Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
The house is sold and gone! Now we are living in a 33ft camper. And wow it is amazing what it has done for my mental health.
My stress is gone. My panic feelings are gone. All that remains is curiosity and anticipation.
Believe me camper life is an adjustment. But it’s kind of amazing that 33ft is enough space to have a normal life.
We have running water, electricity, heat, etc. and that’s all I need.
The first night we didn’t have running water. And it’s amazing to realize what a luxury running water is. Being able to wash dishes, wash hands, use the toilet…game changer.
I’m thinking that when my kiddos grow up they should first live in a camper. Just to understand to appreciate the small things.
What’s really amazing to me, is I can still cooking like I used to. I’ve made Mexican food, Mac n cheese, and even pizza in the camper. 😎
What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?
I of course, always loved watching the swimming in the Olympics. Especially the year 2008. I think that was the one year that my whole family watched together. The men’s relay was amazing!!
But just now talking with my husband, trying to figure out the year, I called Jason Lezak old…he’s older now. But to me he was so old in 2008. Haha! He was 33. Granted I was 14, but I’m only a couple years away from 33…haha! But in that Olympics he was 10 years older than Micheal Phelps. So he was older. But still so amazing that he was able to do amazing in that race. It was a race to watch.
Like when I write my story, I want that anticipation. You at the edge of your seat not knowing what is going to happen. Because Micheal Phelps said, that year, he was going to win all golds. And the only reason he was able to keep that promise is because of his awesome teammates. They made that race a gold. A relay is not just one person. He had to trust that his teammates would get the job done! It was an awesome race!!
The other sport is ice skating. Couple or solo. It’s just so pretty! I don’t have any favorites. But it’s just fun to watch and see the pretty outfits.
When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?
You are probably wondering if I know how to spell…But this is how I called it. Arter: Artist. Messer: one you makes messes.
Haha! Well I am an artist. So that one was correct. It’s amazing to me how some things stay throughout your life.
Messer. This is a two parter job. First. I had a desire to make messes. Not just any mess, but disaster messes. Where I wouldn’t play with the toys, but everything would be poured out onto the floor. Now the second part: I would have someone trail behind me cleaning up. Haha!
I found this hilarious when my mom told me. But hey, that sounds like a pretty cool job! Right! This job, sadly, did not continue throughout my life. I became someone who liked controlled organized chaos. That it may looked chaotic, but everything has its place.
But who would have thought that I would this job would eventually enter my life, but I am the cleaner. My kiddos are the messers. It must be in their DNA. They are masters at it. They learned it from the best.
But I don’t know when, but not long after, I changed my dream job. I wanted to be a mama. I think it was 1st or 2nd grade that I wanted the hardest but most fulfilling title ever. Mama 💕
What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?
I don’t know if it is a special skill, but I see art in everything. Looking at a landscape, I want to paint it. Taking pictures, I see art. Letting my children take photos to see their point of view, I see art. Just going to Home Depot to take the paint swatches, I see potential art.
To me it is a skill, because I can’t think about not having my creativity; it would be unimaginable.
But this skill doesn’t shut off. I’m constantly getting ideas for paintings, drawings, photographs, furniture, stencils, landscaping, gardens, patios, etc. it never stops. I’m constantly seeing new art forms and how I can put my own spin on things.
Which I believe will help this new path of house designing. I love to learn new art forms. And to me, house designing is just that. New art.
Hope your week is filled with beautiful ideas.
Flowers!! Can’t wait for flowers!!Digital Art Photography My photo edited for a Paint planMy photo edited with photo appOne of my favorite paintings, given to my brotherMy photo and edited. A stump seen as a city scapeMetal shavings inside a drop saw My Photo editing: A pool. My mom’s favorite window painting. Landscape photoPhotograph (this was the closest I got to the edge😶)My Digital Art. Every dot hand placed. (Painting idea)
Etc. I have so many ideas. And one day I will get them all out. You know you are creative when you have 19 albums of art ideas. Haha 😂
Because we are trying to sell our house, all my time is spent focused on the house. Is it clean? Does it smell nice? Do the dishes. Do the laundry. Mop the floors.
But pile on top of that, make breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day from scratch. Take care of a two month year old. (Diapers, feeding, smiles). School is on pause; but my daughter is doing an awesome job reading her books from Nana.
But within all of this, I rarely have time to just play with my kiddos. Or even just watch them play.
But a big part of anyone’s childhood is to be read a bedtime story. Even when my mom was crazy busy, she would read us Indian in the Cupboard series. (Great books). But she made time. But for me, I don’t know where my time goes every day. By the time bedtime rolls in I’m tired and my body hurts, that I just was to be in bed.
It happens occasionally when my husband is home at night, and he can hold the little one. But with his schedule , and him being exhausted all the time, that’s slim.
So mom’s out there. Read books with your kids. Play imaginary games too. They are only little once. But also, if you have more kids, you might not have lots of free time in the future.
But also it will give your kids memories they keep forever. Because I have no idea how little I was when my mom read to me, but I can still remember.
What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?
When I was younger, my drawing style was a lot like tattoo art. I liked the dark lines outlining the design.
But I never wanted a tattoo. I’m one of those people, afraid of needles.
Even when my goal was the Olympics, I wasn’t going to get the ring tattoo. I would have just gotten fake tattoos made and stuck it on everyday. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I would have done it. One of a kind!
But if I had to choose a tattoo I would probably get a drawing of water, or a peach orange rose, a picture of my dog, an elephant family, my kids in some way, etc.
This was another reason. That I would change my mind too much. That I would get one, not like it, and want something else.
I’m not against tattoos. You can have them if you want to. Just don’t go overboard. And I’m in favor, especially, for the people who get tattoos to cover up scars. Cover up bad memories with something meaningful or beautiful.
If anything, if I’m really curious, then I will use face paint. No needles and washable.
This I think would be pretty as a tattoo. I’ve been painting this painting layout for the last 20 years. It’s a simple as layout. This one is from 10-30-2020.
I think that would also be my problem. Is and painting that I loved I would want a small square of it to be a tattoo. I would have a stain glass window effect.
That’s actually a cool idea of a painting…I might have to try that in the future.
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?
Well technically a 3500 large cab truck. The husband will be driving so that I can totally doze off in the front seat. Haha!
We actually were just talking about road tripping. But what I’m excited about it we are going to be getting a camper trailer. So eventually when we go on trips we will tow that around as well.
Which means no more hotels. No more random bathrooms. No more waiting for food.
The hotel one is a big thing. Because my husband and I are slight meat freaks. In the sense of, the hotel room is still not clean; not matter how much they do. So having a toddler run around touching everything. Licking things occasionally. Rubbing their face all over the floor. This makes my brain explode. But being in a camper trailer will mean the toddler is doing all of this in our own space. If it’s not super clean; I at least know the dirty.
Also, it will be our own bathroom. So if it has a weird smell of pee, I know it was one of the four of us. Unlike when you go to rest stops, fast food, or an unfortunate porta potty. Again think little kids. And bathrooms are full of germs. Blah!! So gross. Camper toilet sounds awesome.
Food. Food is hard now since I make everything from scratch. So the only place we can eat is cafe Rio. Only bowls. Cafe Rio is not popular everywhere. Also for some reason food seems to take forever. Especially when the whole car is hangry. So when we are hungry, we just pull over and I can whip up a lunch! More work for me, but less stress.
But yea definitely a truck. Airplanes are short, but the process before the flight is long and unbearable.
Train would be fun. But not realistic when the husband only has so much time off.
Bus…no. Nope. Can you imagine two wired kids, one infant, and two frustrated parents?? “And a partridge in a pear tree.”
Bike. Haha! Bike. Me biking. That’s funny. Maybe motorcycle, 8 years ago, with no kids. Again hubby in charge. But bicycle…I can do a trail and bike for a bit. Especially if I have a motor, but more than that, no thanks.
This one is hard. Because I don’t know if there is truly a true confident person. Everyone, even the most confident person, has doubts. If you don’t you aren’t human.
Like I’m not a very confident person. But put me in a pool or behind a canvas and I change completely. You wouldn’t even recognize me.
My husband is pretty confident in several aspects of his life. But he is constantly doubting on various decisions. He’s just worried if he is making the right decision. But that’s life. You live, and learn.
My daughter, I would say is the most confident person I know. But she’s only six. It’s amazing to see how a six year old’s mind works. They are fearless! I think she lives with the motto, “ask for forgiveness later.” But I know in her teenage years she will have doubts; we all do.
My son is confident too. But again he is almost three. The mind of a two year old is mind-blowing. He believes his way is the only way. He’s also super independent. I sometimes really want to help him, but nope. Not allowed in his book. Even if he fails and fails, he continually tries until he gets it. He doesn’t ask for help. So to me that is confidence as well. Confidence that you can do it yourself eventually.
My siblings and mama too. They are confident in different aspects of their lives, but they are still unsure of things.
Which to me it is normal. Doubts or questions are a normal part of growing up.
So if you see that super confident person in your life; and it seems like have it all together, they are probably struggling with something too. And sometimes the super confident person needs help, but their persona is against asking for help. So try and be that person for them. Everyone needs someone.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Digital Art “Us” By: emily2jane 03-16-25
I like drawing quick easy drawings. All I need is my phone and my pointer finger.
I first saw this prompt and said, nope and skipped over it. But then I read some of the responses and discovered that I do indeed do some of the various things. But I would say it’s more lighthearted or comical; its just always done throughout my life, so it has just stayed.
I do the “knock on wood”. Haha! I never thought of this as superstition. Because I think everyone does this. You say something and in panic you knock on wood. That’s normal. And when I was younger my older brother would knock on my head instead….I figured out years later that he was calling my head wood. I was not a happy one…
My husband says that if he helps with the dishes then the weather will drastically change. Like if it’s a sunny day, it will suddenly snow! Or if it was calm, the wind would erupt and go crazy. Haha! But to his credit, when he does help occasionally it does snow, or pours, or the winds get up to 70mph.
True for me too. If I fold the socks… I have a basket for clean laundry, and in the bottom it naturally collects all the socks. And on a rare day I decide to fold them. I always say the weather is going to change since I’m messing with the socks. And it does sometimes, but less often than my husband.
I trust my gut. I don’t know if this superstitious, but everyone knows: when your gut squirms you listen.
These were the ones that stuck out to me the most.
Knocking on wood, doing dishes, gut, and socks. Those pesky socks…
We’ll have a fun weekend. If you want the weather to change, fold your socks or have your husband load the dishwasher, it might work.
emily2jane 