Goosefraba News

I just wanted to announce the start of Jenn and my new blog called Goosefraba! This will be a blog where anyone can submit their positive, silly, and inspirational stories. Jenn and I will be choosing our favorite story and this is what you can all scrapbook. Both Jenn and I fell in love with Scrappin To The Music. If you are unfamiliar with it you must check it out. Every week they post a new song. To enter the contest you must choose a verse or lyric from the song and make a one page layout with that lyric as your title. You can check out my current submission to the left of my blog. I decided since I love to write and Goosefraba is a great saying in the movie Anger Management in which is used for controling your anger. Next time you are venting or stressing, say "Goosefraba" and breath.... On Goosfraba, you can submit your stories under our comments section. Once Jenn and I pick a story we like, you can take a line or get an inspiration from the story to create a one page layout. The layout will be entered into our contest. If you win, your layout will be featured on Goosefraba until the next contest is over.

We are still working on the details and will hopefully talk further about this tonight. We would like to have this up and running very soon! Anyone can join us, even people out of state and out of the country! We can use these scrapbooking layouts to get ideas for our own layouts! Remember that there is no law against scraplifting! LOL!

What I am thankful for today:
Goosefraba
Blogs
Contests
Inspirational stories
Creativity
Ideas
Laughter

We are all butterflies, free to fly

Call me crazy, insane, whatever you like. What I am about to type may shock you. Call it an urge from a higher power, an ache that I could not explain whatever the case may be, I had to do something about it. Right after the article about my store was put into The Morning Call back in December, I received a letter in the mail. At first I was disturbed by it a little, I will admit. However, I did not get the negative feeling that most people did when I read it to them. The outside of the envelope read Pa Department of Corrections. Yes, it came from a man who is serving 5 years in prison for theft, public drunkenness, and DUI's. In his letter he seemed to be an all around funny guy. He has a great sense of humor, an upbeat personality and very down to earth. His, what he called "complete crap shot" of writing to me and wanting a response was something he felt compelled to do when he saw the opening of what he called "unique and rare" business. This man has a passion for photography and needed to tell me that he loved my idea of my business and wanted to wish me great success. He also asked me to be his pen pal. He has ZERO intentions of ever meeting me in person and says that he is just incredibly bored and in need of a females opinion on some personal matters he has with his 16 year old daughter.

I am thinking, "God, you have got to let me know what I am to do with this letter." I put it in the drawer of my desk, waiting for an answer. We all know that when we pray, ask for an answer, miracle or whatever, it doesn't come right away. I was in no rush to throw this letter away or answer. It sat there from December until last week. Finally I opened it again and this time I read it to my mom. This time I really read in depth about this mans life. He wrote 8 pages of little here and there details of his upbringing, how he got to jail, etc. I firmly believe that we all make mistakes and sometimes we choose to have people in our lives that are negative influences...just as he had. In parts of his letter I was in shock over how him and I are very much alike. Of course we took different paths which ended us in two completely different places.

When I got to a part of the letter on how his grandmother was more like a mother to him, I lost it. I could not contain myself. He is writing something that I have always felt. When I could speak again, I finished the letter. It then hit me like a brick.....I knew exactly what to do for this lost soul. There is a reason why this man chose me and neither of us may ever know the answer to that.

I recently purchased these awesome butterfly chipboard albums. I love butterflies. On my left shoulder I have a butterfly tattoo. I like that butterflies change so much throughout their lives and become this beautiful creature. I always compare them to our own lives. Since I have just read The Secret, I decided that I needed to pass it along to this man. How do I do this without sending the book, and how do I incorporate this butterfly?

If you have checked out www.thesecret.tv/ there is a memory game that you can play. The game keeps track of how many tries it takes you to accomplish the game. When you have your number of tries at the end, you are to scroll down to that number. Listed are a bunch of quotes fro The Secret. It is stated that the quote you read WILL pertain to something in your life. I have played this game a number of times and found it to be very true. I decided to take quotes from The Secret and incorporate them into this chipboard album. Because there are so many quotes and only 5 pages in this album, I used the memory game to help me choose which quotes I was going to use. Each time I played the memory game, the quote it came up with was perfect.

With each quote I put a picture. One picture was a sunset, one was the beach, one was of a shadow of a man with his his arms in the air facing the sun. I am hoping that this man will read each quote and start using them. I feel that this is what I was supposed to for him. I mailed it out yesterday and feel a sense of satisfaction. I feel I did something wonderful...even though there are many who disagree. Obviously there was no information about myself or anything personal in this album. It was only an inspiration for him. I know with his love for photos and creativity, he will enjoy his gift. I am not sure what will come of it all I know is that it is something I had to do.

What I am thankful for today:

Makenna

Gavin

Butterflies

The fact that we are in control of our lives and we all can change

the sun

Deigo

my kitties

The Meaning of a True Friend

Throughout my life I have seen people come and go. People that have said they were my friends some were just acquaintances. Now as an adult I appreciate all that I have learned from each person and was able to let go of the people who were not really a true friend to me. I have no regrets separating myself from some of those who I may have called a friend because they were actually very unhealthy relationships for me. Most of those who know me know that I am definitely a giver. I could care less what people give to me in return. This is not always a healthy way to be since it causes a lot of situations where I was taken for granted, and ended up giving a lot to some very selfish people. Of course I was hurt, and I would blame myself. However, I now know that true friends see you for all that you are, and will give to you just as much if not more than you give to them. I can also read people very well and know just by a first encounter with someone whether or not this is someone I want to pursue a friendship with or just keep them as an acquaintance.

The friends I have now are so much like me. They attend all of my kids and my personal functions and parties, they call just to say hi and see how I am, and they are there for me know matter what their own personal situations may be. I love the positive people that are now in my life accepting me for who I am and giving so much to me in return...without me asking for anything. They all want to help me out with everything without being asked, they listen to me when I just need to get something off of my chest, they pass out the tissues when I need a good cry or even join me. True friends, feel your pain, your joy, your excitement, your fears. True friends are there for you always to share all of your life's ups and downs.

Going through depression throughout my life, I pushed many people away. It was the true friends that didn't leave me no matter how hard I tried to be alone. Sometimes due to life events and situations, my friendships would be put on hold. However, once the situation was over we were right back to where we were. I consider myself very lucky to have as many true friends as I do. I know that if my life were to fall apart, I have my friends by my side the entire way. I will never be alone. Today I am grateful for all of the friends I have and the friendships that I am forming. I love each and every one of you. Thank you for your loyalty, friendship and love.

Jamie W.
Rachel K.
Diane B.
Heather P.
Melinda W.
Marty W.
Jenny D.
Judy A.
Rita P.
Buffy A.
Sally C.
Missy G.
Kathy Y.
Amy W.
Beth H.
Denise D.
Kate Q.
Jen S.
Cheryl K.
Maryann M.
Sherry K.
Valerie L.
Amy C.
Mary Ann H.
Jayne S.
Liz S.
My Mom
Linda my mother-in-law
Jenn my sister-in-law
and all the others I am forming relationships with at this time.

100 more

Before I start I need to say GOOSEFRABA out of frustration. Ok, now that I got that out....I am going to once again do the 100 things I am thankful for today. And, I am going to try to make it different than yesterday..we will see. Here we go...

100. the movie Anger Management
99. nature
98. the spring flowers in my gardens
97. Healthy Choice Steamers
96. Makenna's silliness
95. hot bubble baths
94. time with Jamie
93. Gavin's sincerity
92. my dog Diego
91. Kohl's
90. Old Navy
89. my favorite cat Chloe
88. time alone at work
87. my health
86. time I get to sleep in
85. sandals
84. friends who listen to me vent
83. The Secret
82. Yvonne my Premier Jewelry Consultant
81. Jim Carrey
80. Jim Carrey movies
79. Daughtry
78. Nickelback
76. Pink
75. Kind and thoughtful people
74. fresh air
73. Subway
72. animals
71. friendships
70. breath taking moments
69. the gift of forgiveness
67. closure
66. healing
65. pictures
64. smiles
63. money
62. moments at the farm
61. Don Diego the alpaca
60. that I am in Jenny's wedding
59. all my Stampin Up! girls
58. chipboard
57. my divorce
56. cardstock
55. clouds
54. my massage therapists
53. PartyLite's Spa CD
52. FRIENDS dvd's
51. board games
50. my dentist (poor man had to take care of me a lot in the past)
49. my go cart as a child
48. my motorcycle as a child
47. sledding
46. lip gloss
45. my childhood dogs (Whisky and Terri)
44. my neighbors
43. my class tonight
42. the number 8
41. Eric Carl books
40. ceiling fans
39. the smell of laundry out of the dryer
38. brownies
37. gift of gab
36. positive influences
35. Makenna being 100% potty trained
34. Gavin getting a 96% on his last math test
33. Gavin getting a 108% on his spelling test
32. Carvel ice cream cakes
31. Rudy's cakes
30. that my dog is trained to walk
29. I am alive!
28. the movie Mary Poppins
27. Playhouse Disney
26. my Cricut machines
25. my parents
24. Jeremy's mom
23. Bob (Linda's boyfriend)
22. Pappy
21. She-She
20. Judy my Avon lady
19. Avon
18. Stampin Up!
17. my new spring jacket
16. lounge pants
15. oversized sweatshirts
14. the color perriwinkle
13. Wii
12. being able to run
10. teachers
9. paint
8. markers
7. candy
6. email
5. stamps
4. gratitude
3. patience
2. peace
1. love