Alrighty then, I've finally shot some photos of some of the latest Trolls I've made...I have more arriving on Monday, and I'll post them later...I'll also try to get a better shot once I get out in the pretty sunshine tomorrow..these beads actually glow with reflective sheen...really groovy...sorry for taking so long, I've been kinda jammed up with lots of stuff going on in the past 48 hours...groovy...
A fast, simple, safe, easy way to clean your silver jewelry and silver items in your house...no more scrubbing...
After a whopping 3 hours of sleep, and leaving the house at 4:45am, I am officially at the hotel in Milwaukee, I have settled in pretty well, my box of tools is here with me, I've had some lunch, I've connected to the internet (daily charges apply, no more free wireless access, poop)...Because everyday is gonna be play it by ear, I may or may not be online, depending on when I get back to the room, and what exciting (or not) stuff I have to share...I did bring my little camera, I haven't used it in awhile, so some of my shots may be atrocious, but so be it...
As we were zooming down the road in the dark, i realized that I had left the bracelets I had planned on wearing today on my dresser...and one of the bracelets I left is loaded with trolls...however, Brian has already express mailed it to me and it should arrive some time Monday..in the meantime, I'll shoot some of the other trolls and see how well they post...if I don't fall asleep first...
The tv channel choices up here are bad...really bad...bleech...looks like Cartoon Network for the next week!
I had to turn the a/c on in the room - it was set to 'heat'..can you imagine? I wondered why the room wasn't very cool...crazy...
Ok, I think I need a nap...I'm crashing now that I have food on my stomach...pics after I rise from the dead...
8:30pm...I'm finalizing my packing, I'm really pleased that my suitcase is nearly empty, so that I can cram it full (Cram it Ma'am) of goodies from the show...I have removed part of my knitting from my bag, and my mondo bag of beads fits in there nicely...there was no way i was gonna check those thru baggage, if they rip everything from me, I'll still be standing w/ my bag of beads...alas, its nearly dark here and i didn't get any pics of the Trolls, but I will tomorrow...I'm sure they have sunshine in Wisconsin, right...The cats are helping me, Clementine thinks this is a big game she's zipping around the bed, into the closet, jumping on the hamper and zipping back to the bed...at least no one has camped down in the suitcase like Bennie and Dexter used to...it was so hard to pack around them or to ask them to vacate...oh, and I heard at least one of the babies chirping this afternoon, so I know all is well in the Cardinal Kingdom for another day...sweet...
Brian flies home in a few hours, so I have to get a buncha stuff done this morning before I pick him up...we are out of catfood, dog food and cat litter...well, 'out' means we are close, but no one is going hungry just yet...I have bank errands to do, some initial packing and searching for my B&B rolling cart, which as of yet has not materialized...I think I know where it is, and if I can't find it, looks like I'll be buying a new one in Milwaukee...they are great for classes, just load up your junk and wheel it behind you...they collapse and fit in suitcases nicely...I don't think I need two of them, but maybe I do..
I have some really groovy Trolls that I've made the past few days, i DO wanna get pics snapped and posted for ya'll, but that will be later today..or possibly tomorrow...I am taking my computer with me and my little funkified camera so if I don't get anything new posted now, while in my tornado-of-a-life, I'll do it when things settle down tomorrow...
I tried my best to keep Jack and Chloe in yesterday, but the dog was barking fiercely around 11:30pm and I had to get her indoors, and thus the two tweedles ran out...they are on the porch this morning, waiting for breakfast...I don't spy any gifts on the porch and I hope the birds are laying low somewhat until Brian and I can tag-team the cats and get them back inside..(see- its a 'tag team theme' today)...after losing the two carolina wrens, a finch, a lizard and a squirrel, i'm in no mood to find dead cardinals (babies or adults) on the porch, sidewalk, driveway or road...Jack peed in the bathroom (on the counter) last night after I locked them in so I could get some work done outside...I'm done dealing with them...good thing I'm leaving town!!!!
I think I need to get going, so I'll be back later, I think...I hope...I expect...I suspect...I'll try...
I took a break from making beads about 5:00pm just to sit on the porch and enjoy the garden...turns out I made the right decision because I spotted one of the cardinal babies out of the nest, on the rose canes...I scooped up both Jack Bauer and Chloe and tossed them in the house, and watched the female encourage the baby to fly, which he did, right across the road, and into the weeds...he's safe, for now, but the two cats are going bonkers indoors...they are just gonna haveta deal (as am I, listening to their constant complaining)...I wasn't sure if that was the first or second baby, but I think I hear the second one in the nest, and the female is doing the same procedure - jumping around on the rose canes, on the mailbox, trying to show the baby how to leave the nest...I think if I stay inside, he might be more courageous...but i'm gonna go out and check to make sure he doesn't fly right down into the road...I'll at least move him into the weeds w/ his sibling so they can stick together and get fed for another day or two...if they survive being out of the nest for the next 24-48 hours, I think they'll be ok...but they are too small to fly away from the cats, dogs, cars and predators that could get them...I'll do what I can to help them w/out getting in their way...for now, at least the two troublemakers are inside...now, I have to figure out how to get them in a room so i can start taking the litter boxes out to change them...I need a clone!!
The garden is deadheaded, watered in, the cardinals are growing, the cats haven't delivered any new presents and the dog and I had a good walk this morning at the high school tennis courts...I guess summer school is in session cause there are cars there in the morning...our schools let out the first or second week of May, cause they go back to school the second week of August, which I have always found to be weird, but its what Texas does...I'm just used to Labor Day being the 'end of summer' but down here it really doesn't stop being hot until after Halloween, and September is just as brutal as August as far as heat goes, so I guess it doesn't really matter...at least they are in air conditioning...
I do believe it is time for me to change the litter boxes and get underway...I'm kinda pleased with some of the beads I made yesterday, but I have more work to do...I'm making troll beads right now, I'm not silver coring these, cause I've found that they won't fit over the Pandora style bracelets if they are silver cored (they will fit the Troll bracelet if they are cored,tho, and that's what I wear)...I dunno, how many folks have Pandora bracelets vs. Troll bracelets? Is it a huge market share? The silver coring is really ideal for the bead, as it keeps the metal from wearing the glass down and causing stress in the bead...its also much more time consuming to silver-core a bead and it costs more money in time and materials...so right now I'm leaving them uncored, and will have to decide which ones to core later...
We moved two years ago, for a variety of reasons, but one of the biggest one was we were tired of the ridiculousness of the Austin mentality...and its all coming to a head now...Out of control property taxes, red light cameras to make money, toll roads that charge $1.50 per quarter mile (for roads that you've already paid for in your gas tax), and now they are charging people who want to go to a public park and exercise...seriously...if you gather up a group of people and want to do pushups, or thai chi, they want to charge 'who ever is in charge' $500 because they are 'making money on public property'...and yet - they allow developers to build multi-million dollar shopping centers (The Domain in North Austin) and give them tax breaks...the irony there is, no one shops there, they just window shop, cause people in Austin are not gonna pay $5000 for a Birkin bag or $2000 for a pair of shoes...there's money in Austin, but this isn't Dallas...you can sit next to a multi-millionaire in a local bar who is dressed in shorts and sandals...this is not the Austin of old...and I'm glad we aren't living in it, giving our money to the craziness...We buy a lot of stuff online, and I stay out of Austin as much as possible...I'm listening to the local radio show, freaking out at how much the city has changed, and all I can do is smile and say 'yep'...and then I jingle the 8 pennies in my pocket and am grateful to still have them...One of the things I forgot about - the city is trying to, (or may have already) pass a law making anyone selling their house bring it up to 'green' code before they can sell it...that would mean replacing all the windows, upgrading the a/c unit, upgrading old appliances, adding insulation in the walls/attic...can you imagine having to do that on your home before you moved? How much would that run you? 20K? 30K? we upgraded our a/c and ducting - it was 7K just for that...we had 10 windows that would all need to be replaced, that's not cheap either...how long would all that take? The last thing you wanna do is upgrade the house you're moving out of before you move into the new house you wanna upgrade...
11:00am I just finished watering the front yard, and watching the birds/bugs/lizards abound...its nice when Jack and Chloe are gone, all the wildlife come out to play...you should hear the symphony of sound that occurs when the female cardinal returns to the nest - the babies must be much bigger, cause they are much louder...I'll prob shoot some pics later, after she's done feeding them and I'm not disturing them...
We've had a purple martin house for years, and no purple martins have ever arrived to live in it...its been closed up so that other birds won't inhabit it, cause the martins won't kick them out...but, after 4 years of it being empty, I've decided to open it up...I just spotted a small wren-like bird hopping around on it, looking for a way in, so guess what - condos are now open and ready for business! Let's see who moves in and what they bring with them...
I got nothing (NOTHING) made yesterday...a trip to the airport, a trip into Austin, didn't get back till 3:00pm, the kiln was fired up, but by the time I took care of the dog, the cats, the house, the yard, made cupcakes and cleaned the mess (wow, how does that happen?) it was after 8:00pm...I gave up, just knitted and watched tv, and hit the hay...But...today is a new day...the cats are fed, the dog is heading out for a walk, the kiln is firing up yet again and I am not going anywhere...at all...I need dog food, but that will have to wait...till I have some beads in the kiln...
Summer is here, no doubt...but the butterflies have been missing in action...we've had a small few, but nothing like the craziness of last year when I had 15 butterflies on one banana...I've seen a few monarchs and swallowtails, but the 'general population' of butterflies haven't shown up yet...sulphurs, checkereds, question marks, hackberry, buckeye, painted ladies, red admirals, where are you? what is going on? the heat usually brings them in swarms, this is when they thrive, they like the sun on their wings...the temps are hot and steamy, and yet my garden is quiet...the cardnials are making up for it somewhat, and there are baby mockingbirds and new bluejays out there, but the stars of the show haven't arrived...I'm waiting...
I'm mad at American airlines...I booked my flight in January, for a 10:00am departure from Austin...they took it upon themselves to cancel that flight and move me to the other flight - that leaves at 6:15am...they don't care that I am NOT a morning person...I have to be at the airport at 5:00am Saturday...what? that is inhuman...I'm sorry, I am not happy...I arrive in Milwaukee at 10:30am, but my hotel doesn't allow me to check in until 4:00pm...good thing I'll have knitting with me...I'll see if I can check in, but if not, I'll be hangin in the lobby all afternoon...there's a movie theatre nearby, but I can't tell if they'll have the Sex and the City movie or not...my small online search doesn't give me much hope...I called the theatre and no one answered...bah...
I think I'm gonna take my computer with me on the trip, so I'll be able to update pics and such...guess I need to take my camera as well...I'm gonna look like one of those cross country trekkers who are loaded w/ cameras, computers, hats, bags, scarves and people look at them with frightened looks...yep, that'll be me...clanging down the hall with pots and pans tied to my waist...like Sam in LOTR...share the load...
Yep, I'm hitchin up and headin' out Saturday...if you're gonna be at Bead and Button next week, I may run into ya...my sched is packed, I think i've overdone it, actually...one day - i go from 8:00am to 8:00pm...good grief! The good news is, it'll keep me outta the 'show' and hopefully keep me from spending (or over spending) too much...the bad thing is, I'm not sure when I'm supposed to eat...I have an hour between classes, and by the time I clean up my work space, gather up my junk for the next class, make my way to the classroom, get a seat, I won't have time to eat..I do think I'll have some peanut butter sandwiches in my backpack...and bottled water...its like a week-long bead trek into the wild...gotta be prepared...I just can't see going up there and having entire days of spare time...there's so many classes available, i shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing...I do like my downtime, which is why i've got my own room this year, and will hide in it like a cave...quiet time...I'm gonna need it...
I was sorry to see Sydney Pollack passed away...i always liked him, he made good movies, he was funny and smart, and one of the 'good' guys...with so many stupid, untalented folks in Hollywood now a days, its always sad to see the good ones go...
When we went to the movies on Sunday, we pulled into a parking space right next to a brand new SmartCar...silver, still with its paper plates on...musta been just off the show room floor...we had to snap photos on our phones, I haven't downloaded mine yet, but I'll post it...its cute...
So, after putting it off, I finally scooped up the mystery animal off the porch yesterday...it was half a squirrel...yes, just the top half...I won't go into the details, it was as icky as you might imagine, I had to throw a towel over it, and use my dustpan set to scoop it up and put in the garbage...thankfully today there are no new gifts...
I've gotta take my box of tools to Fed Ex or UPS today and get it on it's way...I need to find a location in austin to do this, tho...hmmm...guess I should Google a location while I think about it...rock on kids, I've gotta go get busy...
MSNBC has some feedback from folks who saw the movie over the weekend...some enjoyed it, others felt like me...I should say that I thought the actors did a fine job, I didn't have a problem with them, just the situations that they were asked to go thru...I blame Steven Spielberg and George Lucas - they waited 25 years for THIS script? Really? wow...
We decided to take in a late movie last night...knowing that the Indy movie was already sold out (on all 3 screens) we figured we'd do Forgetting Sarah Marshall...ok, no prob...the theatre was packed, but we figured they were there for Indy (and they were)...except when we tried to get tix to Sarah Marshall, there was only ONE left...oops! Then, the dude says "well, 10 tix just opened up for the 7:40 Indy" and we bought two...hurray, look at us, sneaking into the new Indy movie...and for about the first 20 minutes it was ok...a bit of a throwback to the old Indy movies...but then it turns into a rehash of all the old Indy movies...ooo, scary ants!...ooo, scary Nazi woman with bad accent (I love Cate Blanchett, tho)...and then, the 'big payoff' was SO STUPID!! The guys sitting next to me were cracking up at the scary monster, they just lost it...it was pretty funny...and not in a good way...NO ONE clapped when the movie ended either...I had to look over at Brian at one point to see what he thought and he shook his head - yeah, I think it sucks too...i didn't wanna kill his fun-buzz if he was enjoying it, I was gonna hold my tongue and let him enjoy all the silliness...but we both just went 'UGH'...I can see why Harrison Ford was surprised at the positive response to the movie...and if you enjoy it, that's great...it was exactly what I was hoping it wouldn't be...booo....
This morning I've been gathering up my B&B supplies, parts are upstairs, others downstairs...now I need to see if I can find a box and ship them up ahead of time...there's no way I wanna drag these things in my suitcase...why did i sign up for so many classes that need hammers? what was I thinking?? I thought I chose wisely...geez...
its so humid here, that Amelie spent a few minutes outside, and when she came back in, her hair was all frizzy (like mine)...pretty funny...Jack and or Chloe has left us yet another present on the porch, I think it might be a baby squirrel based on the coloring of the fur...its not a pretty sight, I'm not looking forward to cleaning it up...Brian is doing consulting for our CPA and some other folks waaaay across Austin, so I won't see him the rest of the day...I'm on dead-animal-clean-up-duty...
I've got a list of tasks to do, I'm marking them off one by one, and 'make beads' is on that list...I've rounded up all the bracelets I'm taking with me, and its a HEAVY bag...I'd guess at least 5lbs worth of beads...but I'll definitely have some for ya'll when I return, so don't spend ALL your money filling your gas tank, and save some for yourself...(I think that might be considered begging...heh)...
Nudge nudge, wink wink, knowwhattImean - BBC America has a Monty Python marathon starting at 8:00am Central tomorrow...Spend your day w/ the lads laughing and singing the silly songs...!!!
You know how the 'wind chill factor' works, right? The temp, with the wind speed factored in tells you what the temp FEELS like outside...wind chill -14...oooo, that's might chilly!! Here in the South, we have the 'heat index' factor...take the temp, factor in the humidity level and you get the temp it feels like on your skin...today's heat index is gonna be 105...but I just choose to ignore it...cause really, who wants to go outside when its that kinda hot, I ask you...I'm heading out now to water the garden before it bursts into flames, and thankfully its still relatively cloudy outside...probably hot, but not simmering quite yet...
I have a day of indoor activity already planned, tho...round up the tools and junk i need to Bead and Button, and round up some receipts for my accountant...tre exciting, I know...but I can turn on the telly and the cats can lay all over any important paperwork and I'll hear the squirrels running across the roof...most importantly, I'll be indoors...and that's a good thing...
I decided to try something new yesterday...I've been able to make multiple spacers on mandrels for awhile, and sometimes I make 2-3 regular beads on a mandrel, if they are simple enough and don't require a lot of manipulation...but I've never made multiple squeeze beads on a mandrel before...because the squeeze press is just one long piece of brass, I can make the squeeze bead as long or short as I wish...mostly a make the regular sized bracelet beads one at a time on a mandrel..but last night a tiny little light bulb went of in my tiny little brain (also known as being a dusty brain at times), and I tried making two squeezes at a time on one mandrel...since I don't have to worry about fitting each bead into a well, like a lentil press, I figured I could make them far enough apart so that when I squeezed them, they would turn out ok...and i was right...
this morning I pulled last night's beads and they turned out great...I like doubling my output by simply making two on one...they are easy to make beads, but they turned out really nice...I made the 'stones' beads - the ones that have the red or blue dots on them and look like a stone...i've had folks pick them up at shows and ask where I got the rocks and how did I drill the holes in them...I try to explain that they are glass, and they look at me, and hear what i say - and then ask where I got the stones...its rather amusing...
We've been in the southwest part of Austin looking for more stones to put in our garden and we hit the jackpot...a stone place that has literally tons and tons of the kind of flagstone we've already got (we've learned its called 'oklahoma flagstone' and the color is 'chocolate/gold')...we want to order a couple of palettes and have it delivered, probably in a couple of weeks after I get back from my trip...might as well get it when you see it, right? and we might not need a whole palette now, but we will eventually, especially once we start working in the backyard more...
tonight I'm putting together all the hooha I need for my B&B classes and I'm gonna ship it to the hotel ahead of time..probably most of my clothes as well...if American is gonna charge me for my suitcase, I'd rather ship it up and not hassle w/ in on the plane...but I'll carry my bracelets/beads with me (and they are rather heavy) cause if those went missing, that would be bad...I can always buy new clothes or tools if those go missing, right???
After being stuck indoors all day yesterday, I had to get outside and breathe in some fresh air...I can tell that I'm already acclimated to the heat, cause it felt 'good' to be on the porch, with the wind blowing, and the temp was only 92...ha...anyway, while I'm out there, I see the female cardinal coming and going from the nest in the arch, and realize - she's got a new baby in there...its quiet while she's gone, but when she returns, it opens up and squeaks...I think its just one bird, but I can't see in there, so I don't really know...still, I'm glad she is back in the nest, that she's got another baby and nature is back in action...for all I know, her first baby grew up and flew off...apparently they hatch and fly a lot faster than I realized...I suppose this new one may be flying by the end of next week...just in time for me to leave again and miss the whole thing...crap...
I did make a ton of beads yesterday, all the same style...pretty easy stuff...I like doing the monotonous stuff when i don't have any ideas in my dusty little brain...they are sitting here next to me, all 70+ of them...sure, that sounds dramatic, but still they are all the same little animal, so they were easy to make...and thankfully the backup generator actually worked pretty well all day...it seemed to be very hot, so I ran a fan on it to keep it cool...I think i'm just gonna try to find a local repair dude to take care of the main generator cause I don't have time to deal with it...geez...
So, I think if you're a knitter, you should try to find a local Knit In Public location on June 14, and have fun...I've found 3 nearby get togethers here in Austin, and you know I'll never go...I hate crowds...I hate chit chat...I never know what to say...I'm socially awkward and just want to hide in the corner...if its a group over 6 people, I'm out...so, you know what I have planned? I'll knit 'in public' on my front porch that day...yes indeedy do...there's plenty of ice cold water, funky music and shade on my porch..yesterday a fresh and bright monarch was flitting around the garden - that's plenty of entertainment for me...and I'll be in public, right? people who drive by will see me...that works...yeehaw...
I've just discovered this year's World Wide Knit In Public Day is coming up! June 14...learn more about it here...
So sad..I've found both the male and female carolina wrens in the yard...the female was a couple of weeks ago, I was in denial that it was her, but I kinda knew it was...I didn't see both the birds zipping around, but I could hear the male singing...they mate for life, and I suspect he was calling to her...and then I stopped seeing him, and figured perhaps he had flown away to find a flock or other wrens...but yesterday, after I moved the truck, I found him...so, they are both gone...I'll prob remove their nest and try to salvage it...I'm sure either Jack or Chloe got them, my money is on Chloe cause Jack is pretty clueless...he sits in the backyard and just watches the birds at the feeder...he never tries to hunt, he just enjoys the show...Chloe and Bette Davis, they know how to hunt...but BD goes outside rarely...alas, I'm sad about the loss...
And just before I left town last week, my generator of 4 years blew a hose...and I can't find where the problem is...so, to just pick up the slack, I decided to fire up the other generator (these are machines I use to supply the air to the torch), and it worked fine last week, but now even this one is acting kinda weird...so I have to go pop the hood on that one and see if I can figure out what's wrong...it sounds like air is escaping in there as well...and the torch is 'breathing' which is where the flame goes up and down considerably as the air is supplied to it...I may be w/out 02 entirely here pretty soon if I can't get either machine to work...I can't think about that because I will go insane...
I did get one groovy bracelet made yesterday before the wheels came off...so, if you have any good mechanical skills, please send me the vibes cause while I'm pretty skilled with a screwdriver and blow torch, I really don't wanna take too long to get this resolved...
Other than that, my car is looking fan-freakin-tastic!!! Its all clean inside and out, it drives wonderfully, you can tell its peppy and happy...I opened it up (if you call 80 mph opening it up), and it flew ...I've never taken it over 80, even tho the dial registers 140mph...there's fast, and there's crazy-dangerous...I rarely speed, I might go 5 over the speed limit, but I saw 3 cops pulled folks over near my house, and I really don't need a ticket...so I got home safely, and put the new car cover on the car to keep it clean and cool...
There's my life in 200 words or less...fun, huh...
Wow, yesterday was a long day that ended at 9:30 when I fell asleep...it was a great flight, a mad dash to try to catch the 5:30am shuttle that was pulling away as we drove into the station, but at least the 6:00am shuttle was made of lightning because I made it to the airport in 19 minutes...fast! I managed a leisurely hot chocolate (I don't do coffee, tea or soda, sorry) and onto my flight with no problem...the flight was smooth and calm, and then the heat hit and I was peeling clothing off as fast as I could...layers, they are my friend...I was already sweating when walking around the backyard, it was like a culture shock...still, its good to be home...Clementine has attached herself to me and woke me up last night (she's still able to get thru the gate that's supposed to keep her out so we can get a good nights sleep), and she was with me when I woke up officially this morning...Brian tried to just pick her up to pet her, and she gave a ferocious yell for fear she was going to be escorted out of the bedroom...quite the protest...you know who misses you and who doesn't...
Amelie is also very happy to have me home, her 'food source' is back and she couldn't be happier...lots of rolling, playing, running, and conflicts of knocking other kitties off her perch to get close to me...
and so this morning, while its somewhat cool, I've been taking out the garbage and recycling, watering the plants in the backyard, and getting ready to go pick up my car from the shop...its been there getting an overhaul by a specialist in Miata's who knows what can go wrong, and is replacing all the rubber belts, hoses, anything that's leaking or broken, which isn't much, but it needs to be done...the car is 10, it needs a little love...I just had the windows re-tinted, as they were peeling, the window would only go down part way, and the clutch wouldn't go into first or reverse easily...all those are now fixed...I love a reliable car, this one has been one of the best and I hope I have it a lot longer...I still wanna paint it so it'll look and feel like a whole new thing...what do you think? I have vampire teeth on the front, what color works with that? its already black, which makes total sense...I was thinking maybe red or yellow...
There are baby birds in the yard, I can spot them cause their wings still flit and they are puffy and fat..their necks haven't enlongated and they can't fly quickly...one little dove actually rolled in on the ground this morning, she was so surprised that she couldn't get her wings in gear fast enough...but she managed to escape for another day...this is why I don't let my cats outside - the babies need their time to get stronger...and our female cardinal is back in the nest, I think she's working on another set of eggs...very cool...
Its my last day of vacation here in the chilly New England area...I don't look forward to the burning inferno that awaits me at home...I am gonna soak up as much of this weather as I can before descending into the melty goodness of my town...
I saw one of the baby robins again today, so at least some of them are still in the yard...he zoomed right up to his parent, asking for eats, but got none...time to feed yourself, I guess, dude...good luck with that...I think there are plenty of treats and eats in the woods for everyone, so I'm sure they'll be just fine...
Mostly we've been knitting, watching Sweeney Todd and Juno and eating shepherd's pie and cupcakes...at least I don't have to fend for myself, someone brings my meals to me every day and they are home cooked...I can barely make a peanut butter sandwich for myself at home, I know I'm gonna miss eating like this...I'm pretty sure I'll get an email w/ the recipes, the trick will be if I can manage to boil a pot of water or sprinkle olive oil on my salad by myself...but, its so nice when someone else cooks for you, why do I have to do it myself...I can make pasta, I cook some evil tortellini and ravioli...I need to become one with my kitchen and learn the ways of the zen cook...do not fear the spatula, for it can be your greatest friend...do not let the waffle iron (oh, who am I kidding) intimidate you, you can master it...I have a red crock pot that I bought over two years ago- I've never cooked anything in it...its covered in dust, mostly...I do use an old blender to make hummus, I can grind up garbanzos, tahini and jalapenos pretty nicely, so at least they will find some remnants of a civilization in my home when they come looking for me...how about poor Hedviga - they found her in her Croatia apartment - been dead in her bed since 1973...who was paying her rent? who was paying her electric, or was it shut off...was there no landlord to check on her in 35 years? What a wacky world we live in...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/16/croatia.body.ap/index.html
I know I haven't been updating since I've been out of town, its cause I couldn't remember my user name and password to log into my blog account...go figure...I rarely have to log into it, since it knows me on my own machine, so while I'm borrowing a machine, I had to remember what the log in was...and nothing was working...but after some assistance, I'm able to get on here again...rock and roll...
Boston is great, I'm actually in one of the many outlaying areas of Boston, not in the city itself...I've been up here only a few times, previously for work...its Spring up here, all the flowers are blooming, the azaleas are in full display, the cherry trees and open, tulips abound...I was lucky enough to watch 3 baby robins take their first flight from their nest on Thursday...it was all just a lucky accident, I woke up to their singing, and when I was watching them, the first one stood up, stretched and flew into the nearby branch...a few minutes later, the second one flew out...about an hour or two later, the littlest one, still with feathers askew on his head and quite scared took the leap...he wasn't strong enough to make it to the nearby tree, so he flutterd his wings and rested on the ground...the mom robin came over and fed him, and he ran into the woods for shelter...a hawk lives in the front yard, and was probably watching all this take place...I hope they all survive, but there's a reason nature makes 3 baby robins and not one...
The weather is in the 50's-60's, chilly for me...I'm wearing layers and even my poncho - inside the house! the locals think i'm a loon, but I don't want the heat turned on when its 60, good grief...I'm not acclimated to constant cool weather, and I see that it'll be in the mid to upper 90's when I get home next week...so I'm gonna enjoy this cool weather while I can, and not complain that my fingers are cold while typing...I stopped by the oven while dinner was cooking, and held my hands over it like a campfire...I'm usually the warm one in the room, its weird to be the cold one...
We've been having fun hitting yarn shops (two so far, found a groovy Jordana Page bag, a fair isle bag pattern and plenty of wool, plus some cool leather bag handles), and some cranberry bogs! That was neat...while they aren't harvesting right now, of course, its still cool to see where my juice comes from...I wonder if folks get excited when they see longhorns in the Texas countryside...cause we're used to seeing that all the time, of course...The squirrels are grey up here, and there are lots of thick wooded areas...the house i'm staying in is surrounded by woods on all sides, its like living with the Elves in Rivendell...I have some very protective four-legged buddies who keep me company and make sure I get to play with all their toys...i think they've brought me every toy they own at least once...
All in all, its a good time had by all...today we're staying in, knitting, watching movies, eating homemade waffles and cupcakes...i'm pretty sure they're gonna have to call the sheriff to haul me away on Tuesday, I'm not gonna wanna get on the plane...I'll be back Wed, ready to get back to work (maybe, heh) and update my site w/ new pics...sorry for leaving you with the troll bracelet, I'm sure you're bored to tears with it...I didn't bring my camera, like a dork, so I'll find something to entertain you when I get back...
rock on as always...
Just before you head out of town, there are eleventy million things that need to be done,and you only have 20 minutes in which to do them all...i've been all over Austin, finally came home, and I feel bad...i have been trying to figure out what's wrong exactly and the only thing that makes sense is that I over-did the yard work on Sunday...I feel fatigued, sleepy, headachy, feverish...but i also have an appetite and have energy in waves...I think I'm just worn out...it usually takes a couple of days before this kinda thing hits...i've had a nap, had some good catfish and spinach for dinner (iron!) and I feel more energized now...the last thing I wanna do is be sick while on vacation...boo...I think once i sleep tonight, I'll feel better in the morning...
I've been eyeing that monarch chrysalis that's on my garden page, the one on the flower planter...as I came home today, I peeked in on him, and he's gone! the chrysalis is opened, and there's a splotch of rust colored something on the porch railing, just below...did he already hatch? did something come get him? who knows...but he's gone...the swallowtail caterpillars are also gone, i think they are all off changing into their flying clothes...we have some new eggs and instars, ready to pick up the next wave in a few days...
I have to go pack and gather up my phone charger, iPod and trinkets...its gonna be chilly in Boston, chilly for me, so, how much clothing do I take? how cold will I be? i can handle the 60's, I think, but I don't wanna take half my wardrobe of course...I'm used to shorts and sandals, not jeans and long sleeve shirts in May! The cool air will feel good, tho...I have to pack smart otherwise, I'll be dragging way too much stuff with me...good thing I don't have to get dressed up for anything...
I'll prob be updating while I"m gone, but I may not post new pics, since I won't have access to my Dreamweaver program...so I'll try to find ya'll something you won't mind seeing for the next week...hmmm...lemme go work on that...
I'm working behind the scenes this morning, and am finally able to get to the site for an update...I took all sorts of pics of the garden, and will update those, but first I thought I'd post the troll bracelet with the new troll beads on it...some of the beads are from the last pic, some are new..i know ya'll like to see new beads...
Speaking of, i strung up another 12 bracelets or so this morning too...its been a busy day already...I've got a pile of bracelets that are going to B&B, but I need to figure out how to transport them so they are safe and not jostling around...
And that's what's going on here...I'm heading out to Boston on Wed and will be gone for a week, so while I'll be updating (I think), they'll be short and sweet (probably, unless i hog the computer for hours)...I hope to do some shopping, knitting, eating, pug-walking, visiting, watching movies and hanging out...should be a fun time had by all and I'm looking forward to it...but i'll be back tomorrow for one last update here, so I'll see ya'll tomorrow...
Today was great! A cool front blew thru and took us from 93 to 70 and we took advantage of it to finish up some work in the yard...and man, are we dirty! but it was worthwhile...Brian finished the part of the yard that had weeds, I mowed the entire back yard and parts of the front, then dead headed the roses in front and back, filled bird feeders, removed sunflowers (there were a lot!)...dug up young pecan trees that are trying to get growing (sorry)...mulched the blackberries, relocated 6 swallowtail caterpillars from the dill (they completely stripped it) to the parsley (its the size of a watermelon - huge!)...then a new swallowtail came floating thru the yard and deposited even more eggs for us...Amelie also spent time outside with us, she likes the garden and does well to stay close by...she even caught a new butterfly and ate it on the spot...so now she'll be pooping butterflies...tasty...
In the backyard my goal was to mow, then distribute the 8 bags of compost onto the ground so the trees will have some good nutrients...i'll also be adding other liquid food as we go..i'm trying to offset any problems from the years of 'weed and feed' product that has been applied to them...it doesn't kill trees all at once, but it will kill them, so I hope to keep that from happening...we can't lose these pecans, they are too majestic and fantastic and provide shade that we desperately need...so, I am going to make them happy...
tonight, i'll water everyone, then apply seaweed, then call it a day...i'm fried, my back hurts, my hand hurts, and I'm ready to lay down...but its all worth it...its good to get out and explore the yard, we found new caterpillars and cocoons and saw a big blue jay...I hope you had a good day too...i have bracelets to string and I'll be working again tomorrow...sweet...
What a fun movie...I've been looking forward to this one for awhile, I dunno anything about Ironman the comic book character, but I like RDJr. and I figured if Jon Favreau was directing, it'd be good...and it is! if you see it, be sure and sit thru the credits for a quick snippet...the entire 3 backrows of the theatre (of which we were a part) were all staying behind as the rest of the audience left...gotta be 'in the know' about these things...actually, we usually stay thru the credits, just to avoid the exiting crunch that always occurs...we usually learn something interesting in a location spot, or credit given, and often there's a fun bit at the end, like Napoleon's wedding, or Ferris Bueller telling us to 'go home'...
After a quick jaunt to the Apple store to pick up some cleaning solution for the laptop, we are now home and ready to enjoy the weekend...the art walk is in town tonight, I'm not participating, cause i don't have enough stock and, well, I've kinda done my part in participating, but there's not much audience here in Podunk USA for hand made beads...imagine that..."hmmm...I either need to buy feed for my cattle, or I need original handmade beads...whatever will I do..."
We caught a long trailer for the new Indy movie, even more info in this one and I think I'm even more resolute in my need to avoid it at all costs...I think its because it doesn't look 'real'...there's just SO MUCH CGI and unrealistic, over the top, over-produced parts of it, that I have come up empty...Karen Allen looks great, I like seeing her...Cate Blanchett, who I love, is rockin' her Boris and Natasha accent...I know it'll make eleventy bazillion dollars, and that's great, I hope its well-received...I think we're gonna buy the collector's edition of Raiders of the Lost Ark and watch that instead...old school Indy never wears out...Botox Indy, not so good...
I'm pretty happy with my results from yesterday...it was a long, stretched out day, with interruptions here and there, and of course breaks for lunch and chasing kitties in the yard, but for the most part, I made my first bead before 11:00am and I got quite a bit done..nearly my entire mandrel stock was spent (I have over 70 mandrels dipped and ready to go at any time)...today I have a similar goal, only I don't have to make as many beads...I have a quota and I'm nearly there, so I'll adjust accordingly...the bigger trick will be taking the time to string everything up...I'll prob do that Monday and Tuesday before I leave town...
I remember years ago my boss telling me her kid had eaten all the marshmallows out of her Lucky Charms box, and now all she's left with are the oat bits, and she cries at breakfast cause she doesn't want to be stuck with eating only those...but that was her 'punishment' for eating all the sweets first...(makes sense to me!)...This morning I had a reminder of that scenario when I found small tin of sardines in my cupboard that I bought for the cats as a treat, and to help keep their coats shiny smooth and their insides happy...so, I opened the tin, the cats went bonkers as I was doling out the bits into each little dish for them (no fighting)...after a few minutes, they were all scattered around the kitchen, laying out and cleaning themselves...when I looked at the dishes, the fish were still there - they had just licked all the oils out...bah...so I put all the leftovers in a container and gave them to Jack and Chloe on the front porch..something tells me they've never had sardines before and will be much more appreciative...I'll go check on it in a few minutes and see how much they've put away...
I didn't get nearly the amt of beads made yesterday that I wanted to, so today, I'm doing a quick update, then turning the computer OFF (or at least will relocate it to another room) and will STAY OFF for the day...its gonna be 'all radio, all ipod, all day' today...we'll see how long I survive that...I like watching shows on my computer, but I end up surfing and wasting too much time...time to start listening to my book on cd, i do believe...
thanks for the comments on the troll beads...I've always liked the silver core style of bead, i first saw them years ago (long before the troll was born) and wanted to make some...i've gathered various dapping tools, hammers, punches, grinders, files, the whole shebang...I'm just glad I've finally gotten around to actually MAKING some beads..there's never enough time to do it all...i keep saying I need a clone...(and yes, I'll be dragging them on my arm to B&B..yeehaw)...
the bird feeders need to be refilled..I fill them every other day, sometimes every day, depending on how busy they are...i hear a cardinal out there right now, chirping and eating...she's happy...
Did you know - Nilla wafers is tasty...
I had to pick up Bette Davis last night and bring her inside...she does not like being picked up at ALL...she becomes all squirmy and all her claws attach to anything they find - clothing, skin, tables, trees, doesn't matter, she's grabbing it...she managed to slice open my right pinky finger, from the palm thru the lowest segment of the finger..now its crunchy with loose skin, dried mystery fluid, and I can't stretch my finger properly...but will I let that stop me from making beads? NO WAY! Work thru the pain...feel it...live it...love it...I'm tough...I'll cringe and keep going...(I ended up grabbing Bette by her neck scruff and she settled down before slicing open my jugular)...
I've posted some pics from the garden...go see...and some sample of the Troll beads I've been making lately...
I got plenty of sleep and made some fun beads and i'm feeling better...I have a goal of how many bracelets I'd like to get made, and so far I'm pretty close to that total...I'm sure I'll be posting SOME between now and June, they can't ALL go to Milwaukee, right? Exactly...
I made the mistake of wandering thru the garden yesterday, after picking up the mail...I had mosquitoes landing on me the size of 747's...and they bit me...I killed the ones I could (sorry, no zen-love for mosquitoes)but they still got me and I'm feeling it this morning..don't you just love to scratch the crap outta an itch? Me do...I have to find some anti-itch cream to quell my scratching...ouch...
I've ordered a card reader for the Mac, so I can unload my images from the camera...right now I have to haul up to the Dell upstairs and I don't always make the trek (or remember to make the trek) and right now there are some really cool garden shots just waiting to be seen by the world...the conversion to the Mac is slowly coming to an end, I'm almost able to do everything I could do on the Dell...I still can't print labels thru Stamps.com, as they don't support Macs and I've tried running it thru my Windows emulator, but I haven't setup the print drivers yet...they don't list my printer in the gigantic selection of compatible printers...Its not THAT old, how can it be obsolete already? I can still buy ink for it!!!!
I found a 'gift' yesterday morning in the backyard...a little bird was left for us...i have no idea what kinda bird it was, I think it was a small house finch, I know it wasn't a cardinal...the size would lead me to think its a finch...I hope there aren't babies in a nest waiting for it to come home...I hope I don't find any more birdy gifts either...last year we had a lizard gift...I wonder what next year will bring...bags of gold doubloons?
The three famous Dwarves, that's exactly how I'm feeling today...what's weird is, I have no idea why I'm grumpy right now...but yesterday and today (as much of today, its only 8:00am) I've just felt grumpuss...I'm blaming it on the weather, which is dark and wet...I haven't been sleeping well, and thus, I'm sleepy...and I've been trying to eat on a more healthy basis, thus I'm hungry...and there you have it...
Cats who look like....well...take a look!
I did manage to make some cool beads yesterday...I'm back at the Squeeze Syndrome...I'm gonna take these with me to B&B, tho, cause I'd like to have at least a few bracelets with me and a few folks have asked if I'll have anything with me, and I've mostly sold all my backstock on Etsy...I'm not even doing the local art show this month, cause I don't have enough stuff to set up a table...but we'll go walk it and enjoy the other artists on Saturday...
A big storm blew thru here about 5:00am or so (I'm guessing about that time, it was early, and still dark outside) and now everything is soaked, the wind is blowing the rain outta the trees, and its still rather dark...the kind of weather that makes you wanna just go back to bed and hide under the covers, ya know...
I have eleventy million things to do today, and I don't know where to start..I know it's gonna be 6:00pm before its all done, at least...I jut wanna fire up the kiln and melt stuff and not leave the house...
I've got LOADS of pics to post for ya'll, good stuff from the garden, some new beads that I've been making, but I know that's gonna take HOURS to post...so, I'll get some posted as soon as I can, in between all the other hooha I have to get done...I thought today was gonna be a quiet one too...rats...
Our 'outdoor' kitty, Catalina, sauntered up to the back steps this morning asking for food...we normally feed her at night, cause she sleeps and hides during the day, but I think the storm musta stirred her up and I was surprised to see her so early...I think she ate...the dog won't go out, its too wet, so she's dancing around the house wanting attention (and to probably use the bathroom)...rainy days are good for the yard and I am careful never to complain about rain because after you've gone thru a drought (of 2 or 3 years) you appreciate all the rain you can get...But they make life more difficult than a pretty sunny day where we all just go about our business...still, rain is welcome and we'll just deal with it...so be it, Jedi...
We're gonna get going while the going is good...Dashboard says its 58 outside, and its sunny and gorgeous...there's a only a small amt of yard that still needs to be turned/weeded/mulched, and then the entire area is done...not including the slope area, which still needs to be addressed...but since Brian is the one doing the weeding, i wait until he's ready to do it...cause its a pain the butt and I'm not gonna force him to do it - otherwise *I* get to do it and I don't wanna...I prefer planting, dead heading, watering, feeding, all the fun stuff...course, he doesn't really wanna do that portion, so I guess it all works out...
I watched two episodes of CSI:Miami last night, not something I typically do...and now I think I have brain damage...have you seen that show? Crazy silly...I prefer my CSI with a heavy dose of Grissom, but no so much Horatio Caine...I won't be doing that again...
I hear the Iron Man movie is as awesome as I'd hoped it would be...I've always rooted for Robert Downey Jr. to get his crap together and not fade away into nothingness...it sounds like he's back on track in this movie and I can't wait to go see it...I'm not all that jazzed about the new summer movies coming out, I know everyone is ready for Indiana Jones, but I feel like it's gonna be a sad rehash of the old magic...I loved the first one, didn't much care or the second one, and didn't even bother with the third...kinda like the Matrix...ugh...man, did they kill that franchise or what...its amazing what folks will do for money, isn't it...I know everyone is gonna run to see Indy, but I am gonna try to keep away from it, just cause i don't want it to ruin my good thoughts of the first one...I didn't even bother seeing the third Spider Man or Mission Impossible for those reasons...maybe I missed out on a good movie here or there, but I'm not bothered...I hate it when they take a perfectly good movie series and just twist it into stupidity...I've been burned enough not to walk willingly into it again and again...I wasn't even sure I wanted to go see the Sex and the City movie because its morphed into something it wasn't originally set out to be..but I may relent there, after I hear some reviews...if I hear it stinks, I won't bother...I hear someone 'big' dies...who knows...they've done a good job of putting lots of red herrings and false info out there on the movie and there's no telling what really happens...it comes out the end of this month...we'll know more then...
I dunno what happened, but we have a reprieve from the heat and we're taking advantage of it in the yard...it was 65 today, getting up to only 75, which is crazy cool in May in Central Texas...I attacked 7 roses, deadheading all the blooms that are spent, and shaping up the plants for the Next Big Show...We checked on the cardinal baby, since I hadn't heard him/her in a few days, and he was missing...boo...I have no idea what happened there...was he kicked out of the nest? Did last Sunday's strong rainstorms knock him out? Was there another bird who booted him? And why are there only 2 eggs in the nest...where'd the others go...nature is awesome and confusing, and we let it all play out as it's supposed to...I have seen the female in the nest, only once...I hope they haven't abandoned it, but who knows...
The nuthatches are going great guns, they are hard to tell apart...they both look identical...could they be two females nesting together? Lesbian nuthatches? I love watching them flitting about, always picking up the bugs and returning to the nest...and they are very loud, powerful little birds...I just moved a bag of mulch out of the weeds, and both of them pounced in there, looking for new bugs...I found 5 BlueJay feathers amongst the weeds - I wonder what happened there...I took them inside so the cats could sniff them...While on the porch, I discovered another monarch chrysalis in another unexpected place...I didn't realize there were still caterpillars on the plants, i thought the 37 all died off (yes, it was tragic and sad), but I discovered 3 more monarch caterpillars still eating, so there will be more monarchs soon...I prefer 3 or 4 at a time, not 37...we just don't have the food source for that many...
The roses look good, I plan on feeding everyone tomorrow...we expect another sunny, cool day, so we'll be back out here finishing the weeding, mulching, trimming and whatever we need...While sitting on the porch, a female hummingbird zoomed right up at me, squeeked at me, and flew off...apparently i was too close for her comfort zone...i must be a closetalker or something...I'm sure she or her mate will be back tomorrow...and I'll bring my camera out to try and capture what I can...its a fun yard and I'm enjoying it thoroughly...
I promise I won't post new emotion images every day, but I wanted you to see another funny expression...and mullet!!! heh...
So the bead fairy left another batch of beads today..they are better than yesterday's, but I still have work to do...and that's ok...any time I work with new stuff, techniques, etc., I have to get it to a point that I'm comfortable with it...and obviously, two days of working with it isn't enough...but, I will keep going, and eventually something good will prevail..
I went digging for missing tools yesterday and didn't find what I was looking for, but uncovered all sorts of other stuff in the drawers...I still am not sure where this particular pair of pliers is, but I have the upstairs area to look thru..i'm wondering if i was stoopid and threw them out, thinking I'd never use them...I don't typically toss tools, I just lose them in a big drawer, but I suppose if I was in a bad mood, I mighta done something I would regret...the nice thing is, if I have to buy another pair, they aren't that expensive...I would never throw away a tool that was over $10...and I imagine they are probably sitting in a container right in front of my face, but since I've been looking at them for the past 2 years, I'm not noticing them...I have so many duplicate tools, its not funny...cause I chunk them in a drawer and never use them, then when i need them and can't find them, I go buy another...it never fails...
I am looking forward to getting a studio...we are looking at places around town, and looking at possibly building something in the yard...there are good and bad aspects of both options, and the town is small enough that I could easily walk to a studio space nearby, so if we buy/rent instead of build, it would be worthwhile and not a hassle...but something has to be done, I can't keep working in the house w/ the a/c blowing on the torch, cats zooming around, neighborhood dogs barking every day, and my tools buried deep in drawers...
So, I found some funny emotion cartoons that I'll be using to help get my mood across to ya'll...the first one up - Disgusted...yuck...why? Well, I managed to pull out all my new tools and trinkets last night and made a small fistful of beads, most of which came out looking like MUD...ugh...but isn't that what I expected..pretty much..still, you put pretty beads into a kiln, and hope they don't get hammered by the kiln gremlins...and yet you know they will...and sure enough, this morning, everything pretty much turned to yuck...yes, I was playing with the organics, and yes, I was doing stuff i don't normally do, and yes, i am still refining the process (testing what does and doesn't work)...there is a pleasure to playing at the torch, that's when you're actually MAKING the beads...and then there's the reality that wakes you up the next morning when the beads come outta the kiln and aren't anything like you thought they'd be...
I was actually excited when i went to bed last night because I was looking forward to what I had made...I don't go to the kiln each morning with that same enthusiasm, because when i work in the colors I usually work in, what i take out of the kiln looks pretty much like what I put in...so its not a great surprise..(although I am happy that the results are pretty beads, it just isn't a surprise)...
However, I am not letting this little mishap deter me...I am going to play again today...and possibly make mud, but hopefully will learn and try new things today and see what tomorrow brings...I do have some decent beads from yesterday, but only about 6 of the 12 beads are what I will use...the others will feed the bad bead jar...and that's ok, it needs to be fed from time to time..its like Julie Wong said - ya gotta make some uglibeads to get to the pretty ones...no kidding...I wish she was still making beads...
I like these little cartoons, they look like something I'd draw myself...when I was younger, I used to buy all sorts of drawing and cartoon books, hoping to be able to do something with it...I don't have a funny scenario tho, like Dilbert in an office, or silly cats (how many silly cat cartoons are there?)...so i like to just draw simple figures with funny expressions...I used to do it all the time, and back in the day when I was working in the tiny Mac SE, I would draw pictures that we used for our email program..it used to be you could actually design the email form you wanted to send...i could make the subject line at the bottom of the screen, put a big pic on the left side and the text message on the right...I could choose the fonts, and customize it however I wanted to...I used to draw all sorts of cool stuff for that, and I saved the disks, but never could recover the data properly..and now I think its all gone...oh well...maybe I'll get a pen-pad for this Mac and draw again...