Soldering...

OH MY! I have fallen in love...with soldering! How can I possibly do this? How can I add one more thing to my list of artistic vices that I love? How? There aren't enough hours in the day for what I do now. And now I'm adding soldering? I still have clothes to fold on my "laundry couch"! I can't take up soldering! My yard still screams to be cleaned up for fall...I don't have time to solder! My craft corner is a mess (I like to think it's in creative transition)...if I solder, something will catch fire! oh gee... ah well... I'll just have to give up laundry completely! I was never very good at it anyhow! :o)

Cross-Country Season

My two oldest kids (17-year-old twins) are in XC (cross-country). I have to say...XC has been the most incredible, challenging, satisfying, FUN sport for my kids. They discovered it when they joined track their freshman year of high school and fell into the distance running group. The kids were absolutely fun and phenominal...I have talked to other kids and parents from other schools and it seems to echo throughout the running sports...the kids are dedicated, disciplined and generally a blast to be around. My kids team has been like a family throughout their high school years. They seek each other out at school...sit together at lunch...have unity nights almost every weekend and before every meet...double, triple date...group together to go to dances...you name it!
Well...for the last 2 years, my daughter has been the star of the girls team. She's gone to State each year and is just a really great runner...not trying to boast, just telling a story! My son, on the other hand, has struggled. He's always enjoyed running, but he's been growing...approximately 14 inches in about a year and a half...and that has caused incredible pain in his knees, his hips, his ankles...well, you can imagine! All the while, he's been watching his twin sister excelling...really being a star athlete while he sits out or struggles to finish races! What has his attitude been like, you ask? Well, he cheers the loudest for her at the meets, encourages her, and is generally verrrry happy for her! Yes, he has his moments when she's overly excited and he gets sick of hearing about it, but for a guy to be so supportive of his sister in a sport he participates but doesn't get to excell in - well, that's just unbelievable.
So...we think he's done growing (6'1 1/2" should just about do it, don't you think?) and I've been praying that he'll have a good season for his senior year. He's a good runner...he has had the potential, but his body just hasn't been able to cooperate with his ability! Well, he had his first race the other day and he was 11th out of 45 junior/senior guys!!!!! He came in right after one of our fastest guys...stayed right with him the whole race! I was FLOORED!!! He was so happy and that taste of personal victory was so incredible for him!!! So, I'm excited for him and his final season of XC. Praying that he stays healthy and that he can do what he is able to...show what he can do...what he's been trying to do for the last 2 years.
That's all I want for my kids... for them to be able to do what they can...the BEST of their abilities...and be proud of their accomplishments!

When moms are right...

Remember when you were a teenager and you mom would sigh and say "Just wait until you have teenagers...you'll understand!" Well...gee...mom was right! I have actually had it pretty easy up until about a month ago when my teenagers started acting their age! They are twins...17 years old...both of them late bloomers. I always knew it would happen...the hormones and indignant behavior would kick in and I would become the stupidest person on the face of the earth. But, even though I completely expected it and waited for it to come, it hasn't been an easy thing to accept. I actually was entertaining the thought that maybe, by some strange twist of fate and some divine blessing from God, that I would get to have dream kids that would look up to me and my infinite wisdom and remain lovingly devoted to their mother and skip the whole know-it-all stage. Nope...no such luck! So...today was an especially exhausting day...for no other reason than I'm realizing that the dream has died. I'm deflated. My kids are normal. They're not dream kids. I'm not supermom....well, not to them, anyway! I know I'm doing my best and, with the smallest amount of therapy, they should be just fine! But here's what I'm grasping...my kids ARE normal...this is normal. This stage in life is necessary. If they were sweet forever I wouldn't want them to leave for college...I really, really want them to leave for college now! I want them to experience poverty (the kind you can be rescued from -the top ramen until the next paycheck kind) and having to work at a job you hate until you can find one you love (ok, they're experiencing that right now) and the stresses of doing for yourself (ie: laundry, cooking, cleaning, buying groceries, holding down a job, paying the bills, etc). They do a lot for themselves, but not all at once! It's good stuff...makes you appreciate all you've been given...all you work for...what is to come... So...I'm excited for them...frustrated with them...unsure what is ahead for them...but I'm going to love them through it all! Being a mom is the most exhausting job and then you get to say..."Just wait until you have teenagers...then you'll understand!" and you KNOW - even though they're thinking "Yeah, right, when I have teenagers I'll be a cool mom/dad" - YOU are right - they are wrong - they'll be lame parents, just like you are! Yesssssssssss!

New Cards!

I added some cards to my etsy shop last night...check them out and let me know what you think! www.artbyheather.etsy.com

Bigger Messes

A question...
Why does the mess get bigger as we try to clean it up? For the last 3 days I have been trying to dig out my crafting stuff. More like CLEAR OUT! I need to downsize in the worst way! So, as I've worked on it, I have piles of CRAP everywhere. Add to that, my daughter is painting her room and her stuff lines the hallway (my "office" is in a loft along our upstairs hallway). So, I have piles of stuff everywhere and so does she! She has one more coat to go (RED) and her stuff will disappear - or it will end up on the front lawn! Maybe I should move to the front lawn! There is lots of room out there...it's sunny and warm and there's lots of natural light! hmmmm... Then there's the issue of dew. (I went off on a tangent there...don't worry, that's normal)
I envy people who clean up after themselves. Who naturally think to do that. I don't know what I think, but it never occurs to me that I should do that. I create wonderful things...I'm proud of myself and I go to bed. I sleep soundly thinking of all that I accomplished and wake up to all of my glorious creative remnants lying about inspiring me once again. Mess? What's that? Then on the rare occasion that I absolutely can't find what I'm looking for (I can spot anything in a messy pile!), I get frustrated with myself...and wish I could be neater. This is my husband's and my biggest fight. Mess. He's a bit of a neat freak. (don't deny it...don't! I mean it!...stop it, you know you are!)
Here's another question...
Why do opposites attract? Is it God's way of entertaining himself while he watches us drive each other completely insane? It's got to be somewhat entertaining. I know there is a balancing thing...we fill in the gaps for each other...I help Alex let go of some of his angst about mess and he helps me not let the house turn into a trash heap. But it's finding the happy medium that's such a trick. I will find a way to make that happen...a happy medium...a magic formula... and write it down in a little booklet and sell it on Etsy. I will make a million. Check my site often and stay tuned...but don't hold your breath!
Back to my messes...they ARE getting smaller...they ARE, they ARE, they ARE!

My Cards are Listed!!!

I just listed my first 9 cards on Etsy...check them out at http://www.artbyheather.etsy.com/ I feel like I just put pictures of my children out there to be judged! Why do I feel like that? But let me just say that as I was listing my 3rd card, I got the nicest convo from a lady in Australia...complimenting my art and sense of humor... this is her: http://www.gillianhamilton.blogspot.com/ She is the most talented woman! I am stunned by her blog...if you're reading this, Gillian, this is what I think...WOW! I was greatly flattered BEFORE I saw your page...but now I'm humbled. So, as I was perusing her blog I thought..."this is cool...gee, how do you put pictures on your blog". I have a blog but don't know how to use it. And if anyone can help me understand how to look at blogs of a particular subject...and how to link them to your page so you can have "insta-click" access to your favs!? I honestly am lost in here...in this little corner of cybersuburbia! I know how to compose a blog and I even figured out how to add a picture when I'm done with this post, but the rest is a mystery! I would take the time to figure it out but if you read my last post, I really have better things I should do. Chances are, though, I will take the time to figure this out first. (sorry Alex!)
Alex is my husband...I just gave him my blog address...he didn't know I had one. I imagine he will be reading this...Love you Al! He is very patient with my "creative mess making"...well sometimes he is. I suppose there's just so much trauma you can put a man through before he completely loses his mind...and I really don't want to be the one to push him to that point! His constant mantra to me is "You're killin' me" and my reply is usually "You're not dead yet!" So, hang in there with me, honey!
I will now proceed to amaze you with my ability to add a photo... if you don't see a photo, I couldn't figure it out and you can raz me in a comment. I'm ready for it, bring it on!

My inability to stay on task...

I think I have "adult onset ADD". Is that really a condition? It seems that I just can't see a job to completion. I'm talking about housework...mundane chores like cleaning the bathroom, organizing my workspace, doing laundry etc. I will work nonstop for several hours and not a single thing will be completed. Lots of things will be half done to perfection, but nothing completely done.

I am the sort of person who likes work that has a beginning and end...you work at the task, finish it and it's done. That's why I like art so much! You create something and get to enjoy it or sell it for someone else to enjoy but you don't have to pick it up again and start over on the same piece - you can make ANOTHER one, but the first one is DONE! The laundry gets done for literally 2 minutes and then it piles up again. It's never actually conquered. Same with every other household task. Dust happens. So does dirt. People eat. It's just the way it works. I have always struggled to keep up with my house. I wouldn't say my house is dirty, it's just lived in and Martha would not be proud. She'd probably tidy up if she visited. I'd let her.

That's another thing I don't understand. People who get offended if someone tidies up when they come over or folds their laundry if they're sitting near a pile of clean duds. If you come to my house and start to fold my laundry on my couch - yes, I have a "laundry couch" - I will bring you a basket to stack it in...and hug you. The underwear part would embarrass me, but I'd get over it!

So...since I think I'm not the only one that has this "problem"...the problem of not being able to keep up with all of the chores and responsibilities of keeping a home, I wrote a little thing...it's with apologies to the book by Laura Joffe Numeroff...If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
It goes a little something like this:

If you try to clean the kitchen,
You will walk to the sink and step on a wayward lego.
After you scream in pain, you will take the lego to the lego bin in the family room
And notice that there are dirty socks on the floor.
You will pick up the socks and walk them to the laundry room
Only to see the wayward diamond earring in the corner
That you had believed to be long gone but had actually stuck to your sweater
And shaken loose while being put in the washer!
Giddy with this discovery, you will call your husband
Who will be happy to hear the news and
Remind you to pick up his dry cleaning.
You will go to your bedroom to replace the earring in your jewelry box
And see that the pair of earrings now needs cleaning and drop them into the cleaning solution.
While leaving your bedroom, you will ponder what you were doing and
See your husbands drycleaning in the basket by the door.
You will take the items to the car and notice a permission slip on the back seat.
A trip to the school is needed.

** There is more, but I deleted the remainder to preserve it for an idea that I have...

To all the husbands who come home and wonder what we did all day because nothing looks different...we did quite a bit, thank you very much! :o)

OK, I'm done! I have some cleaning to do!

Ha! Moments

Since this is my first blog EVER, I will tell a tiny bit about me.
I am Heather. I am a stay-at-home mom who is never home. I have teenagers that are quite wonderful actually, thank-you very much! My husband is also pretty wonderful...a hard-working guy that has put up with my idiosyncracies (fyi: I had to stop and look up that up in the dictionary to see if I spelled it right, and believe it or not...I DID!!!) for 22 years with only a few blips along the way...won't get into that now! Later...well...maybe...maybe not!
I use ... a lot. That may annoy some, but that's okay. I am an artist...I sell my creations on Etsy. Here's my shop address: www.artbyheather.etsy.com Stop by and see my stuff. Let me know what you think. Be gentle. I sell stuff I make and supplies for the rest of you to create your own fabulous creations with. I am working on a line of cards at the moment...they're really funny...I hope everyone else thinks so too...my sense of humor can sometimes be slightly off. I am doing test markets among my friends and family and so far the feedback is good...or they're just being nice.
That's all for now...I need to finish setting this thing up...this is sort of fun!