I got the extreme pleasure of talking to my godson today. He turned a whole eleven years old today. I was surprised to learn that his birthday cake was lemon, not chocolate. I think it has something to do with his y-chromosome. He seemed pretty happy about his presents, proving that my beloved first wife is a good mommy. I am not surprised.

I also made myself add a few more words to one of my "love letters". This led me to ponder which was more worthwhile: forcing oneself to write a whole lot of words regardless of whether they make a good story or hold out for the best bits. I think I need to find a happy medium. The mediocre parts should become better in the rewrite, right? I certainly hope so because I need to do a rewrite before I submit to my writers' group. Maybe tomorrow I will remember that. Or someone could call and remind me :)

I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of us actually do come across people who truly deserve our admiration. I am certain I have said this before, but I am reminded of this from time to time. These people should be the ones who do not ask for admiration. They quietly and patiently go through their lives, making the lives of others better with a smile or a small act of service.

Others of us spend a little too much time complaining about the little things. We don't have enough candy or poor taste in friends. If we bother to notice the struggles of those around us, we might just realize that life is pretty good.

I've spent much of the week sewing away at my current quilt. I think it is turning out pretty well considering the fact that this is my first real jaunt into the world of applique and embroidery. I should have it finished in time to post in my photo blog. It has been a while since I added any content to either of my dedicated journals. Anyway, to spice up this journal, I think I shall copy and paste my responses to one of those surveys that goes around every year. Feel free to copy and paste into your e-mail and send me your responses (fanklubz at meowmail dot com , as always):

Welcome to the new 2011 edition of getting to know your family and friends. Here is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. Some of you may get this several times;

That means you have lots of friends. The easiest way to do it is to hit 'forward' so you can delete and change the answers. Have fun and be truthful!

1. What color are your socks right now? Hobbits don't wear socks!

2. What are you listening to right now? G-Force starting

3. What was the last thing you ate? a hot fudge shell-shaped chocolate

4. Can you drive a stick shift? no one is brave enough to teach me

5. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my momma

6. Do you like the person who sent this to you? yes and I love her

7. How old are you today? 711

8. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? hockey

9. What is your favorite drink? water

10. Have you ever dyed your hair? yes

11. What is your favorite food? depends on what I am in the mood for

12. What is the last movie you watched? Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

13. Favorite day of the year? any day I can wear a costume which is not exclusively Halloween in my world

14. How do you vent? grumbling on my online journal

15. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Little Ponies

16. What is your favorite season? Spring or Fall

17. Cherries or Blueberries? depends on my mood

18. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? if they are bored

19. Who is the most likely to respond? the imaginary friends

20. Who is least likely to respond? the people I didn't send this to

21. Living situation? I live with some man who claims he is my husband. He's cute, so he must be right.

22. When was the last time you cried? I may have cried in church today

23. What is on the floor of your closet right now? a space bag full of blankets, some boots, ballet-like slippers, a pencil my hubby dropped there months ago, some dust, a shoe box with pink heels

24. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? Karnsy

25. What did you do last night? watched television, sewed, slept

26. What are you most afraid of? right now--cold and flu season

27. Plain, Cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Friendly's has a burger with jalapenos and tortilla crisps on it...yummy

28. Favorite dog breed? mutt...had dog once who was 1/4 wolf, 1/4 Husky, and 1/2 who knows what...it was love

29. Favorite day of the week? not Monday

30. How many states have you lived in? two

31. Diamonds or Pearls? opals...feel free to hook me up

32. what's your favorite flower? bluebells

Well, that was your sneak peek into my mind for today. Should you feel the need to send me a new survey to answer, you can use the above address. Happy Sunday!!!!

I think the rain is ruining the good run I was having this week. I have been getting up early, erasing some of the items from my "to do" list so I can move them onto the "done" list, and dancing around in my living room for kicks. Today, however, I woke up a little bit later, and I have been struggling to motivate myself.

The struggle continues as I roll into the later hours of the evening and realize I never finished this post. I did manage to clean the bedding in the guest room, so that is better than nothing. I still have a song and a children's book that popped into my head when I was trying to get some shuteye last night that desperately need writing and tweaking and more tweaking. Why can't my muse be awake at the same hours as me? I don't like to leave my nice warm bed and my cuddly husband. I know, I'm a big baby, but I like me like this.

Anyway, I am pretty sure I am doing the sunshine dance before bed. Hopefully, such actions will bring me a more productive tomorrow.

My in-laws came to visit this weekend. This is always an experience in my world. First, I feel compelled to obsessively clean my house. This means that my floors finally got that much-needed mopping that they have been longing for since before I moved into the house. I could be wrong about the length of time it is waiting. I just make assumptions because my husband didn't have a maid before I convinced him to marry me.

Second, I was excited to cook some foods that my husband doesn't normally like. I finally made a pie crust that tasted yummy. The filling that went into it may have been a little too sweet, but somehow a big scoop of ice cream negated that effect. Ever wonder how that works? I'm usually too busy licking my lips to ponder such things anyway.

Third, I began to sympathize with the animals in the zoo. From time to time, I would glance arouns as I was doing something uninteresting like watching dishes or stirring the vegetables so they cook evenly and find that I had an audience. I don't see myself starting a new blog to showcase my new cooking show. I have found that I don't really like being watched while I work. I assumed it before, but now I know for sure.

This means that today was spent being lazy. I need to do that most days just to keep up my couch cred.

Two of my friends are celebrating a birthday today. I hope it was a wonderful one for both of them. I fear they both probably had to work, but I hope they got some great gifts and a tasty meal, at least. One of them lives close enough that I should have made the effort to visit, but I didn't. Now that I think about it, I should probably be kicking myself for missing out on the chance to show them that I love them. With how unpredictable the world is, I need to remember to take more time to remind people that they are awesome.

So what tends to keep me from mailing birthday cards on time? Of course, it is worrying about those "friends" who are constantly demanding more and more and more. The sad part is that these people who keep getting so much more attention than they need. I have noted in the past and will keep noting over and over again that it doesn't help them in the long run. I am tired of being expected to tell them they are awesome at something when they could be using their skills better at some other task. I like to think that people will tell me if my singing is terrible (which it kind of is unless I am harmonizing with someone with a really strong voice) or my attempts to draw make them think of third graders (maybe fifth on a really good day).

I am also tired of people wanting someone else to pay for their mistakes. It bothers me more when I see someone I love constantly being taken advantage of by someone who then tells anyone and everyone that my loved one is garbage. What is it about the nicer people in the world that makes people treat them this way? Oh, yes, the nice people won't speak up when they are being overlooked, mistreated, used, abused, overused, etc. You get the picture? Probably not because I may be the only person who reads my rants. I really should start throwing in random recipes or something to spice this up or start pointing out the beautiful things I see around me. That would probably involve recipes, wouldn't it?

E-mail me if you want to respond. I like e-mail...and Cheetos. (Sadly, Cheetos don't send well via the internet.)

I find myself constantly bombarded by my own huge list of things to do. Of course, I am procrastinating some of those things to type a little love into this forum of cheer and happiness. What I most need to do right now is complete a submission for my writers' group. I don't remember when I last submitted and subsequently made it to a meeting. I have had a few complaints. Of course, the same person keeps lodging those complaints, so it could just be that he likes being critiqued by a hobbit.

The projects that are bubbling my mind most right now are somewhat distracting, however. I need to work on finishing some more of my craft projects and marketing them to the world. Even I don't need a million adorable baby quilts, yet I keep making them and then finding myself thinking I should sell a few of them. I could just give them all away, but I think it would be nice to earn a little money to buy more fabric. I am pretty sure that my husband would argue that I have enough fabric, but we all have our addictions, and mine are fabric, chocolate chips, and making awesomeness from things people normally throw away.

That project ties into my realization that it is time for the main part of this website to get revamped again. I haven't updated it since 2008 and I never fixed some of my broken links. I actually started working on it this week, but I realized that I actually need to take pictures for it. I want to showcase some of my "artistic" skills on the front page. This means I should probably learn to use my camera. I don't have great skills with picture taking, so I may be taking pictures over and over and over until I finally get what I am looking for, but then my avid readers will have something else to explore when they stop in for a visit.

Anyway, I am hoping that when I close this window, I will be one step closer to accomplishing something today, so here goes...

Happy Birthday, Momma! I hope you're having fun with the books.

I know that some of my readers may be concerned that I have dropped off the radar once more. It may even be more irritating since I made promises of updates to come. I am still working out the new design for the main part of this website. I am thinking that it should be simple and easy to navigate, so I am probably just going to revamp the color scheme and add new pictures. I just need to take those pictures first, so be patient with me.

To help you catch up on the happenings in my world, I went on another of the brief roadtrips that my husband and I have been taking when we get the chance. Usually, they are inspired by the fact that I purchased the money pit. It was so much more amusing watching Tom Hanks and Shelley Long deal with it. If only they could deal with the stalkers that apparently came with the place. I tire of being polite to people who just want to take issue with me. I am hoping they grow up soon, so I don't have to waste more time walking on eggshells.

I visited a pet store this morning so I could get some therapy. I got to pet a lovely young lady cat who could be Rodney's granddaughter. She was white and fuzzy and reassured me that I haven't lost my magical touch. I still have my mad scratching skills that make kitties purr and beg to be my master. Her friend Max was too depressed to give into my attempts to cheer him up. I hope he finds a new mommy to love him and cheer him up.

I also spent some time being the entertainment for a baby. I think she will be taller than me by the time she is ten, but I don't hold that against her. She listens to me babble about words that rhyme with each other or start with certain sounds without complaining. Usually she laughs at this, so I am thinking about becoming a comedian who caters to babies. I wonder what kind of market there is for that.

My life has reached the level of exciting where the idea of going to the fabric store promises to be exciting. Since they are kind enough to keep sending me coupons, I can't seem to stay away. I am not alone in this. Sometimes, I almost wish I was. Have you ever bumped into one of those people who is convinced the store belongs to them? I got to interact with one of those people today. I moved so she could get past me in a narrow aisle so I could go back to browsing. Apparently, she thought I would just move out of her way. Instead of moving on to look at the other three or four shelves of fabric, she stood behind me with her cart almost in my back, expecting me to move. I honestly couldn't have moved without climbing up the shelf in front of me or polevaulting over her cart. Those who know me well know that I am not designed for either of those sports. She eventually gave up on being rude, giving a sound of annoyance as she did so. I saw her later on continuing her reign of terror at the fabric counter.

After the excitment of selecting adorable fabrics, I decided to put a little more effort into taking over my house. This involved me climbing up on a stepladder and tearing down the dropped ceiling in what I aspire to turn into my craft room (or fabric storage facility). Thinking about it still makes me scratch despite my incredibly long shower. Now I have to remember to throw out some of the tiles each week until they disappear. Then I can tear down the walls. This could be the best way to use the destructive energy that I get when people vex me. It may even be better than shredding paper.

Of course, fun can't end before the third event of the day. I went ice skating for the first time in a while. As you can imagine, this was nothing short of disactrous. I managed to fall and conk my noggin. This resulted in a lot of undesired attention. I think I may give new meaning to hard-headed. Despite the egg growing on the back of my head, I still had the presence of mind to not want to step on the four people who clustered in to help me up or point out how irritating it is when people slowly skate in front of me, causing my non-coordinated self to try to stop. I have confirmed that I still don't know how to stop on the ice. I really need to work on that or buy a helmet. Hmmm...despite Denis Leary's encouragement, I don't want a helmet.

For those who may have become concerned after my previous post. I am awake this morning. The egg that I feared might crack itself has sunk back into my noggin a little bit, and a hint of a headache keeps trying to interrupt my thoughts, but all seems to be well. I would like to thank chocolate ice cream with brownies and sprinkles for helping heal me even if I did wake up this morning and find that I am not particularly hungry. I'm going to make my pancakes eventually despite this setback.

So my own optimism inspired me. I rushed upstairs to make some pancakes for myself and the hubby. He got one big, standard, average everyday pancake. For myself, however, I decided to make my very own strawberry cheesecake pancake with maple glaze. It was beyond delicious and since I made it myself, it wasn't as sickeningly sweet as they always are at restaurants. I've always enjoyed the perfection of a meal tailored toward my own tastes and desires, so I threw a handful of oatmeal in for a little extra flavor. Did I mention that I wasn't disappointed with my choice of breakfast treat?

In other news, I almost have a new home page that I am willing to accept. It isn't perfect, but I think I should get input that isn't my own before I pass judgment on it. Of course, this means that I will have to start fixing the rest of the site, particularly the broken links that have survived since the last time I updated this site. That would be six years of falling short of the mark for those keeping track.

My head is feeling better but all the muscles I apparently tensed up in my attempts not to conk it in the first place are making me an unacceptable level of whiny. I have to wonder why I thought my abs would be of use in that scenario, but I did. This means that I whine when I sit up, sit down, roll over, sneeze, or laugh too hard. I may have to take up standing around like a statue. It would last all of ten seconds, but they would be ten seconds without listening to myself grumble and whine.

The lump on my head has left a dull ache in its wake. I took a walk today, but I couldn't seem to walk away from it. I did notice that some of the neighbors had cooler flowers than I do. My perception may have been clouded by the conk on the head though. I am still excited that my flowers actually grew.

In other news, I succeeded in not baking cookies today. This is considered a success because if I had baked those cookies, the majority of them would be in me right now. And I? I would be dancing on the ceiling while my husband tries to catch me with an oversized butterfly net. Now that I have realized that, I am regretting not making those cookies. I guess I'll be making them tomorrow.

During the course of any given day, I have a million observations. Some of them are good. Some of them are below negative in aspect. I can't be held accountable for this. My reflections are based on the world that looks into my mirror.

All my readers know that most of my observations are made while I watch television. For instance, I couldn't help but appreciate the magic of surround sound. I was watching one of my many recorded shows when I noticed that I could hear rain pouring distinctly in the background. This sparked a minor urge to pee until I realized what the issue was.

Another observation from the brain of Bella was a need for some of the people I see on the big screen to eat twinkies or drink more whole milk. How can people possibly be that skinny without being blown over in a strong wind? I openly admit that I could be a little thinner and still take on tornado inspired winds, but some people starve themselves so they can be "beautiful" cadavers. I have even heard of it reaching the point where their fingernails are dry and brittle and their hair falls out.

In other aspects of the world, I find that I am quite unflappable when I am recovering from minor head trauma. Usually when people try to gode me, I weigh my options and tell them the truth. Somehow I have managed to avoid all the attempts other have made to get to me. I am left with a very clear view of how sad it is to be someone who feels they have to lie or exagerate the truth in order to get one over on someone they feel is a competitor. How many times can I tell someone silently or verbally that we are not competing before they get it? And is it really worth the effort if it causes them stress just to avoid hurting someone else's feelings? Sadly, my powers of discernment don't always give me the perfect answer. I just have to go with my heart and the warm, fluffy advice that it gives me.

Speaking of matters of the heart, I have also been reminded how much I miss some of my friends. We're all busy with work, school, raising kids, and hobbies that we sometimes lose touch. Yesterday, I got the chance to actually talk with a dear friend. She made me laugh even though my tummy still complains when I do so. Her girls even serenaded me by singing the "Veggie Tales" theme song. I also got to briefly talk to wife number one tonight. It seems like our schedules never coordinate as much as we would like them to. That's probably why she keeps getting packages full of chocolate in the mail, but that is another story.

The last day of the month has snuck up on me and found me wanting. I think I may have finished the short story I have been working on for two months. This means I now have to let it sit for a few days and then rewrite it. The second draft is always much better than the first. This is probably because the Vulcan in me can resolve the logical errors that the human didn't notice as I was trying to splice together my ideas.

My other journals have been neglected this month, I fear. I did post two photos, but despite my best intentions, I didn't add any content to the fiction blog. I still maintain that feedback from my faithful readers would encourage me to entertain them more.

The main page did get its promised overhaul. I now have to devote some time to reconstructing all the sub pages. I have done a few tweaks over the past few years, but I can always do more.

I also managed to be more consistent about keeping people posted on my thoughts and goals. In the interest of continuing that, I would like to share some quotes from Marilyn Monroe that have given me a greater appreciation of her:

"I'm not interested in money, I just want to be wonderful."

"People had a habit of looking at me as if I were some kind of mirror instead of a person. They didn't see me, they saw their own lewd thoughts, then they white-masked themselves by calling me the lewd one."

"The truth is I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't. When they found this out, they would blame me for disillusioning them---and fooling them."

"I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I'm out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

"The trouble with censors is they worry if a girl has cleavage. They ought to worry if she hasn't any." *****

It's amazing what insight we can get from looking at what people say instead of judging them because of roles they played or people they associated with. It makes me think I might have to try to get to know a little more about her someday. I'll add that to my long list of future goals.

She is right, you know? People do try to reflect their own feelings and desires on the people around them. When we are simply and honestly ourselves, that is when we fade out the notice of the people around us because it just isn't as exciting as the image they make of us in their minds. I can sympathize with her, in a way, because I can still list a long list of people who think they have more love or desire from me than they ever earned. I admit to having a lot of love to give, but most of it is that sweet innocent love that we are supposed to have for our fellow man. I reserve my more intimate love for my soulmate. He happens to be the man I married for many, many reasons...