March Summary

Fun month of pictures! Some of my favorites were key, under, explore, and pair.

With this month complete, I'm 3/4 of the way through the year. Three more months to go! Will you join me for April?

03.31.13 Stuff

Easter stuff!

I bought these baskets when Krista was a baby. I thought they were so cute. Brandon still doesn't mind his... yet.

Looks like the bunny brought some treats for the kiddos. Jelly Belly jelly beans are my favorite. They WILL be sharing these. 

What's your favorite flavor?

03.30.13 Relax

We had a very relaxing spring break this week. It continues tonight with a movie.

We watched Parental Guidance. Such a cute movie! It's a really great family movie that's very funny. Can't go wrong with Billy Crystal. We all enjoyed it.

How do you relax?

Photo a Day Catch Up

We went away for a few days for Spring Break, so I'm playing catch up on my photo a day photos.

March 27. Pair

March 28. In The Mirror

Grandfather's Mansion at Silver Dollar City

March 29. Good Night

Big Cedar Lodge

03.26.13 Something You Did

I helped my daughter build a snowman. A spring break snowwoman!

How often can you say you built a snowman in Missouri on Spring Break?

Hopefully not very often...

New Tunes Tuesday - Kacey Musgraves

This is the debut album for Kacey Musgraves. She co-wrote all 12 tracks for Same Trailer Different Park. First she draws you in with her catchy country melodies and soothing voice. But listen more carefully and you are given poetic and unabashed truths. This album is a lyrical gift.

Her first single, Merry Go Round, has a metaphor around every corner and plays on the many versions of merry (or Mary).  "Mary, Mary, quite contrary / We're so bored until we're buried / Just like dust, we settle in this town / On this broken merry go 'round" 

The opening track, Silver Lining, is very uplifting. She reminds us that we can't have a silver lining without first having a cloudy day. It sounds like a single in the making. Dandelion is a poetic story wrapped in an acoustic guitar and a sad metaphor. "Just like him, you always leave me cryin' dandelion"

One of my favorite tracks is the bluesy "Blowin' Smoke." She goes through different scenarios of shaky dreams while playing with different meanings of the phrase "blowin' smoke." "And Brenda's tradin smokes for cake / Still hadn't lost that baby weight / And that baby's bout to graduate / From college..." Fans of Pistol Annies will love this track.

The next to last track "Follow Your Arrow" is going to receive a lot of talk for its controversial nature. It's a song about following your heart (your arrow) wherever it may lead you "cause you just get so many trips around the sun." Even if that means kissing a lot of boys or girls if that's what your into. This song is raising some eyebrows in Nashville for sure, but she's pushing it to be her next single.

"My House" and "Stupid" are the only two crank-it moments on the album which is fine. I don't feel there should be more than that. It's a very melancholy and somber album yet not at all boring. Her sound is like a more grown up Taylor Swift (yes, I said that) or a country Colbie Caillat. She's bold, takes risks, and isn't afraid to talk about them. Take her or leave her, but I think Kacey is a keeper.

I am so stoked to see her live at the Kenny Chesney tour this summer. I'll be sure to post a concert review here! Until then.... have a listen.

03.25.13 In My Drawer

First I had to decide which drawer I would open and actually photograph for the world to see. I finally decided the bathroom drawer would be pretty safe.

There is MAGIC in this drawer. It is full of my wonderful beauty products that keep me looking young. Mary Kay has been a favorite of mine since I was old enough to wear make-up. My grandma taught me all about it and bought me my first set. I use it every morning and night. I remember she would refer to putting on make-up as "putting on her face." I understand the meaning behind that more and more the older I become.

And yes, I know what you are thinking. The drawer is pretty well organized, but that's who I am. I need to find things quickly in the morning. I'm not a morning person and am usually in a rush. So organization is key to getting me out of the door. Everything has its place in the drawer.

Here is another fun photo for the day. My colorful hair bands are also in this drawer (until my daughter runs off with them....)

03.24.13 Up

The snow keeps piling UP this morning.

Where is Spring?!?

Good day to watch basketball all day I suppose. Good excuse, anyway. 

March Madness

THIS is March Madness....

Hurry up, Spring.

03.23.13 What I Do For Fun

Watch sports! I especially enjoy watching my kids play.

Brandon's basketball season came to a close last night with the Show-Me State tournament. They won 2 of their 3 games. They canceled the games for Sunday due to the weather report (snow!). We'll find out soon where they placed and if he'll receive a medal.

I am so proud of his team. They went 8-2 in their last three tournaments. They improved so much over the season! He really improved his skills and is quite the little ball handler! They were very fun to watch.

Krista's soccer season starts in April so we'll switch our focus on her. She's very excited to get started. I hope the weather warms up soon!!!

03.22.13 About Me

I collect key chains. For as long as I can remember, I've been picking them up on my travels. It is a relatively cheap and easy souvenir of my trips and places I have visited. I thought they would be a fun way to represent a little of who I am for today's photo topic.

Starting from the bottom middle and working clockwise....

• Cheri's Keys - pretty self-explanatory 
• May - the month I was born
• Whistle with a treble clef - music
• Hard Rock London - I won a trip to London when I was in high school. I danced in the Lord Mayor's Parade on New Year's Day when I was a senior. A defining moment for me. One of the best trips of my life.
• Chiefs - I love sports, especially football, and the Kansas City Chiefs has always been my team
• Camera - photography
• Black Shoe - fitness
• Grand Tetons - This represents being out in nature and hiking. I love being in the mountains.
• Geode - I have a degree in Geology
• Alpha Phi - my sorority and where I met some of my best friends (kind of hard to see because it is clear)
• Graduate 1990 - I graduated high school in this year and moved to Columbia
• Orrick Bearcats - my hometown
• Black and Gold Tassel - I'm a Mizzou Alum (can you believe I don't have a Mizzou Tiger key chain?). This is where I met my husband, where I work, and my team. A huge part of my life. I bleed black and gold.

And now you know a little bit more about me.

03.21.13 Working

The graduating medical students have found their match for residency. So you know what's next?

It's exit counseling time!

Busy.... busy.... busy....

03.20.13 Clean

Clean dishes... for now. The dishes are never really done, are they?

Here's a funny fact about my dish drainer. That was a Christmas gift from my husband. He is such the practical gift giver. Sometimes it really cracks me up. We needed one, and this is a great one (stainless steel), but not very romantic. 

And here's another funny thing I found on Facebook today... it's funny because it's true!

And happy first day of Spring. If you see Punxsutawney Phil, tell him I'm looking for him... stupid groundhog.

New Tunes Tuesday - Lifehouse

I've had the song Between The Raindrops stuck in my head for a while now. I love that song. It's so catchy, and Natasha Bedingfield has a super voice. A wonderful collaboration with lead singer, Jason Wade. So today I gave the latest album by Lifehouse a listen.

Released in December 2012, Almeria is the group's sixth album and has a different sound than any of their other creations. You can tell they were trying new things here. It's a happier and almost exuberant Lifehouse. I have always been moved by their music, and this one does not disappoint musically or lyrically. I've seen their live show (very impressive) and would love to catch them on tour again with this album.

A surprising but cool track is Right Back Home featuring Peter Frampton. It has a bluesy-rock sound that is very different for Lifehouse, but it really works.

I've also had Nobody Listen in my head. The instrumentals and vocals all fuse together into a fantastic sound. The pulsing bass lines and grooving guitar riffs are the backbone of the track. And the chorus is bound to get stuck in your head!

Gotta Be Tonight is an uplifting anthem song and a sure upcoming hit on the radio. "We've tried it all night long chasing miles and breaking down / We gotta take a chance while we're still young / But it's gotta be tonight / It's gotta be tonight" Would be an awesome road trip song.

Another favorite track of mine is Only You're The One where they describe an in-concert experience in celebratory tones. "It’s the event / We dreamed about / Where we whispered all the words they’re shouting out / And now it’s one two three four / Tonight" It's full of raw passion and energy. Everything you hope to hear from Lifehouse.

The risks they take are imaginative and at times very successful. There are a few tracks on here worth multiple listens. It might take you a couple of times to appreciate them however. It's an album I listened to at work and didn't get really distracted. It moved me along - I occasionally would stop to really hear the lyrics. But it's one of those "background music" kinda albums. And we all need those once in a while.

Give it a try.

03.19.13 Sign

Tiger Avenue. Kind of sums up a lot of my life. This is where I work and where I once lived as a student.

I have featured this street before for photo a day. It's much prettier in the fall. This intersection is very busy with the Greek houses and six dormitories on either street. This street is also really busy during football season with flocks of fans walking to the stadium. This is also part of the parade route for Homecoming.

I have so many memories when I look at this sign.

03.18.13 Shoes

I'm a ready to put these into action...

Let's go hiking!

03.17.13 Green

St. Patrick's Day! I've got my green on....

My special Mizzou shirt for today. One of my favorite Mizzou shirts since it combines two of my favorite things. I was also wishing the Tigers good luck with Selection Sunday. We ended up getting a 9th seed in probably the toughest region. If we make it past the first round, Colorado State, we'll play the overall number 1 seed, Louisville... whom we have already played... and lost badly. Could be a short tournament, but they could also surprise me too. I'm hoping Kentucky fans show up HUGE to support their fellow SEC team. 

Please?

While watching the selections on TV, I enjoyed a black and tan. Not perfect, it started mixing early, but tasty nonetheless.

Slainte!

03.16.13 9 O'clock

I ran a 5K race today for St. Patrick's Day. Start time 8:00 this morning. It was 45 degrees, which is actually perfect running weather, but the wind... brrrr. Waiting for the starting gun was kinda brutal! Still, I had a fantastic run. My knee has been bothering me a little and didn't do much training the past couple of weeks. So I set a goal to run it under 40 minutes.

I shattered my goal.

My chip time was 37:50!  I am so proud of myself.  25th in my age group out of 40 runners.

322

Cheri Marks

Columbia MO

40

25 F 40-44

37:50.4

38:06.9

12:17/M

The next goal will be to run under 35. I am planning to sign up for a 5K in May. 

So at 9 o'clock this morning, I was riding home, eating a banana, and smiling.

03.15.13 Explore

The weather was absolutely fantastic today! Near 80 degrees in mid-March? I'll take it. Krista and I went to Rock Bridge Park to....

EXPLORE!

Looking at the park maps.

Devil's Icebox

Walking on the boardwalk.

The Rock Bridge

03.14.13 Tasty

Here's is how I celebrated Pi Day... with a TASTY brew.  Well... the glass is round...

A Boulevard 80 Acre is very tasty, but it's even better on my deck with warm sunshine. It's finally deck sitting weather! So beautiful outside.

Happy Pi Day!

Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 - or 3.14. Pi is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant - the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter - which is approximately 3.14159. It will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. I am fascinated by that!

In celebration of Pi day, here is some fun with mathematics.

Which is greater - knowledge, hardwork, or attitude?

I believe knowledge without having the right attitude is the same as having no knowledge at all. At the same time, the wrong attitude will effect how hard you work. Attitude is a great force working in our lives for good or bad. It is vitally important to learn how to harness and control it. Because you can't control facts or how people will react, but you can control your attitude. Here is a little mathematical equation that illustrates this point.

If: 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 

Is represented as: 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. 

Then: 

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K 

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98 

And: 

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E 

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96 

But: 

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E 

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100 

"Life is 10 percent how you make it and 90 percent how you take it."

03.13.13 Sound

*click click click*

That's the sound she makes as she walks across my floor. A sound I love and hate at the same time. A sound I will definitely miss when she's gone. 

I may need to record it.

New Tunes Tuesday - Bon Jovi

Today has been a day FULL of wonderful news including this... new Bon Jovi! What About Now is the 12th studio release from the Jersey boys, and they are still rocking after 30 years.

They really play to their strengths and stick with what works and what their fans want. Because We Can is another smash anthem that will get stadiums of fans pumping their fists in the air. The title track What About Now implores you to raise your voice and not be scared (a perfect living in the moment song). "For the faithful, the believer / For the faceless and the teacher / Stand up and be proud... What about now?" Another crowd-pleaser is sure to be Beautiful World. Ignoring the over abundance of metaphors in the song, it has a great thumping beat and fun guitar rifts.

The ballads are more intimate than ever. Amen is a lovely, acoustic moment about a dream that was true. "She'll be with me forever / If I don't see her again... What else can I say... Amen." The Fighter is a sad and introspective ballad. "These eyes hold no secrets I hide no truths / I am all I am, all I was to you / The lie and the promise, the great escape artist / The weed in your garden in that place you’re still guarding / Where I am not a liar"

My favorite track is Room At The End Of The World. He sings of a place where secrets go to hide, where we never say good-bye, where your memories are safe, where dreams come true, where I wait for you.

Overall it's pretty safe and predictable. I doubt they'll gain any new fans with this album, but their long-time fans are going to love it.

03.12.13 In The Distance

Cue Bette Midler... "From a distance... the world looks blue and green... and the snow capped mountains white."

Just popped into my head when I read the prompt.

From the top of my parking garage, you can see the entire Mizzou Sports Park... in the distance.

From the other side, you can see Mizzou's campus. Jesse Dome is in the middle and Memorial Union is to the right.

03.11.13 Important

Rain. Important for so many reasons. Basically, we wouldn't be here without it.

Rain is an essential part of the water cycle. Rain gives water to the plants. Some of the animals then eat the plants. Some other animals eat the animals that ate the plants and so forth and so on. We eventually enter into the food web: we eat the animals that eat the animals that eat the plants... You get the idea. The plants also give us oxygen so that we can breathe. And we too eat the plants.

Rain also makes me drowsy. The darker skies and pitter-patter sounds on my windows lulls me to sleep. It's very relaxing and soothing isn't it? I think humidity and barometric pressure also plays some part. Less oxygen in the air brings about that feeling of drowsiness.

So that's your science lesson for the day. Rain also washes dirt away from my car and clears the roads of the snow. Not many piles of snow remain right now. I think Spring may finally be on its way. But of course too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Right now we are seeing some flooding because of too much water. Hopefully we'll see the sun soon.

365 Project Update

At the start of this year, I started a new photo project. I joined this site to learn more about photography and get inspired. I'm on my third month now and have to say; it has exceeded my expectations. It's pushing me to get better and try new things. Yesterday, I got out our DSLR Canon. I haven't really taken the time to learn about our camera and decided now is the time.

On the site there are weekly competitions. The theme for last week was "action figures." Here is my entry. I thought it was pretty clever.

"These aren't the droids we're looking for."

If you enjoy photography, I encourage you to take a look at the site. There are some really creative images and beautiful photography. Here are some links to my project so far. I still have a LOT to learn.

My project for January.

My project for February.

03.10.13 I want...

More time. We never seem to have enough of it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. You can't own it, but you can use it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back. Time is free, but it is priceless.

So I want that hour of sleep I lost last night due to daylight savings time!

03.09.13 Faceless Self-Portrait

When I read this prompt, I immediately thought of a Victorian silhouette brooch or an antique cameo. Here's my attempt.... without the up-swept do (I don't quite have the hair for that).

The best thing about this... I took this right after I woke up this morning. No shower. No make-up. Still in my pajamas. 

And this is the closest you'll ever see to that.

03.08.13 Favorite

It's Friday.

The sun is shining. The snow is melting. I think Spring might actually arrive. This makes me very, very happy. I'm longing for warmer days, sitting on the deck with a bottle of red, watching the sun go down.

Like this...

These are a few of my favorite things.

03.07.13 Fear

So... it's time to get a little personal and talk about fears. I have a few.

Atychiphobia - fear of failure. I have a hard time trying new things because I'm afraid I won't be successful. I'm very competitive and want to be the best. Mediocre just isn't good enough for me. Many things came easy for me early in life, and I had many successes. The first significant failure I had was when I was 16. I failed my driver's test. I was completely shocked and embarrassed! Couldn't believe it. I had a very hard time coping with that. So now I avoid things I know I won't be able to master.

I also fear rejection. See above... I want people to like me. I don't think I'm insecure; I'm a confident person. I just don't like it when people don't like me.

I also have a fear of MICE! I can't stand to look at them in movies or photos. I hide my eyes. So you won't see a photo of one here. But something has gotten Skyler's attention under there.... And I fear what it might be.

What are you afraid of? Do you have any fears?

03.06.13 Chair

This chair is probably over 100 years old. It was part of a dining room set that belonged to my husband's great-grandparents. After his great-grandmother died in 2001, the chairs were restored and then divided among the family. I remember receiving our chair as a Christmas gift from his parents.

My favorite part is the caning on the seat. A treasured heirloom for sure. It sits in my living room in front of my roll top desk that belonged to my Aunt. Family furniture pieces are the best, aren't they?

New Tunes Tuesday - Sham Rock (an Irish playlist)

St. Patrick's Day is on its way, so why not "go green" with your music? I've created a playlist of some successful Irish Bands and my favorite songs by them.

1. Where the Streets Have No Name by U2: They are undeniably the most successful Irish band ever. But not only that, they are also among the best selling artists of all time. The Joshua Tree is one of the highest selling albums in the US, so naturally, I had to start with them. And this is my favorite song from my favorite album. Crank it!

2. Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison: Definitely his signature song. It's a popular classic and is recognized by many. An oldie but a goodie, as they say.

3. The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy: a very cool guitar track from 1976, I had to include this one in the list. Did you know they were Irish?

4. Linger by The Cranberries: this song became a top 10 hit in the early 90's. It's hard to believe their album is now 20 years old this month. Wow.

5. Runaway by The Corrs: a group that combines traditional Celtic music with pop rock. Their harmonies blend perfectly, which is no surprise since they are all siblings. Very talented musical family.

6. Bad Penny by Rory Gallagher: I love his very Irish name! He was a wonderful blues-rock guitarist. I think this song showcases his talents the best. Gone too soon at the age of 47.

7. Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor: another very Irish name. Written by Prince and made popular by Sinead. I still remember seeing this iconic video on MTV.

8. One Horse Town by The Thrills: The album this song comes from hit #1 in Ireland in 2003. Their sound is very similar to 60's and 70's rock.

9. Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly: You can't have an Irish playlist without this band!

10. Breakeven by The Script: they are my second favorite Irish band. I chose this song from their debut album, The Script. They combine hip-hop, pop and anthemic rock into a sound all their own. You can read my review of #3 here.

11. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol: best known song by this really wonderful band. How many of you remember hearing it on Grey's Anatomy?

BONUS SONG: since it's my playlist, and I love U2, I give you another wonderful song by my favorite band... I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

"If you're enough lucky to be Irish, then you're lucky enough!"