I abhor ticks!

Years ago when Daniel was about 4 he would say every Tuesday (that is our homeschool co-op day), "I HATE CO-OP!" Being the good mother that I am I told him that hate was not a nice word. Being a homeschool mamma, I taught him alternatives.

Then Tuesday's sounded like this, "I loathe co-op. I really abhor it." A few weeks into our dislike of the word HATE, his co-op preschool teacher told me that Daniel had explained to her (and every child in his class {there were about 20}) that there were better choices for the word hate. Then he went on to list a few that he liked. His list included loath, despise, abhor, dislike, detest, and recoil at.

This brings me to what I am abhorring, and that is ticks!!

I detest ticks. I loath ticks. I despise ticks. I recoil at the thought of a tick on me. Ticks make me mad; they make me cry. I really dislike them!

Today I found a tick on me. It was not just crawling up my leg (no, I was not wearing light colored pants tucked into my socks.) The tick was attached to my abdomen and was having an A negative meal. UGH!

At first I was shocked (oh, how could this happen) and then I was mad. The winning emotion was terror and after a few minutes of crying and screaming (I have to confess I am a wimp when it comes to bugs) Tim was able to remove the tick. I can still see the spot where it was embedded though.

So, what did I learn from today's experience? I am a constant source of amusement for my family and I will never ever make it as an outdoors man. This leads me to wonder; if I am not a country girl (country girls shrug off tick bites) nor am I a city girl (no stilettos and clubbing for me)what kind of girl am I?

I'll leave you to ponder that question - as you may wonder the same thing.

If you are a nervous type or afraid of bugs, scroll down no further. I have posted a photo of different types and sizes of ticks!



I have found that in everything there can be humor and that to educate myself is one way to remove the fear. So, I'll look at the tick drawings.

Art and other such things

If you have ever visited my house you know I like art. When the opportunity came up for me to take and oil pastel class I jumped on and and signed up. My teacher inspired me and challenged me to REALLY look at things. Just like piano, art can be hard. This week our class project was an abstract minimalistic piece. I really did not like what I did in class (photo below)

but my teacher, Ande, encouraged me to push through the awkward phase and make it something I did like. Now, I know I won't like everything I do, but I did not want to hate this piece so I worked on it for about an hour today. Here is the resulting piece:

I don't love it, but I don't hate it either!

One thing I do like is my leaf. The close up looks really cool!

After working on my abstract minimalist piece I went for a walk to explore my yard and was amazed by all the beauty that surrounds me every day.

Enjoy the day!
Tina

Exploring Color and Science with Tie Dye

I love to teach people to tie dye. I wish I could teach everyone I meet. But, alas, I cannot. So I figured the next best thing was to write a book to teach about the color and science behind tie dye.

I spend about 5 weeks researching and writing (I needed to make sure what I have been teaching for years was correct) before I got to the point where I needed a cover. That was the hard part (or so I thought.) Once I found the perfect image I had to design the cover.

The hard part for me was getting the text the way I envisioned it in my mind onto my cover. It actually took me about 12 hours and I never got it right. I was sooooo frustrated!

My daughter Melissa got home on Friday and today I asked her to help me. In less than one minute (YES 1 minute) she had it done. I knew she could do it and do it well. Now I know how to do it too!

YEAH Melissa and YEAH me!!!

So, tell your friends about my book. They can have fun and keep mentally active this summer.

Fun with Tie Dye

Last month I decided to write a book. Actually, I have been thinking about it for a while. It is more like a unit study than a book. This past weekend at the Georgia Home Education Association conference I sold 5 copies of my book - YEAH!

So, what is my book about? It is called Exploring Color and Science with Tie Dye: Fun with Tie Dye. In it I teach a basic color theory lesson, go over the types of fabric to use, and explain the science behind tie dye.

On another note, I dyed a linen suit for a member of the band Doc Holliday. It fit Tim, so he is modeling it for me. Doc Holliday is getting ready to do a tour in Europe - so I can now say I am a dyer to the stars and known internationally :)

My baby girl turned 15 today!

Today my baby girl turned 15. No longer a child yet not an adult. She is excited about getting her learner's permit and working towards getting her driver's license. I survived teaching her two sisters to drive so I feel confident I can do this!

Here she is with her best friend! Happy birthday sweet girl, I love you!!!!