about 125 kids in 11 events. UGH...it's amazing I don't have gray hair. It was fun for about 8 of those years.

8. I am a saved Christian, with Jesus as my Savior, even though I don't always act like it and represent very well. That's just part of being a Christian though, admitting you're not perfect and that there's a ton of room to grow, and a daily struggle, to be more like Him.

9. When I was 5 years old, I wanted to be a little boy. I can remember sitting on the potty and praying, with hands folded, to be a little boy. My name was going to be Michael David. Now that's weird!

10. I like to shoot guns and own my own all black Springfield Armory XD, 4-inch service model 9mm pistol. I now wish I would have bought the sub-compact so I could keep it in my purse sometimes. I need to get my conceal and carry permit. Do I sound scary now?

Well, there you have it. Somethings didn't make the list, and others I had to struggle to come with and remember the dates. Overall, it was kind of fun and reflective.

Those tagged on Blogger:
Kodi--We teach together and have become good friends.
Jennifer M--We are becoming friends online, although have never met in person, and I know her answers will be entertaining.
Allison D--Same thing. Although I have met her at SG, we don't know each other very well. I know I will enjoy reading her answers.
Amy E--I have just gotten to know Amy some this summer and I really like her.
Melody--You'd think sisters would know everything about each other, but I'm sure she'll surprise me on this one. Did I surprise you with anything, Mel?
Those tagged on MySpace:
Tricia--We are sisters, but don't really know each other as well as we should and I think I'll learn a lot from her list.
Jean--We have been friends for a long time and I respect her a lot.
Jan--We have also been friends for a long time, but don't stay in touch as much as we used to, so I am eager to read her answers. She also always made me laugh.
Hollie--I've known Hollie for a long time, but we go for years without contact. She is hysterical, so I am guaranteed to laugh my butt off, but learn a lot about a friend as well.
Cindy--Cindy has been my good friend since 2nd grade. Wow, is that 30 years? We have gone through most of our life ups and downs together. I could probably make a list for her, as she could have for me, but undoubtedly, she could make a list of 10 that I wouldn't have known about also! This could be fun!
Melisa--Melisa and I have been good friends since the Glendale HS years, so that is over 20 years! Can't wait to read her answers!

My Silly Sweet Husband~

I slept in until 7:30 today, but Tobin had to be at work @ 5:00 a.m. So, at the crack of dawn, he was apparently making me the smaller note. I found it as I wandered in to the kitchen to feed to hounds this morning. An IMMEDIATE smile covered my face! He knew that I have NO will power when it comes to snacking, so he made this note. It is also cute because it follows the title of the page I did of Koen yesterday. It reminded me of the note I found down in the pringles can once that said, "No, No, No." His way of supporting me. I wasn't planning on blogging the larger note, but it also shows his silly and loving side. I found it on my scrapbook table last week! He was proud of his squiggly corners and told me that they were scrapbook-style! He gets a HUGE kick out of calling me ScrapMandu around the house. He uses the term as a noun and verb. Example: "Hey hon, are you gonna scrapmandu tonight?" He's so funny; he makes me happy!
Well, here is my page for today.

Is summer more than half over?

We just took the dogs on their mile-loop trail and I got to thinking. I'm doing the math here and that bums me out. Plus, Wal-Mart had a whole aisle of school supplies today. Grrrr..... Oh well, I guess most people don't even get this kind of time off.

Well, I finished my most recent page. Another simple page, but did involve some time-consuming stitching! Not to mention the tedious job of using the glue pen on each letter. I really like the lettering though and the pics themselves, of course! I had a good time doing this page because it brought back so many memories of playing with my cute lil' nephew. He just loves the outdoors so much!

Well, beginning tomorrow, it is "work-out-everyday-and-run-everyday time." It's gonna have to be early, or I'll die of a heat stroke! The gym I usually go to is being remodeled right now, so I have to go to the north-side location. Someone, please be an accountability partner on this or I will sit on this computer and/or scrapbook all day and skip the whole running/working out thing. My goal, back in May, was to lose 10 pounds this summer and get in shape for this 5K. I have lost 5 lbs, so that is good progress. I keep thinking that 'they say' you run 3x faster in a race-setting than you normally would. But, thinking that and actually getting my body in good cardiovascular condition are two totally separate issues. Amy~How do you get to the point where you actually miss running that day? I can't remember what that feels like!

Joe's Crab Shack!!

Last night was a fun night! We went to Branson Landing with our friends, Jason and Jennifer Fesperman. The boardwalk was not as full as I had expected and it was such a nice evening. We ate at Joe's Crab Shack which was fabulous! After the calamari appetizer, we all ordered crab. The guys wanted King Crab and the girls ordered the Dungeness. Both meals were 1 1/4 lbs of crabmeat!!! The meal came with a corn on the cob and parsely potatoes. It was delicious! I can't wait to go back!!!
Tobin did NOT want to wear his bib!!

Silly Hunter page

Well, I finished this yesterday, but haven't gotten around to blogging lately. This is a simple layout of our nephew, but I used felt for the first time. I had to paint (well, a black sharpie and fingernail polish) the brads that look like screws. I can't decide if I should leave it alone or stitch around the big circles with the pic and journaling. I also thought of a big angled stitched swirly in the middle, but that takes away from the simplicity...Any thoughts?


---> AFTER...











We are taking it easy today and headed to a party tonight! I made snickers salad for my dish. It didn't make as much as I remember, so I must normally double it. Oh well, less to bring home, meaning less calories for me to consume! lol

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

Dirty White Boy!!

Just finished this page and I really like the simplicity of the layout. I tried a new technique using lemon juice and my embossing tool. I just rubbed the liquid along the edge of the journaling block and heated it until it turned brown. Pretty easy! I like that there is open space, yet still 8 pictures in the spread! This idea of posting my pages for others to see has served several purposes, but I love the fact that I get more done with the accountability factor involved!

Well, the sun is out and the gloomy days seem to be behind us! YEEEAAA! I should go out for a walk and maybe a bike ride before it gets too hot.

Rainy day

The gloominess hasn't gotten to my mood yet, but it does seem like it has rained off and on for a month! Maybe that is why I haven't been that productive in regards to the house and yard. I need some kind of excuse! Scrapbooking progress may not always fly as a reason to my husband!! He did comment that I was the one not working, yet he was the one grocery shopping and cooking dinner. Hmmmm.....I couldn't come up with anything since it hadn't even occured to me!! Ooooooops. I have gotten very lazy for sure. I guess I should look up some new recipes, but he doesn't really enjoy being a "guinea pig" and seems to like the old standards. I am falling victim to the fast-paced society type meals and those aren't always good for you. It would be cool to get all of my friends together and swap recipes for what is made at your house most often. You know, the meals that are made at least once a month and the ones that you usually have the ingredients on hand.
Well, here is my latest page. It is the one that I worked on at Jean's house.