I seem to have made it thru to today and am not sick...I think I just hadn't had enough sleep yesterday and it threw my body outta whack...i was feeling hot and my head would not stop pounding, but today I feel fine...a little groggy, I didn't sleep great, as there were cats on my head and feet, but I feel fine otherwise...
Its hot and humid out and I have flats of herbs to get in the ground...am not looking forward to that...maybe I can wait till tomorrow...maybe...maybe not...hmmm...what to do...
The taxes are officially mailed to our accountant...i've been using the same dude since 1990 or 1991, when I had to resolve my tax situation when my husband-at-the-time had elected not to do our taxes for 4 years (even tho I tried to gather the info w/out him and get it done myself)...I was paranoid, made the appt to meet w/ the accountant and then my ex wouldn't show up...the accountant bailed me outta a potentially bad situation and i've never forgotten him...so even tho I could probably do my own taxes, I still use his services (I'm not great at adding 2+2, so its just as well) and if the IRS ever pokes its nose in my general direction, I'm gonna hide behind him like Hagrid...
I like to poke around Etsy for various beads to see who's making what and what the 'popular' beads style of the moment is...it seems when one person comes up with a popular style, everyone jumps on that bandwagon and copies it...so I can tell what the latest, greatest flavor of the month is...right now it seems a lot of the reactive, silver glasses are popular because they do all the work for you...which I can understand, especially for folks who are new to beadmaking or just like shiny glass, which I most certainly do...there are some really nice beads out there, and some really stinkers...its like any artform, always good and bad...I read somewhere that eBay has jacked up their prices (again) and that's why so many people are trying out Etsy...that's cool with me, I'm not big on giving eBay more $ when they aren't offering anything new on their end...Etsy is a fun, happy place and I hope it stays that way for awhile...I remember how fun eBay was at first, until all the professional businesses setup shops and now you have to dig through all the crap to get to a decent priced, authentic antique diamond ring from the 1900's...I bought all sorts of inexpensive rings on there years ago, now its like getting getting lost in the jungle trying to find a decent ring...so I don't bother...bah...stay on Etsy and find something handmade instead, its good for the small-time artist...I like that...
Howdy creatures...Bri and I are finishing up our taxes...yesterday we did the big bulk of the work, today we are just putting the smooth touches on it...tomorrow he emails a PDF to the accountant and all should be well...for another year...I hope...
I have been feeling crummy all day...woke up w/a headache that's never really gone away...took a nap, had some lunch, took an Advil, drank some water, still its lurking in my temples and behind my eyes...I wonder if its related to the weather...sometimes if there is an atmospheric pressure in the sky, my head will feel it...yesterday I felt the headache come and go, today its been with me all day...maybe i'll sleep it off...I can't be sick..I rarely get sick...I don't wanna be sick and I don't like being sick...so, I won't get sick...done and done...
A couple of years ago, I found some wonderful bright plastic tumblers at Target and have enjoyed using them almost every day...electric lime, purple, orange and aqua, they have been tons of fun for water, juice, chocolate milk, have all been bright and cheerful...but they are too tall for the top rack of this dishwasher in the country house, and they've taken a beating in the bottom rack - they are not round tumblers any longer...kinda oblong and weird shapes that you don't find in geometry books...still, I loved them and used them...Brian loathed them and chose our English Pint glasses as his beverage holder instead...so today, at the local grocery store, I spotted NEW and improved brightly colored plastic tumblers...gorgeous deep rich russet orange, cranberry red and dark teal...they are large, heavy and wonderful...Brian asked immediately when we got home if he could *finally* throw out the old tumblers, and then proceed to laugh at their misshapenness...Now that I'm admiring the new tumblers (no green ones, I must hunt down some green ones at another grocery chain in the other country towns), I am perfectly content to see the old tumblers lying in the recycling bins outdoors, waiting to be carted away this Wednesday...and that's how easy I am to please...new plastic colored tumblers...
Its a cool, wet, perfect day to be planting...again...you don't want to plant in the hot sun, trust me...so, I spotted some really great herbs at the nursery yesterday, i think we're gonna go snag them in a few minutes..
I posted a cool pic (although its kinda big, sorry about that) of part of our front yard...more pics to come, but I thought for now at least one pic should be there...lots of activity in the garden, although right now its kinda quiet since its wet...
I pulled out my knitting last night, after making beads...(AFTER making beads)...I took apart a project that's been sitting on the needles for months and months...doing nothing...all the yarn is re-wound and I'm gonna start something else...something I might actually work on...imagine that...I'll get pics of it once I'm farther along - right now I'm not even done casting on yet...
Oh, I just got notice that 'we' are leaving shortly...i gotta book...back later...
Not exactly 'weekend update' but close enough...
Regarding the first round of bead orders - I'm pleased to say that I'm nearly finished with all the colorful beads...I have one last bead (the FRE) that I need to complete..ironically, it is the bead that had the most orders (11)...And then I move onto the black and white beads, which I don't think will take me too long...once I have a good idea of when I'll be finished and shipping, I'll letcha know, and I'll open up for a Round 2...probably sometime next week for all of that to happen...(well, definitely next week, unless some catastrophe happens and I'm unable to work, which I highly doubt)...
MSNBC has this list of '16 worst places to stash your stuff'...really good info here, I thought you might like to see...I'm putting my toothbrush in the cabinet today...interesting about how the medicines need to stay cool, and shouldn't be in the bathroom (I like to steam up the joint when I take a jacuzzi bath with nice hot water), don't store coffee in the fridge, don't trudge thru your house w/ the shoes you wore on your freshly fertilized yard, etc. etc...see what you think...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23727879/...(I see my iMac is still giving me crap about embedding links into my blog...nice)...
I watched some Johnny Carson last night...we have the vintage set of DVD's of his Best Of and they are still funny...I am glad he had a chance to exit the scene gracefully, now a days the media scum woulda posted all sorts of nasty things about him or taken pics of him like Patrick Swayze...its a different world out there and not necessarily a nicer one...
So, all the online news sites are screaming at how affordable Texas is, and how many people are moving here...the downside for me, of course, is that as people move to Austin, the trees and countryside is being ripped down, and strip shopping malls are being built...and homes..too many homes...so now we have all these extra cars on the roads...if you planned to move here, might I suggest Arizona? or Louisiana? Oklahoma anyone? I imagine traffic in those states isn't nearly as congested as it is here...thanks for your consideration...
I sing the praises of my new iMacBook Pro everyday...I really love it, even tho I am still far from being an expert in it...but I've discovered one of the most wonderful, excellent things about it - it comes with a remote control, so I'm able to work at the torch and still watch DVD's, movies, tv and music from my iTunes...there I sit with my little remote, and there I sit, watching Harry Potter, South Park, Larry Sanders and listening to Seal, Joni Mitchell and Sweeney Todd...
Ok, so did you click the link I put there for my iMac? And you were confused, right? What the heck is Rick Astley singing on my computer? You've been officially 'Rickrolled'!!! Ha...Silly, I know...here's an article that's talking about the phenomenon...did you notice there's over 7 million hits on the video? Apparently its happening all over the world right now...and why not!?! Who doesn't like this song and wanna get up and dance? I'm dancing right now....Ha! I can't get the weblink code to work on the Astley article..I'll keep working on it...is my iMac broken? argh!! naw, I'm sure its my fault somehow...
Well, I've tried all 3 of my browsers and NONE of them will let me add another hyperlink in my blog software...HOWEVER - I went upstairs and fired up the Dell and sure enough, I could add all the URL links I want...damn...stupid iMac...i wonder what the bug is with that...anyway, I've added the link in the word 'article', if anyone is interested..and I think I'm done talking about computers for the day...
Not much to report on today...i started my taxes, separated the receipts, dug up info on my computer, know what I'm missing and will dig that up shortly...shouldn't take too long, really...the worst part of taxes is the drive to our accountant...now that we've moved, it takes me an 1 hr 45 min to get to his office...I think I'm gonna mail the info this year...they'll need to file an extension for us anyway, we are too late to be filed by April 15...but that's ok...
I found more 'cat talking' videos on YouTube but had to stop playing them cause they were causing a commotion in the house...I find it all rather amusing, but its also a little mean, so I have stopped...for now...
I just spent a little time (well a lot of time) posting 10 new pieces on Etsy...nothing fancy, nothing expensive, just some bright stuff for the spring/summer...at least the shop isn't empty anymore...
this is the first time my Etsy shop has been sold out...I do believe I need to refill the shop, eh? si!
Brian just found out that George Michael is coming on tour thru the US...we can go to either Dallas or Houston to see him...I think Brian is probably screaming in his office and dancing like Go-Go right now...I told him I'd go with him, wherever he wants...its his deal, I can take GM just fine, but I don't have his entire collection, including never released UK versions of tunes, and DVDs of concerts...like someone I know, who lives in this house...
I'm so tickled, I don't have to go into Austin this morning, so I got a good nights sleep, and I'm gonna work on my taxes this morning, and beads this afternoon...the house is vacuumed, I took a hot bath last night and the yard is full of color...its a good day here and I'm gonna enjoy it!!
A cool front has come thru, its nice and chilly and feels great! Summer has been pushed back for at least today and we're grateful...We picked up loads of new plants for the yard and today is perfect for planting them...in fact, I think I might need a long sleeved shirt, as I'm getting a little chilly at the moment...
Hope you have/had a great Easter...its always weird when it falls in March, its too early for me...I like the second week of April for Easter, but that's just me...
I see a wheelbarrow being wheeled around...i think I need to get going...go eat some chocolate and enjoy your day...
Once i finally got to the torch yesterday, I was able to work till 9:00pm...and I'm happy with what I've made...all the opaque lentils are done and about half the transparents are done...these dudes take longer than the opaque rounds because there are more steps involved...but I will finish th transparents on Sunday so I'm ready to go on Monday and can begin to tackle the fancy rounds...(fr)...those dudes are gonna be fun, but there are a LOT of them to make...
I'm heading out to find a second hanging basket to put in my backyard...I found some neat rebar plant hangars and one nice basket of petunias, but I am gonna hit another nursery out here, and see if i can find something different for the other hangar...I'm still on the prowl for bluebonnets (they're coming up in the roadsides, but I wanna plant my own in my yard) and some gregg's mist and tall verbena...time to stomp around and get dirty...i've already got my cowboy hat on, and am heading out the door to the pickup truck...yeehaw...
It is flying by and I need the world to slow down so I can get work done...actually, I cleaned all the beads I made this week and I'm pretty happy with them...a few were clunkers, so I'll probably toss them in my bad bead jar...sometimes it gets very hungry...
The Ferris Bueller Quote Along was fabulous...the theater was full of FB fans who really knew the movie...we were given a cheat sheet of when to play a kazoo, then we all got up and danced during the parade scene and sang Danke Shoene (sp?)...it was a blast...if you're in the Austin area and are a fan of the movie, you should go...its on Thursday at 7:00 at the Ritz downtown...
I found a fun soundboard of the most famous quotes from the movie...the YouTube videos were all pretty weak, so i thought this would be more fun for you to play with...
A train was parked on the tracks overnight, which blocked traffic from one side of the town to the other...as a result, the best way to get back and forth was to go down our little dirt road...I think the entire town has been down our road in the past 24 hours...our yard is dusty and I need a good rain to wash everything clean...at least the train is now gone and folks are leaving us alone again...I hate it when they fly down here at the speed of light, its a small road, they need to go slow...get outta my yard you kids!!
ok, i'm done w/ the computer, I gotta go...time to work on some lentils today...yeehaw...
Mr. Rogers woulda been 80 today...so, in honor of him, its 'Wear your Favorite Sweater Day'...Mr. Roger's home page...The wiki about Mr. Rogers...and of course, we can't forget Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood...
"WHOOIZIT??"
I saw my first monarch today...it was enjoying the lemon blossoms that are opening...I hope it was spreading the pollen to them all, so they'll create tasty lemons...Big swallowtails are starting to float by...and I forgot, but there is a large wisteria that grows in the wild in the field across from our house...its all over a large tree and its so pretty...when taking the dog for a walk tonight, I spotted lots of trailing verbena - the same stuff we planted in our yard - growing wild in behind the high school...its so cool to see plants we buy in the nursery growing wild...I tend to forget that the plants we buy and plant are ones that grow around town, if we just let them come up on their own...
We finally saw Catalina tonight, after releasing her back outdoors on Sunday...I'm glad to know she's still around...she's still keeping her distance from us, but once we came in the house, she came right up the stairs to eat (I was spying out my peephole on the front door)...
I couldn't resist, and had to buy a hanging basket of pink and purple petunias from the local nursery...I am kinda impatient at this time of year, I'm enjoying the color in the yard and just keep adding to it...once the native plants grow, they'll fill in all summer, but I'm busily augmenting the yard w/ daisies, petunias and annuals...I'm a sucker for flowers...
I just bought us 2 tix to Thursday's Quote A Long...are you a Ferris Bueller fan? We are! This is gonna be fun...
Wanna hear what a cardinal sounds like when its singing?
How about when its calling to a mate? Its fun to play these sounds when you have a room full of drowsy kitties - they certainly perk up! I'm sitting in the front room, where I can see the cardinals coming and going in the nest...busy busy busy...Its pretty hard to see them in the archway due to the dense rose vines, especially when the female is there because she's so neutral in color...but I can see her coming and going, so I know she's picking up twigs and leaves...so cool...
Here's more about the Cardinal...I had no idea they only lived in part of the US, I thought they were all over...I've been used to seeing them my entire life, as they were one of the few birds that would stay during the winters in Illinois, and here in Texas they are all over...we had like 3 or 4 PAIRS of them fighting for territory around our house last year...I just assumed everyone got to enjoy them...they are pretty cool...
I was busy yesterday, all day..the dog came with me and we explored some of the Texas countryside, looking for some small towns that I managed to find among all these little county roads...at some points the pavement would just stop, and the road turned into red soft dirt...I was thankful to be in the truck, cause the Miata woulda had a hard time making it thru..and if it had been raining, no way...muddin'!! So, today it is black as night outside, storms are a brewin', and I'm staying inside to get to work on the beads, glorious beads...should be a fun day..AND, Clementine didn't dance on my head all night, so I got a good night's sleep...thank you jeebus...
lots of placing of the rocks in the garden, but they are all in and look good..Brian took lots of pics, so I'll post them when I get around to it...the cardinal nest is coming along, they have leaves on the bottom and its bigger than it was yesterday...we were lucky enough to catch both the female and male visiting the nest today while we were outside...they are still constructing it, I don't think they are living in it just yet...
All the invoices are built and mailed...
We released Catalina into the outdoors today...she's been recouping from her vet visit on Wed, and was getting a little stir crazy...she's still shy and prefers to keep her distance from us, but she was having fun exploring the field and climbing the trees...I hope she stays close by so we can keep an eye out for her...
Its a gorgeous day here, so we packed up the truck and hit our fave nursery in Austin- and MAN was it busy! We knew it would be, but it was fun to see it all a buzz with activity...amazingly, I bought NO plants, as I'm specifically looking for bluebonnets and tall verbena at the moment and if I don't see those, I don't buy...we also checked out their massive butterfly garden, and were pleased to see that their plants look like ours do - still small, but growing...I ran into the owner of the company I last worked for (he wasn't my boss, but he started the company w/ the dude who was my boss)...he and his family were there to see the chickens, donkeys and enjoy the place...its almost like a zoo or amusement part as much as a nursery...after leaving there, we hit our favorite nursery that sells pretty rock and stone, and found some really cool mexican patio stones for the garden...i'll use them as stepping stones thru the yard, instead of the temporary pebble ones we have now...these look natural, and are a pretty color...400lbs of stone we have to haul out of the truck and into the yard...no problem!
6:27pm Yea! I have accepted all the orders that I can for Round 1..if you submit an order after now (ding), you'll be in round 2...I will formally open round 2 in a few weeks, but I must close round 1 right now, as its brimming with orders...thank you! I'm actually rather excited to get started, I wasn't sure what the response would be and I realize that I offered a LOT of choices - sometimes that can make your brain hurt, indeed...perhaps next color scheme will have far less to choose from...the Cowboys and Clementines had only 7 or 9 lentils, and much fewer round beads, and yet everyone was able to come away w/ a collection they enjoyed...I did say that I was having fun creating and that I'd have a lot to offer, so you could put together exactly what you wanted...I haven't really drilled thru the orders yet, so it'll be interesting to see where the interest lies, is it rounds, lentils, black/white, color or some of everything...who knows...all I know is that I'm sunburned and that we did, indeed spy the makings of a new nest in the rose arch...the cardinals are building a new home!
Yes, I am pushing you...pushy pushy me is pushing you to get your order in before the end of the day...cause as I told one reader, I envision myself being unconscious w/ beads scattered around my head in about 2 weeks as I overdose on beadmaking...NOT that I'm complaining, no, don't misunderstand...its more a fear I have of not being able to complete the orders in a timely manner and making you angry...And all that being said, i think I can comfortably say without any doubt, that there WILL BE an Round 2 in the coming weeks...so, if you don't get your order in today, never fear...
Ok, then, now that business is taken care of, I found a cute little game last night that you might enjoy playing...I like puzzle games, more than shoot-em-ups or games where monsters constantly try to kill you...when I was a game master for Ultima Online, i would spend my time weaving, dying clothing, making tools in the game..rarely would I engage in battle or cause trouble...(even tho I was the highest level of magician and had loads of gold in the bank)...So, if you are bored on this gorgeous Friday afternoon, give the little Dwarf a try...and if you need a walkthru like i do, check out this thorough version...
I am behind on emails, but I've packaged up all the bracelets from yesterday and they are in the mail...that's pretty good for me, I'm not always that fast w/ turnaround...Today its gonna be 90 here...what? yes...and I have some plants that need to get in the ground before they cook in the sun...so I'll be back..but first, I'll get dirty in the garden...the bees are back, I've seen some wasps, Brian spotted a red admiral butterfly on the black bananas yesterday...a large swallowtail was floating around, Spring is almost busted open here...its slowly emerging w/ the sun...we have a pair of cardinals who have been spending time on our rose-covered archway...i think they may be setting up house in there...how cool would it be to have baby cardinals in the yard...cheep cheep cheep...
11:32pm Just a quick update regarding orders - they are coming in fast and furious, and rather LARGE...lots of beads ordered so far...So, seeing as how I didn't get the update done until after 4:00pm, I will keep the orders open on Friday, and close them when I am officially buried...sometime Friday afternoon...If you have an inkling of ordering, please do so as soon as possible, even if its for 3 beads, no order is too small (and yes, I've done orders for 3 beads, its all cool and the gang)...This Round 1 MAY MAY MAY take longer than the typical 2 weeks, depending on what tomorrow brings - I just don't know what to expect...please keep that in mind, I will get started on these orders this coming Monday, and will work fast and furiously, but i expect this might take some time...thanks for your patience...
And without any further delay, here are the beads...and a few bracelets, if you scroll down the Pickin page, or visit the Etsy page...
Whew...this has taken me a LONG time and I'm going to go walk the dog and enjoy some time away from the computer...email me if you need anything, I'll be back later...
rock on kiddos!!
So, I think tomorrow should be the day we do the dance...I'll post the beads tomorrow...I want to work today on a few more, but I think I have enough, I just want to try out a few various designs here and there...sure enough, i made a fistful of beads yesterday and some of them, not so hot...but others came out pretty good, and I'm feelin the vibe, so I'll post tomorrow...i have to pick up the calico from the vets tomorrow...
Brian took her in this morning for her spay...he was able to trick her into the cat carrier w/out much fuss...have I mentioned that neither of us has touched her? I think she was once someone's pet, but she's been on the road so long she has become a little ferral...mostly scared...i think once we're able to pet her, she'll love it...she's getting better about coming closer to us, but she's still skittish..after she heals a few days, she's going back out...she likes being out, she has her routine, we'll feed her, and she'll be fine...Jack and Chloe live outside and the do great...we just need to stop the kitten production, that's all...
I hear the website Hulu.com is fun to visit...old television and movies...mostly by the NBC network and any movie companies they are associated with (paramount?)...I tried to hit it with my Dell, but I can't get the Flash component to install (well, it installs, but it doesn't stay installed...whatever)...go check it out and watch something fun and old...
I've been taking inventory of each day's beads to see how I feel about what I'm producing...so far, I'm pretty happy with what I have, but I feel like I need a bit more variety...I will have lots to choose from, but its mostly rounds and lentils this time...I have some cubes and cones on the list, but I'm not sure I'll get them done...I really don't know what I'm going to make from day to day, and I like it that way...things just pop in my head, or don't...the experimentation is the fun part...the trickier part will be remembering what exactly I did to create the bead...sometimes there are various layers to create a color and I tend to grab what i think will look good, but I need to make note...yesterday i grabbed what I thought was a clear rod, but it was a very light colored rod, so the beads that came out had a weird look to them...have to re-do those today...
The rain is gone, the sun is coming out and the ground is wet and gooey...the dog and I went to the school and had a nice time today - no one was stalking us...her feet are now caked with mud, and no matter how many towels i put on the truck seat, she manages to kick them all up and stand on the fabric instead...I should put her in the back of the truck, but I just don't trust her not to jump out if she sees another dog or a squirrel...so, instead, I have muddy seats...
I'm not sure what's gone wrong, but my new computer seems to have slowed down...I know the Mac world sings the praises of 'no viruses' in its little land of glory, so I don't think i've downloaded a virus, but something is going on to slog this thing down...its maddening...especially since I don't know enough about the machine to know where to look for the problem...I'm used to my computer keeping up with me and my thoughts, it feels like I'm dragging it along behind me as I wait for it to finish it's task...will the madness ever end?
Mucho rain...of course...on my way into Austin at 7:30 this morning, it was black as night (course it was 6:30am prior to the time change) and the rain was coming down in buckets...amazingly, even tho I saw lots of emergency vehicles, the traffic wasn't nearly as bogged down as it was last Monday, when we had just a small amt of rain...I took the dog out to the school to run around and exercise, but its Spring Break and the school is somewhat deserted...I like it like that, except when a strange white truck w/ two people (men, I'm guessing) drive by slowly to see if they know me...thank god my dog is a Doberman, cause most folks leave us alone when they see her...the truck drove over to another part of the parking lot to eat their lunch, or set fire to something, who knows...but it cut our walk short and its still raining, so she's sleeping inside and hopefully this evening we'll get a chance to run around longer...
and so with that, i'm off to catch up on my Murder, She Wrote (the last episode I watched has a 1985 George Clooney in it, but he wasn't the murderer)and get the bead thing going...its a great day to stay indoors and work...at least the yard is getting a good drink, especially since I fed everyone on Saturday...the rains will take the nutrients right up into the plants and everyone will grow grow grow...yeehaw...
Well, we all knew it was gonna happen sooner than later...yes, I've been planting flowers...i'm dirty (and probably a little smelly) and have some really interesting purple flowers in the ground...we installed our wrought iron fencing again, now that the plants are starting to come up, and I filled the bird bath with rocks so the butterflies will have somewhere to land and take a drink...sure, its early, but it had to be done...I had to plant something...we bought some really big gerber daisies too, but its become overcast and rainy, so I'll wait for a few days...I am so tired...I woke up at 5:00 with a splitting headache, and have had puffy eyes all day...i think i got a slight sunburn yesterday...I will get some pics once the sun comes back out...
yesterday's art show was fun, being in the ice cream shop was a great location, very bright and busy...one of my fave customers was nearby having fun w/ friends, so they all come up to see the show and bracelets..i think they tried every bracelet on! ha...it was a good time had by all...I got to take a quick spin around the town and see what was going on in the other stores...an Elvis impersonator in full garb was wandering around w/ his backup singers...they setup a karaoke machine and were singing on the sidewalk...in another location were a set of 10 and 7 yr old sisters playing the fiddle...cute! I hope to be back in the ice cream shop next month, its not really my call, but I'll try...
I'm pretty sure I'm gonna take a hot jacuzzi bath and go to bed early...i'v got to get up early tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it at all...ugh...must get hot chocolate for the drive...i might head into our favorite nursery and see if they have any palettes of bluebonnets I can plant...I have 4 little flowers popping up from the seeds I planted, but that's probably out of 100-150 seeds...d'oh!
Yeah, its time to turn your clocks ahead one hour tonight...Wha???? Yep, I know, I said the same thing...weird, but true...I'm gonna have a hard time getting up monday to make my appt in Austin..plus, its supposed to rain...so I'll be sleepy, driving in the rain...nice...
Speaking of nice, its beautiful here today, which is why I'm just now getting around to updating...we've been adding more mulch, weeding, feeding everyone in the yard...a few bluebonnets are poking up (barely)...we picked up a nice wrought iron planter that is tall, and gives some nice height to the yard...someone driving by stopped to tell us how much they like the yard...which we appreciate, especially when its quiet and barely growing...it was below freezing last night and some of the plants took a hit, but they aren't dead, just the little leaves are..those will fall off and new growth will abound..tomorrow, we put our wrought iron fencing back in the yard so the plants can grow over it...I even put bananas in the yard for any passing butterflies, but only saw bees..that's ok, they need love too...can't wait to start planting flowers soon, i'm ready to get dirty!!!!
Brian put my new 'donner' tags on the back of the Vampyr and I put the new reg sticker in the window and we took it out for lunch...I still haven't put the new red gearshift on, but I did read the directions...it'll happen, even if I have to pay someone with proper tools to install it for me...and then I'll zoom zoom w/ my new red shifter and be all coooooool....we stopped by the ice cream parlor to say 'hi' and see where I can setup for tonight...I may take a space heater with me, its colder now than it was in December...no lie...ha...
I took more beads outta the kiln this morning...I hope ya'll like lentils...plenty to choose from this time..so far, i've made lots of stringer and lentils...the colors are still a surprise, I want to keep ya'll guessing and reveal the big surprise when I'm ready...I will be working more next week, i've got more ideas and things to make...I will post notices here, as well as sending out notices on the new EMAIL LIST, so if you haven't signed up, you might consider it..(in the left column)...See ya'll later...
I've been getting a few emails of late, asking when the beads will be ready...and what colors am I working in...Well, to address the color question first, I haven't come to a complete answer on that on yet...I've pulled some colors and worked in them yesterday and am not sure I'm going to continue with them or not...I'm going to work in them some more today and see how it goes...but I have a feeling I may end up making some adjustments before its all done...
As far as the 'when' question, I won't know that until I am happy with what I'm making...I wanted to post today, but there's no way...its one of the weird things about creating new pieces - ya gotta follow where it takes you...I'm working a little different this time, and that's slowing me down...I'm looking for my rhythm with this color group...so, perhaps next week some time? It all depends on how today goes, and how the next few days go...
I won't be on the torch tomorrow, as I've got a little 'show' on Saturday night...our little town is offering a new 'art walk' the first Sat of each month...local artists (there are a lot of artists who live in this town, amazingly so), local musicians, local downtown shops stay open and we all setup our wares and the local and out of town folk saunter by...I'll be setup in the ice cream shop this month, next month, who knows...its fun...i didn't sell a lot in my last outing, its not a wealthy town, but I feel like I ought to participate to help promote the town...and its not a bad way to spend an evening 1x a month...and this month, I hope we have some traffic seeing as how we're in the newly opened ice cream shop...sweet...
So, there you have it...I'm working, I'm in the middle of the process, there's no definite outcome at the moment, but there will be...I'm trying different things, so you don't get too bored, but i need more time to fill in the blanks..I've only just started and its a little weird at the moment until I find my way...ok...
I've been watching a lot of Murder, She Wrote at the computer while working...I'm almost finished with season 3...one thing I noticed last night (Brian watches Lost on Thursday, so I can work late!) was that either I'm getting better at solving the murders, or the writers are getting lazy in season 3...I managed to solve 2 episodes back to back, which is rare for me...normally I only pay half attention, and i hear the dialog, but I don't really make mental notes, I watch passively...so I was pretty pleased that I was able to figure these out...I still think its the writers and not me, tho...I can never figure out Poirots, no matter how much i want to...I love that show, i wish Netflix offered it in the 'instant' browse category...I'd watch those everyday too..
I just read that Airborne, the OTC medicine that you take to keep from getting sick, is settling a class action lawsuit for $23mil..."There's no credible evidence that what's in Airborne can prevent colds or protect you from a germy environment," said CSPI Senior nutritionist David Schardt. "Airborne is basically on overpriced, run-of-the-mill vitamin pill that's been cleverly, but deceptively, marketed." NICE!!! I bought a bottle of this when I went to Italy and then again to Germany, and it didn't harm me, nor did I get sick on either visit..(well, there was that intestinal bug from Germany, but that's not airborne's fault)...If you want to get a refund for any bottles you might have bought, go here...
And apparently there's yet another memoir that was completely fabricated...Why don't these folks just write the books they want w/out lying about it? Because a memoir sells much better than fiction...according to the folks who work at the publishing companies...sigh...no wonder everyone is skeptical and cynical about what they hear...cause the winner of the Tour de France is caught with drugs in his system (Floyd Landis), cause baseball players are getting caught using drugs (technically not illegal in the baseball system, but its still cheating, just not 'illegal' cheating)...Marion Jones has 5 gold medals revoked, for using illegal enhancing drugs...good grief...its a nasty thing, lying to the public...geez...
I took a little inventory of the garden yesterday..amazingly, the parsley that I planted is still going strong- thru all the cold weather, its held up great...is it a cold weather plant? its huge and bright green and happy as can be...the blackberries are growing, the B.R. Cant rose has exploded in growth, a bluebonnet is poking thru the ground...I planted them too deep, so I'll be surprised if any more show up...next year, I'll plant them more shallow...but my biggest surprise was the Meyer Lemon and all the new growth on it...the grasshoppers did a number on it last year and its looked straggly all winter, compared to the lime, which held itself in good shape...so I wasn't sure if this guy would come back, having never had a lemon tree long enough to know how they work...but its got loads of new leaves popping up AND some new blossoms forming...I'm pleased...today its cold, windy and wet...Saturday its supposed to be warm and sunny...i think the garden will get a nice round of food and water for some serious growing...the butterflies are gonna need somewhere to stop!
I've pulled new colors and started making twisties...and while I really like the colors I've pulled, I am afraid I've put a mixture of too many colors together...it always happens to me, i can tell when I get overwhelmed with color and I need to just jump in and begin the work...I don't think I'll have beads ready by the end of this week, I think I have some work ahead of me before i'll be ready to post...but I am looking forward to just getting the beads going...
Whew...the politicians are packing up and moving on to - who knows where...but if you are at all interested in why Texas voted for Hillary, lemme clarify a little somethin...I dunno how the other states vote, but in Texas we are allowed to vote in whatever primary we choose - if you're a republican, you can vote democrat, and vice versa...as long as you vote ONLY ONCE, you are allowed to choose whatever candidate you like...which makes sense to me...anyway, Texas is a RED state...very republican (except for the large cities which tend to go blue)...and most of the state voted for Hillary yesterday...BUT the tweak to that is - the republicans were voting against Obama by voting for Hillary because they feel McCain can beat her in November...they are confident in this...apparently Rush Limbaugh is telling his listeners to vote this way, and I guess enough of them are doing it...Texas is not Ohio, it is not Hillary friendly...(the overall state in general, i'm sure there are some pockets of Hillary supporters out there)...SO, I hope the democrats realize what happened last night and if they want to win the White House in November, they won't do it with Hillary...the republicans will never vote for her for president, and even tho they aren't excited about McCain, they HATE her...HATE HER...I listened to the local talk shows and so many men called in saying they voted for her, but only because they know (they 'know') McCain will beat her in Nov...in fact, one very republican county was running out of democrat ballots half way thru the day because so many republicans were using them...its like Texas has cheated Obama out of winning the state, but that's the way this state works...it does seem unethical, I guess...its not illegal...the radio host said its like 'catching fish in the boat, and the boat sinks'...and if you think I'm wrong, just go look at the numbers who voted FOR McCain vs the numbers who voted for the two democrats...there aren't that many registered democrats in Texas! ha...
We caught the calico last night..she left us the black and white kittens back in, oh, I dunno when it was..October? November? They are living on a farm, doing well, but mama calico is still hanging around..and it looks like she may have another litter..so we set the trap (which she managed to walk in and out of TWICE on Monday night) and she was nabbed last night...she's hiding in Brian's office, and we hoped to take her to the vet's tomorrow for spaying - but they are busy and can't take her for 8 more days...I won't be surprised if she has her litter by then, but I'm hoping she won't...good grief...if she does have her litter, we'll see if the farm would want her and her babies...they like having cats to keep the varmint population down, and are always looking for cats who can breed...so she'd be perfect...plus, she's not very human-friendly, so I think a barn would be comfortable for her...we'll see how it all plays out...
I've completed all the orders for the last few English Tweeds, and i'm sad to pack up the rods, but I think its time...I'll be pulling a whole new scheme today, making twisties and stringers...good times...
I'm glad its March 4, time for the candidates to claim their votes and move on...I am all for voting, participation, enthusiasm, patriotism, that is the fun part of the election process...the lying, mud slinging, threats, complaints, fake-anger, cheating, and nastiness is the part I can do without...so don't get me wrong - voting=good, evil politicians=bad...
I treated myself to a new gear shift and leather skirt for the Vampyr, they've arrived, but its been too cold and wet to install them...I'm gonna read the 'how to' so when it warms up, i'll be ready w/ ratchet in hand...I still haven't picked up my license plates yet, its been nearly a week since they were suppose to arrive...guess I should call someone and make a quick roadtrip to go get them...
Ok then, there ya haves its...that's what's going on here...I've been making beads, some little brightly colored frit beads, but I dunno if I'll post them or what...there are only 4 strands at the moment, maybe I'll incorporate them into the new color scheme somehow...playing with frits is fun, tho, and kinda mindless and nice...sometimes its nice to just zone at the torch and not think so much about it...
If you're curious about Etsy, the founder (all of 27 years old) was on Martha Stewart on Fri...here's the segment...if Martha could keep her yapper shut, you'd learn more, but she can't stop talking...Still, what's even MORE exciting (to me, anyway) is that Emily from the Black Apple (the doll and frame that is referenced on the show) will do her OWN segment on Martha, to be aired March 11...she flew up there this past week to shoot the segment...I've got one of her black haired dolls on my front parlor table, next to one of her prints we framed in an oval frame...then I've got two of her 'dunce' dolls that match her dunce prints...I've got a variety of other prints of hers that I've not framed yet...I've tried to buy more of her dolls, but as i was in the middle of check out, someone else snagged it right out of my cart...d'oh! She's sold more items than anyone else on Etsy, over 12,000...impressive...she's a cute girl w/ a cute website as well...you should bookmark and visit her - but don't buy her dolls out from under me!!! heh...
Brian has taken a few days off (use them or lose them) so we are just kickin back, enjoying the weekend...he doesn't go back to work till Wed or Thur this week...we have no plans, just do whatever we feel like..mostly this morning we caught up on sleep...I guess we were more tired than we realized...
I kinda wanna go see a movie this morning, but there's not much in the theaters at the moment...I'd like to see the Other Boelyn Girl, but Drafthouse isn't playing it...and I don't want to go to a theater that isn't a Drafthouse...we are spoiled going there and the other theaters drive us a little kooky...kids, noise, sticky foods, no goat cheese salad, I can't take it...heh...
Why do people feel they can invade my private space when I'm sitting on my own front steps, petting my own cat, not engaging them in any conversation whatsoever...hey buddy - don't come up my sidewalk and chase my cat off and start handing me religious literature...If I wish to seek out your church, I will...I shoulda told him I already went to church 8 times a week and am not sure I could squeeze anymore praying at this time...at least he didn't pester me for long, and he appreciated my garden...but still, just cause I'm on my porch doesn't mean I'm inviting complete strangers up to come up and set a spell...
I've just learned that I am out of date and uncool...my 'hit counter' on my homepage is deemed 'passe' and amateur...and I guess I wasn't really using it for any means of information, there are other traffic metrics I can use to gauge my visits...so, after nearly 4 years to the day, the hit counter has been retired...
I played at the torch last night, dug out my frits and made beads...found some pretty combinations, and some that just kinda went muddy...that's what playing is all about...I think I'm gonna make some more today, since Brian is working on some friend's computers...what I REALLY wanna do is plant some plants, but its not really time yet...maybe I'll add some compost to the garden instead...I'm also contemplating some solar sidewalk lamps...
I find it ironic that Clinton (and Obama from what i've heard) are both considering SUING the Texas Democratic party because our voting is 'confusing'...really? Its been this way for many years, no one has complained until now, what makes this time so much more confusing than when Bill was running? Did they consider suing then? It feels more like 'if I don't get my way, then I'll whine'...get serious...take your wins an losses like a leader, not like a whiner...in my opinion, if you aren't able to run a winning campaign, how can you run the counry? Does Mike Huckabee think he can run the country when he can't get folks excited enough to vote for him? I don't get politics, its full of whiners and babies...geez people...Can you tell that we are exhausted with all the political campaigning that's been going on here in Texas? March 4 can't get here soon enough for me...send all these numbskulls packing to the next states where they can whine and complain there...we don't take kindly to whiners, no sir...