Long Time No See!

Wow! I've been out of commission on here for a while! BUT... there's good reason....... My very first grandbaby!!!!

So.. you see she's growing up fast!

Also, I started digging through my family tree and got lost somewhere in the branches! Happy to say though I've just about completed it. Here's a list of things I never knew until I started my genealogy research......

I have relatives that I went to school with and never knew it!

My 6th great grandfather, Aaron Crawford built two churches! One in Alabama (Girard Baptist Church) and one in Maydelle, Texas (Pleasant Grove Baptist Church). Funny thing, after reading church minutes, he also was kicked out of the church, for a while..... for "a'dancin!" My how times have changed from 1880 to 2010! Now they're dancing IN the churches!!

I'm related to Trader John Benge.

When you hit a brick wall in researching.. sometimes there's no climbing over it! I mean really, when there are 5 of the same names with remarkably close birthdates in the same given area...... just HOW do you know for sure which one is yours?!

Anyways.... I will TRY to do better and post more as the days go by...

Think I'll run over and see if I can meander around Redgage for a while.... and get back into my Squidoo'ing too!

Maybe between patty caking (which is a definite priority over anything computer related) and playing knock the blocks over, I'll get more posted around this big ol' web!

Have blessed days!!

RedGage Did Maintenance, I Did WORK

Earlier this evening, RedGage was doing maintenence on the site, so that meant I couldn't run up and down the tutorial halls. Bummer! Because at that time, I didn't have my research finished for my next lense.... so......

What did I do?

I worked!

And I do mean w-o-r-k. So much so, that instead of staying up till my normal 4 am... I'm going to bed at 1!

I. dug. potatoes.

Or actually, as I really say it.. I dug taters!

Seriously! Went out to the garden and got on my hands and knees and dug potatoes!!! I started out using a garden rake, which broke on the fifth mound, (there were at least 50 of em) which did considerable amounts of pain to my back.

No, I don't have back problems, I just don't do a lot of bending over and picking things up off the ground after I dig 'em up! My day consists of 12 hours on the computer, 1 hour eating, spaced out between 3 meals, and 7 hours sleeping!

RedGage really messed up my routine!!!

I diligently dug though. Because there is NO way I'm going to do two days of that! Oh, did I mention this is only the FIRST time in my life I ever dug taters? GEEZ LOUISE!

My cousin had to dig taters one time and she told me that she got so hot that she got sick. So, I knew right then tater digging was not for me!

So, I think RedGage should quadruple my earnings for all of the physical work I had to do today! LOL

But I'm fine now. They are back up and running. Too bad I'm too tired to run the halls!

So, (unless I am too sore to sit) tomorrow I will have a new lense up and running! I'll make sure to blog it right after I eat some tater soup!

See ya!

RedGage vs Squidoo

Now that I'm off my reading binge (yes I finished Sons of the Fathers.. you can read about it here. So I don't have the reading to blame for my lack of blogging anymore. BUT. I do have Squidoo and RedGage to blame!

I make a lense and run over to RedGage.

OR

I run down the tutorial halls of RedGage learning and looking. I can't figure out which site is the most addictive. I click on a link on one and before I know it hours have passed by and I end up going to bed. Just to wake up and do it again the next day!

But seriously. They are both some great sites you should check out! Especially if you want to show the world your stuff!

RedGage even pays you when people click on your links! How great is that? I really like being able to have a central location to put all of my web stuff. Between my photos, videos, lenses and web pages, I have my own world wide web storage room in one spot! It's a great way to promote your stuff.

And the people are GREAT!! Very friendly. Hope to see ya there!

So, click either of the pics and you can join me on them!

Reading

So I disappear for a few days and then post. What's up with that?

Nine times out of ten it is because I'm over there on Squidoo making lenses. To me, that's better than a blog because I can add stuff! The other one of the ten I'm either reading a book or asleep.

I just finished two books by James Scott Bell called "Presumed Guilty" and "Breach of Promise." I loved them both! I'm reading "Sins of the Fathers" now. Go read my lense on them.

If you read the books, you won't be disappointed!

Anyways, I'm off to finish that book so that I can complete my lense totally. Then I'm more than likely off to make another video!

Ciao!

Fundraising The Easy Way

As a parent, an aunt, and a great-aunt (and soon to be grandma) I've had a total of 27 years experience of being on the buying end of fundraisers. Believe me when I say I don't enjoy it!

I've bought everything from candy bars that were thrown out because I'm used to Hershey's Kisses kind of chocolate and nothing else compares, to some very high priced trinkets, like wind chimes, jewelry boxes, and wrapping paper, which the wind chime rusted in two (bought it 2 years ago.. it hangs IN my house), the jewelry box lid broke off the first time I opened it (trashed) and the wrapping paper became useful at Christmas. Looking back now, I wish that I'd had an opportunity to run across the fundraiser that I am on the promoting end of now.

I don't promote it as a means to make money on it. I promote it, because as a buyer of fundraising knick knacks, I would much rather have something useful as a candle, that I can use any time, than I had something that would either wind up in the trash, goodwill donation box, or sitting in the back of the closet in hopes it will get used one day. You know what I mean?

And it's not a candle that is going to burn down and leave you with a big glob of wax or one that will smell good the first time you burn it and then not have a trace of scent later. I'm talking about a candle that even through the glass containers and the plastic wrap on the votives, you can smell them! I am not, by any means, a candle freak. Until I started selling these candles, I could count on one hand how many candles I'd ever bought in my life.

But now, I have a candle in every room of my house! I have simply opened the lid on them. Have yet to burn them. The aroma from the candle can be smelled in every corner of the room. And they aren't even burning!!!

I think the best part of the whole candle though, is the fact that if you do decide to burn it, and you want to keep the jar or the votive holder, it just pops right out and you wash it up with warm soapy water! No wax! Just think of all the soot you don't have to smell!

Not only do I sell them, I'm able to offer them as fundraiser programs too! And you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm working my tail end off promoting them too! Because just like me, I know there are other folks out there that are tired of the candy and the popcorn and the wrapping paper and the car washes and the trinkets and the... well.. you get my point!

So if you run across anyone (group or individual) that needs to have a fundraiser, then tell them to visit me here and I will sure get them set up!

The Family That Preys Together

Ever had one of those days? One that no matter how fast you go, you can't get caught up? Thank goodness that wasn't one of mine today!

But I had an experience this evening that is just as bad as one of those days. I rented Tyler Perry's movie The Family That Preys Together

Now, anyone who has ever rented a movie from Redbox knows you have to have them back at 9:00 p.m. Right? Yeah, well, I decided to start watching this particular dvd at 7:00, thinking Oh sure. I have plenty of time.

Wrong. I made it all the way to Chapter 21 (there's only 24 of them) when I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 8:50!!!!!!

That gives me 5 minutes to get to the store to return them (which I made, even after almost rear-ending a cop that was parked in the street after I rounded a corner) BUT...

Lo and behold one of the machines was broken and there were 9 people in line (yes I counted).

I threw myself on the mercy of the man in the front of the line and he let me return my movies. I came home to check my receipt to find out that I got all three movies in at 8:57, 8:58 and 8:59.

WHEW!

That was a blessing.

But it sure is a bummer to know I still don't know how the movie ended!!!!!!

Now I have to wait 'till next movie night to find out! I left poor Kathy Bates trying to figure out how to reload the camera.

Oh well.

It's a good movie! But I am partial to Tyler Perry's work. I absolutely LOVE his movies!

Madea is one lady I would love to hang out with!

Off to Squidoo.. you should visit there sometimes! There are some really great lenses there!

Will be back in touch soon.

Natural Wax Candles

Do you love candles? Click on the logo above to read my squidoo lense on our gourmet products!
Basket of Candles will be at the Farmers Market in Lufkin Texas tomorrow (5-08-09)
Will post more later in the weekend as I'm still packing up for the show!