Rebecca Homecca

Today is Leap Day. We all know the story about the calender and earth’s rotation, whatever.
I like to think of it as a FREE DAY.

I think everyone should get Leap Day off. I think people should be able to stay home and take the day off. No cleaning or anything. Just relaxing. So that we too can catch up.

I mean is one day in four years too much to ask for?

I don’t think so.

But alas, I was at work doing very un-leap day activities. Which if I were home celebrating the Leap, these would include

Catching up on TIVO programs.

Eating Cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Petting the cat.

Taking a nap.

No eating out or big “Leap Appliance Deals” (Lowest prices in four years!). Because even the retailers and eateries would have to close. It would be the law. No Commerce on Leap Day!

Oh, and I have lots of laws I would like to enact. This is just one of many.

I hope you enjoy the Leap and are able to partake in some Leap Day Fun!

Just a quick AI note-

I was sad to see Gap Tooth get sent home the other night. The rest I all agree with. But she was better than some of the people left on, even if she did make a poor song choice.

And how sad was her reaction? She’s only 16, that’s alot to deal with!

Finally! Pictures from my Art Show. Click on the picture to check out my flickr site where there are more pictures of the gallery and individual pics of each painting.

As you can see, since the gallery is in the Chamber of Commerce, it’s pretty low key. Which is good for those of us who are not professional artists. Not so much pressure. It’s a nice way for people to see your work in a comfortable setting. Another nice thing is they don’t charge as much commission as “regular” galleries. Helps keep them affordable for friends and family to buy.

Because generally, when your not a pro, that’s whose buying. But believe me – I appreciate every sale! I’m glad others can enjoy my hobby. (it also helps  pay for the framing!) Not to mention the fact the more I sell, the less we will have to move!!

So  for those of you who could not make it, enjoy the virtual gallery! Thanks for coming! You will have to provide your own snacks.

AI notes from Wednesday

Carly Smithson aka: The Irish Girl

Perfect song choice and Heart is not easy to sing but she pulled it off. (It’s also very difficult on Guitar Hero) Mixed Reviews from the judges. I loved it.

Syesha aka: Cute Big Hair Girl

The baby cry in the interview was annoying. I don’t know about this song, but I always prefer something more upbeat. Girl can sing though. No doubt about that. Judges agree.

Brooke White aka: Blonde Hippy

LOVE HER. Love her voice and her personality. Perfect song choice. She is not a “big” voice singer, which the judges seem to prefer, but they are liking her. Yeah! I’m not loving the guitar this time, however.

Ramiele Malubay aka:Hula Girl

Yikes. I remember another hula montage (Sanjaya anyone?) that did not end well…

Not loving this hair. Bad song choice, it does not suit her at all. Girl can sing, but you wouldn’t know it tonight. Judges agree.

Kristy Lee Cook aka: Alleged Tom Boy

I find her generally very vanilla. But this was her best performance so far. Kind of kicked it up a notch. She also clearly busted out the miracle bra for tonight (pun intended). Might help her with votes. I think Simon got it right, when he said he did not know how to label her sound. She’s very non-descript. I think she should hook up with Who Cares from last night and lead a mediocre life together.

Amanda Overmeyer aka: Skunk Head

I am unable to discuss how terrible that hair is tonight. Glad your pants match your head. And thank you for wrecking one the best songs of all time (Carry on my Wayward Son -also awesome on Guitar Hero). I feel a little bad for her because the judge tore her apart worse than I just did. But for the love of Kansas, please vote her off.

Alaina Whitaker aka: Gap Tooth

Started out ok, got a little rough in the middle (As Randy would say). I was excited to hear some Olivia Newton John, but she did not do her justice. I don’t like that dress at all, even though I wore a very similar one to Homecoming once…but we won’t go there.

Alexandrea Lushington aka: I think her real name is mouthful enough

First of all, did she stop by AI on her way to a camping trip? That outfit is terrible in 10 different ways. I did not love her performance, and neither did she. So there you go.

Kady Malloy aka: The Impersonator

Worst song choice ever. Almost as bad as her outfit. It was uncomfortable to listen to.

Asia’h aka: Bad Extensions

There is a lot going wrong here. First of all those hair extensions look terrible. And there is way too much make-up going on. She looks like one of those kiddie beauty queens. She was one of my faves last week, but not good singing tonight. I hope she does not get voted off because of it. Oh, and-Melanie Griffith from Working Girl called and she wants her outfit back.

Becky Out

here is my rundown of Tuesdays episode typed while watching it live on TIVO.

Micheal Johns aka: the Aussie

Despite the fact that I have a major crush on him(maybe it’s the accent), I have to say, his singing was not great. Judges seem to agree.
Jason Castro aka: Dreadlock kid

Should not talk and is an idiot. However, I love his smile and his singing. He has a little bit of a coffee house sound, so am not sure if the AI audience will like him as much as I do. But I hope so! The judges aren’t digging his vibe tonight. Bummer.

Luke Menard aka: Who cares?

Not a fan of him as a person. Also, his singing is annoying and he should be on cruise ship. Or maybe it’s just the song. Simon hit the nail on the head.

Robibe Carrico aka: Joe Dirt

I hate it when people mime the words the song (ie: holding up 3 fingers when saying “Hundred and Three”). This guy is about as rock and roll as a stick. I don’t know what that means for sure, except that he needs to cut his hair, shave his stupid beard and join Who Cares on the cruise ship. Judges agree.

Danny Noriega aka: The Girl

I hate that sweater and you need a hair cut. He is too sappy for me. He might be better off as the fifth member in a boy band. I think the judges are as confused as he is.

David Hernandez aka: The Gymnist

I think he should join The Girl in a boy band. He could be the guy who is supposed to be “street”. I do not like this song, well at least when he sings it. The judges seem to like it though. Sometimes I wonder if we are watching the same show.

Jason Yeager aka: Goofy Highlight Head

His dancing is all kinds of dorky. But at least he has some energy. His singing isn’t bad, but bad song I think. Not great song choices tonight, maybe it’s just the 70’s theme. Judges agree about that.

Chikezie aka: Jacuzzi or at least that’s what Simon called him

Dude is cool. I like the blues thing he had going. Although, 1984 called and they want their shirt back. Judges liked it too.

David Cook aka: Rock N Roll Combover

Now THIS guy is rock n roll. I love that he is playing the guitar (I love that instruments are allowed this year!). But having said all that, he is two hairs away from being the bald rock guy from last year, who’s name escapes me right now…even though he is all famous now.

David Archuletta aka: The 17 year old

First of all he is singing one of my least favorite songs ever. (Imagine by John Lennon-Most overrated song ever. Sorry Beatle’s fans) I have not been a fan of this kid from the beginning. Not much has changed. The screaming girls in the audience tell me he will be sticking around a while. He could be the lead in the aformentioned Boy Band. The judges also love him, for whatever reason. Is Paula crying? gag.

I love Tivo. 1 1/2 hour show in 45 minutes.

I think the name of the Boy Band should be

We are not cool enough to sing on our own.

hmmm…that’s kind of long

Better in a Group? oh wait, Group Hug! Yep that’s it. Group Hug.

These are the snow covered trees I talked about last week. I finished them last night. I was not too excited about the painting last week, but when I pulled it out to finish it looked better to me. That happens a lot. Sometimes you have to walk away from a painting for a while because you get to much of your head into it.

I did not want to have the edges showing, but in doing so I cut out some of the painting. I am not the photographer in the family (obviously). So here is another picture.

I wanted to show the naked trees on the sides. I thought they were kind of haunting and interesting. I originally had intended to paint them all, but they looked so stark I decided to leave them as is.

Some folks commented on my Traveling the World post the other day with some links to more love spread so I wanted to make sure nobody missed them!

http://bilodeaufamily.blogspot.com/

http://ethiopiantripletland.blogspot.com/

Also my friends heading to South Africa have a new blog

 http://dicoccoville.blogspot.com

enjoy!

Did anyone watch the Oscars last night?

Yeah, me neither.

I did watch some of the pre-game though in order to catch some fashions. I noticed a lot of red and a lot of black. Katherine Hiegl rocked the red the best.

Amy Adams was my favorite in that dark green number. But mostly I just loved that she was carrying a vintage purse.

Everyone’s talking about how great Jennifer Garner looked but I think her personality is so sweet, no one would ever bad mouth her anyway.

My least favorite was Cameran Diaz, but only because I thought she should have done something with her hair. She looks like she just got back from the gym! Also, her skin looked terrible. She may want to stop surfing so much. The sun and and salt are doing a number.

And I have no comments about this.

Yesterday since the sun was shining (no coat!) I decided to spend the afternoon going to some of my favorite antique stores. There are a few within a couple of blocks of each other, so it makes it really easy to park and stroll. I also drove a couple streets over to one I had heard about but had not been to yet.

I should have taken my camera to share all the treasures I saw. But I didn’t, so you will just have to take my word for it. I found a cute teapot, some fun little picnic baskets, and some really fun dishes. I did not buy any of it, but it was fun to look at!

I also found several items that I would like to use for a bedside table but they were all way too expensive. One of the things was there last time I was in, so I may check back on it later and see if the price comes down.

We are going to need to get a new dining room table at our new house. We currently have a tiny dining area with a small table. The new place has a huge dining room, so our table is going to look a little silly. Not that I am planning on purchasing anything right away. I mostly just wanted to look around and get an idea of what I want.

Oh, and I still don’t know. I guess that means more shopping in fun stores!

There are 2 kinds of antique stores. The first few are in category 1. They take the time to fix things up, and display them in a pleasing way. They also think their stuff is worth a lot of money. Oh, and they usually have a kitty hanging around. The first few stores I was in are in category 1.
The new store I found is in category 2. There is just stuff everywhere, in all states of disrepair. It’s one of those dig through a pile of junk to find a gem store.

Oh, and the owner tends to be a little crotchety, but willing to haggle.

I did not have the time or energy for that kind of shopping yesterday. But it was a good store to know about. If you are looking to match hardware or fixtures in an old home, they probably have it. I also found a leaded glass window that I thought would make a fabulous end table for like $20. They had tons of old stained glass and wrought iron things that I would like to go back and stare at. I think they must have good deals because the place was packed with people and they were buying.

There used to be a 3rd category store around town, but they all closed because they could make more money on the internet. They were in large spaces, with tons of stuff. But it was not a mess, because they had so much room. And the pricing was always reasonable. But the last one of those closed last summer. I was all kinds of bummed out. I loved to go there a stare at stuff. I guess I should have actually purchased something once in a while. Then maybe they would still be there.

There is a lot of love traveling around the world these days.

Boomama (one of my favorite bloggers ever) just returned from Uganda. I hope you will read about her experience. It is so moving. There are links to blogs of her traveling companions that are inspirational and let you know how you can send some love from home.

Meanwhile, some friends of ours are saying goodbyes to family and friends to head to South Africa for a long term mission. They have packed up their family and as much of their belongings as they could fit in suitcases to follow God’s leading to another part of the world.

In the other direction, I came across this blog about a family that recently adopted three (3!) beautiful children from Liberia. Bringing home the love.

It warms me from the inside out to read their stories. Which is just what I needed to chase away this February feeling. All three are going through changes in there hearts, minds, and homes.

I’m going to say a prayer for these folks, some I know, some I don’t. I hope you will to.