31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 14 - What is in my handbag?

Okay I have never been much about carrying a hand bag or purse though I do like them because frankly, I am a container person! Anyways, I have a new purse/handbag that I love that I got on Little Black Bag. The one thing I carry besides my bankcard and drivers license is my nook. Its the one thing you can always find in my bag if its not beside me being read or waiting to be read. Other than that, I am not sure what you are suppose to put inside the bag. I can usually get by with just my card holder in my back pocket but that also means I am carrying my nook with me. So a handbag is nice in that it does help me to transport my nook from place to place. Asking me this question would be one of the most boring questions. I really have no clue what you are suppose to carry in your purse. I do have some pens, advil, biotin, keys and my cell phone. The bag itself is big enough to carry so much more. Occasionally place mail in it, but that just ends up annoying me. I do have another bag I carry grading in but again, still not very interesting, unless the kids get creative on answering their math questions.  I have asked others what they carry but still have no idea what I should do to improve the contents of my bag. Though if it was okay to carry around the stuff to make a margarita I would be the first to jump on that ban wagon! I do at times carry several bottles of water with me when we go out and about and I know I will want something to drink. lol

Maybe tomorrows topic will spark something interesting...or this bog could get just that much more boring....lol....peace out!

31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 13 - Favorite Quote

Well, of course I have more than one favorite quote. The one I like enough to tattoo on myself is, "Not all who wander are lost." JR Tolkein. I love this. I have always felt like I was one to wander from one place to another but I knew I would get where I wanted to be. So though I may seem lost to some, I don't feel lost but rather I take the scenic route. (:

Another favorite quote is EE Cummings, "I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart, wherever I go, you go." I just feel that this embodies what love is. When I hear it I think of those I love and choose to share my life with.

One more quote is "Well behaved women rarely make history." This just reminds that we don't have to necessarily live by the rules society has set for us to be memorable. Life is what we make it. This does not mean it gives permission t be rude or to break laws, either.


Okay, I am really not in the mood to blog. I am sure its because my nook, which has the voice of Eric Church, is begging me to turn it on and read. So, I am checking out and going to start reading. Peace out!

31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 12 - If I won the lottery...

Oh what a fun idea! If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is thank GOD. What a blessing that would be in our lives. My next task would be to take some money and give it to my grandpa Charly. He has worked hard every day of his life and it would be cool to know that he could continue to do what he loves to bargain and create and not have any financial pressures (though I don't know his finances or if he is pressured). My next task would be to provide a retirement for both my parents and Jason's parents. Whether they chose to retire or not, but to give them money to take care of themselves. For all the gifts they have blessed our lives with I would want to be able to give them this back. The next would be to let Jason quit his job, buy his Harley and do whatever he has planned (on a budget! LOL) He has given me so much to be able to do what I have done. I would set up a trust fund for Evan. I would also want to find ways to add blessings to our siblings, nieces, and nephews lives.

Now I believe that you can give to God in many ways. That it doesn't always have to be through a church. I would first quit my job as a Math Teacher and actually work with a school district to be a volunteer math teacher. Have the chance to go in and work with kids and help them learn one of the skills they need to know and understand.

My next would be to start a foundation to help support a cure for Alzheimer's Disease and to support families who have a love one who is struggling with Alzheimer's. I really have an idea in my head and I would be able to the time and money backing to help support this cause. Even without the lottery, I hope that I am able to say this I have done before my days are done.

So, not sure if that is as exciting as someone else's would be but that would be the jist of mine. The main thing is I would want to be smart with the money and not spend it all and be back to where we are or even in a worse position.

Peace out for now ~

31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 11 - Most Proud Moment

Okay so I am a day late on starting this one, partly because I was in the mountains having fun with the family and was tired when we got home and second the topic is a tough one! My most proud moment....really moment....I need moments. I have several proud moments in my life but to name only one seems, impossible. But I will try but knowing myself, I won't limit it to only one (:

I would say that one of the moments I was the most proud was when I became a mom. I really don't think that there is any greater joy than having the knowledge and understanding of what it feels like to love another unconditionally. Just loving them because they exist. Not because they expressed love or kindness to you but just because they were in your arms. The amazing part is that feeling never goes away. It just grows throughout time. My son can truly make me happier than most. Not sure he realizes this, because I am his mom and I do get on to him. But sometimes I wonder if I get on to him because I feel that I have failed in some areas of my part of raising him. I have more joy in my heart for him but I also have the greatest fear that I may have not done my job right. I am very proud and blessed to be his mom. I love him more than words could express. I pray for him to be happy and to find his bliss. That he thinks things through before jumping into something that will change his life forever. He has given me so many things to be proud of that I am not sure he even realizes that I am that proud of him and that proud to be his mom. I truly see him as a gift that God has entrusted me with and even more so blessed me with. From the day I found out I was pregnant with him. from the time we saw him on the sonogram, when we decided his name, the day of his birth and to every day since I have lived a life of this proud moment. A moment that I believe will last my lifetime.

Now that was a little mushy but its true and not to knock the value of it I am done. But to catch up I will be posting Day 12, too.

31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 10 - First Celebrity Crush

OH! I love this topic!!! I have no doubt in my mind who my first celebrity crush is, funny thing is after 30 years its still the same one!! Anyone who knows me or meets me learns fairly quick that I am a major Rick Springfield fan. I use to think I was a fanatic but after going on the 4th and Final Rick Springfield & Friends Cruise I learned I have a healthy crush. I definitely know the difference between fanatic and major fan!

Here is a picture of my mom, Rick and myself last year on the cruise. This was the absolutely coolest experience I have had! The coolest part (aside from meeting Rick) was that I got to go with my mom. It was both of ours first cruise. Talk about making some amazing memories!

I remember when Jessie's Girl came and out and all of us girls on our street growing up wanted to be Jessie's Girl or Rick's girl. I thought (and still do) he was the best looking guy ever! To this day I have two of his albums in my classroom and by the time my students leave they know who he is and his music. Someone has to expose them to the good stuff! I tell my students that he was my Justin Bieber. I just never grew out of it. Some I know think I am crazy but thats okay. There is something about his music that has always made me happy and chills me out, instantly. I mean there are days that only Rick plays it helps to keep me balanced.

This picture says a lot. On the first night of the cruise I was fortunate to get my picture taken with Rick, I was  in total Awe. You can tell if you look at my eyes.

 It was shortly after this I realized the difference between a major fan and a fanatic. Fanatics will walk up to Rick and try to make out with him! They have very little, if any respect for his space. He walked around where there were hundreds of fans pulling on him, grabbing and groping him. I am sure by the end of the night he is not able to see with all the camera flashes. However, he does this for the fans. He is a very humble spirit and you see that right away. He is kind to everyone and not one time did you see him be rude to anyone. He truly appreciates that his fans love him and he loves his fans. His wife was on the cruise too. I got to meet her. I told her thank you for sharing her husband. It would take a very strong woman to be able to do what she has done.

Here are a few more pictures of the cruise. It was an awesome opportunity and I hope that one day I get to join in on another one of his fan trips!

 My amazing mom and Rick! He is much taller than I really had expected.

Above:  Rick rocking the stage at the opening concert for the cruise.\
Below: Rick and I. I am not tall I had on the highest heels I own that make me about 5'9-10".

 Above: This was his encore. He came out with sleep pants and his uggs on it. For 62 he looks AWESOME
Below: Again at the opening concert!

Below: This was the Beatles Tribute he played. It was a blast. Not a big Beatles fan but would be if it was Rick singing! lol

 Below: These pictures are not the greatest, but this is the concert with his first band, Zoot. Sadly, the lead singer, Darryl Cotton, lost his battle to cancer this year. What an experience to get to see this band in action after 40 years apart!

To end my picture sharing and my blog on my first celebrity crush. another very nice view (:

Laters <3 Peace <3

31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 9 - Tattoos and piercings

Tattoos and piercings...hmmm. Yea I have em. I will start with piercings. I have the normal ear piercings and at one point I had my ears pierced double. But my right side grew back so my right ear only has one piercing. Now my left has three. The double and when I was 14 (24 years ago) I had the top of my left ear pierced. It has never grown back. I have gone months if not a year without wearing an earring in it, too. As of piercings thats all I have. Though I really wanted to pierce my tongue. But since I have a heart murmur its not recommended to even have your teeth cleaned without taking high doses of antibiotic so I never ventured for the tongue. When I was younger I wanted to pierce my nose. My dad talked me out of that one.

Tattoos. I have four but want more. I would love to have a partial sleeve but tattoos are not really seen as the best thing to have when you are a teacher. My first tattoo is on my ass. It's a devils tail that is in the shape of a question mark with a halo. I got this to remind me that only I can decide if I am good or evil. The reason behind it was when I was the event planner for the city/chamber I went in front of our city council and a large portion of our bible thumping community to request permission to have beer and wine sold at a bike rally I was organizing. I had some people say some very mean things to me and get very personal. This was something that was expressed as wanted and I was the one who was given the job to fight for it and I did. FYI, I won and since then there have been several events in the community that now allows alcohol sales. During these meetings I dealt with a lot of people passing judgement on me and saying mean things. I was even laughed at by one of the local preachers. That stung but preachers are human and I have the power to choose not to enter his church, too. Anyways, the last day of the event, I went to dinner with friends and my husband. Afterwards, I went and got the tattoo. Not even a month later I had my second one on my right foot. I grew up wanting to be "Jessie's Girl" (you know the song by Rick Springfield, if not what a sad life you must live). Well I am Jason's girl so on my right foot I have it with flames and a Hawaiian flower. Tattoo number three came shortly after the second one. When my niece, K-bird (who was 4 at the time) saw my foot she grilled me about it not having any pink in it. So, my third tattoo is a heart with a cross and a ring. Stands for Love, Life and Loyalty. The heart is pink for my K-bird. My last tattoo has faded and really did not work out as planned. Its on the side of my left foot, part of it has faded and part is too dark and just didn't work the way it should have. It had scroll work and hibiscus flower and it says, "Not all who wander are lost." One of my favorite quotes. One day I will figure what to do to fix it but it was also the most painful of my tattoos too, so there has been no rush for it to be done. lol. I plan on a couple more tattoos. I want a peace sign that has the word veritas with it (The truth will bring you peace). I also would like a bird not sure what kind but I want  a bird. I am sure I could sit here and type all day talking of tattoos I want. But I won't its been a long day and I am worn out. So have a good one ~ <3 Peace <3 ~

31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7 - An Old photo of me

So day 7 of the 31 day challenge! I have officially made it through one week! WOO HOO!!! Today's topic is to share an old photo. This is a picture of my mom and me when I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. It has been one of my most favorite pictures. I even keep it in our safe all locked up. I couldn't tell you exactly why its one of my favorite pictures it just is. Its a picture that makes me feel happy and reminds me of how happy life can be. I can't even tell you where the picture was taken. I think it might of been on a trip to Six Flags in Dallas but I am not sure. I just know that it makes me smile and reminds me that I had was blessed with a wonderful childhood and even better than that, parents that love me dearly, yesterday and today.