So my husband and I are keeping with our tradition of traveling around the time that he gave me a sparkly. I realize I seem flippant and casual about such things, but my heart knows how serious I take love. The goddess of love may have been captured in a huge butterfly net, but she enjoyed being captured. I digress, which comes as no surprise.

This weekend, we decided to venture to the Aaronic Priesthood Restoration site on the Susquehenna River. This involved some defensive driving on the part of my husband, but we made it safely to our destination. We got to see the foundations of the Hale's home and the home where Joseph Smith translated much of the Book of Mormon. I could try to describe it, but some things must be experienced for yourself. A nice former Navy Captain (are you still a captain when you retire?) actually caught the same feeling that my husband and I shared in his testimony this morning.

We also wandered down to the river. We were not rewarded with the promising splash as the missionaries tried to get pictures of themselves in mid-jump, but someone somewhere has some of my colorful commentary in a video he was making with his camera. I got a collection of pictures of a bald eagle that was roosting on a tree across the churning waters. Of course, my camera lacks zoom capability, so all I can see is a little white splotch, but I know I saw one. How perfect is that for pre-Independence Day weekend?

We then forced some Elders to let us take them out to lunch. If you have ever met Elders, you know how incredibly difficult this can be. I also presented them with some cookies that ended up on the floor due to the aforementioned defensive driving (Score! I love to use that word. It's so looooong...and nerdy!) Both of them assured me that they still wanted to eat them in tones that I could not doubt.

Our hotel left something to be desired. The elevator smelled strongly of cleaning solution that was trying to mask something that I tried not to identify. One stairwell smelled like ammonia or three week old cat urine and the other smelled like puke which almost killed my nose. It was designed in such a way that people could peek into other people's rooms and the curtains didn't close all the way no matter what I did, so I gave up. Some of the other guests may have got a show. A mystery stain resided in the toilet bowl and walking on the floor made our feet dirty. We did get HBO, but not the channel that we had a guide for, so that made for fun times when we decided to watch television.

In other news, I may be turning into a bit of a lobster. I have a ruddy face and rouged arms due to sun exposure. I really need to remember to rub sunscreen on my fair, fair skin. I will recover and look a little less like a vampire in a few days. We know that won't last long, but I should probably capture a picture of that for posterity.

This morning, we dropped by the small branch near the site before heading home. The small church building seems to have an open door policy for birds. Unfortunately, one passed away when he was not able to find an egress. He left a slight aroma for those attending church this morning and a couple of traumatized elders. Aside from that, church went well. The drive home was a little more terrifying, so I took a nap during part of the trip to minimize on white-knuckling and deep inhalations. People are crazy on the road. I shall not go into that again.

My body has decided to launch a rebellion. Needless to say, I'm battling this with all my hobbit-sized moxy. I should probably mix in some Vitamin C with my extra sleep, since I have plans next week. Of course, this morning's extra sleep has cut into my goals for the day.

What does all of this mean to the world at large? It means that my photo blog continues to be neglected as does my fiction blog. Did anyone notice? I don't think they did. I have been fixated on making journals for the past couple of weeks. Between sewing, stabbing, gluing and pondering, this hasn't left much time for writing or scanning through my picture collection.

In other news, I am getting journal-related calluses on my index finger and thumb. They fascinate me more than they should. Luckily, no one notices that I keep staring at them and poking them with my ring to see what sort of indentation is left behind. We all have our little fascinations in life. What's yours?

An epic journey begins or ends where the quester chooses. For some, such a journey begins with a single choice. For others, it takes a combination of choices to create war. The most recent tale began with some frenzied packing and a long ride.

Upon arrival, the accommodations were inspected and found acceptable. A mattress upon which the husband couldn't have been conceived reassured all participants in the quest that regenerating hit points could be done more quickly due to increased comfort. A pool of tranquility and a massage pond provided more promises.

After the lodging assessment, traveling feet found their way to the real heart of the action. A land where blue balls attack, ice sneaks up on the wary, and squirrels threaten young heroes with an endless loop of doom loomed on the hilltop. The blue balls were vanquished with much sweat though the echoes coming out of the cave may have frightened away other travelers. Though wearied by these travails, the ice cavern could not be ignored.

Traversing the ice caverns requires skill, wisdom, and the right coverings (even or the hardy feet of hobbits.) Blades must be carefully sharpened, confidence needs boosted, and the lay of the land evaluated. Ice bumps can send the unwary voyager flying toward the window at unwarranted speed. Luckily, caution and goddess continue to hold hands when describing this particular diva.

This brings the story back to SQUIRREL. SQUIRREL declared himself the enemy of hobbits and divas alike. He crafted a plan to lock true heroes into an endless loop. He provided each participant with a weapon of puttastiqueness and a round enemy with dimples and surprising weight. The minions of SQUIRREL attempt to vanquish all comers before they can reach him, but when they don't succeed, her pulls them back into the void, keeping them from sinking their enemies into the cup of doom. Though, I escaped the loop, SQUIRREL haunts others still. Maybe next time, SQUIRREL. Next time...

My return to the real world failed to cure me of my feelings about SQUIRREL. The massive quantity of shows on my DVR leaves me no choice but to sit on my bottom and work on sedentary projects. I expect to have a huge pile of journals made from re-appropriated materials by the end of the week. (View a picture of some such art on the home page and let me know if you are interested). At some point, I need to post pictures and offer my wares for sale, so they can truly be appreciated. (I should keep track of how often I say that).

I also need to put this obsession to bed for a while, so I can write. My novels and short stories are looming on the horizon. I should also begin working on my Halloween costume. I also offer my services as a costume consultant for a fee. Why all these offers to sell my handiwork? Every diva needs to be able to afford her treats. Mine are chocolate and fabric, what are yours?

Since my last confession, my need for cleanliness has driven me to increase my productivity. My pile of journals in production remains the same size, yet I am further along in their fabrication. I am hoping to have this current batch finished by the end of next week.

In the hopes of the fruition of planning to remodel the bathroom, I have also been investing some time in cleaning and organizing. Cleanliness in advance leads to less trauma during and after the gutting and restructuring of a room. This process goes easier when random people aren't knocking on the door to sell me stuff. This week, the interrupter wanted to sell me some cleaning products. He recognized that I am a diva. At least, he insisted on telling me I looked like a diva despite my hair pulled back in a ponytail and my uber-casual clothes. After a half hour of spiel, I finally convinced him that I would not buy his product without a little more research. Needless to say, the fact that my research netted no results, makes me confident that I made the right choice.

So what else is going on in my world besides building up inventory for my Bella Boutique? Not much, I fear. I have been trying to be as dull as possible lately. I think it helps me to relax ;)

Another event-filled weekend draws to a close. I have returned to the comforts of my couch and the pile of projects that always await those who fear idle hands. One part of me screams for me to relax, the other part of me begs for me to catch up.

Yesterday found my love and I back on the road. After a somewhat traumatic journey in which people always wanted to merge when we could not switch lanes, we finally arrived at our first destination. Despite her assurances that she didn't desire company, we descended upon her and presented her with pre-birthday gifts. Though she resisted the charm and appeal of our "delightfully tacky" offerings, she eventually succumbed to the smile that is always hidden inside a heartfelt gift. I didn't realize until we were returning home that I forgot to take my brother's birthday present with us. Of course, I didn't know he was in town until we drove past him in his classy van. I waved wildly, but I think he didn't notice me. He may have been intent on reclaiming his babies from their grandparents after long weeks of Army duty.

To kill time before our next engagement, we stopped at the Queen of Dairies. Doesn't every one love a snowstorm in the summer? That gave us enough energy to make the short drive to a dear friend's post-wedding open house. We were there for ten minutes before she appeared. During that time, I introduced myself to the one sister I had not met in one of my favorite families and eyeballed all of the cookies. I even tried a few of them. I may now be a little obsessed with a cookie that I believe is called an Idaho spud candy. I may be wrong about this becauseI have yet to find a recipe that sounds like it would turn into the tastiness that I discovered. I feel that I may find myself experimenting with marshmallows, coconut, and chocolate soon. After scoring some more hugs, we headed further north.

We arrived a little early, so my husband allowed me to roam around a store where I found three shirts that needed to be purchased. True to form, I may have to eat less cookies to make sure they fit in a way that is not horrifying. With a few minutes to spare, we rushed to the eatery of choice to meet our dinner dates. I finally got to meet my new niece Emma who remained quiet and cooperative for most of the meal. Her sleep-related fussiness was our cue to head out to our final destination.

The in-laws were happy to see us, but disappointed by our reminder that we would be leaving this afternoon. I think this may have had something to do with the huge birthday cake that they purchased in honor of me. We left five sixths of it for them to feed to any and all guests who may be visiting their house. Luckily, they have an extensive collection of freeloaders that come over to use their pool. Anyway, my tiredness requests my attention...