Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Photoshop Fun





I have been having so much fun with Photoshop. I keep doing and trying new things every day. A couple of the pictures I have worked on are shown below. I took a pix of Eliana that I had taken a while back and put her on some Fall leaves and changed the color of her blouse to a more Fall color. I put the original one so you could see what I did.

Last night I was playing with a picture of Nala, Jeff and Suzie's late doggy. Trying to make a pix to put on Jeff's birthday card. I took the pix and put a birthday hat on her. The pix was too small for the card but I wanted to show it here. Nala was such a good dog. She is missed.


Friday, November 13, 2009

Passion

I am coming to the end of my Digital Photography class. I have loved it! I learned so much. I want to keep learning. What I really want is to find a way to Monetize my Passion. I have read that if you totally love what you are doing – you won’t “work” a day in your life. I want to figure out how to make money doing what I love. It is funny – I have grown up thinking I am solely a left brain person. Math, Science, etc have always been easy for me. Heck, I have a degree in Accounting and even passed the CPA exam on the 1st try. But now, at the age of 60, the things I am passionate about doing are right brain activities. I LOVE writing and taking pictures. I love writing my blogs. I am starting a book on our adoption journey. And I take pictures every chance I get. I can spend hours working on the pictures in Photoshop. The other day I worked 5 hours on 1 pix. So, how do I make money doing any of these? I don’t want to have to go out and get a J-O-B. I want to DO something I LOVE!!!! Any ideas????

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Awesome Autumn Finalist



This is the picture I have decided to have enlarged by my Digital Photography teacher. This is a pix I took of the Old Courthouse here in Bartlesville.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Awesome Autumn





I am so enjoying my Digital Photography class. Learning so much about both taking pictures and about Photoshop. I have Adobe Photoshop and love playing with it. I want to learn how to do everything it offers. My class ends next week so I guess I will have to buy some books and continue learning techniques for making my pictures better. This Fall the colors have been fantastic. I have spent a few days out just looking for pretty color and taking the pixs. My teacher always lets us pick our favorite pix and enlarges it to a 13x19. I have the pix from my last Digital Photography class framed and above the mantel. Now I have to pick the pix I want enlarged this time. I have to decide which pix before tomorrow evening. Decisions, decisions. I have the title for the pix. “Awesome Autumn”. Since the last pix was a Spring pix I want this one to show the Fall colors. We learned a technique last night that will allow me to darken or lighten only part of the picture. I can’t wait to try it on some of my favorite pixs before I decide my favorite. These 3, I believe will be my runner-ups. Tomorrow I will show you the one I decide on.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Eliana's Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago Patty and I took Eliana out on a photo shoot. Eliana had been wanting me to take some pixs of her so we made a day of it. Patty set her up and I took the pixs. I have had a hard time picking just a few to share. I will put more on Facebook.



Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Grace Elizabeth


Grace Elizabeth Miller - born 10/8 at 4:25pm
Weight 8# 9oz; 20 1/2" long
Proud parents Timmy & Esther
Proud siblings: Eliana, Timmy Jr and Katrina
Proud grandparents: Dennis, myself, Alan and Joanne


Friday, October 2, 2009

Photoshop Class is Over


Last night was the last Photoshop class. I am so sad. I have loved taking the class. I have learned so much. I enjoy playing with pictures and learning all the different things Photoshop can do. In the 6 weeks we only learned the basics. There is so much more to learn. I wish the class was a whole semester. I could spend all day playing with my pictures and never get tired. Next week I start a Digital Photography class. I took it a couple years ago and didn’t get the maximum out of it because I hadn’t taken Photoshop 1st. This time I plan to learn as much as possible. I bought a new little point and shoot camera 2 weeks ago. I am just now learning how to use it. I got a Panasonic Lumix. It is so fun to shoot with.

If I could go back 40 years – I would have gone down a different path and become a professional photographer instead of an accountant. I have always loved taking pixs and wanted to be a photographer but went the accounting path to please mom. Too bad people can’t have do-overs. But it is never to late to go after a dream.
So here I come.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

ITALIAN RICE

This is a recipe I started making back in the early 70s. Still making it. The kids all enjoy it.

2/3 c. rice
½ lb ground meat
Jar spaghetti sauce or home made
1 egg, beaten
½ cube margarine, melted
1 handful cheese

Brown ground meat. Add to spaghetti sauce. Cook rice. Mix rice, egg, butter and cheese. Layer rice, meat sauce, rice, meat sauce. End with extra cheese. Bake ½ hour 350.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Photography


I mentioned before that my passion is to travel, take pictures and write a book. OK – I still desire to do all those but have realized that my biggest passion is to be a photographer. I have loved taking pictures since I first got a camera back in ’62. I was always the one toting a camera along on adventures with my friends, picnics, school functions, etc. I was historian for numerous things, basically I just loved taking pictures. I have wanted to take classes in photography since the early ‘70s. It's ALWAYS been a passion. Tho I have always worried that if I tried to become a photographer and take pixs of people besides my family, that it would lose the “fun” aspect. I would have to please other people besides just myself. I don’t ever want to lose the joy of taking pixs. It is one thing that truly causes me pleasure. It is the one thing that gets me excited to get up and out of bed. The days I am taking pixs are my “happy” days. Sooooo, I have decided that when I grow up I want to be a photographer. It feels good to narrow down my dream and know where I want to head. I wrote a blog a while back about my love of photography. You can read it here if you would like.

This Tuesday I take my 1st Photoshop class at TCTC. I am VERY excited. I took a digital photography class back in Spring of ’08 and had planned to take the Photoshop one in the Fall, but life happens. This is the next step in fulfilling my dream. I will keep you posted

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Continuing SA Saga

I have met with SA 3 times for family sessions since I last posted about him. He is still down in Tulsa in a Residential Treatment facility. Hopefully, he will stay in a facility until he turns 18 or longer. The 1st week hubby and I went down, his therapist decided she couldn’t keep us safe, so we only talked to him by phone. He was very angry so I was glad he wasn’t in the room. She suggested I find a longer term residential placement and even get a CINS (Child in Need of Supervision) court order if I needed to. She felt it was hazardous to my well being for him to ever come home.

Week 2, we went down and he had a new therapist. Therapist #1 was afraid of him. He had threatened her one too many times. We now had a larger male therapist. He informed us of SA’s diagnosis’s, Schizoaffective Disorder, RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder), Antisocial Personality Trait (can’t have the full blown disorder until 18), and Narcissistic Personality Trait. These are NOT happy things to have. Actually pretty scary. Antisocial Personality is the old Sociopath or Psychopath. He told us this was the combo of Serial Killers, not that SA would do that but he could. We did meet with SA, but had a burly guy outside the door, just in case. SA had been threatened with isolation if he acted up so he was fairly docile. It appeared to be a good session. It even seemed like SA listened and interacted.

This week I went down alone. Hubby couldn’t make it. I was pretty fearful, but go I must. Had the male therapist again. He is good, I am glad SA has him. SA was in a bad mood and mad at his therapist. He wouldn’t interact. Kept banging things on the chair and wouldn’t look up. Kept his hands over his face most of the time and refused to talk. He finally got fed up and walked out. I can handle walking out. That is a far better scenario than throwing chairs at me or attacking me. I hate being afraid of him, but at 6’4” he could do serious bodily damage to me and I have a strong desire to survive.

I am trying to find him a longer term placement. Where he is at maxes out at 4 months. Where he was the last 2 times – they can stay for years, if necessary. Unfortunately, they won’t take him back. Too many new issues. I do have him on a waiting list for a facility down in Oklahoma City. They have a CD (Conduct Disorder) program. He might be a bit beyond CD but it is at least something. Of course, SA says he doesn’t want to go because it is lock down and the boys and girls are separated. I just need to call and make sure that he is still on the waiting list and that they can take him soon. I will not relax until he is in a longer term placement. I live in fear of some yokel down in OKC making minimum wage deciding, “He hasn’t threatened to kill his mom in 3 week, we should send him home.” That is what happened last time. I just can’t do that again. Bottom line I just can’t live with him ever again.

Friday, August 21, 2009

God Will Make a Way

Sometimes in the midst of life I need to be reminded that God is in Control. This is a song I first heard at Community Bible Study a while back. It is where I live. I need to know that God will be making a way even when I don’t and can’t see it. All the struggles with my adopted boys has felt totally impossible to me. So, being reminded over and over again that God will work it out has helped. I sing it often now days with everything going on with SA and hubby’s work situation and lack of finances. GOD WILL MAKE A WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you enjoy it too.



Words to the song by Don Moen:

God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way.

By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today.

God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Timmy Jr Turns 4 1/2


Cake that his Daddy Timmy made.

Secrets


I have been struggling with writing a blog since last week. I wanted to update and write about SA and all the struggles with him and trying to get him placed in a longer term program. He turns 18 in 8 ½ months. But one of my children has taken exception to me writing about the family. I guess it is embarrassing to have our family secrets revealed to the world. I hate secrets. Secrets can only hurt you when they are kept secret. That is how my mom lived her whole life. Shrouded by a veil of secrets. She could never relax for fear someone would see that her life wasn’t perfect and then they would know. I played my part in the family drama. I was the “perfect” child. As long as I was “perfect” she could keep up appearances. Looking back I think – what a joke. My whole life growing up was pretend. Mom finally gave up her secrets when she was 90 and had a bit of dementia. That is when I found out about all the sexual abuse she endured as a child and young lady. Figured out that is why she could never be there for me when I was abused – she would have needed to deal with her own abuse at the same time and she just couldn’t.

Well, I refuse to live a fantasy “happy” life. Sometimes life sucks and parenting kids with RAD, ODD, CD, BP, FASD and a host of other letters is extremely challenging. But if I hide it all, how can it help others. Sometimes it is enough to know you aren’t the only one struggling or being oppressed by the “system”. I will no longer live in the lonely, isolated world of secrets.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Chili Relleno Casserole

This is a casserole I made up when my family got to large to make individual chili rellenos for dinner. Worked good and I have made it ever since. Good for potlucks, too.


5 large eggs
½ lb jack cheese, grated
2 – 4oz cans diced green chilies
½ c flour
½ c milk

Preheat oven 350. Spray shallow 2 qt casserole with non stick cooking spray. Separate eggs. Beat whites, until stiff. Blend yolks, milk & flour. Stir in diced chilies and grated cheese. Fold yolk mixture into whites. Pour in casserole. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Serves 6

Friday, August 7, 2009

52 Pieces of Me - Part 10


I have always loved hanging clothes on a line. I remember helping my mom back in the day. And then, when Jeff was little I hung all his diapers and such. We simply didn’t have a dryer. A couple months ago our dryer broke and I started hanging the clothes on our line. Basically just to get the laundry done. I realized I am really enjoying it. Our dryer is fixed now but I am still hanging them out. OK – they aren’t as soft and cozy but I love the way they smell and how much I can save by hanging them out. My plan at the moment is to hang them out until the weather turns and it is simply too cold or wet to do it any longer. I am sure I would have never returned to this if I still had 7 kids at home. There would have been way too much toting and carrying to deal with. But with just 3 of us at home, it is totally doable. So now you know my retro quirk.

Have a good one.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Desire to feel Safe


I have decided to redo SA’s room. Tear up the carpet, which is gross. Remove the wall paper, put down a fake wood floor and paint. Maybe by redoing it I will start to wrap my brain around the concept that I am safe and he isn’t coming home. Tho until I find a long term (he turns 18 in 9 months) placement, I will continue to have the fear in the back of my mind that someone sitting at a desk down in Oklahoma City, making minimum wage, will make the bizarre decision once again to send him home. Last time it was “he hasn’t threatened to kill his mom in 3 weeks; it is time to send him home.” So, am I the only person that doesn’t make sense to? At the moment he is still VERY verbal that he wants to kill both Patty and myself. I think the hospital got a good look at his violent nature the other night. He went into a rage, threw chairs, kicked his shoes so hard they were embedded in the ceiling, and had to be placed in locked isolation. Tho before they got him in there, he preceded to tell the staff exactly what he planned to do to them when he got out. They always seem to believe me a tad bit better after they get a up close and personal demonstration of his violent rages. I go to family therapy tomorrow, should be interesting. Dennis is going with me. I feel safer that way.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Pineapple Delight

This is another of my mom’s favorites. It was one of my favorites as well. It is VERY rich, a little goes a long way. ENJOY!!!

10 - 12 oz vanilla wafers or graham crackers
½ lb margarine
1 lb powdered sugar
1/3 c. pineapple or apple sauce
1 large can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 pint whipped cream, whipped
1 tsp vanilla

Crush wafers or graham crackers. Place ½ on bottom of the 9 x 13 pan. Make batter by beating softened butter, slowly adding powdered sugar. Beat well. Add pineapple sauce. Add flavoring. Spread over wafers in the pan. Next, spread well drained pineapple. Next, spread the whipped cream (no sugar added). Sprinkle remaining crushed wafers on top. Allow to set in refrigerator at least 3 – 4 hours. Can easily remain several days. Serves 12 – 16.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

52 Pieces of Me - Part 9

One of the challenging parts of being adopted is not knowing your family history. In a lot of ways your history starts with you. Many times I have been to a new Dr and I have to tell them that if I don’t have it then I have no clue about anyone else ever having it. Do I have a family history of heart problems, cancer or diabetes? I have no clue. Another thing that is hard is not knowing your heritage. Growing up I always thought I was French and Indian. I have no idea why I started saying that. Maybe my parents were speculating by my looks. I know my dad called me Pocahontas all the time so I think maybe I got the Indian part from that. Finally in the mid 90’s I met my birth mom and found out I am ½ Norwegian as she is 100% - parents came from Norway – Norwegian. As for the other ½ - well, I guess I will just never know since she didn’t know my dad. Long story for another post – maybe. But at least I am finally grounded with ½ a heritage.

My dad was into tracing the family roots. I supported him in that endeavor but I just couldn’t get real excited about it. I had no genetic ties to these people he was finding. Nice people, I am sure, just not biologically related to me. Maybe someday I will trace my actual family roots. Now that should be both a challenge and interesting.

Until next time, Adios.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Psalm 46:10


God has been speaking to me lately. The verse He has been giving me over and over is Psalm 46:10 – “Cease striving and know that I am God.” You see I have a tendency to try to figure everything out. I am constantly striving and strategizing and I am weary from it. I need to relax and trust that God is totally in control and He doesn’t need my help. The illustration I have always used for this concept is a mom in the kitchen making cookies. The kids want to help and are all over the place putting ingredients in and wanting to take over, spoons here, a scraper there – you get the picture. The cookies don’t quite taste like mom’s would have tasted AND it would have taken her a fraction of the time. I often feel that is the way God feels when I am in the midst of everything trying to help Him out. What He wants is for me to TRUST Him and relax, and keep my fingers out of the cookie bowl. I don’t know how many hundreds of times a day I have had to say that verse recently. It reminds me to let go. I don’t have to be the one to figure out the future. God already knows it. Things always seem to work out better when I am not striving. God knows when our house will sell. He knows what will happen with SA and his issues. Jobs will be acquired and finances will work out. It is so much better when I am relaxing and trusting God.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Where does a Mother go to Resign?


You would think I would have learned by now. Obviously I haven’t. SA’s antics still catch me off guard. Yesterday, got a credit card bill – hmmmmmmm there was a charge I had no clue about. Started looking for my card, missing from my wallet. Yep, stole my card and ran up charges. Arghhhhhhh When I asked him about it he becomes irate “Why do you always blame me?” “X probably did it.” Right, I don’t know, it might be because of all the stolen stuff I find in your room every time I check. Or maybe it’s because you have a tendency to steal anything that isn’t behind lock and key or cemented down. Sometimes I just get so fed up.

No one warned me of the stress level involved with adopting kids with serious issues. 20 years of daily stress has taken its toll. I think maybe I have finally reached my limit. Oops, that’s right mother’s can’t resign. Shucks!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Eliana Turns 6 1/2




Yes, we celebrate 1/2 birthdays. More reason to celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kyleigh's 1st time in our Pool


Kyleigh and Holly enjoying the pool.

The Day I Ceased Being a Victim


I remember sitting in church a few years ago thinking that I am the person I am today because of all the events in my life. I am a compilation of all that I have been through. If I took any one thing away it would change who I am today. OK, I have to admit they weren’t all fun or nice thing. But everything from being adopted as a baby, being sexually abused as a child to winning Miss Mission Beach and passing the CPA exam, have made me into ME. This was the moment I ceased being a victim. How can I view myself as a victim when God allowed all these things, good and bad, into my life? HE allowed them in my life so I could eventually minister and reach other people. God has a purpose for my life. I can either work HIS plan or run away and hide all the things I am embarrassed about.
I have had a tendency to close myself off to people. All my life I have had things to hide. Even now, with a son who wants to kill me. I have a tendency to hold people at arm’s length for fear they won’t understand and will blame me. I need to change this. I need to keep Jeremiah 29:11, my life verse, at the front of my thinking. “’For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” The choice is mine. I best choose wisely.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Continuing Saga

I was talking to SA the other night on the phone and something about him trying to kill me came up and he made the statement that he has tried numerous times. Don’t ya just love it? OK – my mind went a little weird. All I could think of was the couple of times in the last month or so that I had such bad stomach pains that I thought about going to the ER. Random knife in the stomach pain. No vomiting or such – just stabbing pain in the night. Was he trying to poison me – did he put something in my food or drink? I have no idea. Doubt if I could get an honest answer out of him, if I tried. He is a pathological liar. Truth doesn’t pass his lips unless it is self serving. I asked him if he had tried to poison me – he said “no”. He said he had broken into our room at night with a knife to kill me but wasn’t sure why he hadn’t. He said the next day he had knife cuts on his hand, so he knows it happened. OK – I really don’t think this happened. Tho it appears that in SA’s mind it did. I am more inclined to think he tried to poison me. But regardless, the whole thing has made me a bit freaky. This is a child I can never live with again. He has been thinking about killing me for over 2 years now and I am tired of the stress and fear.

I have no idea how this is going to play out. My plan at the moment is to get him into a long term psy facility when he is finished with his acute placement. I know there is a long term RAD (reactive attachment disorder) program in Tulsa and a long term program for sexual issues down in OKC. He will be 18 in 9 months and 7 days (but who is counting). I just know he can never live in my home again. I can NOT take that risk. It really is sad.

Thank Heaven for Inpatient Facilities

I have been struggling lately on what to write. I have kept journals all my life, I love to write. But then no one sees a journal. It feels safe to express myself. But with all that is going on in my life right now – I would love to put it on my blog. But what if someone gets upset and I end up making things worse. I know there is a balance. Just not sure where the line is.

Our youngest is back in the hospital. He has been home from the hospital for 2 ½ long months. He went in last weekend. The week before he was admitted, he blew up in family counseling and went storming out almost breaking the door at the Mental Health Dept. SA’s therapist decided, after talking to him, that neither his sister nor I was safe around him and that we should give him some time to chill out. He willingly went to the local Shelter to have some time to regroup. OK – maybe not totally willing once he found out they have rules and regulations there. But he went. After a couple days there he wrote a letter to the director of the shelter. Basically the letter is a homicide/suicide letter. The premise of the letter was that he would kill me, his mom, given the chance but that he would kill himself first to keep from killing me and then he would come back blessed. He is a seriously mentally ill child.

Needless to say, his therapist and the shelter director agreed that he need to be placed inpatient ASAP. In the midst of all this we found a lot of hard core pornographic magazines in his room, a child porn video on his computer, LOTS of stolen items in his room and 2 more notes about killing himself. It is always fun, NOT, to have to have a sheriff (we live in the country) come to you house about the child porn. And to try once again to figure out who all the stolen items belong to. Still have no clue on lots of them. Most of the clothes belong to his sister tho. Go figure – she is size 7 – 9 and he is 6’4” 215+ #s. Not quite a good fit.

After 2 days of calling places to find an acute bed for him in a psy hospital, I was finally able to find one in Tulsa. It must be a bad time of year – all the beds are full.

We took him down there. He didn’t want to go but we asked the shelter staff to call the police, so he decided to cooperate. I drove in a car behind, just in case I needed to call for help. We did not have the “infamous letter” to take with us since it was the weekend and both copies were locked in offices that could not be accessed. SA was quick to say that the letter was something WE just made up. Tho during intake at the hospital he insisted he was NOT suicidal but that he WAS homicidal. He wasn’t hesitant to say he had tried to kill me in the past. He told numerous people that he was homicidal. He almost seemed proud of the fact. The whole thing unnerved me. I was quite relieved when they admitted him and I felt – for the first time in 2 1/2 months – safe. I don’t have to carry my pepper spray around – yeah!!

It is sad when you love someone so much that you would do just about anything to help them but realize that sometimes love just isn’t enough.

Monday, July 27, 2009

52 Pieces of Me Part 8

Once again, last week, I was filling out paper work that involved my name. Once again, I am being asked if it was spelled wrong. I have had this issue all my life. No, my name is spelled right. It is spelled with an “a” not an “e”. There really is a reason behind my mom picking the spelling of my name. I have an older brother Gary. My mom wanted “ary” in both our names. Simple right? User-friendly, not so much. I don’t know how many times in school we would have a substitute and he/she would do the attendance and I would be Charly Hann. As in Charlie. Most formal documents have a note attached – do not correct name!!! I even remember signing up for a conference with my ex years ago. Bill & Charyl M – they thought we were 2 brothers and put us in a room with 2 other guys. Not so fun – trust me. Then a few years ago when I was on staff with System’s of Care I would go to court with our clients a few times a month. It got so that Judge DeLapp, one of our Judges would look up at me and say “”A – right?” That would be it and we would go on. So, just to set the record straight – I am Charyl with an “A”. Gotta love it!!!!!!!!

Granny Wilson's Cornbread

I have decided to start sharing favorite recipes once a week with you. I will give you a bit of the history of where I got the recipe and when I started making the particular dish. Hope you enjoy these and find some your family can love too.

Granny Wilson's Cornbread

This is a recipe I found in an old Navigator cookbook back in the late ‘70s. I have been making this to go with chili and such ever since. I have spoiled my family and traditional cornbread just isn’t sweet enough for them any longer. Hope you enjoy.

1 c. sugar
1 ¾ c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1 ¾ c. milk
½ c. vegetable oil
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients and place in 9 x 13 oiled cake pan. Bake 375 for 30 minutes. Or 24 muffin cups for 15 minutes.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Fun at Woolaroc

Esther and I took the kids to Woolaroc last week. It was Esther, her cousin Maria, Eliana, Timmy Jr, Katrina, Kyleigh and I. We had fun even tho it got pretty warm and we took a wrong turn and ended up on a long over the hills and thru the woods walk. Kyleigh and Katrina took long 3 hour plus naps when we got home. They were exhausted.


The kids played hard at the kid park.





Beautiful view!!!!!!

My 60th Birthday

Can't believe I have turned 60. I feel like I am still in my 40's. Just seems wierd. I remember as a kid thinking anyone 60 was over the hill and close to death. Funny how a person's perspective changes as we grow older.



Timmy made the fantastic cake. He does such an awesome job. I loved it!!!!!!!!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

51 Pieces of Me Part 7

I love to read. I have a book or 2 going most of the time. I try to read a fiction and a non-fiction every week. Some weeks I manage and other weeks I don’t finish what I have started. I try to read the non-fiction during the day when I am coherent and the fiction before I fall asleep. I read at least 30 minutes before I fall asleep. I tried to read the non-fiction at night but found I had to reread the book the next day so that wasn’t very productive.
The recent books I have read are Summer on Blossom Street (fiction)
by Debbie Macomber and 8th Confession (fiction) by James Patterson. I read the Patterson

book on Thursday when I wasn’t feeling well.  The one by Macomber, I have read all in the Blossom Street series. I like to do that – read all of a series or all that someone has written.

My current non-fiction is Financial IQ by Robert Kiyosaki. He is another one I have read everything he has written. He motivates me to no end. I made the decision to have rental property when I was a teenager but Kiyosaki helps me reconfirm that decision and keep going in that direction, which has proved to be very beneficial.

I guess you could say, reading is a passion of mine.

Happy Father's Day Dennis


Happy Birthday Katie



Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Pool Fun




Esther, Katrina, Elaina and Timmy having fun in the pool.