2025 Certificates

March 2025:  Receive a certificate that says I'm now a Justice of the Peace.

May 2025:  Receive a certificate that says I now have a Masters Degree in AI Model Management & Implementation.

June 2025:  Apply for my mother's death certificate.

Only one of these certificates actually altered my life.  The others are meaningless.  

Enter Ecclesiastes. 

That is all.

The Fool and The Wise

The Fool doesn't know he's a fool.

He thinks he knows better. He is proud.

He reacts to the words of the wise.  He doesn't ponder them.

He is friendly only to those who agree with him. Because he knows better.

The Fool never wonders if he is a fool.  He doesn't need to because he knows he is not a fool.

The Wise doesn't think he is wise; sometimes he wonders if he is a fool.

He can admit when he doesn't know.  He is humble.

He learns from the words of the wise and unwise.  He ponders them.

He is friendly to everyone.  Those with different ideas are welcomed.  

The Wise often wonders if he is a fool.  He knows that he does not know it all.

2023

It's the last day of the year.

12.31.23

It's ending with gratitude.

2023 was not kind. 2023 was not glamorous.  2023 was not particularly fun.

It had it's little moments, but it was mostly filled with chaos, shock, grief, anxiety...

It was also filled with Jesus, hope, grace, forgiveness, faith, trust, great friendships, family and the most painfully rewarding of all:  growth; spiritual and otherwise.

I've never lived one day at a time like I have in 2023.  I don't see that changing in 2024.

One. Day. At. A. Time. We go into 2024.

At least 2024 has an extra day.   366 days to take One. At. A. Time.  

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:3-5

This verse has been the verse in 2023.  It will be my verse for 2024.   

2023 taught me that I can do my best today; and tomorrow is for tomorrow.

2023 taught me that I can do hard things.

2023 taught me that I cannot control others.

2023 taught me that I cannot take life for granted.

2023 taught me that I can because He can.

2023 taught me to love better.

2023 taught me to pray better.

2023 taught me to be grateful

2023 showed me who my friends are.

2023 showed me who my family are.

2023 showed me what it means to have Jesus carry you from one day to another when you have no idea what is ahead.

My prayer for you is that you will be able to face your challenges in 2024 with the confidence that in Jesus, you can take them on, you will grow and learn; you will be stronger and better off for them.  

God bless you, your family and your life in 2024!

Truth at 1 a.m.

 

Can't sleep.  Feeling unwell.  The stirring in my heart stirs.

Pondering TRUTHS at 1 o'clock in the morning.

What is THE truth?

Some terms that need defining so my thought process can make sense:

• Truth (noun):  The quality or state of being true;  That which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.
• Fact (noun):  a thing that is known or proved to be true.
• Opinion (noun): a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
• Discernment (noun):  The ability to judge well.
• Ability (noun):  talent, skill or proficiency (high degree of competence; expertise) in a particular area.
• Feelings (plural noun):  an emotional state or reaction.
• Resilient (adjective): able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions; able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed.

 

The world has two truths:  THE truth and YOUR truth.

THE truth is fact.

YOUR truth is opinion.

Discernment is an ability. That means it is learned, developed and practiced.  Being practiced means that one should have met truth and untruth and sought knowledge and understanding in various forms over a period of time.  In order to judge well, one must be exposed to real truths and sought knowledge and understanding about those truths.

“Feeling like a million bucks” doesn’t actually mean you are a pile of paper with numbers on it.  Neither does it mean that you are worth a million male deer. Neither does it mean that you are worth a million dollars.  If so, I would like to know the currency.  A million yen is 13,500 Belize dollars. Specifying the type of buck matters.

Feelings do not determine if a fact is true or not.

Sometimes, facts tend to trigger unhappy feelings.  Facts can be harsh.  “The truth hurts” sometimes.

We do not like hurt. We do not like facts when they hurt. But we can build resilience when there is hurt.

Truth. REAL TRUTH. Fosters growth: resilience.

Truth. REAL TRUTH. Fosters knowledge and understanding: discernment.

Resilience, like discernment, is an ability.  It is learned, developed and practiced.  You have met hard truths and sought to overcome harshness time and time again.  In order to spring back, you had to have been pulled back, pushed back, held back.

Accepting opinions as fact does not foster discernment. Opinions fog the lens of discernment.

Accepting opinions as fact does not foster resilience.  Opinions hinder resilience.

I encourage you to look for real truth. THE truth. Facts.

Learn to discern what is fact, what is opinion.

The truth hurts sometimes but just because it doesn’t match your feelings, or makes you “feel” sad, it does not mean that it is not true.

Not all things that make you “feel” happy are true either.

That’s why it is important to practice Resilience and Discernment.

 

The thing about truth that I find cool is that a truth does not stop being true because somebody says it is, or because somebody does not understand it, or because somebody doesn't like it.

1 + 1 is 2, even if someone “feels” like it should be 8. 

Truth is robust. Unshakable. Fearless. Truth does not change.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.  We can trust truth. It is consistent, constant, never changing, never failing.

 

I hold on to this truth:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Surface People

I was washing dishes when I saw a picture in my mind and a swell of words, emotions and thoughts consumed me all at once.  One of those Aha! moments that had to be captured before it flew away.

A big blue ocean.  A person swimming on the surface.  The depths below that went from a bright blue and gradually got darker...to a deep navy - not quite black but almost.

My heart struck.

Surface People.

On the surface, we can't see the fish.  Sometimes they come up and we see a couple kinds.  Dolphins grace us with a fantastic performance of leaps and splashes!  Quite entertaining.  But it happens at the surface.  They don't live their lives there.  They just show up from time to time.  The surface people can know of such a thing as a dolphin because they come to them - not the other way around.  Also, the surface is comfortable.

A Curious Surface Person gets some gear - a pair of snorkel goggles- he can see what's immediately beneath the surface.  

Oh! That's what that looks like.. You can see some of the glimmer of light that pass through the surface.  You can maybe see some fish.  Based on the depth of your current location and your lung capacity, you can dive a bit deeper and see a bit more.  But you must come back to the surface.  You're back at the surface but you are now aware that there is more to see than just the dolphins that come up sometimes.  There's more to the big blue water than you can see - from the surface.

Our curious Surface Person acquires better gear.  We have scuba gear.  

This lets us dive deeper, stay longer, learn more.  We can see the life the dolphins have before and after their gymnastic displays on the surface.  We can see so much more.  We learn so much more.  But we must still come back to the surface.  

At the surface, there's other surface people.  They are quite content with being on the surface.  The thought of what is beneath them has never crossed their minds.  They just enjoy the dolphin show when it comes.  They enjoy the whale tail splashes when that comes along.  Our curious surface person...starts to talk about the things he's learned about what's going on under the surface.  Some of the other surface people don't believe him.  After all, you can't believe what you cannot see, imagine or understand.  Some ask questions and are interested in getting their own snorkel goggles to at least get a glimpse of some of this depth beneath the surface.  Some don't even pay attention; too busy looking at the dolphins because that's all there is to know.

Our Curious Surface Person acquires a submarine.  

After all, the scuba gear can only let you go so deep.  What's there beyond that?  He's curious...so he goes.  He finds that in the deep depths there is so much more to see.  The systems from surface to depth and all in between all have a greater purpose.  The deeper he goes, the greater the psi, and so is a greater awareness of the prospect of more unknowns.  You only know this if you decide to go deeper. You won't know this if your world is just as big as the surface and does not consider the idea of depth.  

Anyway, our Curious Surface Person in his submarine has found fish with lights, giant octopuses, squid, crustaceans - that look rather different from the kind on reef level.  Some of these creatures are beyond imagination! 

 But, alas!  Even in a submarine, our Curious Surface Person must come back to the surface.  At the surface, he tells the tales of that fish with a light bulb on his head!  He uses it to lure other fish in the darkness to eat. Lies!  He's making that up!  Say some.  IMPOSSIBLE!  Say others.  A few say Tell me more.

We're all surface people.  Doesn't matter what gear you have you still must come to the surface.  But we can be surface people with a greater awareness of what's below.  We can be surface people who talk to those who have been to the depths and learn from them.  We can get snorkel gear and talk to those with scuba gear.  We're all at different places in our experience with depth.

What struck me was when I thought about relating with others who have no gear and those with better gear than I have.  

This term: Hydro-Static Pressure

The average surface person doesn't know what that means.  He may know how to pronounce it after a fumble with phonetics.

The snorkel gear guy has heard of this but hasn't really experienced it since he can't go that deep anyway that it would affect him.  It's "that thing that happens when you get deeper".  A general idea of what it is.

The scuba gear guy.  He had to have training to know what could go wrong with his body if he's ignorant about Hydro-static Pressure.  He might can't dive again for a while if he is not careful.  He has more than just a general idea of what it means.

The submarine guy.  Well, he knows how to calculate this stuff.  He knows why, how, and can make informed decisions about things because he has the most knowledge about Hydro-static pressure. He knows all there is to know about HSP.  He doesn't even need to say the whole thing.  He just calls it HSP.

It's important for us to know what gear we have and how much we know- or don't know - because of it.  The submarine guy knows what he knows.  He knows it because he wondered about what happens when the dolphins are done with the show, while you're waiting on the surface for the next show to start, completely unaware of the depths of knowledge, wisdom and understanding beneath the surface.  To these Surface People, the surface means so much more. The dolphin display has greater meaning, the whale tail splashes are grander, and the different shades of blue in the ocean speak so much more to him than just - blue.  Be curious, my friends.  Get the proper gear.

The Mootz that Scootz

I made a promise to you a long time ago, a promise to update you on my story book writing venture.  I haven't made an update on it but that doesn't mean the venture died.  I actually 'published' one of the projects some months ago and had the first copy hand delivered to the inspiration of that story.  The story of the Mootz that scootz.

The Mootz that Scootz is a short (very short) story about a little girl named Mootz.  She had no teeth. She couldn't walk.  And then she does.

Here's how the final product turned out:
(if you're on a computer, click on the first picture and a gallery pops up for you to view the rest)

  

                                         

                                

I drew every picture, scanned them, photoshopped them, put them together, bought fancy paper from the printery, printed them, bound them and made the hardcover by hand.  All by myself.  It was very much fun!

Little Cousins

As the eldest of four kids and neighbour to my aunt, I spent a lot of time with my little cousins, Gelzy, Mamita and Bidinky.  They feel a lot more like siblings, actually - only better because you can give them back!  I bathed them, changed them, put them to sleep, burped them; just like I did my own little brothers. In fact, Mamita used to wake up at 6:00 am, get out of her crib, walk out her front door, walk through the gate to our yard, walk up our front porch, bang on the door and yell at the top of her lungs: "FAHLEESYAH!" *bang* *bang* *bang* "FAHLEESYAH!".  My mom would open the door, Mamita would march through the living room and into my bedroom, climb on my bed and snuggle with me. That memory always makes me smile.

Gelzy (L) and Mamita (R)

For countless times I stayed over to babysit while my Uncle and Aunt went on date nights.  It was fun.
 Everything's more fun in someone else's house when you're 15.

Anyway, these little cousins of mine had very strange, noteworthy habits to keep in mind.  Mamita, for instance, started the night off sleeping parallel to me, on the left,  then perpendicular to me; for a while her foot would be in my face or positioned so that it's dislocating my liver. Somehow, in the morning, she'd end up on the right side of me, parallel.  I never got much rest on those babysitting nights. :)

This was a regular thing until I started University and my little sister (who wasn't so little by that time) took over.

One weekend, Bidinky (the littlest cousin), decided she missed me enough to sleep over at my house.  I had to wake up at 3:00am to take the bus that left for the West at 4:00am.  We went to bed around 9:00.  I didn't get much rest but I learned that Bidinky's sleeping habits surpassed those of her older sister.

Lee Bidinky

Bidinky was two, and small.  I had a double bed.  All night, I was squished in the most uncomfortable position in the furthest corner of my bed.  Bidinky was all over the place.  Mamita moves around you....Bidinky chases you away.

When I would drift into some kind of REM cycle, I'd wake up with a jolt to Bidinky yelling: "Gimme, da mines!"   "Da my ball, Randy!"   "GIMME! DA MINES!"

Translation?  Best I could figure was that she was dreaming that Mamita had her ball and she wanted it back.  Same dream for a few hours.  Same crisis.  Randy. Ball. Gimme.

3:00am came.  I was no more rested than I was when I went to bed.  Bidinky was still asleep when I left.  But that's another one of those memories that I remember with a smile.

Those kiddos. When I think of them, I always remember them as little and  I'm surprised at how much they've grown every time I see them.  Gelzy is getting closer and closer to High School, Mamita just had her Confirmation and Bidinky's once chubby cheeks aren't so chubby anymore.  They're growing up but they will always be my little baby cousins. ♥

Imagine Blank

I wrote the following when I was sick a couple weeks ago.  It's a trip into my train of thought.  I thought it would be interesting to write things down as fast as I could think them.  I'm sure I missed a few of the rabbit trails but I got the main trails down I think.  ~Fel

- - - - - - - -  •  ♥  •  - - - - - - - -

Imagine.

Imagine what?

Imagine blank.

I imagine blank.  Hmm. Also the name of one of my new favourite YouTube channels.

I don't know what to do.

I don't know where I'm going.

I just know that I'm here..

Right now.  And right now this is what's in my brain....

• I am sick. *cough* *cough*
• I wish I had written all the things that I daydreamed about blogging when I was daydreaming about them.
• I miss my cat.
• I have a new cat.  He is cute and I will enjoy getting to understand his little kitty brain.
• I'm scared to raise kids in a place where the school budget ain't got no money for computer lessons but there's millions for the roads.
• I'm thankful for a wonderful husband who takes care of me even when I won't take care of myself.
• I'm thankful for the few friends I have because they are real.  None of that fake stuff you can buy with cool clothes and superficial smiles.
• I'm thankful for my mother who taught me to do everything.
• I'm thankful for my daddy who taught me about Jesus. He actually talked about Him....
• Jesus. Why are you so cool?  Really.  "Love your enemies" You make it sound so simple.  
• I wish my head didn't hurt.
• I wish Eve didn't eat that apple or banana or whatever it was....
• I'm glad I'm a girl....even if it's hard sometimes.
• Husband and I are gonna have some damn cute babies.  That's a smile worthy note right there.
• Oh My Word!  I hope I don't screw up my kids! Note to self: Write down all the wisdom of parenthood that you know now because it'll all go through the window when the kids come and you'll need to remind yourself that you knew how to do this once....You won't believe it's you....but I'm telling you now, future Fel....that you were that brilliant.  
• I hate diseases. Diseases suck.  Stupid flu virus.
• Lee Blacky looks like a stuffed animal.  He's so cute.
• Under-wire is such a two faced fiend.  Holds the girls up but damn....must you stab me in the side like that!? Sheesh!
• Randy's confirmation. March 9th.  Remember that.
• *cough* 
• Expo.  Oh. Mein. Expo. Are my jeans clean?  I'll need jeans...
• Jeans...Genes....I wonder if I have red hair genes.  How do hair genes work anyway?  Black person with tough hair, with parents with tough hair probably only has tough hair genes but if you mix him/her with anything else, you get soft, delicious curls...every time.  Even if you mix them with someone else with straight hair...as long as it's not another black person....it'll be curly hair.  Does that really happen every time?  Is that a scientific fact?  I should google that.  (owwww. Head. Hurts.) maybe later.
• Excitement.  You adrenaline provoked emotion.  You are a tease.  Don't tease me when I am ill.
• "Leonard! I'm Sick!" ............. "Leonard! My comforter fell down and my sinuses hurt when I bend over!" "Leonard!"   (If you get this reference, we could be best friends!)
• Ha. I'm typing as fast as I can talk out loud.  I wish I could type as fast as I could think. Right now is a good time for that.  Thinking is slooooooooooooooooooooooooww. Haha.  That's funny. What's funny. Who's funny? or Whose funny? Who's.
• I'm hungry.

And there you have it folks.  Five minutes into my brain.  Maybe it was ten minutes.  But I just needed to write something.  Plus, it's interesting to see thoughts develop from nothing.  The human mind is a weird place and I do believe that is how it was designed to be.   A bunch of goo with no real compartments yet it has the capacity to dream and imagine.  What's in your imagination?  What do you daydream about?  Rainbows, Unicorns, a better world?

How I Sign Mi Name

Let's see if you 'ahndastan' what the poem is about...

HOW I SIGN MI NAME

By

James A. C. Elliot (1877-1961)

I’m a dashing young cutter, bote han’sum an’ strang,

     Wid no wan but myself fo suppote;

I de work inna bush now fo’ seben aers lang,

In de wildest ov t’icket remote,

Dough hardships I meet,

Dem hardships I greet,

Wit’ de mighty good-will ov a man;

For I fine in dis wo’l’ dat in spite of al’ wrang

We mus’ mek  life as bright as we kean.

Woodcutters, British Honduras (1930)

At de fus ov de aere inna Jan’werry mont’,

Just de time w’en de nort’ win’ de blow,

To de affice I gane wid me fren’ Janny Hunt,

Fe agree fo’ mi seben an’ fou’;

De smart affice man

Put pen inna mi han’,

An’ ‘e tell me fe write dong mi name;

Ses I, “Sah, I kean’t write-neber try an’ I  won’t;

You kean write it fo’ mi al’ de same.”

From me head to me foot de smart affice-man look;

An’ ‘e dress’ me like dis inna dix;

“Such a smart looking fellow can’t write in a book;

I believe you are playing some tricks.

No nonsense, young man,

Sign here, for you can,

And don’t stand there and look like a goat.”

Well, I den feel so shame dat de lang pen I took,

an'sa’, “Kose I kenn write,” an’ I wrote:

De affice-man look up ‘pan me wit’ supprise,

an’ ‘e smile w’en I geam back de pen:

“I mussy do,” tart I, “something cleber an’ wise.”

But ‘e bus’ out  a-lafing just den.

‘E hole ‘e two side,

An’ open quite wide

‘E wan mout’, an’ den ha! ha! away,

Up I stan’ dare an’ wander an’ open mi eyes,

Fo’ ‘e laf lakka jackass de bray.

W’en e’ stap ‘e hard laffing ‘e look inna mi face,

An’ ‘e tell me fe’ spellout mi name.

On de paper I look’, an’ I look’ inna space,

An’ I wander dah huddah fe’ blame,

As I neber quick answer de dixy leel man,

‘E delib’rately cal’ me a fool;

I den feel jus’ to geam de full wate ov mi han’;

But I ‘deavoured to keep myself cool;

Fo’ if I get hat,

Weddah rite ar not,

I would floor ‘im wid wan single lick.

An’ w’en adders cum in fe help, soon as dey lan’

I would sen’ dem right back wit’ a kick.

But I keep myself cool, an’ de affice-man said:

“What is this you have put in this book?

This mark looks like an ape or some other beast’s head

And the other mark looks like a hook.

Now, sir, look and see,

And quick answer me.

What the deuce were you trying to make?

Now if I were like you I would rather be dead

Than to make such a horrid mistake.”

Well, fo’ peace sake I swallah dat hebby abuse,

Fo’ I ‘tart to explain was de bes’.

I mek ans’er to ‘im de dix langwije I use’,

But now, sah, let me tell you befo’ dis ole des’,

Dot oy don’t know de XXX writing rule.

“Dot oy tole you befoh, still you fose me fe write,

An’ oy nebah lorn any in school;

But to ‘blige you I wrote, on’ you lof at de sight,

So oy tink you de bigger ole fole!”

I tell ‘im jus’ so,

An’ ‘e neber blown!

But ‘e stan’ dare an’ look inna mi face.

So I tell Janny Hunt fe comgo befo’ fight;

An’ we tu’n’ roun’ an’ lef de ole place.

I suppose dat some’ pepple t’ink cutter dah fool;

But de cutter no fool, dat I know.

Ebery man dah wan man inna ‘e place, dat’s the rule,

An’ de labah fe mek de wol’ go.

Den laf at no man,

But help al’ you kean,

Fo’ please membah we all gwine wan way.

Eberyt’ing in dis wo’l hab an’ en’, an’ de soul

Mus’ fly out ov de body wan day.

The Best

My great grandpa was a poet.  A very good one.  No...not good. Great.  Maybe "great" isn't the word either. Exceptional, inspired? Maybe there are no words.  He wrote funny things and inspiring things....This poem is sort of a family motto.

On days like these when I'm overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending mass of ignorance around me, these words come to mind.  So I wipe my tears, get off the server room floor, strap on a pair and get back to work.  Because my passing "failures" and the passing failures of others don't beat me down...they do the opposite.  And I know in the deepest part of my being that I have done my absolute best.  I've done my part ...let the Lord come in and do His.

Thank you, Great Grandpa James. We never knew each other, but your words of wisdom, encouragement and  humor  have been instrumental in the lives of your descendants.  We quote you all the time :)

Another time I'll share How I Sign Mi Name just because it's great. :)  But first 'ahem' I give you The Best. Always.

Rev. James A.C. Elliot
1877-1961

The Best 
Rev. J.A.C. Elliot

If all you have done
Is all you could - The Best;
Then be content
And leave to God the rest.

Things fluctuate,
Neither joy nor sorrow stays.
Oft changing scenes
And changing moods amaze.

But he who knows
That in all things there is good;
That passing failures
Are but strengthening food.

Will climb the hill
Though his defeats confess;
And push his way through all
To sweet success.

Rags to Rugs!

It's been a while!  Too many metaphorical hats catch up with you eventually.  But anyway...today I'll talk about rugs.

I'm a sentimental kind of a person.  So is Husband.  People like us end up with a lot of junk that serve no purpose except for having a lot of sentimental value.  Old text books, broken jewelry, clothes...yes, clothes.  Husband is very attached to the clothes I wore when we were dating.

"Those are how I got to know you". He sighs.

I have a couple sheets my grandmother brought for me from the states many years ago.  These sheets came into my marriage as the only bed sheets we had.  They served me well for a long time.  But since nothing lasts forever, I ended up having my two favorite fitted sheets all worn out with large, gaping holes in the center of them.

I don't want to throw them away.  They've been mine since I was 15!

So I don't throw them out....they're all in a separate drawer:  The "Rags Drawer" aka
"The Kodda Schüflod".  But I could never bring myself to use these clothes as rags.  Wipe up Fritz's drool with my use-to-be-nice-and-comfy shirt?  NOOO!  Ugh. What am I supposed to do with these things?  They keep piling up and I don't want to use them like that!

Solution!

Re-purpose and go from RAGS, not to riches, but to RUGS!  I started and couldn't stop.  Two rugs are built from a bunch of old t-shirts (mine and his woven together into a beautiful metaphor of love); the other is made from one of the fitted sheets I couldn't bring myself to let go of.

Rug making is a normal thing in Mennoniteville.  It's actually a very addictive craft.  The white rug started one evening after work.  I started tearing my sheet to long strips and stringing them together.  I began rugifying right after that... late into the night.  The next morning, I woke up and did some more rounds before work.  I would've taken it to work but unfortunately, rug making isn't in my job description.

So now, we don't have to mourn the loss of our clothes and sheets.  We don't have to watch them sap up Fluffy's spilled milk or Fritz's doggy slobber.  We get to wipe our feet with them when we come out of the shower or before we go to bed.   These old rags may just serve us well for a few more years.  We'll see.

♥♥♥

P.S.  The Keyboard shortcut for the ü is alt+129.  Nerdy, I know.   Another nerdy fact....if we would all spread some alt+3  the world would be a better place. ;)

♥♥♥

P.P.S.  Fluffy had a bath today.  As tame as he is, he still doesn't like water.  But his Gary was here torturing...I mean playing with his best pal.

Car Trouble, Ma'am?

Fel gets in car.

Fel turns on car.

Fel puts car in reverse.

Fel presses a button.

Car doesn't move.

Fel is confused.

Fel looks down and sees she's pressing a button.

Fel looks back and presses the button.

Car still doesn't move.

Hmmmmm.

Fel thinks.

.........*cricket sounds* .......

Fel looks down again only she turns a little more to the left.....

Fel was pressing the stop button the whole time!

Fel moves foot over to the go button.

Car moves.

Whew!

The Banquet Cake

My littlest sister-in-law turned fifteen early July and asked me to decorate her cake.  I've decorated cakes before...with droopy icing.   I've seen my mom decorate cakes 'professionally' but I've never decorated a cake for an event before.  For sure not a formal banquet/party.  Yikes!  But when a fifteen-year-old cutie has faith in you, what are you to do?

The answer is simple.  When you are ever in the slightest of pickles, deep inside the bellows of holy-smokes-I-don't-know-how-to-do-this; there are three things that can save you: Jesus, Google and Youtube!

Now, I do have some experience watching cakes being decorated.  My mom does amazing artwork with cakes.  That's how I knew that I wanted to use fondant. The problem was that I had no clue how to make it, how to use it or what all I can do with it....but that's some of the fun.

So, I Googled the recipe, and Youtubed the hows and Voila!  We have decorated cake.

No, it wasn't that easy.  I still had to mix the icing sugar with melted marshmallows the night before but that didn't take as long as I thought it would.  But when I was kneading the fondant, I noticed that it kinda smelled a lot like Plasticine.  That doesn't say much for what marshmallows are made of.

The cake didn't quite turn out like the masterpiece I had imagined but I'd say it was a success.  As hard as I tried, I couldn't get the fondant to turn red and had to settle with a hot pink. All in all, when the day was done, the Quinceañera was happy and the guests had cake.

Sketch to an Island and Visit Your Arl

I'm the kind of person who probably wouldn't make any money if I had my own business.   I'm very much like my dad in that way.  We would rather come out short handed on our side than have the other person end up with any sort of loss.  Trade is usually what we opt for in situations where the other person would compensate us for something.   Some people see that as not wise, but some of the trades I've done in my former life have left me with very memorable experiences. :)

This post is about one of those experiences.

When my best friend finished school, she got the most awesome job managing the park at Half Moon Caye.  She'd be on a secluded island for fifteen days at a time chilling with the Sea Turtles, Iguanas, Boobies (the bird, you sicko) and random people who came to pay their fees for snorkeling at the Great Blue Hole.  Oh boy, did I envy her! 

As it turned out, her boss needed a sign made that would inform people to NOT feed the sharks.  Apparently, people don't obey rules unless they're in the form of a sign.  As the Belizean system of "I know somebody weh know somebody weh could draw" would have things, my friend was my ticket to the job. So I had fun with it!

I made a sketch and sent it in.  They loved it!  The compensation? Well, how was I supposed to make a price for something that took 20 minutes?  I had no idea.....so I said: "I want a trip to Halfmoon Caye".   And just like that, my wish was granted.  Two weeks later, I was on a boat to Half Moon Caye to see my bestest friend at her office by the sea!

We  laughed and talked while I watched her work.  I swam in the Great Blue Hole and returned to explore the Island with my favorite Arl.  We frolicked through the forest reserve among the Iguanas and birds.  I saw where she slept and learned where to find the water tank from where they hauled water to use around the house.

Leaving was hard but I had to go.   I had to give up my friend for a few more days before she can come back to the mainland with us land-folk.

I cherish the memories of that trip dearly.  Really, it's almost not fair that a quick sketch bought me a priceless experience with a very special person.  Money could never buy that.  Ok, so maybe it could....but on a student budget, let's just say it wouldn't be very easy to do.

As for Arl, she's still my bestie.  She's a scientist, wife and mother of a literally-very-bouncy little girl.  I've learned a lot from her about relationships, growing beans in jars and pre/post nuptual molting in birds; among other things.  She's a fireball of wonderful that I'm so grateful to call my friend.  I love you, Arl!

So, you might be wondering where can you find your own, Arl.  I don't know....but this one is mine! Get your own scientist best friend!

Pretty Fingers and Toes!

 My nails are currently not lacquered, but the lovely Kenia and my favourite Nurse Anna have prettier fingers  (June 6th) and toes (June 27th) than I do.  The shoemaker probably has no shoes..... the programmer has the lamest computer..... and the nail artist goes around with nails unpainted.  Worry not! I make up for it by not always cleaning up around the edges of their nails.

Lady with no Baby but a Husband, a Dog and a Kitten

Anna was driving me to the hospital with baby Christopher Angel in my arms looking up at me with the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Big. Brown. I melt. He smelled so beautiful, he was perfect...he giggled and said "Mamah". Apparently I needed urgent medical attention.  Anna was driving like a maniac....cutting through parks and driving up steps - yes, steps!  But I was ok.  The world was chaos around me, overtaking cars and fast traffic in a big city.  Rush, rush, rush, Emergency! But I had the most beautiful baby in my arms smiling up at me and he was mine.... all mine......until I woke up.

 It was all a dream.  There is no Christopher Angel.  There was no emergency.  Anna wasn't driving like a maniac.  Here I am. Just me.  A lady with no baby lying next to my husband at 6:00 in the morning.  "There is no baby." I thought to myself.  "No baby.  Husband, dog, but no baby". 

My oh my! This lady has a baby on the brain. For the time being, a kitten must suffice. That being said, the sweet melody of one of my favourite comedy characters come to mind:

Soft kitty.
Warm kitty.
Little ball of fur.
Happy kitty.
Sleepy kitty.
Purr, purr, purr.

Fritz the Dog

Fritz was a puppy but now he's a dog.
Bouncy and happy and chews on large logs.
He chews on steel rods and on leaves and on pens.
He's scared of the Rooster and the barbed wire fence.

Fritz is a dog who thinks he's a boy.
A boy with four legs and the strangest of toys.
He naps on his back with his legs air
And sits in the grass with a Regal-like flare.

In the morning he waits for his Martin to rise.
If his Martin is late, he howls and he cries.
He swims in the river and plays with much mirth.
He swims with his Martin, his dearest on Earth.

His least favorite thing, he must do most everyday:
Watch his Martin leave for work when he wants to play.
But Martin comes back and even just for a while
He throws Fritz a stick and he runs with a smile.

Fritz loves to chase squirrels to the top of the trees.
Running and jumping all day in the breeze.
He loves to chase cows even though he should not.
But his Martin says "Nay" and then he just stops.

And at night when it's dark and his Martin's asleep,
He sleeps on the porch and he dreams up a heap.
He dreams of his Martin, the river and sticks
The mechanics of doing a front aerial flip.

Fritz was a puppy but now he's a dog.
He doesn't quite know it but he's the best dog of all.

I wanna write story books when I grow up!

It all started out of pure fun.   I was sitting in my little sister-in-law's room teasing her about being an oop (monkey)......so I folded some paper together, borrowed her pencil crayons and drew up a quick book with all the Low German words I knew.  The rest is history.  So now, in an effort to keep my sanity, I've decided to embark on a brand new hobby: writing, illustrating, arranging and constructing my own hard cover story books.

With the stories and concepts I've made so far out of fun, I've started my first real book-in-progress as a gift for my two-year-old niece.  How many kids can say "I have a story book about me"?

Here's a list of concepts I have lined up and the progress I've made on them.  I've separated them into series.

Teach Your Child Plattdeutch Series
A series of books with simple sentences that use Low German words to get your child started on learning a new language.

       1.  Kenia the Oop

• Kenia is a monkey who eats bananas, sleeps and grows.  The sentences are simple and contain one Low German word with an illustration for the word.
• Inspired by my little sister Kenia....the real Oop. 
• Complete but needs to be edited (German phonetics) and digitized.
• Images need enhancement.

      2.  Wasani and the Hose

• Wasani is a little boy who goes on an adventure on his Grandpa's farm and befriends a rabbit (hose).
• Inspired by my nephew Mandel (mostly known as Wasani)
• Cover concept completed.
• Needs to be digitized.
• Storyline needs completion

The Best Dog of All: Fritz Series
A series of books inspired by my dog, Fritz.

        1.  A Puppy Named Fritzy

• Fritzy is my puppy and best friend during the first 9 months of being married.  I stayed at home without kids so Fritz was my baby during that time.  It's a story of appreciation for a loyal friend.
• Story complete.
• Illustrations left.

       2.  Fritz the Dog

• Fitz is much older and spends a lot of time with his Martin.  This was written after waking up to our dear friend having a seizure on the porch.  It was a scary night for our little family....we thought we would lose him.
• Story complete
• Illustrations left.

Other Children's Books

1. The Mootz that Scootz

• Mootz is a baby girl with big blue eyes and very little hair.  She turned one with no teeth and hadn't learned how to walk - but she scooted everywhere.....fast!
• Inspired by my niece Ariella - the real Mootz.
• Story & Illustrations complete.
• Digitized.
• Printing and Hardcover binding left for completion.

Upcoming concepts are stories/series that may include:

• The Adventures of Nurse Anna.
• Sweet Princess Gyal 

As I progress with each project I'll be posting updates on them.   I'd like to think of it as a way to keep myself motivated to finish them all.   I just hope I can keep this up and write stories about my own kids when they come around....... until then, I've got all of the above to keep me busy.

Minty Eyeballs

Yeah. You read it.  I said it. Minty Eyeballs. Are you curious yet?

If you've ever had that feeling of ugh....I want to know what minty eyeballs feel like; then you've come to the right place to find out how. I must admit that I stumbled upon this completely at random and felt like the world needed to know. So, here goes.

There are a couple things you'll need to create this exhilaratingly weird experience.

1. Menthol Shampoo (We use Pert)
2. Shower (preferably with hot water so you could have some steam - we'll talk about why later)

First, you do the usual showering stuff.  While you're in the shower, depending on how much head hair you have, apply the shampoo to your hair.  Following shampoo instructions, lather thoroughly. Now, here's the trick: while rinsing, make sure that the soapy shampoo water accidentally  runs down your face. While it's doing that, open one eye just a little bit - accidentally, ofcourse - and let a little stream of water run just pass the open eye. Don't do both eyes because you might experience some involuntary blindness with two minty eyeballs - NOT GOOD!

Anyway, now that you've exposed the eyeball to the menthol solution, close your eyes and rinse your face.  Now, try opening your eye.  Ahh! Minty Eyeball!

If you happen to have been using hot water, the steam in the bathroom will intensify the minty feeling of your eyeball.  The mintyness of your eyeball will last about five minutes depending on how much exposure you gave your eyeball to the Minty solution.

Hopefully, this has helped you figure out how to get your very own Minty Eyeball experience!

Sincerely,

Your Accidentally Minty-Eyeballed Friend, Fel.  *wink*

One Lasagna, No Lasagna, Two Lasagna, One!

After a week of craving and no time to prepare it myself, I finally had all the elements in line to make Lasagna.  I had ingredients and time, two things I don't often have simultaneously.   So there I was on Saturday afternoon .... layer by layer, carefully laying noodles, sauce, beef and cheese one on top of the other and topped it all off with even more cheese.  Oh! It looked so good!  Time to preheat the oven......EH!  Ran out of time.  The time has now come to go over to Mommy Friesen's house..  But..but...I'm almost done.  I just have to bake it yet.....But.... No buts.  So I left my beautiful Lasagna on the table and walked away.  

Later, after bragging about my masterpiece awaiting to be completed and inviting people over to share in the Italian goodness, I left for home.  Got there.  Walked up the steps.  Looked at the table and there was not much left of my Lasagna. It was gone.  All of it...GONE!  All except for one noodle and some meat and sauce.  Cheese and sauce on the floor.  Mud everywhere.  A muddy partial paw print on my table next to my Lasagna pan.  FRITZ!   I was furious, but all I could do was laugh.  There lied my empty Lasagna pan on the table next to my new set of Correlle dishes, a pitcher of water just on the edge - everything, right where I left it except for the one piece of a muddy paw print.  It almost looked like he pulled the seat out, sat at the table, had his Lasagna, pushed the chair back and left.  The pan itself hadn't seemed to be moved.

And there was Fritz,  guilt written all over his face, inching himself into the house.  Face down. Tail under. Pointy ears not-so-pointy.  Very humbled.  But a mad "Daddy" says Fritz! Route! And out he goes.

After observing, laughing and cleaning up, we decide to take pity on the poor guy and give him the rest he forgot to eat.  Fritz!!  Fritz!! Here boy! Come Hia! Not a sound.  Friiiiiiiitttttzzzzz! Nobody.  Not a peep. Someone had a serious guilt trip but it didn't last long. Oh, no!

This morning, I washed the floor and placed the leftover, doggie slobbered Lasagna in a disposable plate on the counter, then I cooked up stuff to make another Lasagna.  No cheese.  Darn.  Went to Mom's... no cheese there either.  Double darn. No Lasagna....again!?  I go back home and there he was.  Sitting in the middle of the house... my clean floor was muddy all over again....the kitchen? A disaster!  Plastic plate with left over Lasagna? On the floor. Empty.  Along with all my soup packages from the bottom shelf.  FRITZ! OUT!  It's safe to say: Fritz loves Italian.

It's a good thing I hadn't had that Lasagna ready yet otherwise, I may not have had any.  Husband came home with  Vanilla Seaweed and found frozen cheese at Mom's.  I put it all together - not the Seaweed -  and we had lunch at 2:00 in the afternoon. It took all week, but I finally had the Lasagna I was craving and I got to share it with the most amazing man in the world!  No sign of Fritz in the afternoon though... but I'm pretty sure he'll think we've forgotten by tomorrow and he'll be going on like nothing ever happened.