Creativity Group

Movie Review: Julie and Julia

2010-01-05T13:18:00.002-06:00

I finally watched Julie and Julia on New Year's Eve. I've wanted to see it since it came out knowing nothing more about it than who starred and that the main character was cooking through Julia's cookbook.I THOROUGHLY enjoyed Meryl Streep's performance, and I fell in love with Stanley Tucci's Paul Child - what a doll. I love the way he didn't try to talk Julia out of being upset when her sister

New Blog: Pioneer Stock

2009-06-10T19:37:00.002-05:00

Our move to the country has prompted us to try to be more self-sufficient. Thus my blog and facebook are filled with comments about activities related to gardening, livestock, and cooking. Although these are extremely creative activities, they do not "fit" within the "Creativity Group" umbrella of art.Therefore, all this quaint, country, self-sufficiency stuff will be logged on the new site:

100 Baby Chicks (continued)

2009-06-03T10:11:00.003-05:00

Now there are 103 baby chicks. We suspect trampling was the cause of the fuzzball's demise. 1 out of 104 isn't a bad loss, I guess.They are all just eating, drinking, chirping and crapping away! The storage tubs are getting REALLY crowded. Monty has everything he needs to build the new baby chicken coop with brooder (thingy with warming lamps) to go in it. Now all he needs is a couple more days

Today . . . .

2009-06-03T09:59:00.002-05:00

Went to the Cattle Sale this morning and bought a regular size pressure cooker ($12 T-Fal no-stick with the instructions & recipes, almost new!), an old used crock pot for soap-making ($4), and LOTS of fresh veggies including green beans, little yellow squash, tiny red potatoes, a bunch of Bermuda onions, 2 big containers of broccoli, a big fresh rutabaga, 2 small watermelons, and a basket of

We lost a baby chick . . .

2009-06-01T22:33:00.001-05:00

This happened last week:I'm so ANGRY!!! We lost a baby chick tonight.Today, I moved those week-old nasty buzzards out of my dining room where those warm lamps were making their little chicken smells waft all through the kitchen. I took them and put them in the garage after carefully running an extension cord just right so I could keep their little butts warm. It was great. The garage is about 10

Describing the Garden

2009-06-01T11:51:00.002-05:00

The following post is an email (letter) I wrote to a friend today describing the garden. I'm including it in this blog, because I like it.Dear Kathleen:I’ve taken classes at the county extension for gardening and at Petals from the Past, and we have the most humongous garden I’ve ever attempted this year. I’ve got 3 tomato areas: the main “eating” tomatoes area has 5 bamboo tepees under which

The State of the Farm Address: or how are we doing on the plan I discussed in December

2009-05-29T22:50:00.003-05:00

In December, I mentioned that we planned to plant a larger scale garden here and get some animals.The garden is about a 60 ft x 60 ft horseshoe-shaped area with various plantings. We have 5 tomato tepees with 5 plants each underneath. The tomatoes are interplanted with green and purple basil and surrounded by marigolds for insect control.There are about 50 white potatoes and 50 red potatoes

2 more critters . . .

2009-05-29T22:36:00.002-05:00

The kittens born to our friend James turned 6 weeks old today, and the children were chomping at the bit to go get 'em!I had bought a pet carrier - yeah, right! As if the kids would let the kittens be in the car without one of them holding the kittens! They are the CUTEST kitties ever! They are tiny with dark black color all over mixed with tan and mottled everywhere. If it was a dog, I'd call it

Speedy Delivery!!

2009-05-29T15:04:00.002-05:00

A man at the post office called this morning to let me know my chickens had arrived. I had that little anxious moment where you think, "Oh, crap!" Then I took a deep breath and began to mentally prepare for what lay ahead. We got to the post office around noon, and the lady behind the desk brought me a box - just one box - full of 100 chickens!!!!! No extra space whatsoever! If you can imagine

Out in the kudzu patch this morning . . .

2009-05-29T14:42:00.003-05:00

I was walking - no trudging - around looking at a sea of ruby red future jewels. Every now and then, my eye would catch a gleaming black-garnet jewel, and I would pick it and add it to my growing bucket-load of ripe blackberries.I don't know why I'm so motivated by FREE fruit, but I'm willing to wear long pants, hot rubber boots, and layers of Off bug spray and get out in the snakey kudzu for the

Today is the day!!!

2009-03-23T08:06:00.003-05:00

OK! I've HAD it! I'm sick of doing things the same old way. I absolutely love so many things about my life, but I'm sick of the way I'm living it!! The day has come where I will no longer do things passively, boringly, or ploddingly!!I'm starting a creativity group! There will be the online component, but there will be actual people who actually come fact to face often to interact and BE creative

Chocolat redux

2009-03-21T03:38:00.003-05:00

OMG, as my 13-year-old would say! Tonight I watched it again for probably only the second time and WOW!!! More impressed even than the first time.This film has so many levels of intrigue for me. The characters are rich. The look of the film is hypnotic. The actors are so incredible that I am transported! I want to wear ONLY red pumps from now on! So many issues of mine are explored here. There is

'Tis the Season: 2008

2008-12-11T23:01:00.005-06:00

This is a picture of our family at our new house in Clanton! Our new address is 1403 Gate Post Road, Clanton AL 35046. We kept our old cell phone numbers. I've put in a "land line," but I'm getting so many calls looking for the person who used to have the number, I may trade it in. I wish he had paid his bills . . . .Anyway, we finally got a dog! We were totally set up by some friends (thank you,

I saw her today . . . .

2008-03-03T21:36:00.003-06:00

She was bright-eyed and alert and sitting in her wheelchair in the doorway of her room facing the hallway. Across her lap was a strange cushion shaped to fit under the arms of the wheelchair. This kept her from getting up out of the chair while she recovers from the stress fracture in her back.Her teeth were out. Again. Apparently, she won't leave them in. Makes sense.She answered every question,

2007: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

2007-11-25T13:30:00.003-06:00

2007: The Montalbano Family’s Year in Review2007 has been a whirlwind of happenings. I thought life was supposed to get boring after 40! Following is a detailed update on the Montalbano family. In early January, my niece Stacy (Rod's daughter) moved to Birmingham! This has been

Poem:

2006-12-31T09:49:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2006 Attempt at Funny Poetry That Conveys What’s Happened To Us In The Past 12 Months By Rebecca Montalbano 'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,Everybody was hyper, even the mouse! The stockings were jam-packed with Pez and Lego Blocks In hopes that

2006: The Year in Review

2006-12-31T08:03:00.000-06:00

January:I had graduated with my Master's degree in December, and now all I had to do was TEACH. I designed lessons plans and tried to engage the students with interesting projects and practical experiences. I didn't meet with a great deal of enthusiasm. My teaching team was great, however, and we came up with a plan for a 4-week intense math and reading remediation for all 6th graders before

Merry Christmas, Baby!

2006-12-24T20:58:00.000-06:00

B.B. King is jammin' on this great song while the kids sit around the tree, watching the lights twinkle and trying to guess some of their presents. They are SO excited they can't imagine being able to go to sleep. The two little girls are wearing their new slippers and cozy robes. The big kids know it's just too stinkin' hot to wear snuggly clothes with temperatures in the 60s. Tomorrow, they'll

"Frankie Goes to Hooverwood"

2006-08-18T19:09:00.000-05:00

Well, here he is! Frank (I'm calling him Frank until the students democratically select a name) is probably going to be our class pet!He's a leopard gecko rescued from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina last year. Frank did not emerge from the catastrophe unscathed; he contracted health problems that have since been resolved but keep him from being proper, acceptable breeding stock. He's

Happy Mother's Day!

2006-05-15T21:13:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, with Dad in the surgery recovery area, my brothers and I decided that Mom needed a bath and I was the one to do it. Oh, holy crap. My neuroses kicked into high gear. They were right, but I'm still SUCH a huge baby. I didn't want to do this thing. I don't want to step up to this plate and do the responsible thing. Damnit! This grownup shit is completely overrated.So after a wakeful

Dad had congestive heart failure . . .

2006-05-15T20:58:00.000-05:00

on Friday. The second I got the word, my dominoes began cascading down very quickly. I had to get to Mom and Dad at the hospital. I had to get someone to pick up Mom and take her to the apartment and sit with her until one of my brothers arrived to take over. I had to call my three brothers and get them to GET HERE asap after work. I had to be with my Dad while he panicked from not getting enough

Ropes Course, of course . . . .

2006-04-26T20:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we took a group of 6th grade girls to a "ropes" course in the woods of Pell City, Alabama, at Camp Winnataska. It was a fabulous experience that (hopefully) served to build the girls' confidence and their relationships with us and each other.Surprisely, one of the most difficult exercises for them was the first: the trust fall. In the gym before we hit the woods, we practiced falling

Does anybody really know what time it is? Care?

2006-04-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

Because of the way this job has affected me, I've let my fitness routine diminish, I've lost contact with lots of friends who bring me joy and laughter, and I've done almost NOTHING creative in months. I want my life back. Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes; how do you measure a year? It's tough to trade a year of your life (especially at this age) to a job. I will never do

by the way . . .

2006-02-08T20:12:00.000-06:00

my 20-year COLLEGE reunion is this coming weekend, and I'm in blech-ville. CRAP! mf, gd *&%$#* BLECH!

Blech.

2006-02-08T20:09:00.000-06:00

Blech blech-blech blechity blech. Blechy blech blech blah blah blah blah. Blahdee blahdeeblah, blechity blech. Blah blah blech blech, blech blah. BLAH!!!!!

Is it me? or it is just February?

2006-02-08T19:54:00.000-06:00

Blech. The days are wet and gray or falsely warm-looking until the wind hits your face - either way, they are unwelcoming.I'd like to climb into bed tonight and wake up to March. I know there will be some beautiful days in February - there always are - but I'm in a hurry.I'm in a funk. It's like someone draped a sadness net over me and I couldn't find my way out struggling, so I just gave up. I'm

Seven Days in Bham

2006-01-07T19:40:00.000-06:00

One week into 2006 and things are already a little bit better. I've done my lesson plans through March 29 (purely tentative, but workable), I've had my hair cut, and I've met with my friend/trainer Johnny to get encouragement and instruction on my fitness routines. The bills are paid, the 20th (OH GOD!!!) reunion tickets for Montevallo are purchased and babysitting has been scheduled for February

2005: the year in review

2006-01-01T19:18:00.001-06:00

It's always good to reflect on the past year as you look forward to the new one. Therefore, on this New Year's Day of 2006, I reflect!Last January was the coldest, grayest, most hideously lonely month I can remember . . . EVER! My best friend had moved away and had begun pushing me away bit by bit with me stomping the brakes and screetching, "NO! NO!" the whole way. Christmas had passed and Sean

Ebony and Irony

2005-09-24T17:32:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, it's easy to forget how absolutely bazaar some aspects of my life really are until a conversation with someone outside the family leaves them stunned, jaws agape, sometimes speechless. They take a few seconds to think, then they chuckle like I just gave them the punchline to a poorly conceived (or delivered) joke, and wait for me to say, "Just kidding!" Although I'm a very imaginative

The Teacher

2005-08-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

This past week I assessed students for number concepts and computational skills, and I assessed their writing skills. I am very excited and I wanted to let you know that on Friday, I was able to facilitate meaningful learning in each of my four classes of noisy, boisterous, extremely loud and social 6th grade students (24 to 28 students per class).In groups of four, they were given a grocery

Time . . . .

2005-08-01T22:30:00.000-05:00

Time puts such an interesting perspective on events and people in your life. It never ceases to amaze me how I can feel like someone is SO important to my very existence that I may not be able to continue to breath without their constant communications.However, the sun rises and the sun sets. Every day I wake up, and every night I go to sleep. The people flow in and the people flow out. People

Life-Alteringly Good Nap

2005-05-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

Only when there are projects to complete and final exams to prepare for could a nap be THIS GOOD!I FEEL like I've slept for weeks and my eye's are still dreamy-looking and morning-puffy. It's 4pm and I'm yawning and stretching like it was 7am. Delicious.I dreamt in color with smells. In the dream it was Sean's birthday and there was a party at his parents home. When I arrived, there were oil

Today

2005-04-27T20:25:00.000-05:00

My head hurts.I hurt.My Auntie is dead and buried.My brothers have spoken their piece and left, as usual.My school projects are ALL finished, and I have two final exams next week.My laundry needs DOing, and I'm hungry.I am not an intense curiosity, nor an acquaintance, nor a convenience to be experienced for entertainment. I am a dreadful inconvenience, because I am a real, 3-dimensional person.

Procrastinator Extraordinaire

2005-04-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

Yes. I've done everything I can possibly do to wait until 10 hours and 51 minutes before class time to write this paper. Well, I have much of the drafting done, I have the order together in web form and I'm on page 3 (of probably 10 or so pages total), but I'm really putting this off.No MORE! I've drunk a Monster Energy Drink, I've worked out (weights AND cardio), I've chatted with a girlfriend

Happy Valentine's Day!

2005-04-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

My Funny ValentineWords and Music by R. Rodgers and L. HartMy funny valentine;Sweet, comic valentine;You make me smile with my heart.Your looks are laughable;Unphotographable;Yet, you're my favorite work of art.Is your figure - less than Greek?Is your mouth - a little weak?When you open it to speak, are you smart?Don't change a hair for me;Not if you care for me;Stay, little valentine, stay!Each

A few words on dying . . . .

2005-04-23T18:15:00.000-05:00

A little part of me died today. (Good riddance, by the way.) The part that died is the immature little kid who can't take the rough stuff of a sick, dying relative; the one that is so busy crying, she can't even say the things that need to be said, or hug and kiss that saint of a woman lying in a hospital bed who played such a big part in my whole entire life that I consider her a second mother.I

You gotta have friends . . .

2005-04-21T23:17:00.000-05:00

Blogging entries will continue to be few and far between until finals are finalized (May 2 ish).Meanwhile, the sun still rises and sets on this hard-working, stressed out, 40-year-old Rebecca version 4.0.Life with all its wonder and beauty, its questions and confusions, its pain and plagues assaults me daily with a dose of at least one each. Moments are stolen for me, just me, that I get to savor

Happy 57th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

2005-04-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad unlocked my front door and walked in at 8:30 this morning.No, it was 9:30 and I had forgotten to "spring forward" the clocks last night. Having nowhere to be at any particular time on the Sunday after Easter, it didn't seem all that important. After hugging Mom and kissing her, I went to Dad who whispered as I hugged him, "Today's our 57th anniversary." I gave the raised eyebrow of

The Team is BACK!

2005-03-19T18:36:00.000-06:00

You just have to recognize a truly great day every time one actually happens. In this world of stress, anxiety, and trouble, you MUST appreciate every great thing that comes your way.Today was GREAT! Although my body aches in several key and obscure spots (thank you, Johnny Gregg, personal trainer [oooowwwww!]), I had a day like I haven't had in over a year or so. This day was one in which the

Head still swimming!

2005-03-12T20:48:00.000-06:00

After spending the past two full days in a writer's conference, listening to published author after published author talk about "the craft" of writing, MY HEAD IS JUST SWIMMING!! I've got great ideas on developing characters for my fiction work!I've got to try some of these great techniques in dialogue like dialect and the concept of "voice" and the rich volume of unspoken information that comes

Writing conference this weekend!

2005-03-09T21:56:00.000-06:00

I'm going to a writer's conference at Birmingham Southern all day Friday and Sat. There will be sessions where people talk about character, plot, dialogue, etc. I hope I will be totally inspired and meet some local writers with whom I can meet and have critiques. It would be really great to have people who are doing what I'm doing (writing - not necessarily children's stuff) who are just "in the

Black Sabbath

2005-02-26T19:20:00.000-06:00

Nothing feels warm or comforting.Nothing is bright and full of promise.Nothing feels fantastic.Nothing fabulous, nothing wonderful,Nothing surprising, nothing hilarious. Nothing is beautiful or incredible.Nothing is precious or unique.Going through the motions, without the emotions.Wondering why should I bother.When I quit, the world continues just the same.It is gray outside and black

Turnipgreenzel: A Southern Spoof on Rapunzel

2005-02-21T01:03:00.000-06:00

Turnipgreenzel: A Southern SpoofBy Rebecca MontalbanoRoles for the play:NarratorTom TalbertTina TalbertTess, the terrible taxidermistTurnipgreenzel, the talented, long-haired storytellerTim Tullman, the talented tailorTuck Tanner, the ministerTen siblings (chorus)Narrator: Tom and Tina left their tidy little tin trailer to tell the entire Talbert tribe that after ten years of marriage, they were

Thoughts about Mom today.

2005-02-17T22:39:00.000-06:00

Most people who lose a loved-one do so suddenly - one fell swoop: heart attack, car accident, stroke, aneurism . . . POOF! Gone. They go from having this person they love in their lives to NOT having anything but their intact memories of that person. There's a funeral where all who love that person come to tell you how sad they are for your loss, and they cry with you, tell you what they love

Quiltin' Bee at Big Mama's House

2005-02-13T12:10:00.000-06:00

The beds are made, the dishes are done, and the laundry's on the line.Towels and sheets flap in the breeze, soakin' up sweet sunshine.Casserole's in the oven bakin', and Jell-O's in the fridge.Soon the neighborhood ladies will come, walking up over that ridge.Today we're makin' a log cabin quilt for Aunt Elsie's grandbaby, Sue.There'll be huggin' and stitchin' and talkin', and later some good

thirty nine and twelve twelfths

2005-01-28T01:28:00.000-06:00

I am forty. . . . . no. that's not it. Forty-year-old me . . . . uh-uh. On the fortieth anniversary of my arrival on Planet Earth . . . . crap, no. To celebrate the commencement of my forty-first year of life . . . Oh, GOD no. I am forty. Consumed with my own fortyousness, I must express inner thoughts from me. Oh, crap, how did this happen? How did this much time pass this quickly?

Poem by Heath

2005-01-24T18:43:00.000-06:00

Following is a poem written by a student in the 2nd grade class I taught last week. It is not hot in winter. It is not cold in summer. The breeze feels so fine. The bears come out like the hare. In the West, the deer are here; A fine time to fish, A happy holiday for hunting. The deer come out really good. But the best thing about holidays is You get to be with your Family and friends. Love,

Substitute: Day 3 - Friday

2005-01-23T18:10:00.000-06:00

On Friday, I returned to the same classroom as the 2 previous days and began the day with counting lunches and sending in the report and money. Afterwards, we moved right into our spelling test. I found one precious little second grader looking at her list in her desk to cheat, and I made her retake her spelling test later. After that, we had story time where I read "Ira Sleeps Over." The

Substitute: Day 2

2005-01-20T23:11:00.000-06:00

Today, with a full day of learning ahead of us, I began the day by taking roll and lunch. I began by reading "The Story about Ping" by Marjorie Flack. The children were quite attentive during the reading time, and seemed very engaged with the story. I had them pay close attention to the illustrations as I walked around the room. When story time was over, I gave out unlined paper and asked them

Reading Tutor - Session 1

2005-01-20T23:05:00.000-06:00

I began tutoring a struggling reader in 2nd grade today, and for documentation purposes, I'll call her Carla. We met very briefly last week to learn each other's names, so today I began our 45 minute session by introducing myself and asking her about herself. She is a very sweet and somewhat shy little girl. I asked her if she'd rather read to me first, or rather me read to her. She wanted me

Anger Management: Reality Bites and Licks

2005-01-20T00:33:00.000-06:00

I'd love to say that I'm perfect, I always consider the feelings of others above my own, and that I practice the Golden Rule every day. Reality, however, says that I'm controlling, self-centered, harsh, and demanding. Joining me in the fantasy life in which I attempt to indulge every day of my life - the one in which I push every envelope, explore every facet of every interest, emote and stir

Substitute: Day 1

2005-01-20T00:19:00.000-06:00

Today, after my morning class, I went to a nearby elementary school to substitute for a sick teacher. I had subbed there before, and was honored to be asked to return. A second grade class of 18 students awaited my arrival, and after a brief introduction and a scrambled together planning session with another teacher, we lined up and headed for lunch. When we returned from lunch, we immediately

DND527

2005-01-18T21:32:00.000-06:00

DND527 A Short Story by Rebecca Montalbano"Crap! I bit my tongue again! This disease is a real pain!" Sunti brushed off her genuine concern with a light chuckle.Gorl and Mokti exchanged nervous glances before Mokti joined in the faux laughter. The disease wasn't supposed to progress this quickly, and the doctors and their research assistant knew it. When Sunti was diagnosed, they both knew

I drive me completely crazy!

2005-01-17T18:40:00.000-06:00

Admittedly, it's not a long-distance drive (in the South, we'd say "fur piece") or anything, but I absolutely don't understand myself sometimes. When faced with the syllabi (plural for syllabus, because syllabusses sounds so stupid and syllabi doesn't?), I'm plunking down the necessary time to read about 40 novels between now and May, no less than 4 textbooks, countless articles, and who knows

Story Draft: Going to Auntie's House

2005-01-12T10:16:00.000-06:00

My Aunt Estelle's house was right up the street from ours, and that's where I always wanted to be. Because she wasn't my mother and didn't bear the burden of making sure I grew into a proper young lady, Auntie always let me be myself. I knew she loved me like crazy, and I always wanted to go to Auntie’s house. Auntie never had children of her own, and she loved having me visit all the time. When

Jessie's Stuff

2004-12-03T19:16:00.000-06:00

Shrinky Dinks charm bracelets

2004-01-02T01:52:00.000-06:00

CDs bookmarks

2003-12-11T13:52:00.000-06:00

Haiku-Ribqah

2003-12-10T23:29:00.000-06:00

Bookmarks were a blast! Laminating really rocks! Creativity!

Haiku Tag

2003-12-10T23:26:00.000-06:00

Let's play Haiku Tag! I got this from Rama at www.ramahughes.com. write your own haiku, number it, sign it, send it to me and your friends. invite them to play. ask them to number, sign, and send their own haikus. When we've all done our Haiku volleying, I'll forward them to Rama! Rules for Haiku: Haiku is, today, a 17-syllable verse form consisting of three metrical units of 5, 7, and 5

JRAG Mac may join us! Look!

2003-12-09T16:42:00.000-06:00

Here's a sample of his art:

Bookmarks - Ribqah - Monday

2003-12-08T23:22:00.000-06:00

Here are the collages from my own photography/art:

JG's bookmarks

2003-12-08T14:58:00.000-06:00

JG submitted these bookmarks:

Ribqah's Bookmarks - Sunday

2003-12-07T20:45:00.000-06:00

Here are the bookmarks that I think are the best of the little collages I did out of magazines. I'm working on some now from my own photography/art that will not have any copyright problems.

Intro (vetrio?)

2003-12-02T08:57:00.000-06:00

Hello, Chuck here. Life without a creative outlet would be a shame. Some of us need not explain. Our output will be your gain. I love taking artistic digital photos. I enjoy turning them into music videos (Musical Moving Pictures). I hope to share some of my work when I find a place to park them. This is all for now.........

A day at Old Baker Farms . . . .

2003-11-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

Our family team has many traditions that we have initiated year by year! One of our favorites is to head out to Old Baker Farms to scout out and cut down the perfect Christmas tree! We headed out of the house at 11am to perfect weather! Brisk wind, 45 degrees or so, not a cloud in the sky! We arrived at the farm and noticed the hayride wagon ready to roll, the riding pony saddled and ready for a

Painting again!!

2003-11-29T08:49:00.000-06:00

One more painting!

Painting Today!!

2003-11-28T00:14:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Day with the FAM was a blast. More later. After all children were in bed, I picked up the paintbrushes and got creative. I had purchased 2 wooden cabinet knobs/drawpulls over a month ago. I wanted to paint a simple design on them and see how they sell. I did a red tulip on a sky blue background on one, and a red coffee cup on the other. After I spray them with glossy finish, I'll