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amazgrace

Love is a light that burns without scorching ~ Peter Markellos

About Me

Well . . . ME is currently under construction or deconstruction, you can look at it as a glass either half empty or full! LOL! Asking the BIG questions of Who I am and What the hell am I doing here? And don't forget the whine of WHY ME?? LOL!! But for the most part, I AM an optimistic soul, cheerful, thrifty and brave. My friends will tell you that I am generous and warm, thoughtful and caring. Funny too with a HUGE helping of mischievousness! LOL! Like Paul's Grandfather in a "Hard Day's Night", I'm "a villain, a real mixer" Though, there are NO "breach of promises"! LOL! But there is nothing I like better than to "poke the beehive" just to see what happens. Nothing ever malicious. Always with compassion and good humor.
But I am insatiably curious, always wanting to know and willing to research the answer. I also have what I call my "ET Syndrome". I CAN NOT resist aiding anyone who needs me. Whether it is emotional, or spiritual, or more concrete. It's like a compulsion. But HEY everybody don't come running!! I still have a healthy sense of self preservation!!! LOL!!
On the con side, I can be impatient and blunt. Short tempered too, especially when tired. I absolutely loath being told what to do. If I am NOT given a good argument for it, I am apt to head in the opposite direction, contrary wench that I am. A Spitfire I've been told. *grins* I am also extremely gulliable. Feed me a good line and I will fall for it hook, line, and sinker! BUT Ahh! You only get the one shot!! LOL!!
For the less metaphysical and more mundane side . . . I am NOW a freelance graphic designer. Been in the Biz for over 20 years. Just left the Corporate Job to strike off on my own. I use to work primarily in consumer food packaging. Basically graphics for anything that you would find in a grocery store. Nowadays, I will dabble in most anything. Just drop me a line and we can see if I can help you graphically!
I LOVE the Beatles and I love to go with my 5 year old daughter to see live music. Oh, and of course the obligatory walks in the rain, pina coladas, champagne, GUINNESS BEER, AND JAMESONS IRISH WHISKEY! LOVE THOSE IRISHMAN!!! Hahahaha!!!
Your Five Factor Personality Profile
Extroversion:
You have high extroversion.
You are outgoing and engaging, with both strangers and friends.
You truly enjoy being with people and bring energy into any situation.
Enthusiastic and fun, you're the first to say "let's go!"
Conscientiousness:
You have medium conscientiousness.
You're generally good at balancing work and play.
When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.
But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it.
Agreeableness:
You have high agreeableness.
You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.
Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.
You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance.
Neuroticism:
You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.
Openness to experience:
Your openness to new experiences is high.
In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.
You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.
A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything. The Five Factor Personality Test

My Interests



Right now the major interest is MUSIC! Seeing it performed live and learning how to play an instrument. This is a major departure for me since my whole life before has always been focused on the visual. As a graphic designer, I've done drawing, watercolor painting, pottery, stained glass, all sorts of arts and crafts. Stuff that you do with your eyes and your hands. Now I am going to try to cut a new groove in my creativity and to quote my Guitar Teacher, work on my "kinesthetic auditory skills" LOL! My EARS to hand coordination!

I'll try most anything once, unless it endangers life and limb! Always interested in learning new things. Libraries, Bookstores, Museums, Zoos are a few of my favorite places to visit. LOVE seeing live music performed and hanging with the gal pals! Love good food, red wine, dark beers & whiskey. And I love to meet new people. Everyone has a story to tell. It's always facinating to discover what it is. To quote a friend, I'm rather "enthusiastic" about my interests!! LOL!

I'd like to meet:

Friends ~ "Friends are all souls that we’ve known in other lives. We’re drawn to each other. That’s how I feel about friends. Even if I’ve only known them for a day, it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to wait till I’ve known them two years, because anyway we have met somewhere before, you know." ~ George Harrison

Music:



THE BEATLES, collectively or solo. I ADORE cover versions of Beatle songs. It’s fun to hear the different interpretations. One great compilation that I have was a Give-Away-at-Christmas CD that the keyboardist of one of my favorite bands put together. I’ll have to dig that out and listen to it on an old-fashioned CD player! LOL!

Other stuff that I like are 60’s and 70’s AM and FM hits. Especially those CHEEZY love songs! First long-playing album that I bought was STEELY DAN’S “Asia”. Another one was “Breakfast in America” by SUPERTRAMP. I still like BILLY JOEL. I remember making out with the first boyfriend to “Just the Way You Are”. Oooh, GORDON LIGHTFOOT “Beautiful” was the first boyfriend too as well as BARRY MANILOW. *grins* ELTON JOHN was always summer vacation, I remember vividly hearing “Philadelphia Freedom” on the radio, lying on my back in the station wagon while we were driving through upstate New York. FLEETWOOD MAC “Rumors” album was a “sorta date” with a senior in High School when I was a sophomore. I LOVED the DISCO ERA too. ABBA , THE BEE GEES & DONNA SUMMER. Use to learn how to line dance and “Do the Hustle” after the restaurant I worked at closed for the night. Out in the parking lot drinking Boone’s Farm and Mad Dog! LOL!

College was THE PRETENDERS “Learning to Crawl” and the B52’S “Rock Lobster”. THE POLICE, THE CARS, TALKING HEADS, GENESIS, EURYTHMICS, DAVID BOWIE, TODD RUNDGREN. JOE JACKSON and his “Night & Day” album. STYX and REO SPEEDWAGON were in there too somewhere.

Post College/First Job would have to be ELVIS COSTELLO, SQUEEZE, REM, CROWDED HOUSE, KATE BUSH, and more JOE JACKSON.

In the 90’s I kinda stopped listening to the radio. I disliked the Grunge movement out of Seattle. Started listening to Books on Tape.

Now I’ve come full circle and am back listening to the 60’s and 70’s and Beatles music that I grew up with. And the best part is, is that I’ve been teaching my 5 year old daughter to love it too!

Movies:

For the past 10 years most of the movies I've seen have been G, PG or PG13 rated. I can't remember the last time I saw an R rated movie. I did like all the Harry Potter ones and I LOVED The Lord of the Rings Trilogy! The whole family adores the Hayao Miyazaki movies like "Kiki's Delivery Service" and " Spirited Away". And of course all of the BEATLES movies.

Television:

Don't get to watch much television. The kids gets dibs most of the time. I like all the CSI shows, though I have to laugh because they are so unreal! Love the LAW & ORDER shows but can never watch them because the content is too mature for the kids. Same goes for TRAMA and MATERNITY WARD. BUT the whole family LOVES to watch MONK! And Hubby tries to get the kids interested in some of the old classic movies to limited success!!!

Books:

Lately it's been Beatle Books, especially first person narratives by people who were actually there with the Beatles. I just finished "Here, There and Everywhere" by Geoff Emerick. It's very "Paul" biased, but it's a facinating account of what it was like to work with the Beatles on albums like Revolver and Sgt. Pepper. Lots of annecdotes and insights into the fab four personalities. I love Mysteries and Whodunnits especially CSI stuff. I've read all of Patricia Cornwall's books, Kathy Reiches, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, P.D. James, Linda Fairstein, Diane Mott Davidson & lots more. Use to read a ton of SciFi and Fantasy, Historical Fiction. All that archetypical good vs evil kinda stuff. Even some ChickLit and of course Classic Kids books like all the Harry Potters, Encyclopedia Brown, The Boxcar Children, All the Black Beauty books, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and gobs more!!! All my life I've been a book worm. Nothing like a book to take you somewhere else or to teach you something you didn't know.

Heroes:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?
You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of god that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others."
~Marianne Williamson in Return to Love: Reflections on a Course in Miracles
My heros are all of us ordinary folk who shoulder our responsibilities. Who cope with the complexities of the everyday. Who love and live and find joy in doing and being and sharing . . .
Also, George Harrison is my hero for his belief in the idea that the more that you give of yourself the more that you will receive in turn. . . .

My Blog

What Harry Potter Character are YOU?

Hubby was messing around with the kids this morning. Getting their answers on several quizzes to see which of their favorite characters they most resemble. Here is my results on the Harry Potter Chara...
Posted by amazgrace on Sat, 01 Sep 2007 12:49:00 PST

"In myyyyy life I’ve loved them all . . . "

I found a bit of this poem in a friend's comments. So I Googled the poem in order to find the author. I wanted to keep it because I liked the message. And right now the most organized place I have is ...
Posted by amazgrace on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:05:00 PST

I want to know . . .

I found this while I was searching for some inspirational verse to leave a friend. I liked the questions it asked, for myself and for my friends. Thought provoking . . .The InvitationBy Oriah Mountain...
Posted by amazgrace on Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:48:00 PST

What Tarot Card are You?

You are The EmpressBeauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. ...
Posted by amazgrace on Thu, 05 Apr 2007 08:02:00 PST

South Park Grace & Maiya

My friend Marty had sent around a South Park Version of himself a little while ago. The cartoon was a VERY good interpetation of what Marty looks like. So when I stumbled across the cartoon generator,...
Posted by amazgrace on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:25:00 PST

Outta the Mouth of Babes ~ *head shake* Girlfriend Daughter

I'm going to try to remember to write down some of the funny/cute things that my kids say and do. So I can bring it back up at an embarassing point in their life. *nasty grin* Oh, blackmail pics too! ...
Posted by amazgrace on Fri, 02 Mar 2007 06:49:00 PST

Earth Status report - 2006

Found this in a comment on my friends "The Cryers" page. From one of their friends from across the world. I thought it was thought provoking, breaking down the world population statistics into numbers...
Posted by amazgrace on Fri, 02 Mar 2007 05:54:00 PST

Outta the Mouth of Babes

"Why don't we do it in the roadWhy don't we do it in the roadWhy don't we do it in the roadWhy don't we do it in the roadNo one will be watching usWhy don't we do it in the road"Beatle music is often ...
Posted by amazgrace on Sat, 17 Feb 2007 02:23:00 PST

Mmmmm, Chocolately Valentines Day Treats

I swap recipes with a couple of my MySpace friends. Here are two brownie recipes that I want to save for posterity! Enjoy!Cheers!GraceBaker's One Bowl Brownies ~ With Grace's Turtle Twist Prep: 15 min...
Posted by amazgrace on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:00:00 PST

While My Guitar Gently Weeps on Ukulele

Found this on the Yahoo Home page. I've see it before. It's been kicking around the internet for awhile but it is STILL so hauntingly beautiful. Georgie Porgie LOVED his Ukelele! The musican's name is...
Posted by amazgrace on Sat, 03 Feb 2007 10:26:00 PST