Pictures

Sorry, been promising to put these up for a while. Its a mix of pictures from a variety of stages of work. Enjoy!

Four days and counting.

Tuesday 02/16
Finish Painting and put a finished coat on entire ceiling
Install cabinets?
Start installing trim around all doors and windows??

Update 03/02...We finished all but the trim work throughout the entire addition in time for the inspector, and are now happily moved in to the new apartment.  What a blessing!

My 20 for 2010

Seems everyone has a blog these days. We're all living under the illusion that we will find ourselves to be the next Julie Powell. Come up with a topic or goal intriguing enough to capture the attention of the now thousands of amateur writers, and hopefully some rookie journalist out to make a big break, and suddenly you have it made. The front page story in the Entertainment section of the Times, most of us would even settle for a run in the local paper. Aren't we all just a bit overly optimistic? Or maybe, that is what this is for; the chance to strive for something better. A subtle way to improve upon our current situation, for in writing we give our life a new focus and at times, a new purpose. The illusive new years resolution that seems to recycle itself every year as we find one excuse after another for failing to meet the goal the previous year, no longer carries any wait. But, create a blog about your year long journey to lose weight, read 50 books, cook through an entire cookbook, or finish writing a book suddenly carries some significance to it. Suddenly there are those ever important readers and fellow bloggers we can disappoint, as well as the added reassurance of a new found support system awaiting the day when we can finally stand up and say "I did it!" That same resolution now holds a check mark next to it and avoids the recycle bin at last.

Regrettably, I admit to my own inability to accomplish my resolutions. So much so that I didn't even bother setting any this year, yet. It's only February, 16th and with 10 1/2 months to go I've decided to set a few realistically attainable goals. Yes, a few are recycled but hopefully this year I will see that change. Am I hoping to log in one morning and find a long list of comments either pointing out my insanity or acknowledging my accomplishments? While the idea is appealing I may honestly admit this is more for my own self gratification than anything else. If, during the course of the journey, I find that I have a few loving supporters I'd be tickled pink, but should I finish on my own I will be just as thrilled at the accomplishment. The blog served its purpose at that point, and the goal was reached. For once a written record has been made its much easier to track the progress, or lack of, while the deadline serves as a constant reminder of the tasks still left undone. I pray that my famous skills in procrastination can at last be undone.

I'm well known for becoming passionate about a great idea that I have and planning out a strategy, gathering the necessary tools, and running full throttle into the execution only to become thoroughly distracted by another aspect of my life and forget the whole thing. Its a terrible habit which has become frustrating to say the least. No more lost opportunities, or regrets at not living to the fullest of my ability. So here it is My TO DO LIST for 2010, and that's (two thousand ten, not twenty ten.)

The list is a mix of long term and short term goals. Some will have different deadlines, something I will stay focused on for a specific week, month or several months, while others simply must be done throughout the course of the year.
Deadline: December 31, 2010 11:59 pm.

1. Have apartment completely furnished and decorated by Feb 28, 5pm
2. Volunteer at least once a week at either PBS or the USO (starts March 1)
3. Volunteer with the Park service at Faust park at least twice a month (start March 1)
4. Completely train my horse using the book "Horse Follow Closely"
Deadline - April 31 
5. Go horseback riding at least 2-3 times a week for an hour minimum, after training is complete.
6. Make dinner from scratch for the kids and I five times a week.
7. Read at least 2 books a month. (a more thorough list to follow)
8. Take a jazz and ballet class
9. Learn to lindy hop
10. Participate in at least 3 Civil War reenactments
11. Learn to play guitar
12. Take the kids on the Katy Trail two times a week during summer vacation
13. Buy a bike
14. Take the kids camping
15. Take a trip to Elephant Rocks with the kids and friends
16. Take the kids on a train ride to a new town
17. Get a new lens for my Rebel EOS and practice photography
18. Finish writing the children's book.
19. Join the YMCA and swim once a week.
20. Be in a size 4 jeans by March 31. (Simply for the sheer advantage of being able to borrow from both my sisters and moms amazing wardrobes.)

There it is, My 20 for 2010. How horribly unoriginal. I should have put one in for improving my grammar as I've been recently made aware of an abuse of comma's, but I'm hoping that a regular writing regimen will naturally improve my rusty grammar. But feel free to alert me to any necessary corrections.

I've always had two quotes that I want to live by but haven't done as well as I'd like. The first, "Carpe Diem" is one everyone should live by. Living life to the fullest and best of your ability should be a life goal. You don't have to be a thrill seeker to accomplish that either, but rather grasp every opportunity to step outside your comfort box, and try something new, or simply to give more than your all within every activity you participate in. The second, and my favorite quote, "It's not what the world holds for you, its what you bring to it." Far too often we forget to look beyond ourselves to the thriving world around us. Rather than going about our day prepared to give selflessly, we become blinded by our own needs. A fault I'm not proud to say I'm guilty of. But within this list are my own reminders that I hope to share with you of chances to give even more of myself and share whatever I can with those around me, friends, family, or complete strangers. What will I bring to the world this year? Looking forward to finding out!!

the in's and out's of Construction

February 1, 2010

I'm sitting here resembling one of the characters out of a Dr Seuss story; hair pulled up, a pencil sticking through at some obscure angle, with the upper layers of hair curled up and out in a very Cindy Lou Who fashion, face unmade, donning baggy sweats and sheet-rock dust covered shirt. I haven't showered in two days and can't remember if I even brushed my teeth this morning. I'm honestly surprised that my arms even have the ability to rest on the keyboard to type at the moment as they have spent the last several hours installing drywall in the garage ceiling with my father. My intent had been to be at work by 8 am this morning, and get through the mountain of paperwork that has been covering my desk lately while making an endless number of phone calls to subdivision and condo trustees to earn bids for the company. But before I even made it into the bathroom to wash my face I learned that today was the last day with the dry wall lift and my dad planned on spending the day finishing the garage ceiling.  It doesn't take a genius to conclude that this is not a single person job in any way, shape, or form. Twelve foot pieces of sheetrock/drywall strategically balanced on a wobbly lift positioned another 6' overhead, while one person attempts to locate each stud and quickly install as many screws as possible before the greater portion of the upper body cramps up completely, is definitely a situation in which it would be best to have a companion present. So fate had stepped in, and now here I am covered in dust about as dirty as our garage floor (a floor which regardless of the continued efforts of both my parents to keep it swept up, has accumulated several layers of dirt, sawdust, sheetrock dust, and insulation dust over the last two weeks), and persisting in boosting my motivation to return to the scene and continue to install sheetrock screws despite the protestations of my aching arms. 
 
The job would not seem so daunting were it not for the activities of yesterday afternoon. A pleasant day and very rewarding as a friend and I managed to clean off around six very large sections of parquet floor within a few hours. Had the cleaning merely consisted of a mop and bucket the ceiling today would be much closer to completion, but yesterdays cleaning entailed hours of chiseling away at duct tape residue with a utility knife blade. Skin So Soft has many unknown uses, one of which is aiding in loosening and removing gum, tape, or glue residue of any kind. (My favorite shirt as a kid was a bright yellow and white plaid shirt in a cowboy style, a style I'm surprised to see popular once again, which I wore nearly every chance I could. On one occasion I had worn it out with my favorite pair of jeans to a work social held by my dad's office. With hundreds of kids running around we all had to wear name tags much to my dismay, and rightly justified, as the tag remained on my shirt later that afternoon when my mom shoved it in the laundry to hopefully remove the grass and sweat stains it had earned at the picnic. Unfortunately name tags and washing machines, or dryers for that matter, are not a great match and my poor shirt came out with name tag glue stuck all over the left front breast pocket. Enter the magic Skin So Soft, two years later. No more sticky name tag glue, and a perfectly restored shirt. As luck would have it I had grown enough since then to miss out on another two years of good wear-ability. Or maybe not so unfortunately.)

Skin So Soft worked then and it worked fabulously now on our beautiful parquet floor. Duct tape, residue and tar (from the underside of the pieces that were stacked together) were successfully removed with a great deal of elbow grease. Apparently my arms have escaped my daily workout and found that the scrubbing motions of many hours worth of work was enough to last for that week. I wasn't about to leave for work picturing my father balancing on our old, rickety wooden ladder with 100lbs of sheetrock positioned on one metal pole over his head pushing in as many screws as possible. One more day off of work wasn't going to hurt, especially if it meant finishing the garage ceiling by the end of the day. I must say that my dad deserves a standing ovation for the work he has done over the last month. Nothing like sticking in a bit of sentimentality here, but honestely, my folks are nothing shy of awe inspiring. They would never complain about the hours they keep or the work they have to do but I will boast about them. I doubt either one has had more than 4-5 hours a sleep a night over the last month and a half and my mom spends her days juggling three different full time jobs all under one job title, which includes dancing for nearly six hours strait in the afternoon to come home and work for another 4 hours on construction while my dad has spent a great deal of his time here trying to keep the momentum going by installing floors, building walls, putting up insulation or whatever job needs to be completed that day, while completing contracts for work and driving in and out of the city to meet with a variety of companies wanting to bid on any upcoming contracts he may be working on.

I have the greatest respect for my parents and I know we are all eager to see this project completed. For now I'm going to force my aching body, nowhere near what my parents have to deal with, out of my chair and back to the garage to hopefully see the ceiling covered by the end of the day. Once I figure out how to make my Powershot compatible with the darling operating system on my borrowed laptop, or I make it back into work, I'll be sure to add on a few pictures to give you a better idea of the extent of work currently underway. Until then my descriptive narratives will have to suffice. Keep your fingers crossed, one month down...two weeks to go. Here's a link to a few more photos to check out!
http://picasaweb.google.com/stephalioto/OurConstructionProject?feat=directlink 

A Celtic Evening

This post is long overdue and for that I am sending out many apologies. My return visit to the Fabulous Fox theater was just as enjoyable as the first. So on November 3, 2009 I donned my new handmade tartan gown and made my way excitedly to my first Celtic Thunder Concert. (yes I was just as ridiculously giddy as I sound. Even at a ripe 28 I have my starstruck 16 year old flashbacks)

Although I had not anticipated the thrill of watching Chris Botti from the orchestra pit back in September, I had been anxiously, anticipating the Celtic Thunder concert for several months.  Pledge drive arrived in June '09, and I was on the phone the first morning guaranteeing that I had my ticket for the November concert. That first conversation began my volunteering with PBS, and got me a ticket to see Celtic Thunder. Having loved Celtic music for years it wasn't hard to become a fan of five handsome men singing some of my favorite music, but the variety of talent these men have, and each a great in his own genre, only adds to the value, charisma, and character of the group. Paul Byrom, and his classic opera stylings send shivers of delight down any listeners spine. George Donaldson's upbeat, yet ofttimes sentimental, and inspiring folk tunes bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. Damian McGinty offers the audience sheer delight and thoughts of "yesteryear" with his classic oldies, Keith Harkin's genuine surfer style produces the ideal setting for both traditional Irish tune and original work, and Ryan Kelly's energetic pop hits make you once again remember why good girls fall for the bad boys. Watching individual performances could present initial misgivings at the ability of these five performers to blend as well for the group numbers, yet the perfect harmonization, and brilliant dynamics in their rousing performances of Caledonia, Irelands Call, Take Me Home and many others illustrate the phenomenal musicality of the group as a unit. The CT band is just as much fun to watch as listen to as they interact with one another and the singers. Entertainment value of the show is truly immeasurable as George, Paul, Ryan, Keith and Damian smoothly transition through each song with growing energy and exuberance. The stage and audience is alive with laughter, as the performers react to one another and the audience as well. Celtic Thunder has been significantly surprised at their own success, but to see a show you could hardly doubt that these men still have a great deal more coming to them. They remain ever gracious and appreciative of their fans and still as altruistic as they were before the fame.

The meet and greet while sadly brief and a bit cramped was enjoyable to survey and I managed to grab a few fun pictures for the books. George and Damian were complete gentlemen to the fortunate meet and greet guests, signing autographs and giving hugs to each and every star struck PBS member. I can't say I wasn't a bit star struck myself but the job at hand kept me on the sidelines. Looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for this dynamic and immensely talented group!   Hope you fellow PBS members enjoy the pictures! Look for me at future events and you'll be sure to find more fun memories captured on film and posted here!

Returning home

Eleven out of twelve months of the year my children and I enjoy the comforts of what is affectionately known as "the cottage." With its endless windows, enticing window seat, minimal electricity, charming kitchenette sans running water and a determined little wood stove, it's almost easy to forget it once served as a rickety old garage. Most winters pass with the dear wood stove performing it's best to keep us warm, but with recent temperatures dropping far below the average for Missouri, the kids and I have taken up temporary residence within my parents darling century old farmhouse. While my sister is away pursuing the advantages of a college education we have taken over, a bit regrettably, her room. This room has seen several loving tenants, first of which was me ten years ago when we first laid down roots on our eight acres. Moving back into my old room is a bit surreal as it no longer bears any memory of my long erased residence. But at the same time I find myself remembering late nights spent hunched over my algebra homework, photo shoots with my friends and my closet full of odd hats, jamming to music that echoed through every thin wall in the house and most of all the last two months of my senior year in high school. The cottage has become the setting for a whole new set of memories that could fill a book, but my room, regardless of its new modern decor, is home. Rather than the source of childhood memories it is comfort and solitude. Where I spent hours mooning over crushes, chatting with friends, and where I returned to when I found I wasn't as prepared for college as I had originally anticipated. I've been home with my kids for over three and a half years now and until I moved into my room, although temporary, there was a piece of home missing. I left so abruptly that there was a chapter that wasn't finished, as sentimental and funny as that may sound. Now my apartment is about to be finished and I have a whole new fresh start waiting for me with my kids on my own. While yes I'm simply over the garage and my folks are a mere staircase and hallway away, the luxury of having everything I need within one space offers, finally, a new sense of independence and responsibility. The cottage will regain its rightful position as playroom and the wood stove can return to temporary status during the winter for small parties, and snowy afternoon escapes. Each return visit within its chilly or green house like state, depending on the season, will send vivid pictures of late nights awake wondering at the scrapings over my head, game nights with friends and french bread pizza's, St Patty's day birthday parties and cool nights hovered by the fire drinking hot cocoa. Or even more appealing running into the house in the dead of night with a child clinging to my arms under below freezing temperatures praying that we can make it to the bathroom before a tiny bladder decides to give out; carrying trays laden with food and drinks freshly cooked and attempting, rather unsuccessfully not to trip over the many uprooted bricks that line the walkway from the house to the cottage door. My return home wasn't the easiest decision I've ever made, my pride and independent nature had a few things to say on the matter but I'll never regret the decision. And I can't wait to listen to the memories my kids relay to me when they have a chance to visit their childhood home.