Many of you have asked where in the world I've been.

All I know is that after 7 plus years of blogging and a different lappy, which I don’t like, I seem to have lost my blogging fervor.

Someday, when you least expect it, I will post again.

For those of you still waiting I say thank you.

Meanwhile, I am rather prolific on twitter. Find me: @KeethaB
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The Eclectic Company - Waitin' on a New Adventure!!
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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Introducing Keethasaurus - - -

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Otherwise known as
Keethrannosaurus Rex
Or K-Rex


She was fierce,
She was mean,
And she roamed the Earth
In the land before time
Breathing fire like a dragon.

Aren't we glad she "evolved"
Into something gentler
And kinder????

(This photo brought to you
courtesy of my
Ninth Grade boys
Who do believe I am
Really THAT old.)

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Photo Album Tour - - -

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I already had this post up and running when I found the "Friday's Favorite Photo" party hosted by Deborah at Pictures, Pots, and Pens. I think I'll link up!!!



Come take a little stroll with me down photo album lane - - -


Mackinley "steppin' up"


Serious fan


Hubby cuts a rug with our baby girl, Korie


Keri and her brothers


Auntie Korie with Kaeleigh and Mackinley


How cute is this?


This IS normal Kelly behavior
(Notice that Andrew and Kyle are
Somewhat resigned to it
After YEARS of exposure)


"Lady" Bug for all the ladybugs


Kelly and Matt
Doing what Kelly and Matt do

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

When You See This Icon - - -

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You will know I'm getting ready to talk football. So, if you are like my eldest, Keri, and you HATE football, that will be your CLUE to SKIP reading.



Having said that, let's get into the FOOTBALL part of this post.

I watched the end of the NFL draft on Sunday. (I WOULD have watched more than the end - - - but had conflicts.) I was SHOCKED at some of the really really really GOOD NCAA players who did NOT get drafted. Here's what I mean:

Graham Harrell - QB of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. WHAT????? He is highly skilled, led his team to the upper ranks of the BCS poll in the later part of the season, and was the "fourth" man in line for the Heisman. Other QB's with far lesser resumes WERE drafted - - - Curtis Painter (Purdue QB) went to the Colts for example. CP is OK, but he didn't even get his team CLOSE to the top ten in the BCS poll.

Chase Daniel - Mizzou QB and ditto everything I said above about Graham, except he was in the running for the Heisman a year ago. True, Chase is a bit short for an NFL QB, but STILL - - - he's very good.

Brian Hoyer - QB of the Michigan State Spartans. WHAT!?! The Spartans BEAT Purdue but the Purdue QB gets drafted and Brian doesn't??????? HELLO!!!

Graham Gano - FSU Seminole kicker. He was all the "rage" during the season, yet other kickers, whom no one ever heard of (except their mama and their fans) were drafted and he was not.

I simply shake my head in wonder.
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Thermostat Thoughts

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Looks OK, or does it???


Can you see the problem? Do you see how DEAD it looks?

Yah - - - well - - - - Here's why:


Funny thing, the heat/central air doesn't work too well under these conditions.

I believe it's called "burn out."

Something inside me must look kinda like this.

I think I must have "burn out."

This isn't just the normal "end-of-the-school-year" variety. I'm not really feeling that one much. I've enjoyed my students a lot this year, and I guarded the time I put into the "extra stuff" so I have more energy for teaching than I usually do at this time of the year.

No - - - this is "burn out" of the "our-school-is-hurting" variety. We are all hurting. Students. Parents. Teachers. Administration. All of us. I'm not sure where to go from here. Not sure where to turn.

Something must change. I hate change, but something must change or my soul is going to look WORSE than a black, burned out thermostat. Unlike a thermostat, the me inside of me isn't that easily replaced.

I'm contemplating what change to make - - -

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Ask and Ye Shall Receive - - -

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Several of you have commented about my football flip flops. I believe I even heard a little bit of envy going on!!!

Well, I got them in a little shop at Tin City in Naples, Florida. Probably MOST of you don't want to go that far just to get a pair. Good thing, 'cause the shop is going out of business, and when I was there a couple of weeks ago they didn't have any more football flips.

HOWEVER, if you look here, I believe you will be able to order a pair for yourself!!! Oh, and if you don't enjoy football flip flops, don't let THAT deter you - - - they have a plethora of fun styles that have absolutely NOTHING to do with football.

Have fun!!!

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Kaeleigh's Party

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We hadn't gotten to see our granddaughter, Kaeleigh, for weeks and weeks due to "technical difficulties." Then, just in time for her fifth birthday, those technicalities cleared up at least long enough for us to have a party.

Isn't she the cutest thing in her little pink outfit? Wonder if I could find one in MY size???

Miss Piper Renae was sporting a new pink sundress. She and big sissy were more than happy to pose together - - - just like models - - - for my camera.


Piper needs just the tiniest bit of support to stand by herself - - - it won't be long and she'll be running all over the place.


Happy to be sitting in daddy's lap.


Kaeleigh loves to show me her "treasures" in her room. I wish I had a tent just like this!!!

Kaeleigh and Mackinley had a hard time WAITING for cake time. Mackinley kept sneaking into the kitchen to climb up on a stool just to "look" at the cake.


Finally it was present time. First present - - - a jump rope!!!


A new PINK outfit - - - Kaeleigh is all about pink!!!

But when the party's over,
Someone has to "pay the piper" - - -


In this case, it was Piper who had to pay - - - - - WITH MY CHECK BOOK!!!!

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Two Totally Unrelated Thoughts

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This is how our Youth Pastor preached today:

Oh yes he did.


He mangled his knee in every way imaginable earlier this spring, and is only about two weeks post-surgery.

Several of the teen boys carried in the recliner, side tray, and Mountain Dew just before the sermon - - - making quite a production of it. Might as well make the most of it - - -



And now this totally unrelated item:



In honor of the NFL draft, my feet "sported" these "kicks" all weekend long!

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Sunday Reruns

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Chari over at "Happy to Design" is hosting Sunday Favorites where we can link to each other's favorite post reruns. I am LOVING this idea. I spent more time trying to decide which post to rerun than I would have spent making a new post!!!! Oh but such fun.

This, my first rerun, originally ran on June 2, 2007 in my former blog, "Greg 'n Keetha Stuff"



Macky's Day Out


Today Macky decided to travel out into the world to see what he could find.

He got his little car, put on his best smile, and headed out to Papoo and Kamma's house to see Uncle Kyle and help him celebrate his graduation.


At Kamma's house he found MORE than just a party!!! There was a cute young chick named Maddie. He paused long enough to CHECK HER OUT!!!!


Pretty soon Uncle Kelly arrived and he was MORE than happy to stuff Macky with yummy bites of graduation cake. Macky was especially fond of the bright red icing which he not only ate but also wore.


Uncle Kelly, being very inexperienced at feeding toddlers, was kinda messy and dropped cake crumbs all over the floor!!! Macky cleaned them up by rubbing them into the tiles with his little hands.


Next Macky went out onto the deck where he played peek-a-boo through the bars with his mommy. It was great fun while it lasted, but soon he began to feel a little restricted by those bars, so he decided he'd head - - -


out into the great wide world where he felt completely free!!! The green grass tickled his little toes.

There was greater excitement in store for little Macky in the FRONT yard.



Andrew brought a motorcycle - - - a GREAT BIG MOTORCYCLE!!! Little Macky could hardly believe his luck!!!


With a little help he explored every inch of that bad boy!!!


He liked the feeling of the wind in his hair and began to consider trading in his little car for a bike of his own.

All good things must come to an end. Macky knew he was tired and it was time to go home.

When he got home - - -


He sat on the couch, had a lovely little snack, and told his daddy all about his adventure in the great outdoors!!!

It was an AWESOME day out!!!!

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Can You See It???

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A while back KBeau posted this picture of her sons from "back in the day" in front of their home.


Immediately I thought her son on the right looked a lot like our son Kelly looked "back in the day."

What do you think:

This is what Kelly looked like in about that same age bracket. (Sorry about the picture quality - - - it was blurry to begin with and making it digital didn't help matters in the least.)

What do you think? Could they be long lost brothers - - - or cousins at the very least???

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Thursday, April 23, 2009

COMING SOON - - -

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TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU - - -

The "Keethasaurus"

Are you ready?

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Missing Shannon

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This post is for Shannon.
All the rest of you may peek in - - -
But it is for my friend, Shannon.


Shannon and I taught together
For the better part of one school year.
Then she went away to become a new mommy.
She would return sometimes to bring me lunch
(Great friend that Shannon!!!)
And we had a couple of "girls nights."

Then she moved away.
Far away.
And she is getting ready (maybe)
To move even farther.

I MISS YOU SHANNON!!!

Today is your birthday.
I just want to do my little bit
To make it more special.
So, since blogging is my spiritual gift,
I'm making this post just for you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR FRIEND.

For your birthday I wish for you
Courage and strength
On this part of the journey.

You are loved!!

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Please BEAR With Me - - -

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It's Thrifty Thursday once again. Leigh isn't home, but she promised we'd still celebrate the day, thanks to Chandy.

Again my "thrifty" post will be a mix of thrift and "not so much." BUT - - - it will have a theme. I'm all about a theme, because a theme indicates a pattern, and we of OCD tendencies love patterns. Love them.

I'm sure if I've mentioned it once, I've mentioned it a gazillion times - I am from Wisconsin. My origins are the northwoods. Those are woods in the north for those of you who may be wondering.

Since I haven't lived in my beloved state since I was 18 (and that was back when the dinosaurs were roaming in the northwoods) I have tried to bring little "touches" of northern Wisconsin into my midwest habitat.

First this:

Which, though I DID pay full price for it, was to me a thrifty buy because it brought the feel of Wisconsin into my home without me having to move. Moving would have cost A LOT more - - - so thrifty it was.

Now, I REALIZE this border is supposed to depict vineyard country, probably in northern California or Europe or somewhere. But that didn't matter IN THE LEAST to me because it has the FEEL of Wisconsin farmland. I can almost hear the cows moooooooo-ing and smell their manure. Ooooops, that's not their manure, that's the dirty dishes in the sink!!! But I digress - - -

And I ALSO REALIZE that wallpapers and borders aren't in vogue anymore. Know what I say to that???? Vogue Schmogue. I LIKE my border on the soffit, so there.

And, to further enhance the Wisconsin feel, I brought these cute little guys home with me and placed them lovingly on the kitchenette table:


Now they WERE a thrifty deal, and from a DIMESTORE in Hayward, Wisconsin. Yes, I DID say DIMESTORE. Did you forget what about those???? Well, they still have the same DIMESTORE (I think it's a Ben Franklin) in Hayward where I shopped as a child. Besides the regular five and dime items, they have little tourist knick knacks. Bingo - - - I'm now a tourist, so I LOVE the knick knacks.

And in my downstairs bathroom I have this border. (Repeat disclaimer about borders from above.) And oh mes amies - - - I was a baby in a home that only had an out house, so how could I resist these:


True, I was too young to actually have to brave the -40 degree winter weather (Yes I did say NEGATIVE 40 degrees) to USE it, but my mama and papa did!!" I was still using my widdie biddie diaper at the time.


To continue the theme - - - and in the same room where one must "bare" it - - -
I have this little mama bear reading to her cubs. I love this because I was that mama bear and I read to four cubs over a span of about sixteen years.


And this little guy is BEARing hand soap. Yep, you guessed it, all these bears came from the same Ben Franklin in little ole Hayward.

But not this one:


He too came from Hayward, but not from the Ben Franklin, and he was not thrifty at all, even though the shop owner DID knock $$$$ off his price. But:

From the moment I saw him,
I knew he was mine
Because how better to wipe
Your bare behind????

And that is my Grin and BARE It (or BEAR - - - you decide) Thrifty Thursday post.

Ta ta, y'all!!!

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Visions of Earth on Earth Day

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No Words Necessary

Enjoy - - -


















"And God saw everything that He had made,
And, behold, it was very good.
And the evening and the
Morning were the sixth day."

Genesis 1:31 KJV.
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