I've got the blues

I know it's been quite awhile since I last posted anything.  I've had a bit of the blahs the past few months and don't seem to be very creative nor chatty so I have sort of avoided a lot of things.  My down time has been compounded with the death of a close family friend, John's mother going into the hospital with infections due to her M.S. and then another extended family member trying to commit suicide.  Things are much better now but I still haven't shaken the depressed part of everything. 

The past week I read the Twiligh Saga.  I had never been interested in it at all.  I watched the movie awhile back and liked it, but still didn't think I liked it enough to read the books.  Then my sister started reading them and told me that I really should so I borrowed hers after she'd finished and have changed my tune.  It was pure escapism for me.  I really got into the romance of the books and couldn't put them down.  I read all four (4) books within the past couple of weeks and then the night before last read the partial draft to Midnight Sun.  I do wish the person who'd taken the draft from author Stephenie Meyer hadn't taken it upon themselves to post it on the internet forcing her into posting her own version so that it was more correct and taking away her drive to finish it anytime soon.  It's so sad when people do things like that.  I've never understood people that enjoy ruining things for others, be it something simple to down and out viciousness.  Stephenie Meyer was very generous in saying that the person that had taken her project and published it online did not mean any harm, but surely they must have realized the harm they were creating by doing it without permission.  It's just common sense.

I cannot believe how quickly this year is slipping by.  Next week will be St. Patricks Day for pete's sake.  Didn't we just have Christmas? 

Anyway, I hope that everyone is well and happy. 
Peace to all!

In progress

January is half over, is that really possible?  It is cold and cloudy outside and suppose to rain most of the week, which I am kind of looking forward to because I love rain and we so desparately need it.    The drought has really made things look so dismal and now the water company says they're doubling the bills to compensate for the need for more water sources and to curb those people that over use.
One of my newest things to do is play a game called, "Where's Jake".  Sort of a combination where's waldo and hide and seek.  He's been going through another stage of exploring and now has gotten more into climbing so keeping him away from the stove has been a chore.  Most of the time this game consists of going around the house calling out "Jake" with no response then turning around to find him behind me looking at me like I'm some sort of idiot because he's been there all along.  Or I'll look in one of his "hiding" spots and not see him then later he pops out of it.

We received a basket of goodies for Christmas and I put the basket away in my craft room back in the back of some boxes next to my tool box.  One day I was looking everywhere for Jake and couldn't find him anywhere.  He's taken to going into the craft room to explore but hasn't really gotten into anything so I've left the door shut without latching so he can think he's getting away with something when he goes through these elaborate motions to open the door.  He will stick his paws under the door like he's picking a lock or something then headbutt the door open.  Born cat burglar if I ever saw one.  On one particular day I looked down behind my chair and saw this face looking back at me through the cellophane wrap that was still around the basket.  So I went around the other side and pulled the wrap aside a bit and sure enough he had fallen asleep inside the basket.  I've found him sleeping here a number of times now which might be the reason he's gone to finding new spots.

Like the bottom of the hutch I keep my photo albums in.  I was going through pictures a few months ago and then my back started giving me problems so I didn't get them all put back in so there is a bit of space in the middle.  I found him sleeping on top of John's old year book.

Yesterday I found him asleep on the bathroom counter.

Aside from that I have started to do a little crafting again.  I recently purchased an I-Top tool. 

It puts designs you want on the tops of brads.  I've played with a little but am still getting the hang of it.  I've since learned that they have a magnet backing that you can get to make magenetic buttons also. 

I'm still a little rough around the edges and I need to work at getting things centered.  I asked the Imaginesce people for help and they gave me some pointers.  So will be trying that next time.  I put a flower together with one of the brads I made to see how they would look finished on something.

You can't really see the green that was sprayed on the text sheet very well.  I guess I need to use darker sprays next time.  The picture I used was of my stamping sisters when we got together in Las Vegas a couple years ago.  I layered this flower with the vintage dictionary paper, a piece of denim, then a purple silk flower, a crochet purple flower that I made, another smaller floral cut piece of denim and finishing it off with the I-Top brad.  I really like the crochet and denim look added to my paper flowers.  Thank goodness for scrap yarns and old jeans.

I've also started working on another sign.  As usual, I have lots of "in progress" work going but nothing finished.  My tombstone will probably say something like, "I'm not done yet"

Note to anyone that is thinking of using grunge paper and glimmer mist.  Be prepared to use a lot of mist if you want to get a good colouring.  I probably should have known since the grunge paper has an absorbant texture.  It accepts paint so well that I didn't really think about the consistency factor when I started.  I really love the heart with wings and crown look so I'm doing a few more things with it.  Tim Holtz is coming out with a sizzix die cut line that is suppose to include wings so I am looking forward to that.  By then I'll be all winged out no doubt. 

Well I guess it's back to the drawing board for me......  I hope all is well with everyone and you will keep the people in Haiti in your prayers.  Always appreciate what you have as you never know when a disaster will strike.  Peace....

Tagged by itch2stitch

Well I guess this is one way to get me to post something.  I have been in a funk this month so am not getting much done, including blogging.  My sweet new friend from facebook and blogging has tagged me in the "10 things I enjoy doing that don't cost money" so I'm going to give it a whirl.  This was pretty hard to do because even things that I like doing that don't in themselves cost money, need money to get started somewhere down the line. 

1) People watching  ... I've always loved watching people and trying to guess what adventures they were on at that moment.  Seeing different styles they wore even though I am not style conscious in the least.  I love seeing what other people wear because in some ways dressing is an art form.  You can tell those that dress to suit themselves as opposed to those that dress to impress others or are following some sort of trend.

2) Music ...  This one does need money to some degree but I have things I bought when I was a kid that I still listen to so it's almost like free after awhile.  I still enjoy music from my teens and even before.  I remember my mother listening to Elvis when I was a kid and singing along.  I still have those albums too.

3) Reading ... I haven't done as much of it in the past years because of my health but I still love it.  It's wonderful to get wrapped up in a good book and bring the words to life in your mind.  Getting to the end and wondering what happened to those characters afterwards.   Something that probably goes along with ...

4) Daydreaming ...  I remember when I was younger kids would always get scolded for daydreaming and not getting their work done.  But I think it's a healthy thing in life to be able to daydream.  The imagination is a wonderful thing and has brought about many of lifes major technologies. 

5) Photography ... This doesn't cost me what it use to when film was involved so I think of taking pictures as free even though the camera was not.   I love capturing moments and expressions.  I've never been much of a photographer, even though I've been taking pictures most of my life.  I mainly do it for myself and my own memories.

6) Watching Jake play ... This has become a favourite thing to do since he's come into our lives.  He is just such a character and it's so funny to watch the things he does.  Last evening he saw some moths flying around outside the glass door.  It didn't matter that there was a barrier there, he was going to try and catch them.  He would jump up high into the air, paws extended and grab into the air where they should be.   I wish I had the energy and flexibility he does.  He's just fearless.  He can smack into things and keep going as if nothing happened whereas I sit there watching and hurt for him.  I know if it was me and I had done that I'd be too dazed and confused to go on. 

7) Looking at the stars ... One of the reasons I love the nights better is the stars and moon.  I love how beautiful they sparkle in the dark.  One night a few years ago we were driving home and there was this bright light on the other side of the mountain.  We thought maybe something had happend because there's nothing on the other side that would cause such brightness.  As we kept driving, slowly a shape started creeping up and after a little while the moon came into view.  It was so enormous it looked like it was coming in for a landing on the mountain.  I have never seen the moon so huge and close before.  It was just breath taking.  I've seen pictures of the moon where it's suppose to be close to earth so it gives this optical illussion of being in your face, but this was the first time I'd ever experienced it in real life.  I really hope to see it again because it's an amazing sight.  One of my earliest and most comforting memories as a child is of my dad holding me as we're driving home from my getting upteen stitches in and out of my mouth.  I was looking out the back window of the car, telling him that the moon was following us.

8) Nature ... I love everything about it.  Breathing it in, feeling it around me, hearing it.  The different smells in the air throughout the year are wonderful.  The bouquets of flowers in the springtime, fresh cut grass, water when it hits the dirt on a hot summer day,  fireplaces burning in the winter.  The cool, smooth, gritty feeling of sand and water against your barefeet while walking along the shore of a beach.   I love wandering around outside when it's early morning and there's fog.  The feel of mist against my skin and the way everything around you becomes a mystery because it's hidden behind the fog.  Even things you know are there might not be once the fog is lifted, like some horror movie.

9) Finding Hidden Treasures ...  I love going out and discovering new places.  Enjoying sights not to mention finding trinkets to possibly use in art.  I love to wander around places and just take in what is around me.  Seeing things I'd never seen before.  Finding stones or other pieces of nature that are unique that I can bring back with me.  Finding interesting flyers, things to take pictures of and use in art later.  Even before I was actually doing "art" I was collecting things that I found interesting, thinking I could use it for something later.  It feels funny for me to call what I do art because to me it's not.  It's just something I like doing but not good enough to be labeled as such.

10) Viewing other peoples artwork ... be it paintings, drawings, sewing, cooking, whatever.  I love seeing people's creative side.  One of the things I've enjoyed most about the internet is how much it's opened up for me as far as things I would never see otherwise.  There are some amazing artists out there, some who only do things for their families and friends yet create such amazing things it takes my breath away.   From the most elaborate to the simplest of creations I enjoy it all.  You can probably tell that from previous postings, I can get excited over anything from decorator donuts to classic pieces by Van Goh or Dali.  It's just whatever strikes my fancy and my fancy is quite vast.  I may not know a lot but I know what I like.

Now I have to tag some people to do this also, which should be easy since I don't have many people to choose from.

#1.  My buddy Mel at Melbie's Creative Space...Handmade Goodies and Recipes  If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be blogging and having to do this in the first place.  I met her when I first started exploring the internet after one of my back surgeries in 1998.  I decided I wanted to learn more about stamping and joined a few yahoo groups which she also belonged to.  She was so sweet and amazingly talented.  She helped me right off the bat and sent me a sample of what I was trying to learn so I had something I could actually touch and see to go by.  We've become great friends ever since.  Her blog is so full of fun everyday things as well as amazing art she creates.

#2.  Kristen at Kristen's Papercrafts.  I met Kristen through Mel and she is another sweetheart of a person.  She does some awesome cards and I really enjoy reading her posts about what she's done both artistically and in everyday life.

#3.  Geri at Alabaster Wings Fly .  She is a friend I've recently reconnected with on facebook from my highschool days and I'm really looking forward to seeing her responses.  She is a wonderful person and I'm so happy to be getting to know her again in this stage of our lives.

# 4 & 5.  I'd like to pick Suzie at itch2stitch but she is the one that tagged me and Ro at Bitchin' Witch so that leaves them out.

#6.  Linda @ Eclectic Visions of a Altered Journey who does not even know about my blog but I follow hers and love her work.  I discovered her through facebook and of all things Mafia Wars.  She's from down under and I think people should check her out so that is my main reason for listing her.  She is one of those people I would have never known about had it been for the internet. 

I can get annoyed with computers and the internet and how people abuse the priveledge of having access to others, but the majority of people listed are ones I'd never have found otherwise so I guess you have to take the bad with the good.

Happy 2010!!!

I decided I would start the new year with a blog post and at least wish anyone reading a very Happy New Year.  I hope that it's very prosperous for everyone.  Last year had a lot of hard times for people and I hope that 2010 will be a lot better or at least bring on the start of many good things.  Hard to believe another year has come and gone.  The holidays are a blur now.  A couple of days before Christmas John and I went to eat at our favourite Mexican restaurant in Palm Springs called Maracas.  They have a halibut with a mango, ginger, habanero sauce he just drools over.  The chef sort of gave us a run down on how he makes it but some of the things he said were not things that are in the title of the sauce so I am going to have to try and figure out how to make it.  This years cooking shall include some sauce class 101.  I welcome any and all recipes.
I have a thing for t-shirts with funny sayings and of places, etc.  I saw this in one of the western shops near the restaurant and it just made me smile.

Christmas day was very quiet for us.  We made a barbeque rib supper on Christmas eve. then a traditional ham supper for Christmas day with all the fixings.  After a bit of dinner jake got into one of my old balls of yarn and managed to wear himself out and eventually fell asleep in his little house.

While shopping for dinner goods I had come across a wine that I just had to have.  I am not a wine drinker but the bottle just called to me.  I went to try it after our Christmas dinner only to find I couldn't locate a cork screw.  A few days later I finally got to have a glass.  All I can say is it tastes like wine.  If you are a wine drinker please do not go by my review because, as I say, I'm not a wine drinker and have yet to find one that I like. I don't know why I thought this one would be any different, but you just never know till you try something, right?  Now as for the bottle and vinyard I highly recommend it.  They even have a cool website called Vampire.com .  It has all sorts of products under the vampire name such as coffee's, chocolates, wines, various books about vampires and even some videos.

The vinyard itself is called vampire vinyards.

John got me a bat necklace and another with a heart and cleaver that says heartbreaker on it.  I think they are pretty neat but that's probably just my weirdness coming out.

I also managed to make a sign for my cousin, Alison.  We were suppose to get together after Christmas but things just didn't work out.  She's more religious whereas I am more spiritual but like me has gone through various ordeals that get her down.  I made this sign as kind of a reminder that she is loved.

I layered the large flower with a crochet base then added a die cut piece of dictionary paper, then a die cut piece of jeans material then a prima flower to top it off.  The little dangly bits are charms that each have a word on them.  They say: Be ... Here ... Now ... I think that is something we tend to forget to do.  We worry so much about the past and future that many times we forget to be in the present.

In the upper left corner I added a peace charm along with an angel and some dangling charms off the peace.  One is a heart that says "Made with love"

The shiny coin is the serenity prayer.  The coin comes from a group she belongs to and I thought the prayer went well with the rest of the sign.
My 2010 wish for all is a healthy, happy and enriching year.  ~Peace

Notes From the Voodoo Cafe: Duct Tape Christmas Tree

Y'all need to go on over to the voodoo cafe blog and see this guys tree.  He does amazing work with duct tape.  You would not even recognize that's what it is when you first see it.  The needles, the ornaments, starr, all done with duct tape.  Rice even show's some of his other work in the video she taped.  Just awesome.  Men and duct tape, go figure.

Notes From the Voodoo Cafe: Duct Tape Christmas Tree

Is there really a "perfect" Christmas?

Well December is here, Christmas is near,  I really do think there is some type of time warp as we get older that makes the days go by so fast that we miss most of the year.  I thought it was just last week I was complaining about not wanting it to be Summer.

As I was growing up I absolutely loved all the holidays from Halloween till Christmas.  New Years I could give or take.  That was just a day for too much football.  The others were filled with so many good things.  From all the new and old holiday shows on t.v., the wonderful smells in the air, people walking around ever so pleasant to one another and all the good food everywhere.  Even the holiday advertisments on t.v. made me feel good.  Why Santa riding around snowbanks on a Norelco razor made me feel good is beyond me.  I guess it was just all the good cheer and there was such a totally different feeling from the days prior.  The crisp cool weather and happy people just made things so magical.  Back then if you didn't get all your shopping done you were just S.O.L. on the day of because absolutely nothing was open except for very high priced "convenience" stores like 7-11 and you were lucky to find those.  Companies believed their employee's mattered and that they should be with their families just as much as everyone else.

Now the employees are made to feel guilty if they want time off with their loved ones and the merchandise show up in the stores earlier and earlier every year.  The only places that are closed are government offices, banks and doctors offices.   It's hard to find a store not open on a holiday anymore.  The whole thing is so commercialized and desensitized.  The warm feelings are only in movies and programs cashing in on peoples heartstrings by showing good deads for ratings...but I digress.....

I love the old mushy heartfelt movies like "It's a wonderful life",  "the preachers wife" (the original is the best), and "Miracle on 34th Street".  I know I 'm a sap but I believe in the things those movies instilled.  That there are good people out there (even though they're harder to find now adays) and that miracles do happen if you believe.  I've decided I no longer want to strive for a perfection that I cannot attain to make people that don't care happy.    Now I only take care of those that matter most and am slowly weening myself from over extending myself.  It felt better and more appreciated to give to the new homeless shelter while I was out shopping the other day then most people I have given gifts to.  Isn't it a shame when complete strangers can make you feel more appreciated then those you know and care about?

(I use to spend so much time decorating my packages)

This year I'm unable to do much for anyone, which really hurts me because I really love to give people things.  The one thing that is nice is that those that matter do understand and know I do things when I can.  One of the niceties of getting older is you learn who your real friends are and start learning to care less about those people and things that don't matter.  However if you are one of those people like me that worries about everything it's harder to shake old habits like that and so it may take me until I'm 100 years old to be completely...ummm.. careless?  No I don't think that's the word for it.

One of the selfish "me" things I've decided to do this month is take the last prompt class Kelly Kilmer is having.  I wasn't going to until I heard she's moving onto other things and decided not to continue this next year.  So I'm back to journaling for the month.  I think it's very theraputic, like blogging, for ones soul...even if no one else reads it.  So I'll be sharing what I do again. 

My first day was "Do you have anything natural (from nature) that was found and in your home?  Where did you find it?"

I didn't originally find this but what I wrote about is a rose quartz that I found in my inlaw's yard.  My husband had found this when they lived in Arizona and it went from location to location with them as they moved.  It always stayed out in the yard among the other rocks along with some pieces of turquoise also found in their yard.  Arizona has mining towns and is known for such stones being dug up there.  I love rose quartz and since they were tired of moving it around with them and were just going to leave it when they moved again I decided to take it home with me.  It's big and heavy so I keep it on the floor at my desk.   I wrote that it was 20+ pounds but I'm sure it's closer to 50lbs. since it's very difficult for me to move around.

It's still in it's natural form so it's not all polished and pretty like the stones you find in shops.  I like it that way.   The rose quartz is suppose to be that of emotionally healing of the heart.  I don't know how true that is since I am such an emotional person, but according to the healing directory it is.  The amethyst is to the spirit and the rose quarts to the heart.  Both stones I keep at my desk although my amethysts are meer peebles to the rose quartz. 

I hope everyone is having a nice commencement to the end of 2009.

Stephen King

Wow, is Thanksgiving 2009 already part of our past?    I just know one day I will wake up and a whole year will have passed, it goes by almost that fast now.  Our Thanksgiving was quiet and late since both of us weren't feeling that great and I spent the past couple of days reading.  I didn't even want to try and venture out for Black Friday.  As crazy as it gets, I have enjoyed some of them in days gone by.  My first were actually fun.  A lot of groggy people, standing in line with their coffees in hand, chatting and saying how crazy we all were for being up at 4:00 am to stand in a line to shop.  Now you have to stand in lines even earlier to be through the doors and be part of the first 100 of whatever the store super sale and gifts are.  I admit I have found some amazing sales at that time of the morning also.  A $150.00 silverware set for $49.00 and some great king sized comforters for $10.00.  Thank goodness I didn't live in a big city where they have to start lining up by midnight or earlier.

A couple of weeks ago I bought the new Stephen King book, "Under The Dome".  I just finished reading it and really liked it.  We had just found Jake so I didn't get much read until the past few days.  I've been reading King books since high school but had fallen way behind over the years when my back started giving me trouble and made reading uncomfortable. 

If any of you like Stephen King or that type of genre I recommend reading this book even though its 1000+ pages are a little bit intimidating. 

The story is about a dome that suddenly appears around a small Maine town and how people react to it.   The sad part is that the way the people in this story acted is very close to how people really can act during stressful times, which is very sad.  It is a mob rules type of atmosphere with a man who thinks he is God like trying to take charge of everyone and manipulating their thought process.  

I've also been listening to his radio station in Maine online, WKIT-FM...mainly because the music played reminds me of my earlier years.  A lot like what I use to listen to back when I was a teenager.  Very Rock and Roll, old and new.  If you like R&R you should give it a listen.

Today was our first good rainfall, complete with thundar, in a very long time.  It's so beautiful out.  I love days like this.  This was Jake's first rain I think.  He was very interested in it until the thundar started.  He's not one for loud noises.  I put his carrier next to the front window so he could look out better.  He looked so cute when he was trying to see outside from the floor.  Like a kid trying to peek over something but just not quite tall enough.

  Until next time I bid you all a happy weekend.  With Love and Light..... be safe.  K.

Unusual

I am not a winner by nature or even accident.   Normally my luck is pretty average and I never win anything SO when I find out I've won a contest for the second time within a couple of months from each other I am in shock.  Both were from craft companies on facebook so maybe that is where my luck is...(?)  Why can't the lottery be there? 

I had entered Tattered Angels giveaway for their new glimmer mists and screens that are coming out to promote the new release of their Timeless Romance line.  Then totally forgot about it until I got an message asking for my address so they could send my prize.  What a surprise that was.  This is a picture of what I won...

The mist colours are S.W.A.K. (Sealed With A Kiss), Dazzling Diamonds and Chocolate covered Cherries.  There is also a new rubber stamp set and calling cards in the collection.  The calling cards are similar to the bingo cards from what I read and have various romantic/victorian pictures printed on them that are similar to what is on the rubber stamps.  The stamps have hearts and key that match the screens shown above.
I received my prizes this afternoon and had to try them out to see what they looked like. 

The picture doesn't do them justice but you get an idea.  If you've ever seen metallic papers that is what the results of this spray looks like.  The sheen and sparkle are so pretty and subtle.  I didn't really notice just how much it glistened until I put it under the light.  It's just gorgeous.  Now I need to do something with these pages I sprayed.  I have some metallic papers from The Paper Palette of Hawaii that would look great with these sprays.

We've been adopted

For a couple of days last week we were constantly hearing this meowing outside.  We tried to ignore it but it became more and more consistent as the days went by.  After awhile it was a non-stop crying all day and night.  It started jumping up on our cooler and peeking into the window and then climing up the screen door trying to get in.  It was just the cutest little kitten and I just felt so sorry for the poor thing out there in the cold that I brought him in and fed him.  When it warmed up I let him back outside figuring with the daylight he'd find his way back home. He played and went away for a little while but continued coming back and no one in the neighborhood seemed to know him or claim him so we decided if he wanted to stay with us that badly we'd take him in.  So on Thursday we became cat owners. 

I have never had a cat in my life so this is all new to me.  John had one when he was younger that he really loved but it ran off and after that he'd vowed not to have another cat again.  Normally when strays come around, and they come around here a LOT, I get in trouble for talking to them but this time it was different.  The two of them seemed to hit it off right away.  This cat was so loving and affectionate, especially towards John that it was he that actually ended up letting the cat in for good while I was sleeping.  For the first couple of days "the cat" would constantly sit on John's lap and only come to me if I pet him.  As soon as I stopped he was right back on John's lap.  Now that he's become more familiar with us and had the week to roam around and get comfortable he's not as needy.  He does still insist that I not sleep while John is left alone to, go figure.  It took awhile but after a few days John decided to name the little fella, Jake.

We didn't have anything for cats so I covered a pillow and put it inside a box for him to sleep in.  It took a couple of days before he'd decided he liked sleeping and playing inside of it.  He's also become quite a ham.  He was down inside the box until he saw me with the camera then jumped up to pose.

Another place he likes sleeping is on top of my slippers.  I can kind of understand that but the foot rest next to him here is very bumpy and he loves sleeping on it as well.  To me that would seem uncomfortable but he will go up under the desk and fall asleep on top of it whether I'm here or not.

John sleeps in his recliner chair a lot because of his back pain and has a blanket that dangles over the edge of the leg rest.  This has become a favourite place for Jake to play and also nap.  He likes to wrestle with the blanket then ends up falling asleep curled up against it.

Yesterday was Jake's first trip in the truck and away from familiar surroundings.  We took him in for his shots then over to Petco for a carrier so he'd be more safe on outtings.  While at the shelter we were loaned a carrier to put him in so none of the dogs could get at him and he seemed to really like it.  So much so that I had to drag him out once we were done to take him home.  We decided it would be good to get one for him since he will be going back to get fixed next week and we plan to take him with us places once in awhile.  When we got home with it we thought we'd leave it out so he could get use to it but apparently that wasn't necessary as he jumped right in and made himself at home.  I tried to put a piece of carpet inside for him to make it more comfortable but that idea didn't fly with him.  He attacked it right off.  So he's a no frills cat I guess.

After his shots yesterday, Jake was the mellowest cat around.  I think I LOVE these shots.  It was the first time since Jake came to live with us that I slept without being awakened after an hour or so by a cat pouncing on me.  I went to lay down when we got home and woke up a couple of hours later to find him asleep next to me.  That was a first, he has NEVER slept on the bed.  He only goes up there to play and torture me.  The night before I woke up to his jumping up and down on the bed trying to get the light cord hanging from the ceiling fan.  I am amazed he didn't turn the light on as he got several good grabs of it. 

Today he's back to normal. I was awakened this morning by the nibbling on my ears and a cat face in mine.  The drawback to mellow kitty is that the next day he's super hyper kitty.  Thank goodness ( ? ) he's self entertained.... He's been zipping all over the place, playing with his ball, the bell on his collar, his tail, blankets, and attacking his imaginary friends.

  

DeNami Heads Up!

Just a little heads up to anyone that's interested.  DeNami Designs is having a give away contest.  Who doesn't like winning cool stuff?  To enter go to their site here and enter.  By entering you have a chance to win their cute little Christmas chickies stamps, holiday ribbon and buttons.  I love almost anything free especially if it's cool crafty stuff.   I'm not much of a winner when it comes to things like this but if you don't try you definitely won't win.  Hey, I've still got hopes of winning the lottery.  I DO believe in miracles after all.  Plus I've loved DeNami stamps for a long time now so got to at least try.

If you go to the DeNami blog they have some cute ideas and techniques they put up on a regular basis.  And you can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook. 

I hope everyone is having a good start to their November.  I'm coming down with a cold which will hopefully go away and not turn into my usual brochitis.  Three and a half weeks until Thanksgiving.  Wow where has the year gone???

Good Luck to everyone who enters!

Birthdays and Donuts

Today is my uncle Raymond's birthday so I want to wish him a very Happy Birthday!  He is having some health issues and I hope that he is feeling better soon.

It's also my favourite actor crush's birthday.  Viggo turns 51 years old today.  He is aging mighty nicely if I do say so myself.  This was taken during "The Road" promotions tour yesterday (Oct 19th) in Paris.

copywrite:abaca press

Who says donuts have to be boring?  I was looking online at art and came across this unusual shop.  I have never been to this donut shop but I'm plugging it anyway because I think the concept is BRILLIANT!  The name is Psycho Donuts and with a name like that I just had to take a look.  They are located up around the Bay Area, in Campbell, California and they truly lived up to their name.   With donuts named comfortably numb, the headbanger, the donut hamburger, donut fires and Jekyll and Hyde how can they be bad?   This is what a few of them look like.  The Jekyll and Hyde, Moodswing, Donut fries and Manic Malt.  Don't they look yummy.  Kinda reminds me of the donut version of my friend Mel's boyfriends krispy treats.

Not only does this shop have fun donuts but they also have art and music!  They remind me of the old 60's coffee shops that beatniks hung out to share poetry and music while having coffee, only moderned up.  This could be why I like the shop so much, I'm still a hippie at heart.  It definitely feeds my eclectic tastes for original and unique. 
This months art is a monster theme for October with artists like:

Gus Finkelstein

and

Christne Benjamin

Octorber and Halloween also hold events like psycho costume karaoke, a zombie nurse costume contest, bobbing for donuts which consists of bobbing for donut holes in a soupy glaze, and even their donuts will be in costume.  Jekyll and Hyde will become a protestor donut...and so on.  It sounds like they will be having a blast up there in the bay area.  I only wish I lived closer.  My hope is that they will franchise out and have a shop near me in Palm Springs.  The only problem with franchises is that they lose their originality and charm that makes them so good to begin with.  If you live or are visiting the area I hope you'll check them out and give us your opinion of them.  There is also a blog on what's going on if you care to check it out at http://psychodonuts.blogspot.com/   They really seem to be a fun spot to hang out at and have some cool munchies while you're at it.

Reflections

Our weather here in California has been so crazy lately.  It doesn't know what season it wants to be.  I thought I'd missed Fall since we only had a few days of nice crisp autumn like days then suddenly if felt like winter but now we're back to 100*F temps.  I finally had to break down and turn the air conditioner on late yesterday afternoon because it gets so hot in our livingroom with the afternoon sun pouring in through the window.  I feel sorry for those who had thought summer was gone and winterized their a/c's and swamp coolers already. 

The past week has also been kind of a wonky one for me.  I started new medication that the doctor told me would not make me as sleepy as Lyrica does but he apprarently doesn't know me very well because I've spent the majority of this week sleeping.   I kept hoping that once my system was use to them I'd be ok but so far no go.  I'm the first to admit I enjoy a good nap but this is rediculous.

When I wasn't sleeping, or trying out new recipe I did some reflecting about life and death.  Last year I joined Facebook at the urging of some friends.  Since it seemed to be the place I'd get to see them the most I broke down and joined.  What I thought would be a few minutes here and there to catch up with them turned out to be so much more.  Immediately I started getting some family members friending me that I didn't know were on there, which grew into more family.  Quite a few of whom I hadn't seen in years along with their children and extended families.  Within the past few months I've also been reaquainted with many of my old classmates which was a bit odd for me.  The first few were people I'd known only in passing so was surprised they even remembered me.  Those friends snowballed into more friends and people I'd known since kindergarten.  I've since met up with, Lois, whom I've known since we were 5, a couple of times and last month we got together with a couple of other friends, Valerie and Lisa, for dinner.  We had so many laughs while catching up on what's been going on.  I've reconnected with several people now that I hung around during my school years and had lost touch with and have been surprised at some of their journeys through life.  More surprised at some then others, but surprised just the same.  It's funny how you can see people's lives as being wonderful and so much better than your own and come to find out they are miserable or having the same sort of problems you are.  Some even doing things so out of character from what you knew them as. 

It made me think about my own life so the other night I baked up some peanut butter cookies and journaled.

This week started off on a sad note for me as I learned of the death of a sweet friend I'd met online.  Another friend hadn't been able to get a hold of him on the phone and became worried and called the police to check on him.  Unfortunately they found him dead in his home and figure he'd been there a few days.  As far as we know it was natural causes since he was in poor health.  Finding him that way reminded me of one of my fears which is being alone and wondering: " If I died, would anyone notice?" 
A couple of days later I got a message on facebook from a friend I'd hung out with as a sophomore and junior in high school.   She (Teri) and I had hung out with a couple of sisters and another girl, all of whom weren't the best influences on us.  We spent many a day ditching school and partying.  Her first message was to ask about a girl who contacted her and I informed her she was the little step sister of the two we'd hung out with.  Her next message was to let me know that the youngest of the two sisters has passed away last spring of an overdose and that the older had been in a car accident and now legally considered retarded.  They'd apparently had been unable to shake that lifestyle and paid the price.  Teri learned some years after she'd moved away from this valley that they were the reason her mother moved them.  She feared Teri would become like them and moved her away from the valley.  After an all day drinking binge that started at 7:00 a.m. and ended with me brutally ill and unable to remember driving home, I started to drift away from this friendship as well.  It was not a conscious effort but I think I knew that wasn't something I wanted to continue with.  I had become quite the drinker in high school and I'm sure had that day not happened, given my families history of alcoholics, I could very easily have followed that path.

A lot of times when I reflect on the should've, would've, could've's it consists of what could have been better in my life.  This time it was more of what turned out right.  As I say, I attribute that day as curing my alcoholism.  Not because of any revelations or will power, but the simple fact I just cannot drink like that anymore without getting sick.  So goes the saying, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger". 

I am grateful for changing my ways, concentrating more on my failing grades and graduating instead of continueing along that path.  I realize that often we do get what we need in life, it just isn't as obvious or come in the way we expect....

It's Celebration Time!

I'd like to give a shout out to Ro Jordan, one of my new friends from across the pond.  She is the Mistress of the Gramayre blog and today is her birthday

I hope you have a wonderful day Ro and many happy endings!!!

also on this day:

On October 15, 1999...TEN years ago...Viggo first arrived on the set of The Lord of the Rings. I just can't imagine the film with anyone else in that roll.  Though I like Stuart Townsend, I just wouldn't have enjoyed the movie as much if he'd remained as Aragorn.

 ROTK premiere

Let the holidays begin!

The holiday season has started... For me as soon as October hit it meant Halloween was near then Thanksgiving and finally Christmas and New Years.  When I was a kid it also meant NO SCHOOL!!!!  Halloween was fun if it fell on a Friday or Saturday but sucked if it was on a school night and you had to be in bed by a certain time.  When you're a kid those days at school between September and the four day weekend for Thanksgiving were an eternity.   Then the month till Christmas break wasn't quite so bad because people were happier and in the spirit of the season, especially towards little kids. There were class parties and Christmas programs to do so the school day went by a little faster.  Of course the Christmas breaks flew by back then, but nothing like the warp speed I encounter now.  As I get older time seems to zip by.  I never believed it till I actually started experiencing it.  The years go by so fast but the last three months, my "holiday season", go by in the blink of an eye.  One minute I'm thinking, "hey I should do some Halloween cards this year" and the next it's nearly Thanksgiving.  I have come to the conclusion if I expect to make anything for any of the holidays I must start a year in advance to maybe be done in time.  Rediculous as it may sound, it seems to be my reality.  I had planned to do some Halloween projects but have also taken on copying old home movies to put on DVD's for family Christmas gifts, which is turning into a bigger job then I had expected. 

I suppose I could always just go plant myself in the neighbors yard and relax instead.  One of the houses down the street from us has put up a grave yard for Halloween.  They have lights all around also that I haven't been by at night to see yet.  I love seeing the decorations this time of year.  It's one of the parts of this season I have never stopped enjoying.  Granted people didn't get as elaborate at decorating back when I was a kid and there wasn't all the cool gagets that are out now but it's still always been cool to see people's imaginations at work.

October has also been "try new recipe's" and bring back some of the old,  month for me.  I started off with baking cookies, something I hadn't done in years.  Not from scratch anyway, I've been using the premade doughs that you just heat up.  That got me going into other things and I decided I would try as many new recipes this month that I could and also make some old favourites that I haven't made in ages.  I don't like seafood but John loves it so I broke down and made him some clam chowder the other day, which he says turned out great.  I'll have to take his word for it but he did wolf down two huge bowls so I'm thinking he's telling the truth.  Tonight we tried out one of my aunts old budget favourites, jungle stew, which is basically a combination of 1 C. rice, 1 can red beans, 1 can corn, 2 cans tomato sauce, hamburger, onion and some seasonings.   It turned out pretty good.  Tomorrow we try out my friend Mel's ... well her boyfriend Phil's actually, chili recipe. Wish me luck! I'll include recipes for the clam chowder and jungle stew at the end of this post.

I'm thinking for my New Years resolution I should try something new every week.

Clam Chowder
6 slices bacon                      2 (8oz) cans minced clams
3/4 Cup diced onions           4 Tablespoons flour
3 Cup diced potatoes          1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
3 Cup light cream or whole milk
1 Cup milk
1 teaspoon salt                     pepper to taste

Fry bacon until crisp and drain on paper towel before crumbling.  Fry onions in bacon drippings till tender then remove. (I cut the bacon into pieces and fried them with the onions instead of individually as the recipe suggests and left them in the pan to cook with the rest because I cook with the least steps possible.)  If you have too much excess grease you should drain the pan before going on to the next step if you cook in the same pan as I did.  Drain clams and add liquid to clam juice and potatoes and boil gently until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with 1 cup of cream until smooth.  Slowly add flour mixuture to potatoes along with remaining 2 cups of cream, clams and salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat until thickened.  Stir in 1 cup milk, crumbled bacon and sauteed onions (I cooked the bacon and onions in the same pan with everything throughout the process to add more flavour instead of adding at the end).

Jungle Stew
1 can corn nibblets                            2 pounds ground beef
1 can red kidney beans                      1 can water
1 cup rice, uncooked                         salt and pepper to taste
2 cans (soup can size) tomato sauce   1 Tablespoon dried minced onion or 1 small raw onion

Brown meat and onions, drain fat and add tomato sauce, corn and beans with all their liquids, water, salt, pepper and rice.  Simmer until rice is cooked.

YAY FOR FALL !!!!

I know some people just love Summer and heat and can't get enough of it.  I am not one of those people.  I love Fall and Spring.  Winter is ok because we don't get snow here but it does get a bit nippy even without it.  If the power goes out and you're cold you can always put on more clothes and huddle up.  When it's hot and that happens there's nowhere to go from naked and you're still miserable.  I know my friends that live in snow country will have their arguments against that because they deal with snow shoveling, icy roads and frost bite.  I think snow and icicles are beautiful but I have never had to live in it.
It's started to get pretty cold here, down to 39*F which is actually Winter weather.  I've had to whip out the bootie slippers to keep my feet warm.

I have always had cold hands and feet when I get cold.  It drives John crazy because he's the warmest place to put them to warm up.  I found some cute skellie gloves at Target for $1.00 when I went on my last adventure there so figured I'd pick them up since I will be needing them.   I'll probably pick up another pair to cut the fingers out so I can use them at the computer easier.  I can splurge for a buck.

 

I really like this time of year with all the changes in the weather.  The crisp air and magnificent colours of the leaves as they turn on the trees.  We don't have as much of the beautiful Autumn foilage out here in the desert but we get some and up in the moutains there is more.  It's one of the few orangy things I like.  Nature orange = good.  Clothing, shoes, etc. = not good, unless it's Halloween.  For me anyway.   Too many years of Orange and Black from school I guess. 

This is beautiful Montana taken by my friend Michael

This is Woodland Cemetery in Ohio taken by another friend whose name is also Michael. 

And this is the California desert taken by my brother in law, Mike. 

Apparently there's a Michael in every state.  It's the law! lol

Actually there's more fall colour here than that but I don't have any pictures that I can find off hand.  I'm looking forward to seeing what we end up with this year as well as the areas my friends live in.  So if anyone wants to share pictures I'd love to see.  I just love nature in all her glory.