Day 5 of the 30 day challenge

My siblings: 

Well, alrighty then. I am having major writer's block here. I seriously do not know where to start or who to start with. As I have said before there are 7 of us. Remember the baby making machine did not know when to stop. That means there are 6 siblings. Really? I can count. I am going to start with the oldest and head down hill from there. No pun intended.

1.  Mike. He is the oldest of the brute. He is absolutely the smartest too. So he thinks. We let him believe that to make himself feel better. Don't tell him I blogged this either. Mike, if you are reading this laugh. Mike is kind of a serious guy too. I think that makes him feel more distinguished. It's OK for him to feel that too, doesn't mean he is. Seriously, Mike is a perfectionist. He has followed in our father's footsteps in his talent for wood working. He absolutely loves to make his grand-rugrats nice things for Christmas.

2. Kathy. She is the artist of the brute. She has the most beautiful voice. She can strum a guitar like no other. She is kind of a touchy one. I like to make fun of her just to watch her get all roweled up. Kathy's favorite past time is watching HGTV. That is where her dreams are made of. DREAMS is the operative word here. One more thing about miss thing here, she has a mind like a steel trap. In other words, a quick and penetrating intelligence. Ha, how's that for a description? I even surprise myself sometimes!!!

3. Mary. That's me. She is the most loving, kind, considerate, humble, fun, funny, successful, caring, giving, affectionate...whoops this is about my siblings. Sorry about that.

4. Ann. The free spirit of us all. She goes through life like a hippy in the 60s. Peace, Love, Rock 'n Roll. She lives her life with her own set of rules. What the heck's up with that. She just missed the part that there are no other rules but Mary's rules. She will learn this one day.

 5. Amy. She probably confuses me the most out of all my siblings. She is the most non-confrontational of all the siblings. She is the quietest of all of us. But, she to this day, continues to get the crap knocked out of her. Literally. I think she exudes such a self assuredness that she just ticks people off. She is such a wimpy little thing. I really can't say this on here but, her boobs have finally caught up with her. Amy is the only sibling to complete college. She gets a big thumbs up for  that one. She is  numbers freak!!!! I don't understand that because she has trouble cooking and measuring things. That's why she married the one she married.... God loves the ditz in all us!!!

5. Susan. She is the smartest one of all. She moved more than 45 minutes away from us all. Actually she moved approximately 1,897 miles away from us all. She is the protector, the bad ass, the one with a big, fat, huge heart. God love her.

6. Matt. The business owner. The handy man. The man of concrete. He has played in so much concrete his head is full of it. I guess that means he is a hard head. I didn't say that. Yes I did. He is a hard head. Matt is the "BABY" of the family. Way to go Matt for bringing up the end!!!!

OK, I am sooo exhausted. This was a little sneak peak of my siblings. I love them all!!!!

Sleep well, sweet dreams. I'm headed off to slumber land!!

ML Brown

Day 4 of the 30 day challenge

My parents:

Where do I begin? I think I will start with my daddy. I am going to get the seriousness out there first. My father passed away 11/05/2001. So when I speak of him in the pass tense that is why. My father was a very religious man. We are a catholic family. Therefore, my parents did not believe in birth control. That's why there are 7 of us running around. With 7 children he had to keep some kind of control, so my daddy's solution was to develop "the look". Boy did he have "the look" down to a science, (I didn't like science very much therefore, I missed the look at times and met the thump). Who can take 7 children to church on Sunday morning and have each and every one of them sit perfectly still. My dad did. It was "the look". My dad could insight the biggest wrestling match of all time in about 1 second flat. All he had to do was lay down on the living room floor and the match ensued. Yes, someone always ended up crying. I thought he had the biggest, baddest, hardest muscles ever! I learned later he really was just a pipsqueak of a man. Don't tell him I said that. Really, I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. But, I know he is up with the big Guy in the sky watching down on my every move!!! I love and miss him. OK, to continue on. After my father's passing I did write a little paragraph that sums up my father.

What my father means to me: Well, what can I say, "the greatest man I ever knew"! A man with a quiet graciousness that is unsurpassed. To me he meant strength, knowledge, a leader, a giver, a man of his word and honorable. He taught me how to love and what love is. He NEVER turned his back on a new challenge. Whether it involved his family, church, work or charity. He saw each challenge to its fullest. I am proud to say Robert A. Schultz is my father.

My father was a funny guy too. He was always ready for a good time and quite often he was the good time. I think that is where my funny side comes from. I will say that my dad did live his life to the fullest.

Now for the "Matriarch" of the family. As I have said in previous posts my momma was a baby making machine. That brings us back to the catholic thingy, and the church thingy, and the thump thingy. Really, what woman do you know who can dress 7 children, do 5 girls' hair in perfect little ringlets and get them into a perfect little row in the perfect little pew for 10:00 mass? My momma could. She could whip up 7 little outfits on her little Singer sewing machine, ( all out of the same material in some way) in a day or two. BTW, (reminder: that means by the way), she still uses that little Singer sewing machine today!!! My momma was known fondly by my friends as "Sarg". They were absolutely terrified of her. That is a little secret though. We wouldn't want her to know she really put the fear of God into nice, adorable, sweet and totally innocent girls, (young and old). My momma is verrrrrry talented in many ways. She is an awesome cook, organizer, designer, artist, caregiver, nester and the list goes on. Oh, do you want me to go back and explain the nester part....some people don't want to leave her nest....ever!!!! I love my momma!!!

Both of my parents loved, loved, the "Pumpkin Show" the Greatest Free Show on Earth. But, who doesn't. My mother is still very involved with the parade committee.

I hope, if you know either of my parents, you have a totally new insight of them.

ML Brown (that's me)

Day 3 of the 30 day challenge

My first love:

This should be good. As I ponder this my mind wanders to places you might not want to know about. This is one area that can go in many, many different directions. So, are you ready for this ride? Well ready or not here goes.

I am going to start out on the day I was born. I would say that my first love would be my mother. You know, she is the one who carried me in her womb for 9 months while I kicked her and dug my knees into her ribs and gave her indigestion. I loved rolling about swimming in her little pool of fluid that I thought was the most awesome swimming pool ever. Well, that's what I think I thought!! She cuddled me and was at my beckon call for the next few years of my little life. Really, a few years is pushing it. My momma was a baby making machine. There are seven of us so my momma being at my beckon call is kind of a stretch. Not kind of. It is a stretch. She is only one person you know. I would now like to add my father into the mix of things. He was the strength, muscle and  DICTATOR. I know he was my first love!! No one, and I mean no one can EVER stack up against my daddy. I think all little girls think that. RIP: 11/05/2001. I love him still.

Well, then I started school. I went to a Catholic School in  a Midwest college town. Rock, Chalk, Jay Hawk, KKKKKKKUUUUUUU. OK, in Lawrence, Kansas. Me and my siblings all went to St. John's. It is there where I fell head over heals in love with a little blond haired, freckled face phenomenon. He was the bomb. He was my first kiss. He was my first butterfly in the belly. He was IT!!! I was going to marry this boy one day. Well, that's until we got caught kissing under the fire engine in the park behind the school during recess. Can you imagine what happened after that? I saw a side of nuns that I don't ever want to see again!!!! OMG!!! Love is a many splendid thing!!!

Then I grew up and was in middle school. There I fell in love for the first time ever with Gaylon Bullard. He is the son of the great football star, Gayle Sayers. I was star struck, literally. Nothing exciting happened in that long lived relationship that was actually a figment of my imagination. Meaning the love of my life was in my mind only. He didn't even know who I was. But I think he would walk past me in the halls and he would melt from the inside out at the site of me. How's that for the first time I fell in love?

Then I grew up some more, or so I thought. I fell in love for the first time in my life. AGAIN. Really this was my first love. I was a rah rah at a high school in western New York. This is a story about the All-American high school love story. Yack. Rah rah dates football star. End of love story. That's all I have to say about that first love.

Then I grew up even more and moved to small town, round town and I fell in love for the first time in  my life. Really, the first time ever!!!!! There was never a love so strong or innocent than that first love. I married that one. Things happened and things didn't happen sooooo......

I fell in love for the first time and the last time for the rest of my life. I married this one too. He makes me laugh. He makes me cry. He makes me exhausted. He makes me goofy. He makes me think. He makes me pissy. He is my fist love. Remember he is a man in a uniform and he makes my hiney tingle.

I think this sums up my first love. I hope I haven't confused anyone yet because my mind is spinning around and I am dizzy with all this or could it be love?

Day 2 of the 30 day challenge

Hmmmm. The meaning behind my blog name:

I chose Mary Brown's Odyssey because I wanted to share my journey through the next years of my life with others in a fun sort of way. I'm not sure how long this adventure will last but it is fun right now. And really, as you can see by this picture, there is a really long road ahead!!! We just may have a wonderful love affair with my antics and goofy posts. Its all in the imagination!!!

This really may be a long road to no where. No where right into my crazy little brain. Hey, I use the term little loosely here. My brain may be even smaller than little. But please, please, please don't share this information with anybody because I would hate for it to get out there. 

I also chose this blog name to share with you all my adventures in stamping. Remember yesterday, I told you I had an addiction which has also brought me into the classification of a hoarder. Well that is really were this blog started. Here is an example of a few of my designs. Remember the Hussies? Angela Beavers & myself!!

You know there is a little bit of hussieness in us all. Well, isn't there? Well, I think there is. Well, well, well!!! Is hussieness even a word?

Typos:

This is a test. In the post called the first day of my 30 day challenge I put typos in the blog just to see if you could find them. Remember, I typed them on purpose. This is only a test!!!

I think I am funny.

Day 1 of the 30 day challenge

Fifteen things about myself:

1. At this time in my life I am more at peace that I have ever been, (I'm smarter too. Just sayin).

2. I am married to my best friend. He is a Detective at a sheriff's office in central Ohio. He has been in low enforcement for 40 plus years. He makes me laugh, cry, get pissy and then some. P.S. I love a man in a uniform. It makes my hiney tingle.

3.  I have been advised by my co-workers that I have selective tourette's syndrome. Selective is the operative word here.

4. Speaking of co-workers. I am a legal assistant in a small law office in Circleville, Ohio. Let me tell you something. We could not only write a book, it would be a number one best seller. Clients are the reason for my tourettes.

5. My first passion in life are my grand-rugrats. Sorry kids, but as the saying goes, "if only we could only have grand-rugrats without having the other rugrats". Not really. I love my children whole heartedly. I have four awesome grand-rugrats ages 5, 4, 3 and 5 months.

6. My second passion is fading which are my other rugrats. There are four of them. They are all older and I can't snuggle them anymore therefore the passion for them has faded. Well I could snuggle them but it would embarrass them for some reason. Really? I love them.

7. Now for my fun side. I love, love, love the outdoors. I like to garden. But I don't have a garden. I just look at my neighbors garden and drool.

8. Wait, backup to number 7. I do have beautiful landscaping, and flowers, (in my eyes at least), just not a vegetable garden.

9. I'm still at the outdoors section of all of this blustering. I absolutely love to go 4-wheeling. And yes, I mean the kind in the mountains, climbing huge mountainsides, hills, rocks, mudslides and everything else you might imagine. Just let your imagination run with you. It is kind of fun. I even flipped off my bike once and peed my pants on the way down. Now really let your imagination run with you. By the way, along with 4-wheeling comes camping. I love to camp. Really!!!

10. P.S. I went to Cedar Point last summer and I peed my pants on the "Blue Streak" roller coaster ride. My grand-rugrats were proud of me.

11. My next passion is an addiction. I am a paper crafter. I think I am an illustrious card designer. I am in high demand for my designs. That's why I make so much money and am so wealthy. Just sayin. The spare bedroom in my home has been turned into a stamping paradise. I have so much "stuff", and I use that term loosely, that I could also be classified as a hoarder.

12. Is the sun shining yet. I love the sun. The sun loves me. I think.

13. I haven't mentioned my canine yet. She actually thinks she is human. She might, and I say might, be seen sleeping in my bed like she really belongs there. She makes me smile as I drift off into the vast land of slumber. Did I mention she is an 80 pound black lab. And yes, I have dog hair under my bed. Yack!!!

14. I want to warn everyone that I am a firm believer in karma, (I stole this one from my nephews fiance's blog). But I concur. I even believe in karma kicking my arse ~ only because it has before ~ athogh5t right now it is on my side. I do thank God for small favors.

15. I am not done....but I am only allowed to say 15 things about myself. What's up with that? BTW (that's by the way for those of you who don't know), I kind of live in a bubble and in my own little world. That's what they say and I like it that way.

Good day my friends.

MLBrown....

30 Day Challenge

My soon to be niece-in-law has posted on her new blog a 30 challenge. We are both newbies at this blog thing so I am taking her up on it.

She thinks it will put things into perspective. I love her innocence.

Here is the list of what you can post to get you through the challenge:

Day 1-Introduce yourself and give 15 interesting facts

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3-Your first love

Day 4-Your parents

Day 5-Your siblings

Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9- A picture of you friends

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite TV shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-A picture you love

Day 15-Bible verse

Day 16-Dream home

Day 17-Something you're looking forward to

Day 18-Something you regret

Day 19-Something you miss

Day 20-Nicknames

Day 21-Picture of yourself

Day 22-Favorite city

Day 23-Favorite vacation

Day 24-Something you've learned

Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 26-Picture of your family

Day 27-Pets

Day 28-Something that stresses you out

Day 29-3 wishes

Day 30-A picture

Circleville Mafia

Tonight I had a wonderful night out with a group of truly awesome "friends"!! We are affectionately known as

"The Circleville Mafia"

I can actually say that this group of girls has my back!!!

"the circleville mafia"

P.S. I love them!!

~~to the moon and back~~

I did get to play with The Unity Stamp Company's January's Kit-of-the-Month.
Here is my first "PRETTY" from this set!!! I hope you enjoy.

Hussies

These two women represent myself and my stamping buddy Angela Beavers.

We have labled these cards:

"THE HUSSIES IN US"

P.S. I love these two women and all they represent. Just Sayin.

Day of Reflection

First thing I want to say is I received my January Kit of the Month from Unity. I will play with it tonight & may post something really pretty!!!

Today I want to reflect on all the things that are good in my life. I thank God every day for the peace I feel, for my awesome husband, (who is a man in a uniform which actually makes my hiney tingle), for all of my wonderful children and grandchildren, that I have a job that I truly love, (most of the time, just sayin) and that I am surrounded by an awesome network of friends, (who keep me sane most of the time, just sayin).

I have to say that probably I am, for the most part, the luckiest person in the world.

Ok, I am finished gushing!!!

My inspirational thought of the day ....

If God had wanted to be a big secret, He would not have created babbling brooks and whispering pines.


~Robert Brault

Look at this "AWESOME" kit. It is the Unity Stamp

Company's January Kit of the Month!!! I cannot wait

to recieve mine!!! Just look at that little round snowman

and the awesome shoes!!!!

Here's to "The Moon & Back" !!!!

Still, STILL a work in progress.

I am really not getting this whole blog thing down. I want to add sites that I like but it is just not working for me. I need lessons.

I do want to share this card with you. It was created for Unity Stamp Co.'s Co-Brand Challenge. I love their stamp sets from Iron Orchid Designs. I used the set labled "my dear....".

I hope you enjoy the look!!