Sunday at the end of a Long Thanksgiving Weekend

Cool building!
A London event that happens every Sunday morning.

Map of the London Zoo!

The story of the camel-one of those stories we keep talking about long after the visit to the zoo.

Friday of our vacation!

Will post some early Christmas photos later- we got our tree and put it up this weekend but I need to transfer them from my camera...eating some more of the Costco double chocolate pie- left overs-yummy-yummy right now-and its very gray outside. Been thinking a lot lately about destiny...choices we make...how they interfer with other paths. Why is it some people do something and it brings them changes in their lives and why others it doesn't seem to? Is it personal choice or is there destiny out there leading us on certain paths at certain moments in time? Or maybe its us, we hold back or don't make a particular move at some point in time...I look at people who have scrapbooking/stamping/art careers that seem to move and me...it doesn't seem to move. Maybe its me...not making such a big comittment. Maybe I'm not that good or I'm not that noticable. Maybe I hold myself back. I don't know. Does anyone know? Any clues?

Meanwhile, some more of my journal style London pages. Love them...though I doubt myself too much too often.

YOU"VE GOT TO BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN MAGIC!

Alittle more London

More Greenwich.

Using a lot of baroque papers and stamps here!

This page below is a great photo from part of a gate, and there's a tag over it.

Thankful

I am thankful for so many things-my family, my friends, my critters, my health, my home and job, my art, I could keep going. I didn't take any photos yesterday at my Mom's, but we had a great day. Got to see my cousin David, his wife Dawn and they're 2 cute little girls too. Haven't seen David for many years, so it was great. I hope you all had a great turkey day too.

Also have to mention the great concert we went to see Wednesday night-Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Wow. Fantastic. 2 1/2 of pure fantasy and showmanship. Flames, lasers, fireworks...rock classical and Christmas music...WOW! I'll have to learn how to hook up an audio link for you to hear. It was a great way to start out the holiday season that we're now in.

Today started with light snow, rain...but the sun came out and it was actually nice out...we went to chop our tree but will probably put it up tomorrow. We always go to this tree farm here in town, we figure this is probably like our 18th year doing this...maybe even 20th.

So check out the Fred Mullett web site-he has a bunch of his unmounted stamps for sale in sets for $10 a set. I ordered a bunch this morning...his stamps are great nature images...I can't wait to get them.

Did it rain today

Some views from Greenwich, England. It was cool there- the old naval academy was very Georgian with pillars, post and symmetry to the max. Very nautical- like the cool anchor in the floor as you can see on one of my pages. I love the ocean and nautical things so it was a goog place for me. There was naval museum with some interesting artifacts- like clothes Lord Admiral Nelson was killed in during the battle of Trafalgar- blood stains still there. Then we climbed the hill to the observatory where the Prime Meridan is- my weird thing I wanted to do, stand with 1 foot in each hemisphere-East and West and the same time. Also some famous astronomer's telescopes like Hershel and Halley (like the comet), and although I'm not really into astronomy I have a science geek hat that I love to wear.

Today it rained like crazy, and the wind blew and at work we kept having power blips for a few seconds. Went to see Madagascar II after my hair cut with my friend Vicky and her daughter Katie-we laughed a lot and had dinner afterwards. Last night I had book club-out 2 nights in a row-but for fun reasons-(even though I must admit I wish book club was a girls night out and not a girls with babies night out...just seems that its not an occasional happening when someone can't get a babysitter at the last moment...but how do you complain about that without making the mom's angry...oh listen to me, a very mom person anyhow). Syill, I love seeing my bookclub friends and getting different perspectives. Anyhow--- This week is crazy right up through Thursday- Friday I am going to crash and watch tv all day!

I want to post some more pages!

So you get 2 posts today. Will be out the next 3 nights so you may not get any more until after the Holiday. Enjoy your week-I will! Got to work only 2 1/2 days, am going to a movie with a friend and our girls, have bookclub tomorrow night...going to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Wednesday...Thanksgiving with my family down in Massachusetts...and then a long weekend to boot. Yeehaw!

A few more London Pages

Boy do I need to work and taking a straight photo!
Here we are, about to board the London Eye!

I love the stamping here with the birds and the journalling circle.

Do you like the stamp I made of Big Ben's Tower? Big Ben is actually the bell inside, but this is a great view from up in the Eye.

Another fun page of my 2 favorite people.

Another chilly weekend. Went to Nashua yesterday and did Costco and Trader Joe's- actually started my holiday shopping too. Today I cleaned and think I'll go make some silver clay charms. I've got a busy week ahead of me- 2 1/2 days of work, book club tomorrow night, movie night with a good friend and our girls Tuesday night, shopping after work Wednesday and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Concert, going to Mom's for Thanksgiving Thursday...should be a great week!

More cold....

Are you tired of London pages yet?

Didn't even hit 30 degrees today! BRRRRRR!

But to good news it is FRIDAY and the WEEKEND! Yahoo!

Feels like January

I'm trying to stay warm, in my flannels and fleece, curled up with a hot cup of herbal tea and my big orange cat on the couch. Its cold-hit all of about 29 degrees today-like it does in January, not November.

Had a guest speaker at school today- he was part of the wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone. VERY interesting. That was why I went into wildlife biology back at 18 when I started at the University of Maine. Switched over to biology later on, which is why I teach now...but wow, love it.

Got my oil changed today in my car and my book I ordered about metal clay arrived. Its a real basic book-Working with precious Metal Clay by Tim McCreight-but its what I need in my new metal clay art ignorance.

Chicken soup from Costco for supper tonight-yum, yum, yum.

It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO cold

OK, a few more photos. Think I really need to work on photographing my art and getting it straight.

It is cold today. High of about 35 I guess, it was in the 20's when I got home at 4:15 this afternoon. BRRRR. Our first REALLY cold snap.

I have been in a better mode about work the last couple of days. Was feeling like I was fighting destiny. Here's my view of destiny-we do have control, a lot, but sometimes somethings are written-if we chose, we must follow certain paths that are destined. So I want to be more of an artist, and I can, but I'd like to be able to leave teaching-at least someday once Katie gets out of college. My destiny has kept me in school and put the art on a secondary time schedule. The trick is to keep my eye open for when an opportunity arrives to change my destiny's direction...but they don't come that often, and sometimes I feel trapped in my destiny, fighting in my head what I am and what I want to be.

Does this make sense?

Enjoy my scrap pages- this is all my destiny is allowing me to have right now...

Man, this morning I am not moving and trying to get myself moving. Might be caughting a cold-feel a little stuffy, stiff...those lovely kiddies sometimes get sick too and its so easy to catch colds from them...wash,wash those hands. not too bad of a day though-we're going to see the school play 4th block. Should be fun.

Got home from work and tried to do some pages in the Christmas book I'm making and it just wasn't working very well. Not my day to be productive in the studio I guess, so I'll post these instead.

Picked up Harley after his x-ray- needs to have a ligament in his knee fixed, will cost us some monsy AND even worse will be keeping him calm-crazy dog loves to run and jump and be what he is, a crazy dog. But can't stand to see him hopping about on 3 legs- surgery is not til DEC. 18th so have a bit of time to prepare.