2013 Message

From my home to yours....



CHEERS!!!


and....



Here's to a better year in 2013!


Happy New Year!!!


~ Sharon

MRSA Plush Toy

 

GIANTmicrobes®

 

Rarely do I get so excited about a product that I will devote a post to it but the plush toys created by GIANTmicrobes® are that product.

MRSA

 I am an Affiliate Network Marketer and I came across and registered for the GIANTmicrobes® affiliate program. I have always been very interested in Microbiology and if anyone were to ask me what my dream job would be I would say Microbiomechanical Engineering. I would love to be able to combine the body with a device but not like a cyborg or the Borgs on Star Trek.  Rather, I would like to develop a suit that my son could put on like a wet suit. It would monitor his electrical impulses and would become rigid or weaken in areas to allow him to walk. It would be able to read the impulses and determine the logical reason for the impulse and respond accordingly. Well.. I can't quite explain it although I can see it clearly in my mind. That isn't the reason for this post. It is however, the reason I love microbiology. Anything on the cellular level excites me and I want to learn more.

 

As I mentioned before I signed up with GIANTmicrobes® and I love it! I can see these little guys being used in a Biology class. For most of us anything on the cellular level is very abstract and difficult to wrap our minds around. These little guys bring the microbes into a tangible hands-on playing field. I believe that when students are studying a particular microbe this toy could be introduced as a tool to help them to understand the microbes design. It is something they can see, feel and inspect. I think they would be great teaching tools.

 

Even if you aren't interested in microbes you should take a look at the website. Some of the descriptions they have listed for each microbe are quite comical. The illnesses these microbes cause can be deadly and in fact are no laughing matter but this is a lighter way to learn more about them.

 





 

~ Sharon 

 

 

My Top 10

The following photos are my top 10 scenic photos from our summer 2012 trip to Colorado. I had a hard time choosing only ten because I love every picture I take of Colorado. These made the cut based on subject matter, lighting and coloring. These photos were taken with my Samsung Digimax D53. These photos have not been digitally enchanced. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do.



1

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  #1: This photo was taken from the steps of our camper in Gunnison, Colorado just after a rainshower. I love the soft colors in the sky and the bold colors of the tree on the right. 










#2: This photo was taken from the highway about 5 miles from the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. 



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#3: This photo was taken at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. The little specks in the background are actually tourists. Some would walk all the way to the top of the Dunes and slide down on sandboards. It was HOT here.   

 

 

 

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#4: This photo is of one of the Twin Sisters Mountains in Colorado. I chose this picture because if you look near the center of the picture you can see a near vertical line. That line is actually a rock ridge running down to the base of the mountain. The picture didn't truly capture the beauty of the scene. Zoom in and see what you can see.

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

# 5 This barn and windmill were along the highway in New Mexico. It makes a really nice black and white photo also. My Mother loved old barns. Every time I look at this photo I think of her.

 

 

 

 

 

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#6: This photo was taken from the highway about 20 miles from the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. I love the old farmhouse. This stretch of the highway was at least 20 miles long and the image you see in the photo is what the whole drive looked like. I thought that section of road would never end.





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#7: This photo was taken from the highway at 70 mph. If I had asked my husband to stop every time I wanted to take a photo I would have been left on the side of the road somewhere in New Mexico. :) I thought this photo was really neat because the only thing in focus is the old windmill and the dead tree in the center.

 

#8: This photo was taken along highway 50 in Colorado just before sunset. I like the way the sun lights up the trees.

 

 

9

 

 

 

 

 

 



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 #9:  We reached Salida, Colorado about supper time. We searched for a restaurant and came across the Twisted Cork Café. The food was amazing with stellar service. We sat out on the patio, from our table we could see the stream below. This photo was taken from my seat at the table. If you are ever in Salida I highly recommend this restaurant.

 

 

 

  

#10: This photo was taken from a boat on the Blue Mesa Lake. We were trolling for Salmon at the time. The scale of the mountain doesn't seem like much but if you zoom in on the left center portion of the photo about a 1/4 of the way up the mountain from the waterline you will see what looks like a little black box, that's actually an 18 wheeler on Highway 50.


These photos are just a sample of the beautiful pictures I have from our trip to Colorado. I am certain I will be posting more. I still have photos of the Black Canyon and of our fishing trip to share with you. :)

Thanks for visiting.
~ Sharon

 

Home Again

Hello Readers, We are finally home. We have been on vacation in Colorado for the last two weeks. I anticipate posting tonight. If not tonight definitely tomorrow. Thank you for visiting my site. Please come back again to read further posts. ~ Sharon

God and the Universe

After creating the post entitled "You are Your Thoughts" I began to do some soul searching. I questioned my motives... my faith... my devotion. I wondered to myself... by posing my wishes to the Universe am I questioning God's existence? The conclusion I came to is this... No I am not questioning God's existence. I am simply attempting to change my mindset, my reality filter, so that I can create a path for the things I wish for to come to me.   

“You're life is a print-out of your thoughts.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free 

Of all the things I listed in the post one thing I did not ask for was for my son to be whole. Don't get me wrong... every day I wake up and I pray that today will be the day that his body is whole and works as it should. If given the choice to have all the material things I wish for myself and my family or to have Alan walk to me and speak to me... in a heartbeat and without a thought I would choose that for Alan. So yes... sometimes I question God as to why He has never granted that request. Why do we all believe He will answer any of our prayers when He doesn't answer the requests of parents the world over to heal our children? The only answer I have is Faith. I have faith that the challenges that Alan faces and that we face in caring for him are for a higher purpose. God has a purpose for us and in order for us to be prepared for whatever challenge or test is coming our way this is in preparation for it. Or perhaps Alan is to impact someone or maybe many someone's and in order for him to complete his purpose his body has to be in the form it is now, perhaps his message would not be heard otherwise. I do not have the answers but I have faith that God will use our situation to have a positive effect on others. 

I recently watched a video by Stephen Hawking in which he made the statement that there is no God. Now, I admire Stephen Hawking's achievements, his intellect, his perseverance and his determination to overcome all the challenges in his life. So... let me say again... I truly admire him. However, I disagree with him as I have noticed that many others do as well. Approximately 95% of the human population believes in a higher power. The other 5% apparently think we are all delusional. It seems that Science is always trying to disprove the existence of God.

“When things get too complicated, it sometimes makes sense to stop and wonder: Have I asked the right question?” ― Enrico Bombieri


Maybe instead of asking 'how can we prove God doesn't exist' maybe they should rethink the question and begin to ask 'How can God not exist?' Do we honestly believe that we are here by sheer luck? From absolute nothing to *poof* here we are?? How arrogant to assume that we exist because of the luck of the draw!! I do not understand quantum physics and I will never claim to but I can not see how our universe could have been spontaneously created from absolutely nothing without a Greater Power initiating that creation. I do believe in the Big Bang Theory but I believe it is a result of the intervention of the Great Creator. I read a story by Piers Anthony that I believe truly bridged the gap between God and Science. The passage was in one of the books of his series the 'Incarnations of Immortality' I am afraid I do not remember exactly which book it was in but in the story, yes it was fiction, he confronted the question of how God created all that exists in seven days... well six if you are considering the fact that God rested on the seventh day. We humans try to grasp the concept of God creating the world in seven days but we can't comprehend it because it makes no sense... it seems an impossible assumption.... but if we stop to think.... God's time is different than ours.. why would He be limited or confined to our reference of time and days? Remember when He was creating the universe... our days did not exist yet so how can we assume then that a day for God is 24 hours? We can't. Perhaps one of God's days is a million years to us? Perhaps the stages in the creation of our world were only a few hours to God. Perhaps our entire existence has simply been a blink of the eye to God. When we stop to think that perhaps we are looking at it through the wrong filter and although Science explains the creation of our world along a certain path.... why do we assume that it was not by God's design? Why do scientists believe that because they can explain things scientifically that their explanations contradict the existence of God? Who do they think orchestrated physics, reality, the universe.... life? God did! Once we step back and look at creation in that manner we can begin to rationalize that yes it is possible. Not only is it possible it is true.

I believe that every thing that exists or ever will exist is by God's Design. If we are to believe that our universe exists simply by spontaneous creation then why don't we see things in our world spontaneously appearing now? In the video Stephen Hawking also stated that before the Big Bang there was nothing... no time... no universe ... nothing. How can nothing just become the universe we live in?? I'm not buying that! The spark of life was ignited by a greater power. My belief is that the hand of God was the initiating, controlling and determining factor.

  

Another question that arose from the creation of my post was do I believe the Universe will grant my wishes simply because I want it. Well, actually in part yes I suppose I do. The reason I believe that what I want will come to me is the fact that I believe that we are in control of our own realities. That our experiences are subjective to our mind sets, our filters. If we anticipate negativeness then that is what we will see, feel, receive and create for our world. If we anticipate positiveness then we will see, feel, receive and create positive experiences in our lives. I suppose it is a matter of perspectives.

“Remember, you see in any situation what you expect to see.” ― David Schwartz

In my post 'You are Your Thoughts' I sent out my wish for the Universe to grant me a modified wheelchair van for my son. Well... we actually had a van but it was parked in the backyard because it had a transmission leak and the air conditioning was not working. Since creating that post my husband has fixed the transmission and the air conditioning. My van is now running and we will be taking it to Colorado. Two days after I published the post my husband received a phone call from one of his friends telling him they knew of someone who had a wheelchair ramp. Today my van is running and we are several steps closer to having it modified. Now... was that the Universe responding to my command, my request? Was it the power of suggestion? Did my husband see my request and did that initiate him to take the steps to make my desire a reality? or was it mere coincidence? 

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." ~ Albert Einstein

When you glimpse the pattern in the tapestry of life remember there are no coincidences and all things are by design. You may call it whatever you like... the Universe... Fate... Destiny... Karma... Quantum Mechanics... but when things line up just right and I get a glimpse of the pattern I call it a God thing. As God is everything... God is Fate... God is Destiny... God is the pattern... God is the Universe. If you can't see that try changing your filter.

 “ The question is not what you look at, but what you see. ” ― Henry David Thoreau

~ Sharon 

You Are Your Thoughts

Is it true that you are what you think? That you become what you imagine? That your dreams really can come true just by the power of your thoughts? 

Butterfly in the Mountains

I recently watched the video "The Secret" , according to this video the Universe is ours to command. That we simply need to focus on the positives and the things we want in our lives will come to us via the law of attraction. Can it really be that simple? Well we are going to find out. I have begun the exercise to make my dreams realities. I have followed the steps outlined in the video. They state three main objectives: Ask; Believe; Recieve.

Ask: First you must Ask for what you want. Meaning decide what you truly want in your life and focus your thoughts on those items. It was also stressed that you must release the thoughts of the things you do not want as focusing on the things you do not want will actually attract those things to you. So as the video states...  "instead of saying ... I don't want to see bills in my mailbox... say I want to see checks coming to me in my mailbox." One speaker stated that using a vision board helps you to channel your thoughts to what you do want. So.... I will insert some things that I do want below. There are some things that I am unsure how to show you visually so I will mention them here:

1. Good Health for myself, my husband and my family & harmonious relationships between us.

2. To work prosperously from home and to have $1000 checks coming to me in the mail four times weekly. 

3. To provide a happy healthy home for my family.

now  I can post some pictures in random order of the things I do want in my life. 

Home in Colorado

A Million Dollars

1966 Blue Convertible Corvette

Horses

Wheelchair accessible van

Ok.... now I have listed the things I want in my life. Time to move on to the second step: 

Believe: the video said to believe these things are yours that they are already in your life. They stated that the life we are living now is the result of residual past thoughts. Meaning that what we have thought in the past is now our reality. So... for our lives to be different in the future we must start thinking it now..... as Mike Dooley, author of  "A Note from the Universe" and other inspirational books, says... "Thoughts Become Things.... Choose the Good Ones". So in this step we are to believe the things we want and have asked for are ours and are coming to us now. We just have to be patient and keep focusing on those things in the present tense. So.... from the things I listed above. Myself, my husband and my family have good health and we have harmonious relationships between us. I am working prosperously from home with four thousand dollars in checks arriving in my mailbox weekly. I have provided a happy and healthy home for my family. We have a home in Colorado with horses and we have a 1966 blue convertible corvette and a wheelchair accessible van in the garage and a million dollars in my bank account. :) Perhaps they aren't here at this moment but those things are mine and are on their way. They will be arriving soon.

Now we move on to the third step: 

Receive: To receive the video says to remember all the things you are grateful for in your life two to three times daily and imagine and dwell upon how you will feel when these things become realities. To fully visualize... for instance... I am visualizing standing at my full wall window in my pjs, fluffy slippers, coffee in hand and looking out at my mountain view from my home in Colorado... I feel the coolness of the window pane and I see the breeze gently moving the blades of grass as the horses graze. I smell the coffee in my cup and feel the warmth on my hand... I hear my family laughing throughout the house calling my name... they want to go horseback riding... I am fully visualizing my dreams. This is what you must do as well. 

Are you ready to start living your dreams???

Dear reader I challenge you to do as I am doing.... Ask for what you want... send out the positive energies, think of the things you want in your life. Believe the things you want are already on their way to you. Receive these things when they arrive... fully visualize the things you have asked for. Check back with me in a year and let me know how the power of positive thoughts has changed your life. I will be in Colorado by then but I will still have this blog site. :) For more information on "The Secret" please visit the following website: http://www.thesecret.tv/index.html

~ Sharon

Link to Cabela's for Leather Journals

Pulling Tractors

Breathing Life Into Old Garden Tractors

old garden tractors waiting to be
revived

If you look in any field or backyard across the country you will most likely see the rusted remains of a garden tractor. Anyone with more than a half an acre of land to maintain can attest to the necessity of a riding mower. The garden tractor is a riding mower of a different class. The difference is made up in the attachments that a garden tractor can utilize. Such as a dozer blade, limb and leaf mulcher, tiller, shear plow, twin discs, cultivator and a push bar to push cars and trucks. It is more powerful than a typical riding mower but equivalent in size. Most people use a riding mower for its utilitarian purposes until it wears out. Then it becomes a rusted shell, a bee's nest, something to mow around with weeds growing from beneath. Instead of these tractors rusting away to obscurity my husband breathes new life into them and uses them for something other than their original design 


....   Entertainment!! 

Patrick on 'Amuk'

pulling sled

Garden Tractor pulling is basically this: a bunch of guys and gals take old garden tractors beef them up and give them shiny new paint jobs. On pulling weekends they all meet at a pulling track and compete against one another to gain points by pulling a 8500 pound sled the farthest! Two hundred feet is a full pull. They tally the points from all the pulls at the end of the season and then they are ranked by points. That's it in a nut shell.

This tractor is a 1969 model. This one is actually my favorite.
It has a character all it's own. In addition to the mower deck
this true garden tractor can utilize all the attachments
mentioned in the post. 

The challenging and rewarding part is in the restoration of an old machine. My husband amazes me with what he can do with a gas powered machine. He can just listen to one and tell you what's wrong with it and fix it. He repairs riding mowers for people as a hobby. I call it tinkering but to him its more than that. It is a release for him from everyday challenges. It is a chance for him to channel his thoughts and clear away the stresses of life. It brings him pleasure to take a machine that has been given up on and breathe new life into it. Some of the tractors he restores to their original state as a mower but some he restores and creates a new life for them. Last year he started a new project. The restoration of our daughter's pulling tractor. I can hear your thoughts now ..... something about redneck! Yes some would call him a redneck. I prefer to call him 'country' and he does truly amaze me with his natural mechanical talent. He can take a rusted tractor or other machine that hasn't run in years and bring it back to life. I have never seen anyone as meticulous as my husband. When he repairs a tractor for someone he doesn't just address the issue they brought it to him for ..  he goes over the whole item from top to bottom to ensure that it doesn't have some other minor or major problem before he returns it to the customer. Simply amazing!

Cassidy's tractor that she
had last year. He used
the frame and the
transmission from this
tractor to make her new
tractor

Cassidy's tractor was functional but it needed more flash and power. He began the restoration by stripping the tractor down to the frame. He removed all the wiring and the tires and painted the frame. Then began the rebuild. He rebuilt the transmission and the engine. Ran new wiring and created a really unique juncture point for the wiring. He took aluminum diamond plated sheet metal and formed it to fit the dash panel and he also made foot plates with it.. he cut out the spots for the gauge and the steering column. He also removed the key start and added a start button. He painted each and every bolt, spring or washer that went back onto the tractor.  Polished all the aluminum parts then sanded the metal parts to remove the old paint. He primed the metal, applied the purple paint to the metal then hand laid the flames. After painting the green flames he then applied clear coats to make it shine. I have included pictures of the transformation from old yellow and beige to a sparkling purple and green pulling machine.  


Patrick and Cassidy are members of the Lone Star Garden Tractor Pullers Association. To learn more about this sport and to see other amazing tractors please visit their website at http://www.lsgtpa.com/.

Fab work 

beginning tear down

stripped to the frame

frame sanded, primed and painted

rebuilt and painted rearend

rebuilt axle

spindle buffed and shined

rebuilt transmission and rear end
attached to frame

installing tail lights

metal work painted plum crazy purple

side panels hand outlined for flames

hood with flames and clear coat

hood hand outlined for flames

hood cone painted with 2012 
Cheverolet Synergy Green. 

formed diamond plate panel

gauge and panel in place

cut foot plates

oil pan buffed

rebuilt painted engine

rebuilt painted engine
side view

rebuilt engine flywheel view

engine complete

engine in place

uncut grill in place

painted hood and side panels

grill with emblem and lights 

gas tank mounted on brackets
Patrick designed

wheelie bars

Cassidy pulling on 'Nacho'
She named it Nacho so she could say "it's 'Nacho' tractor"

~ Sharon

Link to Cabela's

Link to CafePress Products