Don't we all like to think we are unique - and of course we are! However, I just came across this site that sort of gives me a weird feeling in a way I don't even know how to explain. Apparently, there are 716 Mary Boyer's in the United States - 716?!! I guess it doesn't take anything away from me, for instance how many of the sweater I am wearing (yes, still sweaters) were sold - thousands of women out there wearing this exact one I'd guess? But my name, well you'd like to think that is exclusively yours - or I would! Yet that too though the way I wear it, the way I present it, the way I use it defines me in a way those other Mary Boyer's are different. Hmm...

Guess what would be fun would be to have a club, - hey any of you Mary B's out there, check in, we could have a convention, wear funny hats, -I'm always ready for a party!

just a few simple wishes for today ~

~ sunshine
~ the snow to melt &
~ spring to return
~ reprieve from stress
~ to find my muse (which has apparently run away and hid)
~ a good night's sleep
~ hugs & kisses
~ the boys to sit at my dinner table

wishing and hoping for spring - come back, come back wherever you are!

I've enjoyed a bit of a self-indulgent morning which included watching Martha Stewart. As if bacon isn't decadent enough, something I reserve for special occasions these days, she had a quickie recipe on her show today for brown sugar glazed bacon. Oh my, sounds perfect for a brunch with french toast or waffles, lots of frosty orange juice... Easy, too, sprinkle some brown sugar and pepper on bacon which is laid out on a rack over a jelly roll pan, pop it in the oven at a low heat until crispy. Now if we could only throw the doors open and eat this outside the deck!

(this bunny can be bought at Bayberry Cove, isn't he a darling! I was going to take some pics of some of my many bunnies which reside all over the house but my camera needed to be recharged -so here is one I wish I had, instead!)

joy & peace

I suffered a melt-down last night. One of the casualties of being a perfectionist, after a long and stressful week I felt I was just blown apart. Today was one of slow and quiet as I tried to gather myself together, tried to find focus and a new supply of energy to face tomorrow. Deep breaths, naps, and advil.

I've been studying so much I am literally dreaming of teeth, but it all paying off as I have aced my first two tests!! I have not taken an exam in over 30 years, it has been quite alot of adjustment and dedication for me to get into the groove of this. I guess not all the brain cells have yet vanished!

The weather has been absolutely incredible since saturday afternoon, it is so nice to throw windows open wide, to hear birdsong and smell spring!! I feel everything a new leaf for me right now, I am so invigorated!

Got a call this morning my sister, Cathy, was in the emergency room. Turns out it was a kidney stone - thank goodness. Although do not think she has uttered those words yet, the pain still too fresh on her mind. Too scary - but this is exactly why I am back living here, getting those type calls when you are too far away to do anything but sit by the phone and wait so stressful, and I never seemed to get the full story at the time precisely because I was so many miles and states away and there was nothing I could do anyway, or so they would say. At least this way I can jump in the car, be there in a matter of minutes so as to be able to assess the situation, ask doctors questions, etc. And offer comfort and distraction - the main job of a sister in this exact situation. Amen, because then on the way home I decided I was going to stop at this fish place I'd just gotten a flyer in the mail about as I hadn't yet eaten today, turns out the guy who owns it graduated the same year as I (why do all us "almost 50's" feel the need to talk about our age this year so much??!) and went to school with alot of people I knew from catholic elementary school, and one of his best friends was my now-deceased sister's boyfriend of many years. Which made me just shake once I was in the car and heading home from there as all those memories and this-day-could-have-been-much-much-worse thoughts started flooding my mind. Thank you, God.

ahhhh, spring!

technically, we've made it!

I've definitely got spring fever!

Back to school?!*!! I began the dental assistant program saturday. Wow, a lifestyle change from the one I've been living, I will no longer be a "lady of leisure" as I've been this last year, but one where I will be studying my butt off! It will be good for me to stimulate brain cells I question at times I even possess any longer these days, I certainly have alot to learn and absorb. All round, a good thing - I am happy with having made this decision, it's a step in the right direction as to getting my life in order. It's sure taken awhile but I feel everything led to this point, that I had to experience it all - good, bad, and ugly - to get to where I'm at and where I'm now headed.

...and so it goes, guess we are returning to "normality". Except I can't see my mailbox for the snow banks anymore, the mailman couldn't even make it up the street so just left anyway, and I somehow managed to bash my ankle which hurt like heck. You never know where you are going to find that silver lining however, as putting on my well-constructed snow boots for two+ hours while I went outside, shoveled and heaved the snow seemed just the thing for the ankle, although still ugly and bruised no longer swollen and hurts very little! There ya go.

I still remember my mom dressing us all in this get-up and telling us we were to go out and stay out for an hour - fresh air was good for us. (And her sanity?!) Invariably someone always had to go to the bathroom before she'd even finished getting everyone ready. Once out there I'd go and lay down, make snow angels, and watch the clouds in the sky. Although I do remember once standing with my nose on the back door begging to come back in. I've never liked winter much.

enough already!

More like slapping one silly because, it's official - we are having another blizzard. Yesterday was downright weird - rain, thunder and lightning, sleet and snow and then today, high winds and a continuous snow that has been blowing so much there have been times I can't even see across the street. My class which was to start tomorrow cancelled until next week now, and again ~

h o u s e b o u n d. I've had enough.

This so does not resemble any view I have outside my windows today - another wintry blast came through beginning sometime during the night. A good day to snuggle inside and forget about what is out there! I prepared this time - groceries, new coffee, magazines, books, movies, a few new art supplies, nail polishes, etc - so I have all kinds of stuff to cocoon with. So much so I could probably stay in here a good month. (If I were only so lucky wish in that case I could just hibernate until spring '~)

However - taa-dah!! I finally have made a career plan and starting next week will be studying in a dental assistant program until May. I have done alot of soul-searching and experimenting the last nearly four years since my divorce what with moving from Ohio to North Carolina, working at a couple part-time jobs, and when I came back home to Michigan decided to give myself time to really once and for all figure things out - good gawd it is scary never having worked much in 25+ years. This coming week marks my one year anniversary being here (where oh where does the time go??), most things in order as far as I can control, so -- on with the show!

And as I sit here drinking said coffee out of my (still) snowman mug I've been perusing some blogs today and came across this idea of Danny Seo's for storing ribbon. Well, I have much, much (much?!!) more than this which is all in drawers now. Got to thinking, wouldn't one of those retractable clotheslines work great for that purpose? As soon as I can get out of here I'm going to go buy one and try it out. And the possibilities of those empty drawers... simple pleasures, here!

isn't he cool?!

A long-distance hug of a postcard from Marie,

way down under, arrived today - miss you!!

life is just strange.

hearts on the brain ~ think it more wearing them on my sleeve!?!!

Have had fun today playing around with making the wool felt flowers, something new. Definitely will be doing more of these.

happy valentine's day

"May all your hours in sweetest bliss be spent,

crowned with friendship, happiness, content".

love to all ~ Mary

charms for a cause

I participated in a valentine charm swap through ArtErratica, and just got a sneak peek of the charms I will be receiving made by a great group of wonderful artists - they are fabulous (mine the red glass heart on the upper left-hand side of this photo). Melissa McCobb Hubbell has assembled all the charms onto a bracelet which is NOW being sold on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220081583929, with all profits from this auction to be donated to Meganaid to help Patti Gibbons' daughter Megan, a very brave young woman who served in the Army in the war in Iraq, in her fight against cancer. The bracelet will come packaged in a small altered heart shaped candy box, and will include all the tags, etc that were attached to the pieces, with a complete list of artists involved included.

oh, the things you can do ~

in under five minutes while on the phone!

who knew...

...I'd be living in a winter wonderland again when I bought this car over two years ago?!! And today a dead battery, sigh.

**news flash**news flash**news flash**news flash**news flash**

Even you don't drive it on a given day, start and run it in subzero temperatures.

(many days I feel I shouldn't be allowed to live on my own).