From bottom to top...mountains and how I love them

I'm going to share with you what my "drive up the mountain" looks like. I'm always writing about this so I took my time on Sunday - since I figure it will be my last trip up - and stopped by the roadside to take pictures. What I realized after all these years that I'm actually driving up, through and around more than one mountain...it's more like 3 or 4 sets of mountains. So here goes...

First set as I begin my climb has gorgeous saguaro cactus at the base of it as I leave the desert area of Arizona. This is probably my favorite part, I am always fascinated by these cacti. Even after living here for 30 years I can't look at one of these cactus without thinking of the old black and white western movies that we use to watch as kids.
Then...

as I begin to get a little higher (in elevation, not the other kind) the roads get more windy and the beautiful saguaros are gone and being replace with mesquite and brush. This is a fairly new part of the highway. I remember when I began coming up these mountains in 1996 this road was only 2 lanes wide, one lane each way and most of this area was under construction so many areas had only one lane open. They had to blast through the mountains to expand the highway. Boy, that was a fun trip when you got stuck behind a huge truck or someone pulling an RV!

At the base of this one there is a sign telling you to turn off your air-conditioner for the next few miles. I guess to help with acceleration?...I don't know I'm not a mechanic. My son drove up and down with me for years and years and never noticed that sign until just about a year or so ago. This is steep and once you are up on top you level off for a short while and now you are about 4500 feet in elevation.

I stopped at this point just to show you a shot of where my final destination is...approximately...not quite to the top of those mountains in the background, but pretty close. This ground is still sandy and full of brush, that ends up to be tumbleweeds when they dry up...another cowboy movie icon.

I am not going to hit a straight road again until I get to the top of the Mogollon Rim. The Rim is still in the far background. You can see the change in trees, first cedar trees, which I refer to as bushes not trees, and then finally the famous Ponderosa pine trees. Notice the drop off in the bottom picture...it just gets worse...

See the Ponderosas? Once I get past these and make the final, even steeper climb than the last one I reach the top of the Rim which is 7700 feet in elevation. I didn't get shots of that because I was alone in the car and I had a choice, I could try holding the camera and taking a picture with one hand and drive with the other hand and keep one eye on the camera and one eye on the road....OR arrive in Heber alive and in one piece...I chose the later.
In a matter of two hours a person here in Arizona can drive from 100 degree desert heat with a view of cactus and swimming in a cool pool, to being in comfortable 80 degree temps with clean pollutant-free air, surrounded by huge green pine trees and fishing in one of the many lakes...hmmm which would you choose? Until the day I die I will love mountains, not necessarily driving in them, but  the magic of how they were made...this just makes me realize that there is a God.

I'm loving life, I'm on the road again, I'm busy making canvases...

I'm pretty much loving life right now. I think it's because I finally made a decision to make my move back to Wisconsin and I'm not just worrying about it any more. One more week at Northland Pioneer College and I'll be on the road again...that's been my theme song for the past year...on the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again...I don't sound much like Willie Nelson but that doesn't mean I can't try singing his song!


Tomorrow I'm headed back to Arizona to spend time with Aiden & his mom and Jon & Marina before I need to drive (maybe for my last time) up that mountain. Am I going to miss Arizona? Yes, I'm mostly going to miss the chance to spend time with my Arizona family whenever I want to. But maybe they will all come and visit me regularly. Am I going to miss my Heber-Overgaard friends? Yes, very much. I've been up on that mountain now for 14 years and made so many good friends. I met them at the snack stand for Little League (I was known as the candy lady), at the NPC Heber Center, teaching scrapbooking, selling Heritage Makers, and in the two neighborhoods that I lived in while I was in Heber. Am I going to miss working at NPC? Yes, that I will miss most of all. I've worked in Holbrook, Heber, Whiteriver, Snowflake and Show Low...I've taught in all those plaees plus Kayenta and St. John's. I've GED tested all over Navajo and Apache counties including the county jail and both Arizona State prisons. My best friends either work for NPC, have worked for NPC or attend(ed) NPC. I've probably spent more hours in the past 14 years at NPC than I have in my own house! And I've had some of the most caring, fantastic supervisors that God put on this earth. There are good people in Wisconsin too, and once they get to know the person that I am, I think I will begin to make new friends with people in organizations, with coworkers, with students and with neighbors. Another saying, or actually it's a song, that I have always liked is "Make new friends but keep the old...one is silver and the other is gold." Now what precious metal are the friends that a person had when they left Wisconsin, then made new friends in Arizona and now is back to the Wisconsin friends? I'm so confused....


I've been busy, busy, busy... I've designed 7 canvases this past week for clients. Ever since I told you I'd design a canvas for you so you could take advantage of the canvas sale I've had many requests. Thank you to everyone who trusted me in designing your family canvas or in one case, your phrase(s) canvases. I promise you, no one will be disappointed. Our canvases are high quality and they come stretched and mounted on a wooden frame...and if you like your canvas to have that finished framed look ready for your wall I've made some of them too.
Here's some samples of what they look like (I can't show the ones I just finished because they are a Christmas gift and I don't want to be the one who spoils someone's surprise)

These are how our canvases look when they are framed in the matte black wooden frames. High quality and just puts that finishing touch on the canvas. The ones below are how our canvases look without the black frame...not bad huh?

These two are a matching set, but the top one with my dad is the true color. I should have used the flash on the one with mom. I absolutely love the saying "The greatest gift I ever had came from God I call him dad." Years ago I cross-stitched this saying for my father for Father's Day, and now I've put it on a canvas for me. Wouldn't these make perfect Mother's and Father's Day gifts?

Check List...Check

• ·       Visited with my older brother and his friend while they fished 
•       Telephoned both of my sisters
• ·       Changed my address and phone with USPS and others
• ·       Smelled my lilacs
• ·       Finished up a wedding album for a client.
• ·       Ordered my Administrative Assistant her present 
•       Hung up another chime outside 
• ·       Smelled my lilacs  
• ·       Fed my birds and squirrels 
• ·       Designed a 24X20 canvas for a client
•       Cancelled my dentist appointment in Heber
• ·       Smelled my lilacs again
• ·       Sent in my Arizona retirement papers
• ·       Started listening to some motivational cds by Casey Eberhart 
  
• ·       And yes, I went outside one more time to smell my lilacs

These are all things that I was able to cross off my "to-do" list today. Whew...I got a lot done and smelling those lilacs were real hard work on my nose. (Eat your heart out Donna)
I need to wish some people in my life happy birthdays...my brother Bruce and my nephew Eric Bruce both celebrated their birthday on the same day - April 20th. Happy Birthday Guys!

Eddie's dad Jim had a birthday on April 21st and my best childhood friend, Deb Felker Berndt is celebrating her birthday today...I won't mention how old she is because I only have a few months to go to catch up to her.

I wrote how I cleaned the house yesterday, well I need to tell you today that I'm paying for it. My back is killing me.Because of my back I am not suppose to vacuum, sweep the floor or mop...haven't been able to do those chores for years (too bad huh?). My boys were always assigned these duties but now since there are no more boys at home I have to do them. I know what the consequences will be but it still needs to be done. I made sure I had plenty of Advil on hand to take today and most of my work today was done by sitting in front of my computer.I got up regularly to stretch and to smell my lilacs.And I need to let a couple of people know that I was chilled all day and I wore socks and slippers AND the portable heater was blowing on me while I worked at my desk.

Hope everyone's Sunday was as enjoyable as mine. Did I tell you yet today how much I love being here?

3 C's and a D...Cleaned, Cooked, Canvases & Drank

You really notice how large this house is when you have to clean it...I don't think I've had to work that hard in a long, long time. But then for the past three years I've been use to living in an unfinished house with no flooring and countertops. So I guess any real" house would be a challenge for me to clean after all this time.

Cooked up a storm this morning...another thing I can't do at the other house since all my cookware and dishes are here...prepared beef stew, meatloaf, an omlette and proportioned veggies for my side dishes this week for my lunches.

After all of that it was time for some fun. Eddie brought over my new imac and had to give me lessons on how to use it. He's been a Mac user for years. I use to use Red's Mac laptop but it's been a while and this new  imac does sooooo much more. My head is so full of information I hope some stayed in my brain! Eddie had to download Mozilla Firefox for me because Heritage Makers doesn't work well with Safari, then he had to get Adobe Flash, then another program to read pdf files. The disappointment for the day was the fact that my Kodak scanner isn't compatible with any Apple products. That was a costly mistake on my part for not checking that out before I bought this computer. Until Kodak gets their act together I'm stuck scanning with my old PC or my HP laptop.

Two more canvases got ordered today at the sale price. Looking for ideas? Need help designing? Contact me 920-420-0463 or info@memoriesin.com

 

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=2219823&productId=39&sponsorID=430581

 http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=2220860&productId=39&sponsorID=430581

I joined the Pub Club ,(a local restaurant/bar)...you pay $20 to belong and then every time you go in for the next year your drinks are always half price and they have monthly food specials...this month is on this Thursday, you get all the tacos you can eat for $5! I figured I will get my moneys worth in the next year. I already saved $3.50 tonight on my brandy sours. Yout gotta love Wisconsin and all their drink specials. I just love the fact that you can go into these places and have some family fun (yes kids can go into bars that serve food). It's just a different lifestyle here and I didn't realize how much I missed it. I am so glad to be back.

Rain, Rain Go Away...at least inside the house

What the heck is up with this Wisconsin weather? All I've been hearing for the past month is how unusually warm it's been...well it's not warm today and it's raining again! I normally love to lay in bed and listen to the rain, but tonight I was hearing the rain inside of the house...yes you heard me correctly...inside! I finally got off my butt to check out where it was coming in and noticed it was coming through one of mom's new front windows and dripping onto the surge bar where the new tv, blueray player and my laptop were plugged in! I'm hoping I got to it in time...I unplugged it all and dried the surge bar and moved it away from that window. It's still dripping, but at least it's not dripping on anything electrical.
Second complete day at the new job. I'm really liking the people in this town more and more. I had forgotten how trusting and caring people can be in a small community. After I complete 8 hours at the Village Town Hall I go home and check my NPC emails. Students are still being transferred to my inbox who need help with college questions. So I've been answering all my emails and doing overrides for students so they can register for Summer classes. THEN...after completing my work with NPC I go to my Heritage Makers page and begin answering questions for my clients. I've been designing canvases for clients all month. So if you need me to help you out there is still time to take advantage of the April sale prices on all canvases. info@memoriesin.com is where you can reach me by email. Here are some more samples:

After driving over 60 miles back and forth to work in Arizona for the past two years it's absolutely wonderful to only have to drive a couple of miles to work now.The speed limit is 25 mph through town, and that's very hard to get use to, so it takes me less than 5 minutes from my house to work. Just think of what I'm saving on gas!! I LOVE it!! There must be a half dozen restaurants within walking distance (and that means real, real close because I'm not a walker) from my new job.
I met more people who work at the Town Hall today..the librarian, people from the police department (their office is just a few feet away from ours), the President of the Town, a board member and the marketing director - Marlene. After talking to Marlene for a while we realized we both graduated from Oshkosh in the same year. Now, what are those odds? What do they always say? "It's a small world."
The Winneconne library is upstairs in the same building where I work so I ventured up there tonight. I now have an official library card. I wandered around to check out their facilities and I was quite impressed. I especially liked the little desks with little computers for young kids. Aiden is going to love a trip to this library when he visits. They also had a quiet adult room...no, not that kind of adult room...it was a room for reading and researching ancestry and Wisconsin history..http://www.winneconnelibrary.org/coughlin

I was in HEAVEN. You all know how I feel about research and as much as I love being on the Internet, nothing beats looking through old books and finding out what hidden secrets you might find. I didn't have time for any researching tonight but I did check out a DVD to watch... Little Red Riding Hood, not bad, thought for a minute it was going to be too scary for me to watch alone, but I actually enjoyed the story

New town, New job, New phase of my Life....

Well? What have I been talking about and waiting for since January 2011? Getting a job so I can move permanently back to Wisconsin. Today it happened...well kinda. I am going to start on a temporary contract with the Village of Winneconne. This will only be for two or three months, but it is a start! I am excited to begin this new phase of my life and yet sad because I have to call my family and friends in Arizona and tell them that I will be leaving. I can't handle Mandy's crying again, she has been crying for months now every time we talk about my future plans.
The hardest part on me is when I have to hold my grandson in my arms and kiss him goodbye. He is not going to understand because I hold him and kiss him goodbye every time I leave him to drive up the mountain, but them I'm usually back to see him every two weeks or so.This time it might be a while before we see each other again. I don't want him to forget me...oh great...now I'm crying.
Let's talk about something else...Canvas Sale! There are only a few days left to get your favorite photo and or phrase put on a canvas for decorate your walls at home. If you tell me what size, what photo and what phrase I can design one for you. I've got two being worked on right now.  EVERY canvas is 10% off the original price so take advantage of this while you can. Either one of these canvases would make a perfect Mother's Day Gift! Call me today 920-420-0463 or write info@mwemoriesin.com

Thank you every one who has encouraged me so much for the past year while I was looking for a career position. Your prayers were answered. Again....thank you.

Definition of Home...

What does home look like to you? Let me show you just one small part of what home looks like to me nowadays...

I've shown you plenty of pics of what it looks like here in Winneconne but they are mostly of the lake view but I haven't shown you what the house actually looks like. When I arrived the other evening it was dark enough to see what the inside lights looked like from the outside, but still not too dark to prevent some pictures to be taken. This is the house that our parent's built. The first pic shows the side, the second is the whole house from the front (this is what it looks like if you are going by in your boat) and the final picture is a closer shot of the side where I plan on being most of the time.. the new home of Memories in Bits and Pieces -  www.memoriesin.com  Those huge windows are in the scrapbook room. This area can hold plenty of students.
Of course the house isn't a home alone...it needs people (and animals) to live in the house. When my boys stop by, when Aiden visits, when my family and friends drop in and when I get Bella here with me...then it will really feel like my home..
I did have a very good friend come to the house today. Thanks Theresa, you are officially the first friend to visit since I've re-decorated and got all the furniture in place.
So what does "home" mean to you? Please share.

Thank you Jon...

It's because of this young man that I get to travel so often and without much expense. I had a chance to catch shots of him hard at work on the tarmac at Sky Harbor International Airport the other day while I was waiting for my flight. He endures the worst conditions you can imagine on this job. The temps can get up past 120 degrees during the summer months! He is loading those bags (that we all over pack) into the belly of the airplane which is hard on the back, but along with all the hazzards and bad weather he also receives the perks of flying for free and allowing his mother to fly for a great discount. Thank you Jon, I love you.

Interview..Mother's Day gift, Fundraiser for Carol...

Is everyone's life like a mini tornado, changing direction at any given moment when you least expect it? Or is that just the description of what my life is?
I had every intention of staying home this weekend and maybe even scrapbooking with my best friend most of that time...We had such good intentions, THEN I found out this morning that I was offered an interview in Wisconsin and I need to be there by 10am Monday morning. The rest of the day was spent purchasing a ticket, calling family members in Phoenix to ask if I can get a ride to the airport, calling Wisconsin family members to see if any of them are available on this short notice to pick me up tomorrow, getting the dog to sitters, and driving back down the mountain to Jon and Marina's to spend the night. And remember this is all tentative on if I can get on a flight that already looks full. (It's a shame that I sit in that terminal hoping someone didn't get up and to the airport on time.) So goodbye thoughts of scrapbooking....hope this interview pans out so I won't be living like this much longer. If everything falls into place tomorrow I will be in Winneconne by supper time tomorrow (Saturday) night.
I've had quite a few inquiries on the canvas sale for this month. So please, if you are thinking of a canvas for Mother's Day, Father's Day, a wedding gift, a baby's room etc. don't wait much longer so you or I can get it designed for you and ordered before the end of April. Here is one that I put on Facebook last night. www.memoriesin.com

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=2212568&productId=453&sponsorID=430581

My niece Courtney and her father Mike

I love these bling letters...I drive my family nuts with bling. I use to have it on my phone coverr, my computer case is loaded with bling, and lots of my scrapping supplies are blingy...I think the only place I don't have bling is in on my finger, ears and around my neck. Hmm, I need to do something about that.

For my Omro and Winneconne (and surrounding area) friends please don't forget about the fundraiser tomorrow afternoon at the bowling lanes. Carol Vonderloh's family is sponsoring it. This is what her sister Lori wrote about the event on her Facebook page last week...

I'm selling tickets or money gifts all appreciated the event of life's celebration for my friend and sister is being held @ the Winneconne bowling alley next Sat.(4-14-12) stop on over from 1- 5 pm please continue amazing me and my family by showing your support any questions just ask leave me or brother Jon a message thank you all. bless you all.Stop down lots of people 
I won't make it back in time to attend this but I'm hoping many of you can stop by and purchase some raffle tickets. One of the prizes is $25 worth of merchandise from Memories in Bits and Pieces www.memoriesin.com And with that prize you get ME as your personal consultant! YAY!!

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1489162&productId=57&sponsorID=430581

Heritage Makers Canvases on Sale NOW!

It's time to remind everyone that for the entire month of April Heritage Makers is taking 10% off of every canvas that you purchase...no matter how many your order...no matter what size you order. What are you waiting for? As I mentioned before these canvases would make the perfect Mother's Day gift. Look at some that I have made for my family and others.

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1724611&productId=71&sponsorID=430581

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1680942&productId=38&sponsorID=430581

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1700094&productId=39&sponsorID=430581

Now seriously...what mother, grandmother, special aunt or anyone else wouldn't love a high quality canvas like these for themselves? They all took just a matter of minutes to make. If you don't have the time between now and Mother's Day just contact me and send a digital copy of your favorite photo(s) and I will put one of these together for you. Visit the website www.memoriesin.com or email me at info@memoriesin.com

The risen Lord, my family Easter traditions, licking eggs?

I saw something that really touched me in a neighbor's front yard today. They had a cross and a sign that read "He is Risen". Now that's what this holiday is all about. Many people decorate with bunnies and eggs but how many actually put a large display of faith like that in their yard? Thank you, for making all of us, including myself, stop and remember what Easter really represents.
Now with that being said. I have to talk about a Schroeder Easter tradition that we have been carrying on for generations...pecking eggs at Easter time. Since I'm not sure how far back this family tradition goes, nor do I have anyone to ask who started it and why...I did a little research and this is what I found:

As a source of new life, the egg was a symbol of creation, spring, and fertility in many cultures and religions, long before the advent of Christianity.In Christian times the egg had bestowed upon it a religious interpretation, becoming a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged to the new life of His Resurrection. Ancient cultures saw the egg as a symbol of the rebirth of nature, but Christians came to see it as a symbol of the rebirth of mankind.
The faithful from early times painted Easter eggs in gay colors, had them blessed, ate them, and gave them to friends as Easter gifts.
 In Germany and Austria little nests containing eggs, pastry, and candy are placed in hidden spots, and the children believe that the Easter bunny has laid the eggs and brought the candy. What seems to be the first mention of the Easter bunny and his eggs is a short admonition in a German book of 1572: "Do not worry if the bunny escapes you; should we miss his eggs, then we shall cook the nest." In a German book of the seventeenth century the story that the Easter bunny lays eggs and hides them in the garden, is called "an old fable."
Children and adults in many churches knock their eggs together, saying "Christ is risen!" The purpose actually is to break open the symbolic tomb, so the "winner" is the person whose egg breaks other eggs. The owner of the egg that cracks all of the others open is considered to be specially blessed.


http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1270

If you want to read more I've listed the website above for you.


Now that I read all of that, our tradition of pecking eggs on Easter that I thought was purely a German tradition isn't  really a German tradition at all. Some of the other things mentioned in the article however are German based and my family has carried on many of those traditions. We always had to search for our Easter baskets filled with grass,(which I guess resembles the nests) eggs and candy. Our searching didn't take place in the garden because we were raised in Wisconsin and many Easters have been cold and snowy, so our searches were in the house.  We were always told those baskets were left behind by the Easter Bunny. But I wasn't aware that we should have been saying "Christ is risen!" when we pecked another person's egg.
After mass we got together at our grandparents' home and pecked eggs with, aunts, uncles and cousins. We got to wear our new Easter outfits which meant for us girls a frilly pastel colored dress, white gloves and white patent leather shoes. (You could only wear white shoes from Easter Sunday morning until Labor Day)...don't ask I don't know why and I will research that in a later blog. This was a big event every Easter and a time for family to get together. I've brought this tradition into many other people's lifes. The latest being Aiden's mother's side of the family... the Murphys. At first people look at me like I'm nuts when I'm trying to describe the "pecking technique" but they always want to take part and have loads of fun...and I can guarantee you this will be talked about for years to come when these people get ready to celebrate another Easter. Pecking is unforgettable.  Here are some pictures of today's pecking contest that we had in Phoenix, Arizona.

 The licking of the egg was something that my father always did, so I started and Aiden caught on real quick as you can see the in the last picture. No clue why we do it...
Hope everyone had a fantastic Easter full of your own family traditions and foods.