Cancelled the Contest

I am sorry to take the Johnsoville Contest down. I am glad I, was able to do it with only one entry and not a TON! But, I owe a huge Thanks to Andria for taking the trouble to register and vote. It was a little hard to navigate!

I did so because I decided that I do not want my blog to go in this kind of direction. I like to post contests, but, I do not want to post contests so I win a contest. I did this once and was successful, but, after talking to others, I have decided that it does not create a fair playing field. I should have just "asked" folks to do it without a promising something in return. Besides, all these people do the work and only ONE person wins. I want to give EVERYONE that votes something!

And after talking to some friends about what my blog is suppose to be about, I knew that I should remove the contest.

I would rather have contests to promote my crafts instead. I have so many things I have made, yet I have so many other things to do around the house, kids, etc., before I can finish the next stages.

I still need to take pictures, figure prices, do finishing touches etc. so I can post them and then make even more projects to sell, since I know these will go fast. I have so many ideas in my head that I have the supplies for and need to get them started! But, I need to finish and get rid of what I have so far. (Fingers crossed) But, this is what my blog is suppose to be about along with being an DENSAHW (Disabled empty nester stay at home wife)

So, if you are looking for my post "Win a $50 Visa Card" and cannot find it, this is why. Contact me at CUsmile@comcast.net if you have questions or want the link to vote anyway.But, I think letting it run its own course will be fine. I am sure if it deserves to win, it will. Just so happens it is called "Winnersville"! LOL!

Speed Stick Pit Your Luck Sweepstakes

RYL is Giving Away a Free Asus Netbook!!

Click Here to Enter!

Contest Prize

Asus Eee PC Netbook with Intel Celeron Processor
-Intel Celeron Processor 353
-160GB Serial ATA hard drive
-1GB DDR2 SoDIMM Memory
-8.9″ WSVGA widescreen display
-Built in webcam and 3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
-Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Operating System

Contest Dates

Start (entries can be submitted) - Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Finish (contest closed, no more entries accepted) - Friday, July 31, 2009
Winner Announced - Monday, August 3, 2009

I can think of the 100 different ways this would be useful for Mason at college. Especially carrying it around while he rides his bike from class to class.

Do you guys want to enter? And then give it to me? JUST KIDDING! But, I can think of quite a few of you that REALLY need one! Especially my favorite "nerd" or I am sure you have a need for it also or for someone you know. I could use it myself, but, kids come first!

So, Head over to "Revive Your Life" and Enter to Win The Asus Netbook!

And while you are there, check out the rest of their cool site.

You all know I like to enter contests, but, I enter contests at blogs that I especially like, and I like this one ranks high on my list. I am really glad I found this one! It is a lot different then most.

This is a community-based website that focuses on promoting self improvement and wellness.

Revive: Verb; From L.revivere "to live again"

rethink.renew. revive your life

Here are some of the great posts that everyone;

Refined Sugar and Health
Do You Suffer from Hyperventilation Syndrome?
The Impact of Magnesium Deficiency on Well-Being
What Are Antioxidants and Why Do You Need Them?
The H2O Factor: Hydration Supports Healthy Weight Loss

I found them all very informative, especially the "The Impact of Magnesium Deficiency on Well Being". I had been diagnosed with severe deficiencies in Vitamins D, B, and other things. To my surprise, there are a LOT of folks deficient in Vitamin D. I would have thought living in Hawaii and Florida would have given me enough to last my entire life but, I guess moving to the PNW was my downfall. Who knows why, just that it is common and folks should check into it.

The recent Post

"Do Before you die - A Bucket List" is one I really enjoyed.

A little preview:

Instead of hiding from death by putting strict limitations on your life, it should be accepted and subsequently used as motivation to reap the benefits life has to offer and get the most out of it while you still have the time.

While the glimmer of Hollywood production values and the combined talents of two respected actors shed an entertaining light on having a “bucket list,” the film consequently reinvented the notion of living as if there may be no tomorrow. If everyone compiled a list of goals they want to achieve before they die, it would not only help many come to terms with their impending fate, but also allow them to feel complete and satisfied with their lives when the time comes.

The article goes on to talk about some ideas about what you might want on your "list" or just finding what it is that inspires you so that even if you have accepted death, you can still have a more inspiring, purposeful life that you find that completness and comfort in.. I would hate to think that I, for instance, would let my disability get in the way of doing the things that make me happy down to my heart and soul and that I derive a feeling of completeness from.

Sitting around and using my illness as an excuse not to live my life to its fullest gives me the willies. I do not want to pass on thinking I did not do all I can do to grow in spirit, love and adventure. I have so much I want to do, especially for my kids. I want to make sure I leave behind a lot of memories for them and my grandkids. I don't want them to remember me as someone that just sat around miserable all the time.

So, go and check it out and enter to win. You do need to sign up for a subscription, but, I think this is one you will get lots of insight from.

Wanna Win a Dyson?

I want one and I even have a Oreck!

Now, My Orek works great, but, it just so happens it sucks so hard it is hard for me to push since you all know my arms don't work that well!

I am thinking this will transform to move itself and all I have to do is guide it! Plus I am hoping I can turn it into a blower to blow off my porches, drive way and then it will extend all the way up to blow off my roof and all the gunk in my gutters. Yes, it can be done!

Just click here: Enter to win a Dyson from Mamaanista! And follow the directions for entry. You can even earn extra entries if you want.

To learn more click: Dyson.

Just think of all the possibilities this machine can turn into to help you out, especially when you are disabled!

Bellingham Herald "McHenry ready for test at USATF Championships"

Mason at the ASU Invitational back in March. Photo by David Daer

Bellingham Herald Article

Former Sehome standout Mason McHenry says he
is not intimidated about going head-to-head with world champion distance runner
Bernard Lagat, NCAA Champion 800 meter champion Andrew Wheating or the rest of
the nation's best middle distance runners.

At the same time, he said he isn't
setting his sights too high for this weekend's 800 at the 2009 United States
Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., either.

"I just want to go out there and have
some fun," McHenry said in a phone interview. "I had a pretty good season, so
I'm looking at this as sort of a bonus."

If McHenry manages to finish
well enough, he could receive another bonus - a trip to Berlin,
Germany, to represent his country in the International Association of Athletic
Federations World Track and Field Championships.

To earn that trip, McHenry would need to
finish in the top three in the only event in which he will be participating. The
first round of the 800 will be held Thursday, June 25, with the semifinals
scheduled to follow on Friday, June 26, and the finals set for Sunday, June
28.

"I figure it will take about a (time of 1
minute, 44 seconds)," said McHenry, who just completed his freshman season at
Arizona State University. "Probably not (something he can accomplish) this year,
but it's definitely something I think I'll be able to do it in a year or
two."
McHenry's best time in the 800 is a 1:47.76 he ran during the NCAA
Indoor season at a national championships qualifier at Iowa State.

His best time during the outdoor season
was a 1:48.25 on March 28 at the ASU Invitational. At the time, that was one of
the fastest collegiate times in the nation.

He was hoping to improve upon that mark
at the Pac-10 Conference Championships in May, but a late-season bout with
bronchitis slowed him and held him to a 21st-place finish.

"Initially, I was a little surprised by
how things were going to start my freshman year," McHenry said. "It was a little
rough at the end because of the illness. I wasn't happy with how the season
ended there at the Pac-10 Championships, but overall, I thought I had a pretty
good year."
McHenry said the Sun Devils had him focusing almost solely on
running the middle distance events, which helped him improve his times quickly
in his first year in college.

Though he ran mostly the 800 - an event
he won a 2008 Class 2A state championship as a senior at Sehome - the Sun Devils
also used McHenry a little in the 1,500 and on the 4x400 relay.
"Basically, I
think it helped me to just be running all year and to have some really good
training partners and coaches to work with," he said. "Coming to college, it was
just a matter of stepping up to another level. I realized pretty quickly that if
I did what they told me to do and start making the steps they asked me to make,
I could be pretty successful."

Among the areas the ASU coaching staff
had McHenry focus on was more weight training. They also tried to bring more
speed to his middle-distance with some sprint-like training.

And now he hopes that work will help him
this weekend in Oregon.
"I'm not surprised that I'm running on this level,"
McHenry said. "I guess I always thought I could make it here. Maybe I am a
little surprised that it has happened so quickly. I didn't think I'd make it
here after my first year of running college track."

Now that he's here, it's not an
opportunity he plans to waste.
"I plan to use this as a learning experience,"
McHenry said. "I'm going to go out and do the best that I can do and see what I
can do against the best runners in the country. If I make it (to Berlin for the
IAAF World Championships) that would be really exciting, but this year I'm just
trying to lay the groundwork for the years to come."

Reach David Rasbach at
david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2271.

USATF CHAMPIONSHIPS
When: Thursday
through Sunday, June 25-28
Site: Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore.
TV schedule:
Friday - 5-7 p.m., ESPN; Saturday - 4:30-6:30 p.m., ESPN; Sunday - 1-3 p.m., Ch.
5
800 meters schedule: Thursday - 5:35 p.m. preliminaries; Friday - 6:10 p.m.
semifinals; Sunday - 1:53 p.m. final

We, Papa, Mama, your sisters, the Herald plus numerous folks in the community that have been
supporting Mason are so proud that he made it this far his first year in
Collegiate Track and Field.

Little did we know when he decided to quit baseball his sophmore year that his words "I am not quitting to Loose" would ring so true!

I guess it runs in the family since all our kids have the same determination. We are so proud of our children who all have worked hard to attain their goals no matter how hard it gets. They all have been through a lot but never loose sight of what they really want or loose their determination even if they have to walk through fire to get there. I could not be more proud of all of all of my children.

Your whole family and friends plus many in our community are proud of you son! We know that you
will be going far in the years to come no matter what happens today.