PENSIEVE

Cancer, the next best thing to Satan

It is rare for me to use the word "hate" and mean it, but I HATE cancer and I mean it.

Cancer robbed me of knowing my mom beyond childhood; it deprived my children from knowing their "other" grandmother; it cruelly took my paternal grandmother away just months after taking Mama; and I'm so thankful to say, while my sister had cancer, it didn't have her*--she's a 10+ year survivor.

Because May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Karen at Simply Amusing Blog has been asked by a group of local oncologists to write about prevention; they're using a Q & A format, and she's asking readers for questions for the physicians to answer.  Summer's almost upon us, the sun will be blazing guns in no time, so her goal is to get readers to think about better choices before any damage is done.

If you have ANY question about melanoma or would like any area discussed, would you please follow the link to Karen and let her know?  You can always leave a comment here, too, and I'll compile any I receive and pass them along via email.   Thanks!

Kudos to Karen for initiating this conversation...it's "good" bloggin', y'all :). 

BTW, I bet she wouldn't mind a bit if you wanted to pick up the graphic above and ask YOUR readers to submit questions (if you do, be sure to let me know and I'll come visit and make sure Karen knows!!).

(attributed to my Survivor-friend, Kathy, aka Swampwitch)

 

A Chair of Scroll-ies

A dear friend of mine and my sister-in-law were in town this week chaperoning their children's sixth-grade class trip.  Little did I know seeing them would be "cake", but the photo adventure to follow would be delicious "icing".

After hugs and good-byes, 72 very well-behaved students boarded their buses for a morning of spelunking, and I set off to see what I could find to photograph. 

Can anyone say "mother lode"? 

Their home base was the downtown Holiday Inn, better known as home for the "Chattanooga Choo Choo".  Today I'll share a few views from their rear gardens and courtyard, an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord  for the eyes. 

If you've had opportunity to visit Anna Carson Photography, you'll understand why I'm dedicating this Project Green post to her; bonus points to anyone who can tell me the inspiration for the post title!

The wrought iron table and chairs provide a beautiful resting spot
for visitors to enjoy the views surrounding them.  Their ornate scroll work
immediately caught my eye--they weren't just tables and chairs,
they were beautiful pieces of art!

 

Delicate laced shadows added another dimension of beauty.

Visit Anna Carson Photography for the 4-1-1 on Project Green.

Project Green:

#1 - Have a ball!
#2 - Boy toy
#3 - Green "green" tee
#4 - A road named after ME?!

 

Stick a fork in me...I'm done....:)

While it's been a rush having blog traffic hit all-time highs at PENSIEVE...and I'm thrilled to have crossed paths with so many new interpeeps (bloggers and blog readers) I'm tired and I'm ready for a nap. 

Before I draw the shades and turn down the covers (why does that make me think of Amelia Bedelia suddenly??), let's take care of some bidness:

[1]  THANKS to all my new subscribers!  You've warmed the cockles of my heart, even if I'm not sure what a heart cockle is.
[2]  Next week, I'll get back to WRITING and not just posting a thousand photos and giveaway posts.
[3]  To all my previous subscribers and subscribees--I miss you.   A lot.  I hope YOU don't have a fork stuck in you, done with me (huh?). 
[4]  You're all invited back next week for the debut of Pensieve's Photo 40 Challenge.  There will be prizes awarded and I'll write a post to explain the "whys and what nots" early next week (it's gonna be FUN, y'all!!!!!) 

TODAY'S FINAL GIVEAWAY is a $15 Target giftcard.  To be eligible for this drawing, I'm giving you a choice of what to do--

Any of the previous eligibility requirements from this week--

• Reading my 100 Things listing and telling me how we're alike or different
• Sharing your favorite words of inspiration
• Scrolling my main page and telling me your favorite photo

If you've done all that ALREADY, could you PLEASE give me some high school graduation gift ideas (boys and girls) and wedding gift ideas?  Or...please visit the sponsors on this page (you're on your honor on that one--I won't be tracking it and I completely trust you ;) ) OR enter my "friend" Paula's contest for an all-expenses paid trip to New York City (and let her know I sentcha).

And if you've done all that?  And already subscribed to PENSIEVE???  For goodness sakes, tell ME you're done with a fork stuck in you!!!

Be sure to check out the Bloggy Giveaways main page for last minutes additions!  And remember, ALL FIVE of my giveaways are open til midnight tonight, drawing to take place by Sunday at midnight.

Giveaway #1:  Starbucks giftcard
Giveaway #2:  Amethyst & marcasite silver ring
Giveaway #3:  Your choice of a book--THREE winners!!
Giveaway #4:  Quilted duffel and "organizational helps

 

What next? The keys to the city?!

Every time I pass this road, I smile and wonder who this "Robin" is.
Back in the day, the sign just might have "followed" me home...;)

As soon as Anna mentioned "green" as her next photo challenge, I knew this would be one of my captures.  I only wish someone would have slowed down long enough to take a picture of me taking this one!

Visit Anna Carson Photography for the 4-1-1 on Project Green.

Project Green:

#1 - Have a ball!
#2 - Boy toy
#3 - Green "green" tee

 

Books, not worms - Giveaway #3

Day three of giveaways is for the bibliophiles stopping by.  Simply leave me a GREAT Summer-read recommendation in comments.  New releases, favorite classics--what book MUST I read while lounging beach-side in a few weeks?   Three names will be drawn from the pile of books pictured below, so be sure to let me know which title you'd like in addition to your book recommendation.

On a related note, if you haven't yet completed the book meme, it's a fun post to consider (let me know if you do it).

{Click the pic to embiggen}

Comments are open for all PENSIEVE giveaways until Friday at mid-night.  Due to shipping costs, today's giveaway is restricted to mailing addresses within the U.S.  (Sorry internationals!) 

If you haven't already, please feel free to enter previous days' giveaways :).

Giveaway #1:  Starbucks giftcard
Giveaway #2:  Amethyst & marcasite silver ring

Have you entered Paula Deen's contest to win
an all-expenses paid trip to New York City yet?
Be sure to let them know Robin @ PENSIEVE sentcha over :).

Prizes galore!

It's time again for Bloggy Giveaways quarterly carnival and I'll have five days of drawings (April 21st~25th).  While most of you newbies are just hoping to get lucky, I hope you'll subscribe to PENSIEVE in a reader or via email QUICK!  NOW! before you forget! so you'll remember to visit long after the carnies have left the building.  Who knows?  It might stack the completely unbiased, random deck in your favor ;).

To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on my daily BG posts (leaving one here counts for Monday only).  Regular readers are encouraged to comment, too, cause y'all are just as eligible to win as others. 

Here's a list of the daily prizes:

Monday:  $10 Starbucks giftcard & Mary Engelbreit surcies

Tuesday:  Amethyst & Marcasite ring

Wednesday:  Books galore, 3 winners can choose from a diverse selection

Thursday:  Organization helpers & more Mary Engelbreit surcies

Friday:  $15 Target giftcard

More details will be posted each day, and if you leave a comment on this post, I'll send you an email reminder on subsequent days to make it easy on you. 

Questions?  Ask!

ALSO, in a contest already well underway, CLICK HERE if you'd like to win a trip to New York City to meet Paula Deen and take part in a Paula's Party taping!!

Lady luck times two

Remember the Ultimate Blog Party?

In addition to mingling with some pretty sharp bloggers, I managed to score, not once, but TWICE! 

First, from Crystal at Two Belles & a Bead, I won a pair of triple metal hoop earrings!  Crystal creates jewelry with pizazz, and no doubt you'd find many things you HAVE to have after just a few minutes at her site--gemstone jewelry, Swarovski jewelry, semi precious metals and chain maille (do yourself a favor, click to see for yourself!).

I tried to take a picture to show you, but I'm not so great at self portraits.

Isn't that creepy?  Talk about wild-eyed...!  Not one to give up easily, I gave it the ol' college try--

Anyone looking for a close-up of an ear?  Hmmm, I didn't even know I had a tiny mole on my earlobe.  I wonder what else I'd find if I photographed extraneous body parts.

Never mind, I don't really wanna know.

This one was okay aside from the chicken neck and shiny forehead and that mask-like smile that kinda froze after 274 pictures (you think I'm kidding, don't you?  Never mind about that, too.) and the pesky fact you can't really see the earrings.   

This is what I was going for and FINALLY got after I tried, tried, tried, tried again.

Doesn't it look like it was MADE for me?  The bronze-y colors match my bronze-y hair.  Crystal will be MORE than happy to make a pair that match your [whatever metallic shade your hair happens to be] "natural" coloring.  Even if "natural" comes from a bottle. 

The other surprise is on its way from Alyson at Three Ps in a Pod.  It's Loreal's Bare Naturale Mineral Foundation powder.  I'm thrilled to try this; while I like to sample different make-up, a) I don't like to pay to sample new make-up, because b) more often than not, I don't like the color I end up choosing, and c) there are entirely too many choices to begin with.  What's that thing in math called where you calculate the possible combinations given six choices for "a" and 12 choices for "b" and eight choices for "c"?  That's what the make-up aisles at Target look like to me--visual "white noise".  Find me on that aisle trying to make a decision and ya know those ears you saw above?  Smoke'll be curling out of them.

In other words, I'm thankful Alyson drew my name so I can try something new without frying my brain.  That kind of thing doesn't help when you're already suffering from Momnesiiiiiiiiiiiia.

Thank you Girlie-Qs...two surcies just for cranking the b-sphere made my day--times two!!

Schoolhouse Rock Meets Fun Monday (or "Life's Little Instructions for Parents")

The teacher in my friend, Swampy, reared its convoluted pretty head for this week's Fun Monday challenge...the operative word here being "challenge".  Read the details here, but in essence she asked participants to "choose a topic/theme and make an alphabetical list of words, phrases, photos...however you want to share your topic/theme."

Since parenting isn't for cowards, I thought it'd be fun to see if I could come up with 26 snippets of advice for new and not-so-new parents.  While this list is hardly conclusive, I know you have sage wisdom to add--be sure to chime in in comments!

A, B, C's of Parenting

Affirm your children's strengths.
Believe in their potential.
Create boundaries.
Discover dreams with them not for them.
Encourage them often.
Forgive freely.
Give them room to fail.
Hug at least once a day.
Ignore childish acts, discipline the foolish (make sure to learn the difference).
Jealously guard family time.
Kindness is something you should model for them.
Love openly, laugh often, listen** attentively (not just with your ears but also with your eyes).
Manners are a must!
Never compare siblings to each other.
Offer prayers for them & give them opportunity to pray with you.
Play games with them.
Quantity time IS quality time.
Remember you're raising them for someone else, not yourself.
Savor each season!
Teach, train and touch them, lovingly and often.
Understand they will disappoint you on occasion...they aren't perfect.
Verbalize your love and gratitude.
Welcome their friends in your home.
Xylophones are a gift that keeps on "giving"...if you choose to get one for your toddler you've been duly warned....
Yell only when necessary, but realize sometimes it IS necessary!
Zaniness goes a loooong way towards keeping your kids off balance (and your home fun); as your children get older, you will need to use all the creative means at your disposal to gain an advantage!

Visit Swampy for this week's complete Fun Monday participant listing; and be sure to check back HERE at Robin's PENSIEVE on Tuesday for next week's challenge...hopefully it'll be a good one 'cause by that time I'm gonna be another year older...and maybe even wiser ;).

** Thanks for reminding me to add that Kelly!

Photo credit:  allposters.com