Category: Just For Fun!

Just For Fun!

The Creative Soul

deborahanndykeman

There are days when I really feel as though I should give up writing, and go back to school to be a graphic artist. I always wanted to be an artist, a famous one of course! But then I also wanted to be a famous singer. I practiced my songs during my nap times, taking the top little finial from my canopy  and using it for a microphone. That was pretty hazardous when I think back on it, but I don’t recall my mother rushing in to pull me out of a pile of pink cotton and maple slats. And that would have made an impression on me! Although I also remember practicing my artistic drawings on the headboard of that same bed and surviving to tell about it. The metal clip on the back of my barrette made a delightful tool.

My memory drifts through when I was young, about elementary school age.  Art class, drawing, painting, pottery, and anything remotely creative fascinated me. Where ever I was, I would draw what I saw. The place-mats we used at Christmas, the view from the kitchen window, an especially pretty scene while we were out on a family drive. I wanted to transform my visions into reality on paper.

I never did take art classes beyond what I received in public school. I am very thankful for the wonderful teachers I had that encouraged my creativity, and made me aware of contests to enter. A Wilton cake-decorating course and a few pottery classes in my late teens and before children just seemed to entice me further. But then children happened, and the most drawing I did for many years was shaping the letters to form a grocery list.

Oct. 14, 1995

It may seem as though I blame my children for the squelching of my artistic dreams. I don’t. For when I had children, they were also my dream, my goal of a perfect life. I emerged myself in that. And every now and then, we made crafts at Christmas, painted ceramic objects, and built gingerbread houses. The creativity was still there, just in a different form. Enough to know that our children inherited their own creativity in diverse and spectacular ways. And that’s what it’s all about.

Today I spent several hours being creative. I designed a meme for Facebook in honor of Mother’s Day. I also made a couple posters for an event I have for my books on Saturday. I feel refreshed, and able to breathe again. Being creative seems to release pent-up emotions and frustrations in me…and not everyone would understand that.

Dunlap Church Event

Dunlap Craft and Flea Market pricing

What I am most thankful for, are the talents that God has given me. And we all have them. Some people just tap into their talents and gifts more than other people do. Maybe someday, a painting course, or learning more about using the computer for art will be an option for me. But right now, I have so many things that interest me, and I get to dabble in them all. And I like that!

In honor of Mother’s Day, I will include this meme I designed for Facebook. And if any of you have a mind to, please stop by and like my author’s page. I would really appreciate it! https://www.facebook.com/deborahanndykeman Have a fantastic weekend!

Happy Mother's Day

Just For Fun!

13 Chocolate Mocha Recipes

deborahanndykeman

Okay, anyone that knows me, knows that I love chocolate. My husband and our youngest daughter know not to leave any sitting around the house. Chocolate must not be saved for later eating! That is a no-no! So when I saw these pictures, I just had to share with all of you. Agatha Chocolats@agathachocolats is a great site for chocolate visuals and recipes, as well as many other great reads. Check it out after you read this post from the site.

I have some serious cravings going on now! Enjoy this and your Friday afternoon. With a cup of coffee of course!

A Quick Thought, Just For Fun!

Killer Uno, for Real!

deborahanndykeman

Yes, it is two in the morning. I could probably sleep, but with the Easter weekend just past, a little more kitchen renovation squeezed in, and book edits this next week, my social media is taking a hit. So I thought, I’ll just take a couple hours to get everything up-to-date and I’ll be snoozing in no time. Wrong answer on that one!

For some reason, the world wide web is taking a break and all traffic is down to a snail’s pace. Not that I have a problem with a snail’s pace at times. Just not when I’m sleep-deprived. My yahoo won’t delete or load, my wordpress won’t save, and I couldn’t leave feedback on Ebay. So, I’ve drummed my fingers, contemplated which pots to put my plants in and sighed…a lot, waiting for this technology to get moving. So this may post, or not.

By the way, if you would like to have a chance to win the first book in the Rubyville series, A Place to Call Home, please go to Goodreads and enter the giveaway right here. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28917938-rubyville?from_search=true I will be giving away three signed copies from a random drawing by Goodreads. The giveaway will last until May 17th. If your name is chosen, you will receive a printed copy with the correct cover. I have had a real struggle to get the cover changed on Goodreads and it’s still showing with the older cover! On May 1st, a giveaway will begin for the second book in the series, A Place of Refuge. This will last for one month as well, same rules. The third and fourth books will also be given away beginning on the 15th and 29th of May. I’m so excited to see how many sign up for the giveaway! As of about an hour ago, eighty people have entered the giveaway that began on Monday!

Now that business is taken care of, back to what I wanted to post about. You’ve all heard of Uno, the rather boring card game. To be fair, it is great for children. They can match numbers and colors, learn how to skip a person and play in reverse. But for an adult, you could be taking a snooze with your chin on the table before you know it. Not too exciting! Last night, our second oldest and her husband taught us how to play Killer Uno. After a few bruises, cuts and scrapes and a very high score for us over-fifty challenged group…and points are not a good thing in this game, I can say it was a lot of fun. Why we began playing it around ten in the evening, I do not know. That was a definite challenge for moi. Colors of cards and numbers were kind of blurring together. After a few ‘draw four’ wild cards piled on my turn while my arthritic fingers sorted them into some kind of order, I just sat cross-eyed. No, I did not win. I think I lost. At least I had the highest score. Yippee! No, that’s another game.

I would like to play Killer Uno sometime again. Sometime when I’m alert, sometime when I can remember my colors and the difference between a six and a nine. That little line means something, right?

Off to bed I go with visions of snails dancing in my head. Well, I assume they dance, at a snail’s pace! I think this one would. He looks pretty adventurous! snail-2084656_1920

And now my internet connection is gone…this is not meant to be!

 

 

Just For Fun!

It’s Almost Perfect

deborahanndykeman

Okay, I really love my five children, but sometimes they can be little stinkers. If you have children, you understand this. If you babysit, have nieces and nephews, teach school…you get the idea of children. It’s one of those love/hate relationships. Which I actually enjoy. It gives life fullness and character, and saves our years here on this earth from being, well, really boring.

Our second oldest shared this video on my Facebook timeline. I think she loves me, most of the time. But yes, she fits into that ‘stinker’ hole on many occasions. What is really scary about this video, is that it is so true! She nailed it. Please watch all the way until the end if you can stand it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnzz-eFmKaw

If you are a bit on the O.C.D. side, as I am, this video will drive you crazy. I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack before it was through. But, I must be getting better, because I found the humor in it as well.

So, I dedicate this post to all of you that need to have things in your life, well…perfect. I understand! Now, I need to go back to tidying my desk so I can get some writing done! Have a great day!

Just For Fun!

Someday

deborahanndykeman

A couple of weeks ago, our second oldest shared this song with me. I not only really love the song, but as our daughter pointed out, it is Orin and Annabella’s story…and that part was really neat. If you haven’t read, A Place of Refuge yet, this is a spoiler alert! But give it a listen anyway because it’s a fun song. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR4YE7htLgI

Thank you Michael Buble and Meghan Trainor for a great song!

Just For Fun!

For Women Only!

deborahanndykeman

That got your attention, didn’t it?! I’ll have more men readers today than ever before! 😉 This post may get a couple people in my family upset. My husband because he thinks I have too many shoes, my daughters because they think I should give them away…to them, of course!

Shoes!!! I love them. Pretty strange for someone that prefers going barefoot, and once did most of the time. Not so much anymore, need a bit more padding in the foot area these days. But just think of the shoe options! Pumps, platforms, flats, chunky heels, spikes or kitten heels. Beaded, sequined, ruched, leather or satin. And the lists just go on and on.

Each time we have moved, my husband has commented on the amount of shoes I have, the boxes I needed for them. To be fair, I don’t really have as many as I have seen some women. I don’t have a huge walk-in closet lined with shelves of shoes. I keep mine in their original boxes, stacked in neat rows on the bottom of my closet.

Which is why I’m posting this today. Every year, usually the first of April and the first of October, I get ready for the new season. I have posted on the cleaning aspect of this a couple of times on here, so you can go check that out if you’re interested. But I also rotate my shoes. My closet is small…sigh…and I move those stacks every six months. And yes, I’m a bit late this year. But the flip-flops just don’t work in December…really people. Unless you live in the tropics. So put them away until warmer days arrive!

When I had all those boxes pulled out, I took some pictures to share. And now you can see that I really don’t have that many. Of course these pictures show only a few of my shoes. I thought I should add that disclaimer.

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You always need a dressy shoe for that special occasion. The black ones don’t show well in this picture, but they’ve had a lot of use. The silver ones are really comfy!

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I love the turquoise flats and they are SO comfortable. The pump in the back has a lovely tweed look to it and I haven’t even worn the other platform sandal yet. That is one that could show up missing if my daughters have their say.

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Again, more shoes that I haven’t worn yet! The navy blue and white pump is really pretty and great for summer. The slingback goes perfectly with a dress I have. The red, cute, cute shoe in the back was bought for my daughter and I have a blue pair that I have worn a lot. Again, a dress that goes perfectly with them!

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And of course, boots!!! I adore boots and I wear them a lot in the winter. The burgundy pair in the background was a really nice surprise today. I had purchased them in the summer and I had completely forgot about them! Happy Birthday to me! The black ones in the front go over my knees and they are really comfortable and warm. Purchased for my daughter, but she gave them to me after a season.

Do I have a problem? Should I seek shoe therapy? I think not. Every pair of shoes I have are purchased at extreme sale prices, almost always under $20. I wear my shoes for years, wash them after each use and pack them in their little box. I don’t spend my life shopping for shoes and I don’t keep them on display. But I do enjoy what I have! Now I just need to wear them more!shoes-619529_1920

This is a little bonus for you. Aren’t they adorable? Yes, we start women to thinking about shoes very early on in their lives.These cute, cute little shoes made me think of our newest grand-daughter, due to arrive on December 23rd. And no, the white pumps at the very top are not mine, but they are gorgeous! I wonder if they come in my size? 😉

Just For Fun!

A Concert for One

deborahanndykeman

Sometimes you just have to share. This video was taken a couple of months ago now. It has taken me this long to find a way to put it on here! Can you get anymore cute?! Oh, our son did a pretty good job with the guitar and singing too! 😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eowI9QWsT-g&feature=youtu.be

Just For Fun!

The Christmas Village 🎅🏻🎄🎁☃️

deborahanndykeman

Okay…Halloween is over. So I can tolerate seeing Christmas advertising. I wanted to share this post because it just put me in the frame of mind to start thinking about Christmas. It just looked happy…and we need a bit of happy right now. Enjoy!

Just For Fun!

Time to Change the Sheets!

deborahanndykeman

No, I don’t recommend that you drink that cup of tea. I just thought the picture was pretty, and it reminded me of how very little time I’ve had lately to sip tea and read. If I poured a steaming pot of water over an aromatic tea bag, it would sit until it gathered leaves, just as the picture above demonstrates.

Autumn is becoming more of a favorite time of year for me. When I was younger, it always seemed as though it was a bit depressing, watching everything die back and get ready for a long, cold winter. Now I appreciate the colors more and the anticipation of life slowing down for a few months. It would be lovely to be able to sit beside a roaring fire, watching gentle snow as I sipped hot chocolate, but we’ll have to see how that turns out!

The change of seasons also means change the sheets. The first of October the cotton sheets go into the trunk and closet, and out come the flannel sheets along with the heavier blankets. The rooms are thoroughly cleaned, curtains washed, windows if needed. Fans are set to the winter mode and wiped down as well. Our youngest volunteered to do this for me this fall, and I let her. One less chair to climb for me! And of course, every year, the day I put on the flannel sheets, we have a heat wave. But, at least the job is done!

What made this job even more enjoyable was our cat, pictured below. And yes, she is a bit perturbed in this picture!

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She spent the morning in our bedroom, sitting in the middle of everything I needed to do! Aargh! At one point, after fifty times of going around her, trying not to topple the mound of bedding on the rocking chair, I managed to almost step on her. In my effort to miss her, I did finally send the bedding to the floor, and I flung the extension wand of the vacuum into the whirling fan blades before I caught myself on the way to falling on my face. Those fans have quite the ability to jerk something out of your hands and fling it across the room! Thankfully, no one and nothing was hurt. The fan still works, and the plastic pieces of the vacuum wand seem to be all in one piece as they should be. Cassie had her feathers ruffled a bit, and so she finally decided it was safer outside. She would not smile for the camera!

 

The above pictures are the finished product of a morning of cleaning. And yes, the storms blew through and now it is cool enough to enjoy the flannel sheets upon the bed. Soon, I will spend my evenings beside the fireplace…eating ice cream. But that’s another post!

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Have a great Saturday, and give your cat a little love!

Just For Fun!

His Eye Is On the Butterfly

deborahanndykeman

Once upon a time, my husband was a photographer. He took photos for a newspaper for a very short while. When I met him, he was always taking pictures. He literally wore his camera wherever he went. Because of this, we had loads of pictures of our first days together as man and wife. I even have one of me eating a pop tart for the first time! Our first baby was photographed much more than the other four. And we still have all those pictures, in a box…somewhere.

He was very talented in catching just the right moment. He had a great eye for colors and the way items showed in their best light. I say all of this in the past tense because he no longer wears his camera. He hasn’t had a good camera for many, many years.

Which is why I thought these pictures were even more beautiful. They remind me of the colors of autumn, a theme for me the past few days. And who says a cell phone is just for talking? Beautiful pictures, husband of mine! Maybe it’s time to purchase another camera?

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