ta-ta for now.

but i'm so tiny.

LATELY, I have been thinking about this big world we live in.

and reading books that make you scratch your head

and googling things like de-evolution of humanbeings

and then finding quotes like this:

"It is estimated that a week’s worth of the New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century." -found here.

and my brain is hurting.

and.....I had a lot more to say but.......I must go to sleep.

batter blaster and best friends

Have you seen this stuff? It caught my eye last week in Ukrops and I had to try it out.

Pancake batter in a spray can. It's my/(Buddy the Elf's) dream come true.

Who says the American diet is rapidly going downhill? I'm healthy. And things like pancake batter in a spray can make me happy. Healthy and happy. It's science.

My friend Molly came into town. Molly is one of my favorite people. So who better to make Batter Blaster Pancakes with? They were delish.

Olivia was so happy to see her. Can't you tell?

we ate blocks of cheese all weekend

and laughed.

I believe these pancake-cheese-and-laughter filled weekends are completely necessary in life.

Holdin' down the fort

For the first weekend in a looooong long time, Andrew is staying put on the farm and I am anticipating the arrival of a BEST friend here in Richmond.

So excited for the weekend.

But *you* will surely be missed.

love.

in case you didn't know

and I AM crazy cat woman.

father & daughter

I haven't talked to my dad in almost 2 weeks. Or something unheard of like that.

Finally, some correspondence.

_______________________________________________________________

8/20/2009 1:29pm

Excuse me kind sir,

I am searching for my father. He goes by Mr. John McQueen. I last saw him on the beaches of North Carolina. A tragic phone accident occurred and I have yet to hear from him. I believe you may know of his where abouts.

Any pertinent information leading me to his direction would be most appreciated.

If you, by chance, have the opportunity to speak with him, please let him know that his daughter (25, brown hair, green eyes, freckles, stands about 5'7)would love to receive a phone call.

Many thanks. You are a jolly good chap.

Valerie Anne McQueen

ps. I am attaching the most recent photo that I have of him. Looks are deceiving....he is not as frightening in person as this picture may lead you to believe.

____________________________________________

REPLY

8/20/2009 1:39pm

I too, have been looking for someone. Unfortunately, I do not have a recent picture, but her pretty face is burned indelibly into my mind. Like you, I last saw her on the beaches of N.C., but I understand she lost her cellphone, lost her mind and has been institutionalized due to severe trauma resulting from this incredible loss. I am currently at work, alas, I do not have a number to contact her. I can be reached at 276-523-$%^& extension 2060 if you have any information.

We found each other. Tears were shed. All is well in dadddy-daughter land.

grace

Do you read Nie?

You should. Take a night or two, start from the beginning and read her amazing story that she shares with the world.

Her courage and strength is contagious.

growin' heart

As promised, here are some pics from my weekend.

(okay, so maybe there is no proof that my heart grew 3 times bigger...but it did)

A wonderful musical friend, Mickey (singer/songwriter) graciously let me record on a track for his upcoming CD at Blackwater Recording.

I was like a kid in a candy shop.

After having the best time recording I left to catch up with my friend Peter to sing a few tunes at his gig in Roanoke, VA.

It was an all day music fest.

and...I had FUN. I just felt like something was lifted from me and I just had, well...FUN.

(if you only knew my performers anxiety you would understand why this was such a big deal for me)

So. I'm still working all this....putting myself out there mumbo jumbo. But, I think it's starting to work.

and I found this quote that I wrote down in an old journal from the movie "Into the Wild" (one of my favorites)

"I believe that the good gets better"

Don't ya just have to believe that? I do. I do, I do.

inch by inch

Sometimes you feel yourself reaching out

maybe just inch by inch

but you can feel it.

This was our little friend that we found while hiking on the A.T. on Friday.

Saturday was filled with so much music my heart grew 3 times bigger.

Swear.

I have some pictures to prove it.

But for now, my 5:30am drive back home this morning is keeping me from staying up and posting. Oh I64. It was a quite a sunrise, wasn't it?

sweet dreams.

She's my girl

I love Oprah.

I want to curl up on a couch with her and have her brush with my hair and tell me stories about how everything will be alright. Does she give you that feeling? Maybe...maybe not?

I also think that she would really like me. We have lots in common...really, we do.

What brings me to this rant about my love of Oprah? I was cleaning out an old notebook today and found this quotes taped to the inside:

"It doesnt matter how you come to it...just that you do: Finally recognize that no one is responsible for your life but you. That you're creating your current and future reality thought by thought. And that what you give your attention to only gets bigger and manifests itself in the world. So try to live a life focusing on what's good and what you're grateful for, in order to have more goodness"

It was taken from this article that I have been saving and stowing away for a few years now. It has gotten me through some tough times. I never thought a single sheet of magazine paper could speak so much to me.

Love ya, Oprah. One day I might be sitting on that couch with you (sans hair brush for rating purposes)

no more N.N.

I just browsed through some of my recent posts...WOAH am I negative nance or what?

No more. This blog was meant for happiness...not to vent everytime I have a bad day.



Soooo...I will make a huge effort to post not just the bad but the good.



Deal? Deal.

i can't get no (bah dah bah...) satisfaction

oh me oh my.

Between prancing around all summer and driving back and forth to see Andrew, my practice sessions have been few and far between.

My goal of learning how to play and sing by the end of the summer is FAST approaching. It's all coming along....but I don't quite have the personality to deal with the frustration of learning an instrument. PLUS I have to record a song on a friend's CD this Saturday and have a gig with this guy sat. night which calls for tons of "brushing up".

I am a frazzled mess. This video of me learning a CCR tune that we cover pretty much sums up how things have been coming along.

(and no. I will not become someone who just posts videos of themselves singing on youtube....in their bathroom/living room/kitchen..But this made me laugh at myself, my camera skills and my temper.)

Wednesday Deadline

photo taken at Cool Breeze Stables

Way back when (so about two years ago) I was still stumbling and fumbling post college. Bills were paid late, cleaning and shopping was not being done, prorities were NOT in order.

So I made a rule. I had until each Wednesday of the week to "get my life together". Splitting it up in the middle of the work week didn't make me absolutley dread a Monday deadline or have to wait for a Friday deadline. Wednesday worked perfect.

I even let friends in on my project. Amy would pop her head into my office each Wednesday and declare: "It's Wednesday. Is your life together?" and I would either smile and nod or moan about what I had still not accomplished.

I evenutally became so good at "getting my life together" by Wednesday of each week that I stopped conciously thinking about my deadline --it all seemed to be coming together on it's own.

Guess what? I need-no, MUST- go back to my Wednesday deadline of G.M.L.T.

I took the day off. I need this day. I have a deadline.

chasing down the moon

I'm back........sorta.

My body is back in Richmond but I feel like my head is in the clouds.

We had fun. lots.of.fun.

I love this video we took of Andrew, me and my cousin Josh in Beaufort, NC.

Maybe I'm still dreaming of the moon on the ocean water.