mrsmorrisart

Bizzy Day

2011-12-20T23:28:00.000-08:00

So, it's almost midnight and I finally get to do what I want to do. Oh the joys of self employment.

Made knobs and pendants like a mad woman all day, then went to the airport post office. Oh my stars, I am so glad I didn't have anything going out of the U.S. There were at least 30 peeps in line, and since it's the airport PO (think Twilight Zone), only two clerks working. I just put my stuff in the box and beat feet out of there.

I had time to make a quick trip to Michaels. Did $17.00 worth of damage. I discovered when I was paying that the store would be open till 10:30, instead of the usual 9:00. And on Friday night they are staying open until midnight. Those poor employees.

A Christmas Memory ~ 2007

2011-12-18T23:52:00.000-08:00

What a time for my camera to go on the fritz. I shall have to use my superior literary skills *ha* to compensate. Christmas 2007 we had some extra money. I wanted to make it a very special Christmas for my husband. Geoff was the oldest of five kids and his family didn't have a lot of money. At the age of nine he was cooking dinner and helping to care for his siblings. I know he went to bed hungry many times.

I was raised at the other end of the spectrum. My father was a dentist in Beverly Hills. But both he and my mother struggled and worked for everything they had. They raised my sister and I to do the same. Even though Geoff and I had completely different childhoods monetarily, we were both taught that the most important things in life are not things at all. We are able to live quite happily without new cars or fancy vacations, or clothes bought at the mall. Not to say that my chocolate and scrapbooking budgets are not larger than they should be, but I digress big time.

The photo you see is of the fireplace in our family room. The Christmas tree was at the other side of the room. All of the gifts in front of the fireplace were for Geoff. I searched my brain, and the internet, to find things that he never got as a child. Christmas 2007 he received two Coast Guard ship model kits, a remote control helicopter, lots of warm clothes, an eight pound box of nuts and candy from Sees, other gourmet type foods, slippers from LL Bean, and a bunch of other things I cannot remember.

In the house that morning with Geoff and I were Sara (his daughter) and Jacob (my son) and of course, Jessie and Juneau. Jacob (at the time age 13) wrote his own lyrics and sung them to the tune of Silent Night. His song was about how much he loved Geoff and how Geoff deserved all these gifts. Jacob insisted on hiding behind the Christmas tree and began to sing as Sara and I led a blindfolded Geoff into the room.

I know it sounds corny, but the look on my husband's face was the best gift of all. Christmas 2007 is a day I will never forget.

A Good Bra = A Good Day

2011-12-17T23:06:00.001-08:00

Today was a good day. I put on a brand spankin' new bra and feel like I could take on the world. The girls are riding high!

My buddy-ette Tracy opened the mini album I made for her, and unless she is lying, she liked it. She opened it on video, and being able to see her reaction was so heartwarming. I am just beginning to make my own videos. It's cool to think of how technology is able to connect people from all over the world. I marvel at today's technology because large parts of my mind live in the 1860's. Laura Ingalls Wilder days. You didn't read it wrong :).

Yesterday my son, who is in 11th grade, went back to visit the folks at his Middle School. He misses them, and considers his years there to be some of his best. He's a deep thinker. Wonder where he got that from...lol. Today he told me how much he appreciates the advantages (i.e., Christian school) that he's had, and how even though he doesn't have the newest or name brand clothes, he has so much more than that. He has gone from whining about not having his own car, to being thankful he has a car to drive (mine) almost any time he wants.

I didn't do much work today, and that equals no pain. I'll start working after I finish this post, but that's okay. God is in His heaven and has my Mama with Him. I have a wonderful husband and son, good friends, and a nice new bra.

The Art of Kenna

2011-12-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

My son's girlfriend Kenna drew this for him. Drew it free hand. Didn't trace it or anything. She blows me away with her talent, and with the depth of her faith. She isn't yet 16 years old, but she has an old soul and is wise way beyond her years.

Jacob wants to have something similar to this drawing tattooed on his arm (once he turns 18 of course). The subject of tattoos was the only subject he ever challenged his beloved grandmother on. She was against them, citing Biblical references to not marking up one's body and not calling attention to one's self. Jacob argued that his tattoo would be a sign of his allegiance to the Lord. It was sweet to hear them debating back and forth. In the end Jacob took me aside and told me he would be getting a tattoo, whether she approved or not :).

Sleeping with Chocolate

2011-12-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

Yep, you read that right. Reese's peanut butter cups to be exact. The miniature ones. I was taking a nap on the living room sofa the other day, with my loyal Snow Dog lying on the floor right next to the couch. I woke up (or so I thought) as my son walked through the room. I asked him to bring me a couple of the peanut butter cups. He obliged, and that's all I remember. Until I woke up again and immediately went into panic mode. My peanut butter cups!! Where are they? I didn't eat them. Please, please, oh please don't let them have melted all over my late mother's ivory colored sofa.

I put my hand on my thigh (I sleep on my side) and found one of the cups balanced there. It was still wrapped and that was a good thing since the chocolate had melted into a squishy blob inside the wrapper. The other peanut butter cup was nowhere to be found. I looked at Juneau, who was waking from his nap. And then it hit me. I just needed to sit quietly and wait. Sure enough, not 15 seconds later his super sensitive nose had located the cup underneath the couch. I retrieved the candy and of course gave it to him as his reward.

Now you must remember, we aren't talking about a piece of raw (or cooked) meat here. We are talking about one small piece of candy, wrapped, hiding under a couch at least two feet away from his line of smell.

Dogs fascinate me, and I make no apologies for that. From Juneau and his super sonic nose, to Jessie putting her paw in her mouth to try to dislodge something from a back tooth. Dogs are a woman's best friend, and then some.

Mom Taxi and Parental Payback

2011-12-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

I had Mom Taxi duty today. Something that rarely happens now that Jacob has his own license. First picked him up at his friend's house (he spent the night), then we drove to his girlfriend Kenna's house to get her, then we drove to my Baby Daddy's house. The BD was at work, and his wife is in the hospital. They needed Jacob (and Kenna) to let their four dogs out. I could have gone inside and raided the fridge, but their dogs are of the small, hyper and yappy variety. Staying in the car in the 30 degree weather and cutting out decals was a much better choice for me. After the dog duty was complete, I drove home and shortly thereafter Jacob and Kenna departed for the movies. Told you that story to tell you this one:

I parked in Kenna's driveway and waited as Jacob went to the door. He disappeared inside the house and was gone for a very long time. I mean, a long time. So long I turned off the engine. Kenna's father is extremely protective and I had visions of him and Jacob "discussing" whether Kenna could leave with him/us at all. I got tired of waiting and wondering, and honked the horn. Viola, out they came!

Kenna gets in the front seat but doesn't say one word to me. Jacob gets in the back and says hello. No explanation, no apology for the long wait. Hey, I gave them a chance. Then I went into full Mom Mode and Jacob said she wasn't ready on time and he was "already mad at her for that." No big deal and it wouldn't have bothered me had I not had a long history with my son and his incredible ability to keep me waiting. It was a silent ride to the BD's house and home from there.

We walked in the front door and Jacob remarked to Kenna, "I still can't believe your Dad is letting me take you to a movie." I said, "That's cause he doesn't know you're the tongue bandit." Jacob turned and began to walk down the hall, muttering "I did not just hear that." Hmmm, trying to be considerate, I repeated it, louder. Kenna was giggling as she followed him down the hall.

Parental payback....it's good stuff!

Embrace Chaos ** NOT

2011-12-07T23:08:00.000-08:00

I made this ATC a few years ago. I thought my creative clutter was a good thing. I laughed about it, made myself the subject of jokes about it, and tried my best to ignore the truth. To me, words like "organized" and "orderly" and sayings like "a place for everything and everything in its place" were synonymous with "anal" and "uptight" and yes, high blood pressure. And for some who take it too far, well...they end up anal and uptight, with high blood pressure, and divorced. I made a much better choice of husbands the second time around.

I started to make ATC's after the car accident in 2006. Prior to that my creative outlet was writing. I found that immersing myself in the world of altered art took me away from the pain. And so began the accumulation of what we all refer to as our stashes. The discovery of the scrapbooking community on YouTube in August 2010, and the move of my craft room/office from the third bedroom to the master bedroom in February 2011 has been the source of many warm and fuzzy feelings, along with....chaos.

Chaos has now taken over. Chaos is breathing down my neck, jabbing me in the back, and shoving me along in everything but creative ways. I have "stuff" all over my house. And I've created such an unorganized mess that I now feel completely overwhelmed by it. As in, I don't know where to begin and even if I did, would things stay in their place after I found them one. Yep, let's announce this to the world on my blog. The truth hurts, and I need to face it.

The truth hit me like a Mack truck this week. And it was disguised in two creative projects I had been working on for a long time. Two Halloween mini albums. One for a swap and the other for a gift. My supplies had drifted from my room to the dining room and then out to the family room. With a few scattered in the living room and kitchen for good measure. As the mess got larger, so did my anxiety. And my anxiety was literally paralyzing me. I would work on a project for 20 minutes and then feel as if I couldn't breathe. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed and it took me a while to put all the pieces together.

I do have enough space for all my "stuff." I just need to really think about what I use most often and where is the best place to keep it. And when I finish with something, I need to put it back. AND, most important since I'm a digger when I'm searching for an item, I need to be an orderly and organized digger. Not the kind who throws things over their shoulder till they find what they want, and just walks away.

I am going to brainstorm with my husband, a very orderly person who actually possesses an attention span. I will see what he thinks is the best way to "eat this elephant." And I will take lots of deep breaths through my nose. I can do it. I can make chaos a thing of the past.

Happy Birthday Mama

2011-12-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Donna (Dorian) Marie Ferguson Heisner, born December 1, 1930 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Died June 7, 2011 in Newport Beach, California.

I think about my mother every day. I always have and I always will. I know she is with her Lord. I know she was more than ready to go. She looked forward to dying, because she knew it meant eternal life with God. She anticipated her journey home the way one might anticipate a long-awaited vacation.

I have thought many times today, how birthdays are no longer a concern of hers. This leads me on to thoughts of how much of our lives we spend worrying about things, which in the big picture, have no meaning at all.

The world is a much different place without you Mama. Your family loves and misses you.

Mail Call

2011-11-19T23:42:00.001-08:00

I received my order from Pro31Designs (www.etsy.com/shop/Pro31Designs) or twinsmoms on You Tube. I wanted to try the blingy mesh everyone is using. She also sent along some gifties. Gifties are always appreciated and such a nice touch. I received two pink sprays, two blue sprays, two buttons and a cameo. The blingy mesh is very cool and will make a nice accent to my Christmas projects. Notice how the words Happy Mail are stamped all over the envelope. Very cute!

My Scor-Tape also arrived today. From what I understand it's as good as the red tape. I've never tried it but the big draw is that you can tear it. So I shall give it a try.

I didn't get to do anything creative today as I had to work. Although I did have lots and LOTS of creative thoughts. That counts...sort of.

Who Me? A Malamute

2011-11-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

Here is Boogie with his "who me, I'm not doing anything wrong" face. The living room couch is off limits but since I had slept on it the night before, I guess he figured it was okay. After he saw that all I was going to do was take his picture, he laid his head back down and went to sleep.

The black thing on his collar is a receiver for one of those fenceless yard things. Cannot remember what it's called, but if Boogie gets too close to the edge of the property he gets a little shock. As heavy as that receiver is, he gets worried if we take his collar off. He is always thrilled to have the collar put back on. I know in his mind the collar means he belongs here. He's an amazing dog, but he's still a Boogie.

I made knobs today. And watched videos on Christmas minis. I also reinforced the spine of Tracy's book, and re-papered the front and back covers. I really want to get that bad boy in the mail...lol.

Tracy's not so mini Album - The Saga Continues

2011-11-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the last sneak peek, because sneak peeks can get old. This is a tiny little book (a little smaller than an ATC) that goes with the album's zombie page.

I have been struggling with binding issues, and keeping Tracy aware of my struggles. Probably a lot more aware than she'd care to be kept...aware of. I bound it once with canvas that I colored. The result was so bad it literally had me tossing and turning in my bed. The next day I tore the canvas off. I felt a lot better.

Second try with the binding and some sparkly paper. Looked great, if I do say so myself. But, the pages were not turning correctly. They were creaking and popping. They didn't creak or pop with the canvas binding. I finally figured out I had put the thin cardboard spine onto the book facing the wrong way. It had a pretty side (black sparkle paper) and an ugly side (white cardboard). There was sticky strip on the ugly side. I bound the book with the pretty side facing out, then put the paper which wraps around the front, back and spine, onto the book. Not only could you see the ugly side of the spine when turning the pages, the pages were sticking to the sticky strip and that was causing the creaking and popping.

I tried to gently remove the entire binding "assembly" and I succeeded, if you don't count ripping the pattern paper off both the front and back of the album, and taking chunks out of the gussets on the spine.

The top two pages and the bottom page have the chunks taken out. It's only paper, and these areas are uh, paper thin? WAY more thin than that. I am going to have to cut some strips and glue them on top of the weak areas, and also on top of the not weak areas, so everything remains the same thickness. Thank you hubby, for that suggestion.

This book was supposed to be in the mail tomorrow at the very latest, to arrive while she is on her trip to the States. I've whined so much about this book that I don't even want to bother Tracy with yet another sad story. I cut some Christmas themed die cuts for her, and also Halloween cuts. I am going to send the Christmas cuts tomorrow so at least she will have a little package to open. I'm hoping she will be able to use some of them on her Christmas projects. The Halloween cuts will wait and travel with the mini album....hopefully before Valentine's Day.

Veterans Day - Coasties & Cars

2011-11-11T23:26:00.000-08:00

This is the Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast. It is one of the ships my husband served on during his 23 year military career. I am very proud of him. Not many people can say they saved the life of another, let alone the lives of many, while putting their own life on the line.

I love you Geoff. You are my rock. I don't know where I'd be without you. You are a wonderful husband and father. I thank God every day for bringing you into my life.

My car is sick. Needs a lot of work. $2400 worth. It's either car payments, or car repairs right? I have a Subaru Outback. I really like my car. The mechanic who is fixing it is known far and wide for his expertise with Subarus. It's being repaired at a small shop. My ex-husband works for a large dealership and Subaru is one of their lines. He cannot get me the parts at a discount because his boss is a real butt knuckle. And so it goes.

My dear mother would say, "Well, at least you aren't paying for chemotherapy." I miss you Mom, each and every day.

Do I Have a Shot?

2011-11-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

So, I was thinking of sending this photo to the folks who publish Where Women Create. Do you think they'll do a story about me? Picture shows one-third of a seven foot work table. Pretty darn scary.

I can enter a perfectly organized room, and within five minutes, it looks like a tornado blew through it. I'm not bragging about this fact. I'm saying it's amazing, but not in a good way. I'm not even aware that I'm making messes until after they are made. Like I said - scary.

It's Still October....

2011-11-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Until my two mini albums are done, I'm leaving the decorations and blog background up! Here is my most favorite ATC, of all the ATC's I have made. In thinking about it, this may be the only Halloween themed card I've ever done.

This card was sold, ages ago. I love the real beads along the "spine" of the spell book. I should get back to making ATCs. They always sold, and even if they didn't bring big bucks, it made my heart so happy that someone actually wanted something I created.

It's important to create every day. I am a happier person when I do.

It's Gettin' There.....

2011-11-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here is another peek at Tracy's mini. This page is missing a few things. When I figure out what they are, I will add them and call it good. I am having a great time making this book. I can be as weird as I want!!! SA-WEET! Tracy and I share the same wicked sense of humor. I am so lucky she is my friend. No, not lucky...blessed.

I have also been working on another Halloween mini for a friend who just had a birthday. Will I ever be on schedule? Her mini is kid-themed, to be used for photos of her grandchildren. It's a challenge 'cause my mind wants to create twisted-ly.

Don't Ya Just Love Fall?

2011-09-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Last year my holiday decorating left a lot to be desired. This year I am determined to begin decorating for Halloween, on October 1st. Not that I have a lot of Halloween decor items, but I do have a few. I also have a lot of yummy PartyLite candles to fill the house with the smell of Fall.

I'm super excited to put some large wooden figures at the front of the house. They are cute Halloween, as opposed to scary. I got them two years ago, at a garage sale. The people wanted them gone, and said I could have all three for $5.00. These kinds of things just make my day.

Friday morning my son is having his lower wisdom teeth extracted. He is nervous of course. I know exactly what to do and how to care for him, so I'm not worried about that. I do wonder (not out loud of course) how he will handle the pain afterward. His pain threshold has never really been tested.

We are in the process of re-financing our house. We can get a MUCH better interest rate. On Monday it will be appraised. So I have till then to turn Santa's Workshop into something which somewhat resembles a regular home....

Sneak Peek #1 ~ Halloween Album Swap

2011-09-26T20:20:00.001-07:00

Here is a peek at a partially finished page in my Halloween album swap with the very talented Tracy of TracysTreasures.

I have my supplies for this album ALL over the house. It's pathetic really. I have been eyeing that Workbox "thing" lately, the one that stores an insane amount of stuff in one place. Now that would be cool, and then some.

My Zombie Card

2011-09-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

The recipient of this card (aka Tracy) was kind enough to photograph it for me, as I

realized after I mailed it, that I had not taken a picture.

I had a profound blog post planned, but now I'm just not in the mood to be profound. Today was a jumbled up kind of day, and no orders went out. I saw a video about the $2.00 grab bags at Michaels. I remember seeing them at the store a long time ago, and not paying any attention to them. After seeing that video I decided the world would not resume rotation until I got one of those bags. One...or four or five. And I needed to get some red tape.

Of course they did not have any grab bags. I know they don't always have them, so I didn't break down and cry in the store or anything. I did manage to find a few things to buy. From the $1.50 bins I got a knife/fork/spoon stamp. I've seen that on so many videos and always wanted it. I got a stamp of vintage eyeglasses, and one of a sofa and one of a vintage key. A while back they had these stamps and rub-ons that had to do with time and clocks. I passed on those and now I'm kicking myself. I have been rubber stamping on the mini album I am making for my doctor and realize I should use my stamps more.

In the corner of one bin were two of those tiny faux metal frames that everyone was using on the covers of their minis. I have three of them, but man, that's a hoard item for sure. Now I have five so I am comfortable taking a couple out of hoard mode.

Who Are You, in Mountain View???

2011-09-14T01:44:00.000-07:00

Someone in Mountain View, California visits my blog on a regular basis and I wonder who you are. I wonder about a lot of things. I'd rather NOT wonder so much, believe you me. Oh, and flashes! Do you have flashes? Where people or places or things from your past just flash through your mind, leaving in their wake a whole new set of things to wonder about.

I will flash on someone in my past, and wonder if he ever thinks about me. I wonder what my dogs would say if they could talk. I wonder how old I will be when I die. I flash on my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Barrington. Is he still alive? I wonder. It's like Cinco de Mayo every day in my head.

So, creatively today I got all the pages prepped for my mini album swap with the very talented Tracy. Painting the edges of chipboard is very calming. I am so looking forward to creating this album and letting my imagination run free.

Dental Delights

2011-08-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

Today was implant day. Two of them, in my lower jaw. I'm happy I had it done. I should have had it done a few years ago. I still find it amazing the way surgeons work with bone and metal "findings" for a lack of a better word. Drilling into bone and inserting hardware just seems odd. But maybe that's just me. I did well. Sat still, was compliant, didn't cry or make a fuss. I'm glad because he's a very nice doctor and I didn't want to cause him any grief.

Anyway, these implants were not cheap. Of course dental insurance won't cover any part of them since that would make too much sense, and certainly would not be cost effective for them. Do you ever wonder why there is medical insurance AND dental insurance? Last time I checked the mouth was a part of the body.

These days I equate money with the amount of craft supplies it can buy. A nice dinner out loses its appeal when I consider how many Martha punches I could have purchased with that money. Dinners out are fleeting. Martha punches are forever.

A Cob Story

2011-08-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

My mom and I were very close. We talked a lot, and shared a lot. She would always ask, "Do you have any Cob stories?" Being a long-distance grandmother, she got her information via phone calls and emails. Well, tonight I have a beautiful Cob story and I am praying somehow she will get to hear it.

Cob returned from the grocery store and said to me, "Mom, tonight I got to do something I've always wanted to do." He was excited to tell me, but not in a bragging or boastful way. He said, "I was walking in the parking lot and I saw an old man with a cane. He was a veteran. So I went up to him and shook his hand. I said thank you for your service and told him I appreciated all he had done." I asked how he knew the man was a veteran, and he told me he was wearing a hat which said so, and had medals on it.

Then I asked Cob what the man's reaction was. He told me, "He said it meant a lot to him to hear that. I told him to have a good evening, and God Bless you."

I managed to hold back my tears until Jacob left the room. I am so proud of this kid, and so blessed to be his mother.

Miniature Masterpieces

2011-08-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

Major cuteness alert here!! This oil painting is done on canvas and measures 3 inches by 3 inches. It comes with the easel, and is for sale in my eBay store (along with several other mini masterpieces).

Cause I Can

2011-08-16T23:35:00.001-07:00

I am posting a Halloween-ish type image.....yep, because I can. I'm deep in thought about the mini I will make for my SSS (Super Special Swap...lol).

I took Jacob to the dentist for his check-up. Usually, he is one of those "look ma, no cavities" type kids. He was also born with arrow straight teeth, which he never shows when he smiles, and that irks me. I am SO thankful he didn't inherit my dental history, which I inherited from my mother. Both she and I had congenitally missing lateral incisors (the teeth on either side of your front teeth). My sister got my father's good dental DNA, but come to find out that congenitally missing teeth gene reared its ugly head, and her son was born with the condition, on the lower. That just fascinates me, how heredity and genes work. But I digress, big time.

Jacob has two cavities in...get this...his front teeth! Jeez Louise, lazy much? How do you get cavities on the two easiest teeth to reach? He also has a cavity in each of his lower third molars (aka wisdom teeth). Not great news, but easier to understand. He really does not have room for those molars, so they will be extracted very shortly. The uppers are way, way up there and seem to be heading straight. We'll just leave those puppies alone for now. They haven't even erupted.

I feel sorry for him already, because he's never really known pain before. Never had any illness worse than a bad cold, never broken a bone or had a surgery. He does give blood and considers that a major procedure. Poor guy.

A New Old Mini Album

2011-08-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I coulda had two-thirds of a baby in the time it took to finish this mini. The funny thing is whenever I think I can do a project quickly, easy peasy, etc., it always turns out that the opposite is true. This book is for an eight year old girl named Kamaria.

The paper collection is DCWV Garden Party. The circle pages are six inches in diameter. Note to self: circle chipboard is a pain.

I broke out my Cricut for the flower and dragonfly tags. It's really an amazing machine and I need to use it more.

This is one of those pages where you keep changing things, trying to find something that works. I used the petal card die to make three envelopes, then stacked them and made little tags. I don't have any tab punches so I used my scallop punch and folded the paper in half.

Kmae is her nickname. Those are Thickers. Love Thickers. This page is very busy. Very, very busy. It's too busy but I am not going to redo it. I made a little booklet which was supposed to attach to the top with a binder clip. No room for it though, with all the flowers.

Here is the page without the busyness of the tags. My little booklet wouldn't go in the pocket since it had embellishments around the bottom. Note to self: plan your album before you start making it.

A simple page for a photo. I may go back and add something to the upper left corner. Not sure why I left it unadorned.

This is my favorite page. The butterfly was originally silver and I used two different alcohol inks to color it. It is only adhered on one side. I have butterfly, scallop frame and bird tags which tuck under the wing.

Second favorite page. Lovin' the chocolate brown and aqua color combo. The little book opens up and cascades down with two places for photos and two places for journaling. It is held closed by the tiniest little magnet. I have opened and closed the flap more times than I want to admit. It's just so cool to hear that little "snap" sound when it closes.

Last page. Can ya tell I was out of inspiration? I just wanted to be done with this mini album. Trying to give the impression of water with the rick-rack and velvet ribbon. I was going to adhere some sand to the front of that pocket, until I reminded myself I had fussed enough. Used the Cricut again to make the flip-flop tags. I think Kamaria will think they're cute.

The blue and pink flower at the top is actually a Tim Holtz binder clip. It was supposed to hold the aforementioned little booklet. I think I'll attach the booklet to the back of the mini. Why not right?

This concludes my girly scrappy projects for a while. It's back to vintage with some grunge, in Tim Holtz land. In other words, back to where I belong. And, I am doing a Halloween mini swap with my YouTube idol, Tracy (TracysTreasures24 is her channel name). She is a sweetheart and I am blessed to call her my friend.

My Heart is Full

2011-08-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

This morning my son Jacob flew to Southern California, to attend a combination martial arts training event and 75th birthday party for Soke Karl Marx, the founder of Cajun Karate. The photo of Jacob was taken at the karate studio (doe-joe and no I can't spell it), with Karl's son, Victor Marx. Victor runs the place, and is a 7th degree Black Belt, which from what I hear, is really advanced.

Victor is also the founder of All Things Possible Ministries and is well known, for many things, in a variety of circles. Victor's main outreach is to youth who are in juvenile facilities. He has overcome a horrendous childhood of abuse, and is able to relate to the kids in these facilities. He is the author of a book called "The Victor Marx Story, With God, All Things Are Possible."

At the time of her death, my mother (Donna Ferguson) was working with Victor's organization, on the re-publishing of her first book, "The Someday Kid." Like Victor, my mother had overcome terrible tragedy and used her experiences to reach out to others. She had a heart for women and teens who had been abused and were now incarcerated.

My mother would speak of spiritual DNA. Strange concept and at first I didn't even want to try to understand it. I still don't, but I do know it exists, because Jacob is so much like this grandmother in more ways than I could possibly list. He feels called to become a Pastor, and thinks working with youth is where God will use him.

I have reached the point in my life where I'm not afraid to tell my "God Stories." They are spectacular and I figure, if someone thinks my hamster is running but the wheel isn't turning, so be it. So....I told you all that, to tell you all this:

In the minutes following her death, I stood at the foot of my mother's bed. I was still and I was silent. I felt tremendous peace, because I knew she was finally where she wanted to be. Then I saw something out of the corner of my right eye, something very bright. I looked over and it was a small diamond shaped object, bright white with gold sparkles. It was maybe two to three inches tall, floating in the air, about shoulder level to me in height. It floated slowly over to me, and I felt it enter the right side of my chest, across from my heart. When I say I felt it enter my body, what I felt was a warm sensation, followed by the sense it was dispersing itself inside me. None of this was alarming or uncomfortable. Serene is the word to describe it. And then my mind was filled with thoughts of how this glowing object was representative of my mother's work here on earth. The torch had been passed and now I must keep her ministry alive.

I will never be her, nor do I want to be her. But I can do things to show others God is real, and putting your trust in Him is the only true security we have. I can use my testimony of how God picked me up out of the gutter I was living in, and made me a new person. I can pray for others. I can try each day to be a better person. And I can listen, when I feel led to be sure Jacob and Victor meet and develop a friendship because God will use that friendship to do great things.

My heart is full. I love you Mama.

Tiny Tree, Oral Surgeons & A Haul

2011-08-10T23:53:00.001-07:00

Here is my jeweled tree. I know this is a love it or hate it type creation. I think it's gorgeous and will definitely be making more of these trees. I already have two new designs in mind. The tree is 3-1/2 inches tall and is covered with costume jewelry, vintage buttons, vintage rhinestones, and a trimming of black velvet rick-rack around the bottom. It is currently for sale on eBay, where it isn't getting any views. They don't really have a category that fits this tree. I will move it to Etsy soon.

I saw the oral surgeon today and will be having two lower implants placed at the end of the month, or, as soon as I figure out how to pay for it, whichever comes first. He is a wonderful and compassionate man, who is also a physician. I have some major "issues" in the dental chair. NOT because I'm afraid of dentistry, or needles, or the noises and smells. Because from birth to age 27 my father was my dentist. I had problem teeth. In fact, to this day I cannot walk into a dental office and not hear the word "complicated" used in relation to my mouth. My father was an excellent dentist and had many wonderful qualities. He was also extremely critical and I could never please him.

All of the above comes to the surface the minute I sit in that chair, and I cry big crocodile tears, and shake a bit, and generally feel like a total idiot. God has been so good to bring caring, patient dentists into my life. Do you notice that when a person is especially kind, it can make you cry even more? Just because it's so touching.

After my appointment I went to Craft Warehouse. CW is the closest thing to a LSS in the podunk town I live in. Since I had no where to be, I took my time and looked at everything. For some reason it's shocking to me to see all the papers I drool at online, at a brick and mortar store. I spent close to two hours just browsing. They had all their Spring themed Studio G clear stamps on sale for a dime. Yep, 10 for $10. I stared at the sign for a long time to be sure I was reading it right.

I have been wanting a Corner Chomper, the original one, for quite some time. It was $14.99, so of course I grabbed it. I got a Martha Stewart punch around the page set in Holly Leaves. It was half off but for some reason I always feel guilty when I buy MS punches. I can't believe how expensive punches are in general. I got a flower punch too. I know you pay for the Martha name. EK Success makes her punches, as well as Stampin' Up's punches, and EK Success is owned by Wilton (you know, the cake folks) OR, perhaps Wilton is owned by EK Success. In any event they are all connected.

I also picked up a few May Arts ribbons in black, for Halloween minis. I stayed away from the paper, amazing but true :).

Kitchen Things

2011-08-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

Got me a new Cricut cartridge to add to my collection. My VAST collection of.....drumroll please....five. Stunning I know. I wish I had gotten the SCAL program. I heard it's no longer available.

Then....we got a new stove. The old one finally bit the dust. The new one looks just like this, but it's not stainless. We got it at Home Depot. The saleswoman kept calling us "kids." She said, "Okay kids, when do you want to pick it up?" She called me "sister" several times. It was odd. I like to use unusual words/names when speaking to people too. I will call a woman "punkin" and a man "studly." I have others, but those are the two that come to mind. Oh, the new stove makes the rest of the kitchen look shabby, and I don't mean as in chic.

I have been working on a new project. A tiny tree decorated with pieces of costume jewelry. It is my first tree and I'm so happy with how it's turning out. Will share photos soon.

Butterflies and Flowers

2011-07-28T01:39:00.000-07:00

A few little things I made today :).

An Orphan? Really?

2011-07-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my mother's living room, right after she passed away. If you click on the picture it will magically become larger and clearer. The coffee table was her pride and joy. The base is from the large dining room table she got when I was a child. About 30 or so years ago she had the table top removed, and transformed the base into what you see here. The glass on top is nearly four feet by five feet, and 3/4-inch thick.

Tomorrow movers will deliver the coffee table, and the sofa, and several other large pieces of antique furniture which cost a fortune to move up here, but with which I could not bear to part and which my sister had no room for. Also arriving will be boxes and boxes of books, all dealing with Christianity, all bequeathed to my son.

It has been a rough day in the grieving department. I know where she is, and I wish I could ONLY dwell on that. I try....

About two years ago, I was talking with a person who had recently lost their mother, and whose father had passed many years ago. This person made the statement that they were now an orphan. I thought, how peculiar a thing to think or say. Lately though, I find myself thinking, I have no parents. I call out to my mother, inside my head. I say "Momma" over and over again. An odd little mantra. It comforts me.

I remember my mother telling me one of the toughest things about getting older is that you always seem to be losing someone close to you. Now that she is gone, I know exactly what she meant. I have felt a whole lot older since she died. I'm the elder now, and I don't want to be.

I Love My Husband Because He......

2011-06-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

....slow dances with me at home to whatever songs I want.

....makes me laugh when he opens the pantry and says "okay, something in here stinks." Next thing I know he's carrying out a half empty bag of potatoes, with both dogs on his heels. He lets Juneau get a good whiff, and then turns to Jessie and says, "Here, you like rotten things."

God's Creation

2011-06-28T22:46:00.001-07:00

My mother and my son, October 2006, Columbia River Gorge, near Portland, Oregon

I love this photo. The background looks like a mural someone painted, but it's not. It's the majesty of God's creation. It's very high up where we were, and very windy. I remember my mother holding onto my husband's arm for fear she would be swept away.

They held her memorial service today, in Newport Beach. I stayed home. It was better this way. I'm still trying to get my bearings, still trying to come to terms with the fact she is no longer a phone call away. I love you Momma.

Two Homecomings & a Mini Album

2011-06-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

My dear Momma went to be with the Lord on June 7, 2011. She was in her own home, which was her wish. I was in the apartment with her. He took her peacefully and quietly. I am happy for her, but will struggle with my own sadness for quite some time. Amazing how we are given both the traits of nobility and selfishness, and how strongly this combination shines during a period of loss.

My mother was all about the Lord's business, and with His help, her work will continue. See Momma, I was paying attention!

I returned home on June 17th. It was a bit of a battle, making sure her wishes were known and respected. So physically I am worn out, but spiritually I saw first hand what the body of Christ truly means, and how God can empower you to do things beyond your wildest imagination. I will share more of that in the weeks to come.

I was able to create a little sumpin' sumpin' (hey Kathryn!) before I left. This mini is for McKenna, my son's girlfriend. I call her Pixie Girl. She is adorable, and so good for Jacob. The book was a birthday gift, and was created with Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime papers. Inside each "page" are little tiny file folders.

Such a fun book to put together, and my first using the Big Shot machine I received from hubby for Christmas. I will be making more of these :).

and the BEAT goes on

2011-05-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

Another day in ICU for my mom. Her oxygen saturation levels are still low. I was told she got a bit cranky and feisty when the nurses were not understanding what she needed. So that is a very good sign. I cannot imagine how it must feel after open heart surgery. I guess like a train hit you.

Mom Update and Stuff

2011-05-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Mom is still in the ICU so I have not been able to talk to her. Hopefully she will be out of ICU tomorrow. She'll have a few more days in the hospital, and then to a rehab facility for a bit. Oh my stars, the LS is not gonna like that!

I remember, a couple years ago, she came for a visit. And poor thing, she came down with the stomach flu almost immediately after the plane landed. She was resting in Jacob's room and had told me she had to take a certain pill at 10:00 PM. Being on time with this medicine was crucial. At 9:55 I went in and tried to wake her up. Mind you she was lying on her back, and her hands were folded across her chest. The only thing missing was the lily.

Not wanting to startle her, I called her name softly. Nothing. I called her name again, a bit louder this time. Still nothing. I stared at her chest and could not see it moving. I called her name a third time. Nothing. By the time I had called her name about 10 times, in a progressively louder voice, I was in tears. At that point I went and got my husband. He has EMT training, and I was too freaked out to think straight. He leaned over her, put his hand on her arm and said "Donna." Well, he had to say it a few times, but she finally woke up.

I'm over in the corner, trying to regain my composure, and to her it was just another day. I said, "Mom, I couldn't wake you up, I thought you had died right there in Jacob's bed." Now I think, and I could be wrong, but I think most mothers would have felt bad for me. They would have reassured me and all that good stuff. My mother got quite testy. She told me, in a rather aggravated tone, "I'm very much alive and well, thank you very much!"

Jacob's girlfriend was here today. It's becoming a tradition so I call it "McKenna Mondays." Such a pretty name, McKenna. I have started calling her Pixie Girl, because she reminds me of a little fairy or pixie. Are those the same thing? She is okay with me calling her that. I asked her. Of course my son would prefer I wouldn't call her that, but he'll have to get over it. When she got home she sent him a text telling him she really liked me and that I made her feel like she was my daughter. And, she likes paper crafts!! YESSSSSSS!

Little Snapper

2011-05-07T23:18:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken in 1994. Jacob was a month old and Grandma flew up to meet him. He is her first grandchild. And so much like her, in so many ways.

This photo was taken in 2009. My mother is such a lady. As children my sister and I would stand outside the bathroom, and wait to hear any unusual noises. We always said she was a saint, but if she passed gas, that made her more human in our eyes. Needless to say she didn't appreciate the audience.

For a while we called her "Little Snapper." She is a tiny thing, but her presence is enormous. You just don't mess with the Little Snapper. But one day she informed me that Snapper was a euphemism for a certain part of the female anatomy, and she would prefer if I not refer to her that way again. Of course I never meant the term in the anatomical sense. It was a sad day when I had to retire the "Little Snapper."

I am so thankful she is here with us, and that God wasn't quite ready to take her home.

Mr. Cob

2011-05-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

With Mother's Day fast approaching, I thought I'd share a photo of my son Jacob and I. He was about three weeks old and weighed 4 lbs., 7 oz. The outfit he is wearing was a premie size, and still it was too big for him.

He reminded me of a little old man, and one day I looked down at him and said, "Mister Cob." To this day we call him Cob, or Cobby.

I had planned to breastfeed him, and this was very important to me. He spent 2-1/2 weeks in the NICU, and I pumped milk for him. The nurses would then insert a tube down his throat and into his stomach and slowly give him the milk. One ounce was considered a meal. They did this because they didn't want him using any energy sucking on a nipple. That still amazes me. Thankfully this method of feeding only lasted a few days. We then moved on to something similar, in that a thin tube was taped to our finger and a syringe with milk was attached to the tube. Slowly we dispensed the milk into his mouth. The same mechanics as giving someone an injection. Once again the point being that he not exert any energy. Every calorie mattered.

Then we moved on to actual breastfeeding. The nurses were wonderful, and helpful. Mr. Cob, however, wanted nothing to do with it. He refused to latch on, and actually took his tiny little hand and attempted to push my breast away from him. All the while screaming bloody murder. There were many tries at the hospital, at home, and with a breastfeeding instructor. He just wasn't having it. So, in the midst of post-partum insanity, with a fresh C-Section scar, I continued to use the breast pump. The important thing was he was getting my milk, not how it was being dispensed. Logically I knew this, but emotionally I felt like a failure.

A breast pump can only do so much, and certainly isn't ideal. It was like my body knew this, because after just a few weeks I began to dry up. I remember being at my six week post-op check at the OB/GYN and unleashing a torrent of tears concerning my inability to feed my son as nature intended. I sobbed, "If this were 100 years ago and we were on the prairie, he'd starve to death!!!" The man looked at me as if I were insane.

Mr. Cob is 16 years old now. He is my only child (that I know of). He's a wonderful young man and I thank God for him every day.

The Many Naps of Juneau (Boogie) Morris

2011-05-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

I actually had another bed-themed post planned for today, but the photo for it is still in the camera. I've spent most of today with muscle issues, which means I haven't been productive.

Here's Boogie chillin' in the king size bed. Thankfully we are at the "tail" end of coat-blowing season. I think. I hope. You can see the tufts of loose hair around his hindquarters. He's worth it though.

Ladybugs and Flamingos

2011-05-03T23:34:00.001-07:00

These zippered pouches, make-up bags are available in my eBay store. All gorgeous in their own way, and all made by hand (and sewing machine) by my retired Coast Guard husband. They learn how to sew in the Coast Guard!

The Day

2011-05-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

Today I worked, all day long. Then I drove across the river to Portland, and mailed all my packages to Canada. The Portland Airport post office is handy when one misses their local PO deadline.

I had enough time to spend 15 minutes at a nearby Michaels before it closed. I purchased the Martha Stewart Monarch butterfly punch. As I told my husband, "it's a must have." This is my first butterfly punch. I got a package of Recollections baby roses in various shades of purple and a package of Tim Holtz blending foam pads. I know you can make these with make-up sponges but I haven't been able to find anything but the wedge shaped sponges. And I picked up an Inkadinkado stamp set called Games. It was clearanced to $3.99.

Oh, and I also had some color copies made, picked up the snow dog's Rimadyl prescription, picked up my son at school and then drove to his girlfriend's house to pick her up so she could hang out here for a few hours.

And that was my day :)~

H is For .... Hanna

2011-05-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

I purchased this plain wood H and painted it pink. The pink was too bright, so I added some white paint and then did the crackle effect on top of that. The H was about eight inches tall.

This was a Sweet Sixteen birthday gift for a classmate of my son's. We also gave her a gift certificate to a bath and body shop. When I approached my son about my creating part of her gift, he agreed BUT only on the condition that it never be made known I had made it. Apparently having your mother make a gift is embarrassing on many different levels.

Of course Hanna's mother figured it out once I began to ask her questions about her daughter's style and favorite colors. She promised she would never tell, and the official story is I ordered this from an online seller, who created it to fit Hanna's taste.

My son is happy (delusional, but happy), I am happy, and most importantly, I hope Hanna is happy!

Hey! Where's the PartyLite?

2011-04-30T00:26:00.000-07:00

I am back! Yet again. It's been seven weeks since my last post - geesh. Lots of good things have been happening though.

For starters, I'm now a PartyLite consultant. I love their products and did ya know the candles are made in the U.S. of A. The cute froggy seen above is from the new Summer collection.

The company has provided me with a web site (www.partylite.biz/mrsmorris). Shopping online is the easiest, quickest way to bring all these wonderful scents into your home. There are always special offers and discounts, too. If you need any PartyLite, please get it from me :). Hubby would appreciate it, too. If you email me prior to placing your order, I can set you up with a gift certificate. Do I sound desperate? It's more than I'm new at this, and a bit nervous.

Okay, so I had the shoulder surgery. No cuff tear, but bone was impinging on the nerves. He shaved the bone away. Yummy. I've been doing very well, and the pain has been reduced drastically. But, I did something reckless and stupid two days ago. And now I have made the shoulder nerves unhappy again. What did I do? I washed my own hair. Yep, I'm a daredevil.

I'm back to creating again! I have missed creating. Decorating white knobs is not creating. I have photos of one project, and am half-way through with two others. I also want to make a collage for the surgeon who worked on my shoulder. I am so grateful to him, and a Hallmark card just ain't gonna do it.

My talented hubby has mastered the embroidery machine, and our first creation will be available in my Etsy store by the end of this weekend.

As always, so many ideas - so little time.

My Birthday.....Day

2011-03-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

Yeppers, today I turned the big five one. Doesn't seem so bad spelled out! It was a quiet and uneventful day. My son remembered, and bought me the very practical gift of a new lampshade for the moose lamp on my bedside table. My room is done in pale greens and pinks and I do gravitate toward the shabby style. A few years ago I spotted this moose lamp in a store and just had to have it. I subscribe to the theory that if you like it, it will "go." Anyway, the original shade had begun to fall apart and I like the new shade much better. It's a burgundy color and casts a very soothing light. The moose lamp is yet another thing which needs to be photographed and posted.

I was incredibly thankful that I felt better today than I did yesterday. By tomorrow I will be 100% caught up with my orders, and will be able to read email without cringing. Lately I am guilty of email avoidance. I receive a lot of emails. A lot. Seriously.

My hubby spent many hours working on the embroidery sewing machine and the laptop, getting them to communicate. Something about Windows 7 not recognizing this or that, and having to download an update, etc. I understand the basic concept of it but anything further makes my eyes roll back in my head. He is very "techie" and enjoys it. He's also a whiz with sewing machines. I can sew a little. So we decided he will do the technical stuff, the hands on sewing and changing thread, and I will do the design and layout and sales of the finished products.

We are blessed to have a neighbor/friend who owns two embroidery machines, one of them being mega expensive and the kind of thing you look at from a distance. She has been so kind and helped us both with her experience. I help her with online sales of doll clothes she makes, as the whole internet marketplace is new to her.

I was talking with a friend today about how we could pool our resources for the benefit of both our households. Everything from going halves on a side of beef to cooking double batches of our favorite recipes and sharing. Her parents have a farm and in the Fall they are drowning in pears and apples. I have always wanted to learn to preserve fruits and she has the knowledge.

Stepping back in time a bit is one of the things the Lord has laid on my heart. And it's a very calming thing.

man oh man

2011-03-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

It seems the whole world is sick. The flu bug has attacked our area in a particularly vicious way this year. It has been reported by various medical offices that recovery is a two to three week process. My son got it and then I got it. Hubby continues to fight the good fight. I'm at the two week point myself, and looking eagerly forward to health, even semi health, very soon.

My shoulder surgery has been cancelled twice now, due to this icky bug. It is rescheduled for April 7th and I told the lady, "I will either be fully recovered by then, or I'll be dead."

We are told to praise God, even in the storm(s). I have been trying, and He has been comforting me. He has also been putting much on my heart during my time of lying in bed. Only good and positive things of course.

You may wonder what the above photo has to do with this post, or with anything at all. Absolutely nothing. Just me, being random.

Momma Mini or.... I Can't Set Eyelets

2011-02-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

The swivel clasp has a crown, a cross and praying hands charms.

Mom (on the left) and her BFF, Betty. They're wearing prayer shawls that a friend made for them. My Mom is 80, and Betty is 85. They both look amazing.

My Mom isn't a scrapbooker, and I didn't see her doing a lot of journaling in her book. The flourish is open on one side though, in case she wants to tuck something underneath.

One small tag topped with pretty fibers.

This page is so much prettier in person. The flowers are glimmer misted. Actually, Lindy's Stamp Gang misted. A great product and so much cheaper than you know who.

This folder and tag tuck into the pocket shown in the photo right above this one.

One of my favorite pages, but the camera was not kind at all. Beautiful blues and greens.

I love this image, and even though it doesn't really fit the overall theme of this mini, I included it anyway.

The envelope closes with velcro. Inside are two little tags with images of vintage birds.

The last page. Once again, mega wash-out of the angel, and the pretty green paper.

And the eyelet thing....well, I can set them fine when I practice on cardboard. But when it comes to the actual page, I guess I clutch up and the dumb thing won't set right. Sharp pieces of prongs stick up, and I have to take a hammer and pound them down. I'm using the Big Bite too.

This album was made from a kit. It included six extra large eyelets in bronze. Only half survived, so I had to use large eyelets, also in bronze. I'm sure Mom won't notice, but it bugs me...lol.

We spent a quiet day at home. I had planned on going to Portland and hitting the Michaels there, but Sunday night Miss Jessie went to the doctor for her cough. Little brother Juneau also came along to get a bordatella vaccine. And....$166.00 later we were on our way home. So I didn't feel like shopping if ya know what I mean.

Jacob is home from his retreat, safe and sound :).

My Day, Yesterday

2011-02-20T01:21:00.000-08:00

I am trying to post every day, because I want to be like Tracy. Just a bit late as it's now tomorrow, and I'm talking about yesterday.

I did a fair amount of work, but kept expecting the phone to ring. And if it did, and a certain person called, I would have had to leave my house, and go to their house. You see my former husband's wife is in the hospital. The former husband works on Saturdays and they have three dogs. They were afraid he wouldn't be able to get a lunch break and go home to let the dogs out. He did in fact get a break and I didn't have to go over there. And thankfully she will be released from the hospital later today.

I finished my Mom's mini album, all except for putting some ribbon and fibers on the ring, and adding some charms to the swivel clasp. I usually ask hubby to do that part. I'm just not good with the jump rings.

I thought a fair amount about how spoiled Juneau is. He is seriously spoiled, like spoiled rotten. He has to be right in the middle of things. If he hears Geoff and I talking, he will get up from a nap to come into the same room. If we ignore him, he fusses and whines or he tilts his big head back and "talks" to us. He's such a character. Last night he slept with me, something he rarely does. It's like sleeping with a person, a very warm person.

Okay, this post is boring....but that's okay. I like my boring life :).

Chocolate Eggs

2011-02-18T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's Easter candy time. I think the stores put it out at 12:01 am on February 15th. My son and I are fans of the Hershey's chocolate eggs. I mean, we are BIG fans. It's an odd little tradition we have. The day the eggs hit the stores, we are there. Well, I'm there. He is busy enough being 16, so I do the shopping.

I always have a handful of the eggs in my purse. I remember driving, years and years ago, with him in the seat behind me, and I'd put some eggs in the palm of my hand and reach back toward him. His tiny little boy hand would reach out and take the eggs. His hands were always warm, and they still are to this day. This is a precious memory to me.

I think it must be the same chocolate they use in their Kisses, but these eggs just taste different to me. As long as I'm alive Jacob will have eggs, these eggs, as soon as they hit the shelves. He left today for Winter Camp, an event the High School Ministry at church holds every year. And some chocolate eggs went with him :).

YESSSSSS!!!!

2011-02-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

Can ya tell I'm happy? Finally, an orthopedic surgeon who listened to me, spent a ton of time with me, and agrees it's time to take a real look at my shoulder. Surgery is scheduled for March 2nd. The doctor is Board Certified, in practice 25 plus years, and nice! I had hubby in the exam room with me, another ear to listen and someone else to ask questions you know. Hubby said I was acting goofy. At one point I started to cry because God had answered my prayer and at last something was going to be done for me, besides more physical therapy which has never helped. The doctor even spoke about how traumatic the accident must have been.

I am so excited that someone will actually cut me open and look. Something isn't right, and even if it can't be fixed, at least I will know, once and for all. The other doctors were quite competent I'm sure, but it takes more than that to make a good doctor. In my mind, it's 1965 and I live in Mayberry with Andy and Opie and Aunt Bea. Growing up, my father's patients had our home number. Medicine wasn't such a business. I have been very blessed with every other doctor and counselor who has treated me, it was just the orthopedic folks who were a problem, until today that is.

Thank you Lord, for answering my prayer.

A Recipe to Share

2011-02-16T22:43:00.000-08:00

I made this dip/dressing last night. It is deeeelicious. The recipe came from a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Cannot locate a publication date, but my guess is late 50's or early 60's.

Confetti Dairy Dressing

1 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup radishes
1/4 cup minced cucumber
1/4 cup minced green pepper*
1 clove garlic, minced**

Blend sour cream, mayo, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in minced vegetables. Serve as a dressing for coleslaw, or as a dip for fresh veggies.

*I left out the green pepper because it's gross.
** I used minced garlic from a jar and it worked just fine.

Since this was a new recipe for me, I made a half batch. As I said, it's really good, especially after sitting overnight. I will be using it on slaw for tomorrow's dinner.

We had some snow today. Maybe two inches. Funny I know. And hardly worth mentioning. It didn't stay around long.

Tomorrow I see a new doctor about my shoulder. Me and my MRI images and narrative, hitting the road again. The sucky part is it's a 45 minute drive just to get to his office. My wonderful hubby is taking me.

St. Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

The day came, and is almost gone. And....um....we really didn't celebrate it. That's okay, because as corny as it may sound, every day is Valentine's Day. At least it is for me, and I try my best to make it that way for my husband too. I think we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to feel a certain way on a certain day. Yet every day is special and should be cherished.

My Valentine is also my knight in shining armor, my Prince Charming, and my best friend. I hope he knows how much I love him.

Out of the Sick Bed....finally

2011-02-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

Hello Blogland, I have missed you so.

I caught some kind of stomach flu and was in bed for most of five days straight. Then just when I was feeling better, it appeared a head cold was going to get the best of me. I seem to have chased the head cold away, and today was the first day I felt semi-good and semi-normal.

I haven't read blogs or watched youtube videos. Mostly what I've done is watch Seasons 1 and 2 of M*A*S*H, which I have on DVD. Oh, and I read a few of my vintage cookbooks.

So today, I took the hubs out to lunch at Olive Garden, his favorite restaurant. We were enjoying our meal when the woman at the table across from us blew her nose into her thick green Olive Garden CLOTH napkin. Oh my gosh, how disgusting is that? I cannot believe someone could be so rude. Nasty.

When she and her party finally left, I watched the bus boy clear the table, and take her napkin and use it to gather all the crumbs into a pile. Then he took a wet rag and wiped it across the table. I'm sure my recent illness has made me hyper aware of germs. I'm also sure it's a good thing germs cannot be seen with the naked eye.

I was so tempted to walk right up and give this "lady" a lesson in manners. But, I didn't. Would you have told her?

Doorbellows and Rule of Thumbs

2011-02-04T00:22:00.000-08:00

Kids have the cutest way of mispronouncing words and phrases. Since my "baby" is 16 now I don't get to hear those sweet mistakes anymore. The last one I remember, many moons ago, was him adding the "oh" to the word doorbell.

Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to hear him use the expression "rule of thumb." We were discussing what time he should arrive home from school, and at what point he needed to call and say he was on his way. He said, "Let's make a rule of thumbs" and then went on to propose his rule. I asked him what kind of rule he wanted to make, and he repeated "a rule of thumbs." Did I correct him? No way.

Blurry Sneak Peek & Update

2011-02-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

You are looking at a page from a mini album I am making for my mother. The paper collection is Julianne (K and Co) and I am using the baroque chipboard shape for my pages. I purchased this kit from Bona. I thought if I worked from a kit, I might work a bit faster. And, I am.

I like how this page turned out, although I wouldn't have put quite so many embellishments on it, had I not accidentally slopped Lindy's Stamp Gang product where it shouldn't have been. This is such a poor photo, but better than none, right?

The room switch is rolling right along. I am in my new bedroom/office/studio. Hubby has painted my old office and laid the hardwood floor. He is halfway through installing crown moulding. It's wonderful to have such a handy hubby. My new space is not ready for pictures. I get frustrated because I am limited by the physical things I can do, but little by little it's coming together.

Lots of Progress

2011-01-20T23:55:00.000-08:00

....on the Green Room. But I didn't take any photos. I am lazy like that.

Two nights ago hubby hung my pegboard. He had made a wood frame to go around it so that it wouldn't sit flush against the wall. I wonder though, if that's necessary. Anyway, up it went and I spent a good bit of time putting things on it. The next day he says, "I need to remake that frame. I knew I didn't make it wide enough." Sigh.

I continue to be amazed at how much stuff I have. I'm sure if it were organized it would be a lot more manageable. Of course that's the goal. A place for everything, and everything in its place. I sound like my mother now.

Hello Nestabilities

2011-01-19T22:53:00.001-08:00

I bought this die set at Joann today. It was on sale for $14.99. Came home and did a bit of research. It will only cut lightweight cardboard, like cereal box weight. So....I'm on the fence as to whether or not to keep it. This is all new to me, and it looks like there is a lot to learn. I also got a set of Sizzix embossing folders (swiss dots and flowers).

I'll be reopening my eBay store in the next couple of days. Business from the other sites just isn't enough to pay the bills. But that's okay and I'm not complaining....much.

10 Things

2011-01-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to list 10 things that make me unique, quirky, obnoxious, twisted, bizarre, you get the idea. I hope ya'all play along because it'll be fun - trust me!

1) I've never had a cup of coffee.
2) I am right handed, but crochet and play pool left handed.
3) I dislike small dogs...big time.
4) When being treated for any medical/dental condition, I'm always the one with the complicated or rarely seen case.
5) I hate catsup, or however you choose to spell it.
6) I'm a food purist. Chocolate cake is fine being chocolate cake. No need to add anything to it. That's what the Food Network is for.
7) I wanted so badly to have a June Cleaver personality. It didn't happen for me.
8) Maureen McCormick (AKA Marcia Brady) gave the eulogy at my step-mother's funeral. And when they opened the vault to put her ashes next to my father's ashes, I practically started wailing. It was Maureen who hugged and comforted me.
9) The sound of anyone cutting their toe or fingernails gives me the willies.
10) The use of words like DREAM, SOAR, HOPE, BELIEVE in scrapbooking or altered art items just gags me. This ties into item #7. They are wonderful words, just way overused in my opinion.

Chocolate Rabbit

2011-01-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like a chocolate rabbit, and everyone keeps taking bites out of you? Today I felt like a chocolate rabbit. Now, I don't mean vicious bites. I mean the typical bites family takes out of us women. Specifically, the bites children take from their mothers. There, I said it. Does that make me a bad mother?

MY mother once told me, "Children are the beloved parasites." That sounds awful, till you really think about it. Yet it's the natural course of things and I would not trade motherhood for anything. Just a chocolate rabbit kinda day.

Just Lovely.

2011-01-15T20:45:00.001-08:00

Okay, if you know me, then you know I have no shame. Well, not much anyway. I don't like my husband to see me naked with the lights on. So I guess that means I have a wee bit of shame. But not in terms of posting photos of the room switch in progress. This, like everything else in my life, is taking way more time than I expected.

Long story short (hopefully) you are looking at our master bedroom. Freshly painted in a sagey green color, reminiscent of guest rooms at the Funny Farm. A soothing color. This room used to be our bedroom, hence the king size bed. Hubs only buys king size beds. Because of my PTSD, and hubs' gastrointestinal system, sleeping in the same bed (or even the same room) is not possible. I mean, it can be done of course, but I'm a shrew the following day and no one wants that. If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

My office/craft space/rat hole was in the third bedroom. I have completely outgrown that room and am moving my show into the soothing green room. It's a decent size and has vaulted ceilings. Unfortunately the mega-bed takes up a lot of space. I am going to create for Hubs a "man cave" in my prior office. He will have his own space for peace and quiet.

Ideally I would prefer having a twin bed in the green room, but the king bed is a memory foam mattress and was hella expensive. But, also hella worth it in terms of me sleeping with minimal pain. They don't make this type of bed in a twin size and there really is no substitute.

I have one more super long work table that will go to the right of this folding one. As we were planning the room I said to my dear hubby, "I don't want things to be crammed and jammed full. I want room to grow." Wish I'd had a camera to record the look on his face.

I purchased this armoire from a woman who lives five minutes away. It was $50.00 and has a ton o'room. I didn't have it opened all the way when I took the photo. There is more than enough room to store all my business related things. Then I can just close the doors when I want to be "off work."

I took my Big Shot out of the package today. So happy to have it. I have a couple texture folders but that's it. I had no idea what dies cost....jeez. Luckily I don't want that many of them, at least not right now. I love the Tim Holtz Baroque die, so that will be my first purchase. Don't really think I'll stumble across one at a garage sale though :).

Hopefully I will have completed room photos by the end of the week!

~ Happy New Year ~

2011-01-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

2011 is starting off with a bang. I closed my "Fee-Bay" store and will offer knobs and other goodies on eCrater and my own web site. It's something I just have to do. Take the plunge as they say.

If you buy things on eBay and are concerned about following a favorite seller to their own site, let me put your mind to rest. When you use a credit or debit card (PayPal or any card) you are protected from fraud. If you paid me $30.00 and I decided to spend your money on date night at the movies, you could file a claim and be reimbursed. The protection comes with the card, not with the internet marketplace where the purchase is made.

I ushered in the new year in typical fashion - attempting to comfort a panicked German Shepherd who is terrified of fireworks. Hubby slept, and my son was at an over-night party. I'm happy though, and sowed many a wild oat in my younger days.

No resolutions for me. I have been eating a lot better, and that started in mid December. Hubs and I have some financial goals for 2011, namely paying off his mega-truck. I'm optimistic and excited about the new year. Hope you are also :).

Oh, my "baby" passed his driver's test. Drove himself to school this morning as a matter of fact. He told me he realized how difficult it is for me to watch him grow up, and how he appreciated the trust I have in him. Then he laughed and said he'd earned it. And he's right, he did!

Road Test

2010-12-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

Today my baby takes his driving (or is that driver's) test. Yikes. On the one (selfish) hand, it will be nice for him to drive himself to his various social functions. Not to mention back and forth to school. We've never had the luxury of a big yellow bus to transport him. On the other (maternal) hand, this is just another thing for me to worry about. Seems like every time I'm behind the wheel I see at least one, and often more, close calls. People are so distracted these days.

He spent quite a while yesterday, cleaning out the car. He requests no dogs ride in it until after the test. He's a good kid. I know in my bones he will be careful.

ACK...!!

2010-12-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

Weird title for a post, but it fits.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks around here. But first, we had a very nice Christmas, albeit an odd one. For example, Christmas Eve dinner was Subway. And Christmas Day, late afternoon, found me in a shopping center parking lot with a very flat tire thanks to some enormous bolt in the road. It may sound corny, but any day with my husband and son and doggies is a good day. As Barney would say: I love you, you love me, we're a happy family. Alrighty then.

Santa brought me a Big Shot. He also brought me a Cinch. Santa is one fantastic guy.

It seems that in addition to my messed up shoulder and neck, I also have blood sugar issues. I began taking a new medication 10 days ago and it's made me rather, ah...spacey? Yep, spacey is the word. It has also completely taken away my appetite. I forget to eat and my blood sugar tanks. This medication will take some tweaking.

It's cold and rainy and damp. By George, it's Washington! Wow, that was really clever. I remember in my 20's and 30's, hearing old folks talk about how they felt the weather in their bones. Seemed like such a strange concept, but it's true. The right side of my body is just fine. But the left side - man oh man. It's three times as bad in this weather. So....ACK! The ironic part is winter was always my favorite season. I counted the days until winter. Not anymore.

I closed my eBay store for a few days, because I am behind with orders. I will probably get low marks from unhappy buyers, and deservedly so. However, in the grand scheme of things my eBay feedback is not a major player. I will continue to do excellent work, and that means a lot.

Thursday begins our major room swap. The master bedroom is being repainted and cleaned out. My office (aka third bedroom) will move to the master and I will create for hubby a man cave in my current office. A great deal of the office is actually an art room and I have outgrown my current space. The hubs and I have very different sleep habits and separate rooms will be best. We're fine though, as I tell my son - no one is getting divorced...LOL.

And that's the news from here. Hi Mom :).

What I Do In My "Spare" Time

2010-12-11T22:46:00.000-08:00

Here are 24 ceramic knobs, in the Waverly Jamestown blue toile design. They left a couple days ago, traveling "across the pond" to their new home in Great Britain. I don't usually photograph my knobs prior to their departure. But the new owner was getting a tad antsy so I wanted to show him I did actually make his knobs. This is a very time consuming design, due to the large surface area. They look awesome though, and little touches like knobs make an amazing difference in a room.

My turtle candy mold arrived already!! Remember a few posts down I was talking about sellers who ship next day? And how I don't, but so many do. I admire those sellers, in much the same way as I admire women who shave their legs every day (i.e., kudos to you, now go away). After I ask Tracy a few more (sorry) questions, the turtle production line will be ready to rock and roll.

My Kit Club Heaven

2010-12-10T02:43:00.001-08:00

I joined the Kit Swap Club over at Your Paper Pantry. I made four kits (they can be identical) and sent them to a very nice lady named Cari. Here are the four kits I got back. To say I was excited does not describe it. My son said, "gee Mom, this is really your passion isn't it?" Yep, it is. The amazing thing is I did not have ANY of the 6x6 papers I received. A great majority of the embellishments are new to me as well.

If you double click on the photos they will open much larger in a new window.

Kit #1

Love the red and green bow ornaments, the bells and the other mini ornaments too!

Are those Tim Holtz reindeer and ornament dies? The reindeer made me squeal like a piggie.

Kit #2

Took four photos to capture all the goodies in this kit. Thank you Loretta!!

She sent a lot of extra paper - gorgeous paper!

And even MORE paper. Textured, very high quality stuff.

Kit #3

Super cute Got Milk tag

Can't wait till I get a Big Shot so I can emboss papers like these.

Kit #4

Great embellishments :)

Love the stamps and the mega-snowflake!

~ ** ~

The kit club appeals to the practical, frugal side of me. I spent $4.95 to mail my kits, and another $4.95 to have the kits sent to me. I bought a few things to include in my kits. I spent maybe $8.00. That's a lot of crafty goodness for under $20.00 don't cha think? Now if only I could turn the clock back....to August.

A Little Album

2010-12-08T17:33:00.001-08:00

Here is a mini album I made for my Mom's BFF ~ Betty. Betty is in her mid-80's but looks 20 years younger. She is as kind and gracious a lady as you'll ever find. Her faith has always been an inspiration to me. Back in the day, when it was just Jacob and I here, things occasionally got a bit dicey, finances wise. Betty would often send me checks so I could pay Jacob's tuition. You never forget a kindness like that.

This was supposed to be in Betty's hands before Thanksgiving. Of course, it wasn't. My intention was to make more tags and do a bit more embellishing, but I wanted her to have it before Christmas! The B on the cover is an old pin, part of one of the lots of costume jewelry I've purchased on eBay. The flower is huge I know. I like it though.

Betty called to say thank you, and hearing the happiness in her voice made my day! Made my week actually. Come to find out her favorite colors are the golds and browns and oranges. I had no idea. Such an awesome feeling to create something and have someone truly love it.

Amazed ~ Caramel Apples

2010-12-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

I happened upon a company that sells caramel apples. They also sell other things covered in caramel, but those things did not amaze me. Apparently this company does 70% of their yearly business during the last two weeks of December. Their signature apple is a biggie. A Granny Smith standing about 4-1/2 inches tall. They say an apple with all the toppings weighs close to two pounds and will feed eight to 10 people.

This company is based on Illinois. I was born in Illinois. This company buys the biggest and best apples from Washington State. I live in Washington State. Do these facts add to my amazement? Not really.

You can buy ONE....1.....uno apple for $22.95. It is presented beautifully in purple and gold packaging, with an ornament or little stuffed animal on top of the box. Packaging is extremely important, and these folks are pros. So you buy your one apple. Then you gotta pay to have it delivered. That's another $10.95. Grand total for one giant apple and shipping is $33.90. AMAZING. Want three apples? That's close to $50.00, before shipping.

That's what amazed me today.

Donkey Day and 7 Layer Bar Recipe

2010-11-30T23:50:00.000-08:00

I will start with the recipe. That way you won't have to read about the Donkey Day if you don't want to. Here are the ingredients:

1 stick (4 oz.) butter (you can use salted or unsalted. I don't do margarine, so have no idea how it would work in this recipe.)

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (rather than buy the crumbs, I take whole graham crackers and put them in my handy dandy mini food processor. I think it's much cheaper that way.)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1-1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put your stick of butter in a 13"x9" (or close to it) dish. If your butter is cold, slice it up into several sections (it will melt quicker that way). Doesn't take the butter long to melt (or burn) so keep an eye on it. Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the dish and spread them out evenly. Then you just layer the rest of the ingredients in the order listed above. Recipe says bake at 350 for 25 minutes. But check 'em at 20 minutes, okay?

A donkey day is a day spent just wandering around, zoned out on muscle relaxers and/or pain medication. Coherent enough to know there are many things I need to do, but not coherent enough to actually sit down and do them.

So, at some point in the early morning I moved wrong and woke up in extreme pain. Managed to go back to sleep for a bit, and when I opened my eyes there was a snow dog's face not even a foot from my face. I'm sure anyone who has raised a child can relate to waking up to a face just staring at you. A human face is different though. Snow dogs bear an eerie resemblance to wolves. Then I think about the woman in France who was the recipient of the world's first face transplant. Her dog bit her face off. It makes me pause.

Whatever I did in my sleep carried over into the day, and I got nothing done. Oh, almost forgot to say....I fell down! Weebles wobble but they don't fall down, but I fell down. Tried to put both legs into one pant leg and down I went. I did manage to spread the impact out over both arms, which is a good thing.

I am already behind on orders. These days eBay buyers expect next day shipping. But my items are hand made after purchase, and the process takes 2-3 days (assuming there are no DD's in between). I am rated in four categories: communication, item as described, shipping time and shipping charges. In a three month period I am allowed 2 low marks (low being 1 star or 2 stars) in each category. Shipping time is always where I get marked down by buyers. If 3 people, out of about 500 people/sales, in a 90 day period say I was slow to ship, I lose my top rated seller status. That seems a bit excessive, but perhaps I'm over-reacting.

Time to go email some people, and apologize for shipping late....

Seven (Perfect) Layer Bars

2010-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone is familiar with this recipe. My family loves these bars. But I only seem to make them at holiday time. I make mine with pecans. Probably just as well I don't make them more often, as I can still fit in an airplane seat and would like to keep it that way. Not that I fit comfortably, but I do fit.

We polished off a batch of these yummy bars over the weekend, and the oven is heating up for the next batch as I type. It's of great importance to me that my son have memories of his mother baking. Not sure why, but it is :).

* Happy Thanksgiving *

2010-11-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

It is 35 degrees here in Washington State, and soon we will be heading over to my former husband's home to share the meal with him and his wife and their three doggies. A bit unusual yes, but we all get along and it's wonderful for my son to see parents and stepparents on good terms.

I am thankful for many things. First and foremost is my salvation, and the never ending love of my Father in heaven. I am thankful for my family - for a husband who truly cherishes me, a son who honors me and is growing up to be such a fine young man, and yes, for our two fur babies who make us laugh every day and love us, no matter what. I am thankful for my mother, who lives 1000 miles away, and for my sister and nephew.

I am going to Thanksgiving dinner with gray roots, because there ain't no way my left arm is going anywhere close to above my neck to be able to color my hair. That's okay, nothing to get upset over. I am thankful I'm still here!

I hope you have a wonderful day ~ God Bless!

Got Life Insurance?

2010-11-24T03:16:00.001-08:00

I will preface this post by saying I am an opinionated person. Having said that, here is what I was thinking about earlier tonight.

There is a woman who posts videos on You Tube. She and her husband have quite a few children. Her husband passed away suddenly last summer. Prior to her husband's death this lady made videos showing things she had purchased (hauls) and also RAKS (random acts of kindness gifts) sent to her from others. I should also tell you that she was very generous and sent RAKS to many people.

In the span of only a couple weeks, her videos went from showing all the things she had purchased, to videos offering her craft supplies for sale (of course at a tremendous loss). She pointed out they had been a one income family, and now without her husband, she and her kids were in serious trouble.

To put it bluntly, life insurance isn't cheap. But neither are all the products Tim Holtz sells. If some of that craft money had been spent elsewhere, i.e., life insurance, things would be different right now. I cannot fathom the loss of a spouse, nor am I trying to take anything away from her tragedy. I'm just asking you to think about it, especially if you have children at home.

Both my husband and I have life insurance policies. We give up a few extras, a few dinners out, a few fancy vacations in exchange for peace of mind and the knowledge that our kids would be taken care of. It's too late for the lady I have written about. If someone reads this and it makes a positive impact on them, I will have accomplished my goal.

Random Stuff and an Albertsons Haul

2010-11-23T00:09:00.000-08:00

So...I got home from grocery shopping about 45 minutes ago. Even though I'm more than tired, I need to defrag my brain before I go to bed. The big news here is we've had some snow, and they expect snow overnight. Snow is no big deal, but ice scares me. I did a couple Tonya Harding spins in the Albertsons parking lot. As John Pinette says, "Let's not visualize, let's just move on shall we?"

Our trip to Nevada was cancelled. We realized we could not make that drive in two days, and we certainly did not have enough time to take three days coming and going. Why that thought didn't occur to anyone earlier, is beyond me. Now the plan is to meet up with Inv. Linton and his lovely wife at the Grand Canyon next summer. Judging from the storms all around us, we probably would have cancelled at the last minute anyway. Towing in snow is not fun; just ask my husband.

I decided I want to start doing my own You Tube videos after the first of the year. I will talk more about that in a future post. I have been addicted to watching the videos of a small group of ladies who make the most beautiful things with paper.

I don't know if food can be considered a "haul," but that's what I'm calling this. I know blogs are nicer when pictures accompany posts, but that isn't happening tonight. I'm going to list everything I bought, and my total out of pocket expense. I should mention that I don't shop like many people do. I shop the sales and to stock up. I will buy six boxes of cereal, even if I have six boxes at home, if I can get it for $.49 a box. Plus we donate food to church and our local homeless shelter. I've been very lazy with my coupon shopping lately. Wonder if that has anything to do with watching videos and creating things? Nah...

I bought:

1 pkg Mission tortilla chips
1 pkg Nestle cookie dough
2 32-oz bottles Coffee-Mate creamer
1 box Hartz Crunch & Clean dog treats
2 boxes Keebler Club crackers
1 box Ritz crackers
1 box Wheat Thins crackers
1 can Planters cashew pieces
2 boxes Lucky Charms
1 box Trix
1 box Cocoa Puffs
1 jar Ragu Alfredo sauce
2 boxes Stove Top stuffing
1 pkg Franz Hawaiian rolls
1 pkg Idahoan potatoes
2 boxes Barilla spaghetti
1 box Barilla linguine
1 bag Cheetos
1 bag Fritos
1 loaf Granny's white bread
4 12-pks Pepsi products
4 12-pks Coke products
1 pkg Pillsbury pie crusts
1 gallon milk
1 16-oz bottle Darigold strawberry milk
1 pkg Swiss cheese
1 19 lb. turkey
1 10 lb. bag potatoes
1 bag salad
1 bunch celery
1 bunch green onions
1 pkg broccoli & cauliflower mix....and
1 Marie Callender's coconut cream pie (MAJOR impulse buy)

GRAND TOTAL: $67.01

I cut a piece from the frozen pie (the box said I could) and supposedly it should be thawed by now. It isn't anywhere near thawed. I'm fixin' to take my heat gun to it.

Bedtime :)

....rest of the Halloween Mini

2010-11-05T23:50:00.001-07:00

Okey dokey (okie dokie?), took these pics in the house, at night. Not exactly optimal conditions. 90% of this book was created with the Anna Griffin Halloween collection papers and embellishments. There's a little Martha, a little Recollections, some graphics purchased on Etsy, and a double decker metallic pumpkin that I scavenged from a Halloween cupcake a few years back.

The skull has a lot of UTEE on him. Wonderful texture!

When I saw these cool stickers (Martha Stewart) they had Sara's name on them. Especially "sweet tooth" as she uses that expression a lot.

I used yellow Stickles for the pumpkins' eyes, nose and mouth.

When you "open" the pumpkin flap, you have a place for three photos. This is really high tech for me.....LOL. I hope to learn a lot more techniques :).

Used a coaster to create the spider's house.

I've had that big web-looking jewelry piece for a long, long time. With the big orange stone in the center, it's perfect for this page.

MAJOR wimp-out on this page!! Not functional at all.

Last page has a little photo mat and card which opens up for pictures or journaling.

Halloween Mini Sneak Peek & Juneau, the Scary Dog

2010-10-31T23:19:00.001-07:00

Here is the front cover (duh) of my book for my (step) daughter, Sara. I really don't like the word "step" when referring to family, but if I leave it off, people will say - hey, I thought you only had one child. Sara is 21 and lives about two hours away, at the coast. We don't see her very often, and I miss her.

Anyway, this is a 4"x4" book. I plan to photograph all of it tomorrow, and then it will be on the way to Sara. It is my third book and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The Tim Holtz ticket would not be on the front had Cindy not been kind enough to stamp the image a bunch of times and mail them to me. And, had I not punched a hole in the wrong place. Trying to be a big girl and learn the Big Bite all by myself!

I wish I could say we spent a quiet evening at home, but that wasn't the case. Juneau, and his noises....words cannot describe, except to say he could record a sound track for a haunted house. He took his position at guard, even before the trick-or-treaters arrived. That position is on the loveseat in front of the window, leaning over the back of it. Lots of growls (some soft, some very deep) and his trademark "woo woo woo" which doesn't sound like any noise a regular dog would make. It's incredibly loud and shrill, done with his head thrown back.

We live at the end of a dead-end street, and have a relatively long driveway. When you add Juneau into the mix, it can be rather scary, even on days other than October 31st. Parents looked through the window and admired him. Some kids were fine, but most of them looked very concerned. And one little boy said, "I almost didn't come up here." The funny part is he would not leave his position on the couch. He's actually very scared of strangers and his usual response is to run in the opposite direction. Unless you're a FedEx driver who stares him in the eyes and challenges him.

That was our (boring) Halloween. Hope yours was a tad more exciting :).

Sigh....

2010-10-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

I saw the lovely and talented Dr. Murphy this morning. Board Certified orthopedic surgeon, and always in a bit of a hurry. Not as bad as some doctors, but still....so much of medicine has become the equivalent of a drive-thru restaurant. I like my Family Nurse Practitioner. We have this whole HMO (or is it PPO) insurance so I have to have a Primary Provider. She spends way more time with me, and she listens. I never finished college, but it seems to me a large portion of good medicine involves listening. But I digress.

Today's visit was to talk about the injection he gave me a month ago, whether it helped, etc. He told me then that if the injection did help, I'd be a good candidate for surgery. He was also supposed to look at my MRI films. They had sent the narrative, but not the films.

I don't think he remembers me. Now, normally, I am a memorable patient. I make sure of it. But in this case, with this doctor, he is only in this particular office a couple Tuesdays a month, and only in the morning. Last month the appointment was at 8:30. Today it was at 9:00. I don't fully wake up till about noon. I mean, I can get up and walk around and form sentences any time before noon. But my gears are not fully turning till after 12:00, give or take. I am doing good to get myself to the office. Being memorable is pretty much impossible.

So, I tell him the injection helped a great deal. I was waiting for him to say, "Cool, let's schedule surgery." Not that I want surgery, but if surgery will make the pain go away, I'm more than ready. He didn't say the S-word though. Instead he told me I didn't have a rotator cuff tear, and read from some piece of paper in my chart which talked about inflammation and thickening. I don't know if this paper was his dictated notes after looking at my films, or if he was reading from the radiologist's report. I said "did you look at my films?" He said he did. I'm not sure I believe him.

I have spent the past four years trying to find out if I have a tear or not. Some docs who read the MRI films say I do. Some say I don't. But these are radiologists, not ortho docs. The ortho docs (two of them now) have said no tear. Yet the pain continues, along with the loss of range of motion, muscle spasms, and on and on. Dr. Murphy is sending me back to physical therapy. This will be the third or fourth round of PT. It gets old. I get cranky.

And....get this.....two minutes after saying there wasn't a tear, he says, "If there is a tear, it isn't large enough to warrant surgery." I just sat there, in shock. I should have questioned him. It's the morning thing. I swear I cannot function. I'm amazed I didn't start crying. When I told my husband about the visit, he said "Why did he tell you if the shot worked, you'd be a good candidate for surgery then?"

I know my shoulder didn't hurt before Bennie's car landed on top of mine. I know I have to go back to my primary care FNP, and we have to keep working on this. It's not like they are trying to diagnose some rare viral disease acquired in a tropical country far, far away. I also know I'm not undergoing chemotherapy. This has always been my mother's analogy, and she's right. It's one shoulder. I do have a spare. I need to "woman up" and deal with it. And I will.

Judge Judy

2010-10-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Do you like Judge Judy? I like Judge Judy. She is intelligent, funny, and overflowing with common sense. Her father was a dentist, and so was mine.

Pretty Flowers, Today and a Nice Customer

2010-10-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Aren't these handmade flowers gorgeous? Think Valentine mini, or even Christmas mini. Not only do you get the flowers, you get two stick pins and 20 inches of the ribbon used to make the flowers. All for $3.50 --- wow! A very nice lady named Cindy makes these, and if you click here you can magically travel to her flower cart in cyberspace. I showed an uncommon restraint and only purchased one set.

This has been a long and bizzy day (I know.. but I like how it looks spelled that way). Got four hours sleep last night and hit the ground running this morning. I made a lot of stuff today, and then hubby packaged the stuff and shipped it. It was overcast, gray, drizzly and perfectly dismal. I love this weather.

The nice customer is a person who received an order of four knobs today. Two of those knobs were the wrong design. Nice. I apologized profusely and told her I would ship out the correct knobs on Monday. Just a bit ago she purchased more knobs from me/us.

Hope you have a blessed Sunday ~

Fright Town

2010-10-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

We like to go to a haunted house every 4-5 years. This was the year, and tonight was the night. My friend Cornelia accompanied us. She is such a sweetheart. This Fright Town is located in downtown Portland, Oregon. Very impressive with three separate "houses" and so much detail and theatrics.

One of the houses had a fun-house theme, and without getting into the "gory" details, I witnessed my husband be hit on (all in the spirit of the attraction) by a topless man wearing leather pants and sporting extremely bizarre make-up. He was right up against hubby and the look on hubby's face was priceless. Talk about your Kodak moment! Lucky for me I have a great memory for odd things like this. Definitely worth the price of admission, and then some.

Amazed

2010-10-20T23:54:00.001-07:00

A great variety of things amaze me. A day does not go by that I am not amazed at least once. Most days I am amazed several times.

I struggle with what to post on my blog. I often feel my blog is way too much "me," and not nearly enough "everyone else." Meaning: could I not find something more worthwhile to write about than hot flashes? But then I think: a blog is an online diary, right? A place where you can be yourself.

So it fits together then, my frequent state of amazement and my blogger's block. AMAZED will become a new category, and ensure I have lots and LOTS to blog about! Let's get started, shall we?

Motherhood. I've been a mother for over 16 years. I am someone's mother. Amazing. Even before my son was born, I was amazed. Me. Pregnant? Really? I walk by my son's room at night, and it strikes me yet again - I'm a mother. There is a part of the equation that is simply surreal. No other word describes it. I'm a mother, and have been for some time. And my son is on the right road, with the right values. He is a decent and honest person. And caring...very caring. His faith inspires many people, including me - his mother.

I Gots Me a Gun

2010-10-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

My ATG came today! YESSSS! It works perfectly, owing to the fact hubby put the tape in it for me. I never thought I would get one of these because I never thought I'd get enough use out of it. Never say never right?

I Don't Like You Mommy......

2010-10-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

~ Happy Thanksgiving ~

2010-10-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Wishing my friends and family in Canada a blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

And....in regards to my previous post: the Kitchen-Aid mixer paddle thingey went immediately into the dishwasher. Just wanted to set the record straight on that one.

Baking Cookies

2010-10-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Okay...so ummm...these dogs aren't too spoiled, are they? I was making M&M party cookies (Cob's fav) and hubby was gracious enough to hold the paddle I think it's called. Clean as a whistle once they were done with it. Didn't even have to wash it....lol.

My First Charm Swap

2010-10-06T15:43:00.001-07:00

Mailed these off the other day to a very nice lady named Cindy. Never made charms before and hubby had to help a lot at the beginning. My loops are oh so sad, but I will improve.

The charm is actually a vintage Scrabble tile. We make pendants with these and I thought it would be cool to change it up a bit. My tag is an image from a 1938 Halloween party notice. The back and top are lined with vintage music paper. The "ribbon" is actually tinsel I cut from a Halloween spider I got at the Dollar Tree.

Cindy hosts this swap each month. It's been a lot of fun and I can't wait to see all the charms I will get back :). Here is her blog if you want to check it out:

http://cindyscroppingcorner.blogspot.com/

To My Husband

2010-10-03T01:06:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today we became husband and wife. You are my Prince Charming. You are my best friend. You are the answer to many, many prayers. You're an amazing husband and father.

I love you ~ more than you know.

Grand-MaMa

2010-09-19T14:04:00.001-07:00

Grand-MaMa (think Tabitha and Endora on Bewitched) arrives on Tuesday. Jacob has been very pleasant and willing to clean his room for his grandmother. She's a sweet lady and in no way resembles this photo (although the woman in this photo was probably sweet too, when she wasn't having to wear that crushing thing on her chest, the name of which escapes me. Corset?)

Two New ATC's

2010-08-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

These ATC's were for created for a food themed swap. The first card was lots of fun and filled with color. My partner likes the atomic/starburst design, hence the background. The second card was more of a challenge, as the recipient did not want any bumpy embellishments. She also requested no glitter or pastel colors. I'm a rebel though, and didn't change the color of the flowers....

Scrapbooking Advice ~

2010-08-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

The advice is: it's not a good idea to go on Craig's List at 2:00 am, just "looking around" for scrapbooking supplies. Because 15 hours later, you may find yourself driving home with a VERY full car, after having spent $150. This nice lady had things in lots. The lots were in individual boxes and the contents of these boxes would put even the most novice scrapbooker (that would be me) into a state of euphoria.

Some will get sold, and some I will keep of course. I've said it before, and I will say it again: my husband is truly a saint. Retail value of all these goodies is way over $1000, so it was a smart buy. But still, you're a saint honey.

I Am Going to Pretend....

2010-08-09T01:21:00.000-07:00

....that it's only been a week since I last blogged.

We are having a great summer! Jacob is driving and driving well. He's been just busy enough to keep from being bored. Returned from San Jose last Friday (trip with daddy) and then leaves for Seattle next Thursday (four day ministry called Urban Plunge, where they interact with homeless people). He plans to play football once school starts, and has been working out in the school's weight room.

Geoff had a bout with an inflamed salivary gland. Sent him to the E.R. He redefined the word "swollen," but he's okay now.

I have leveled off at a nice cruising altitude and God has very graciously taken much of my anxiety away. Still very happily married, coming up on seven years. I thank God every day for the blessing of my husband and son.

Jewell lived with us briefly, but the lure of the grandkids was too great and she went back to Cali on July 6th. Investigator Linton (sorry P.K., but you'll always be "Investigator") and his sweet wife Cathy visited us for the 4th of July. In their 38 foot motor home don't ya know. We will be taking our R.V. to Las Vegas, to spend Thanksgiving with them.

Much work has been done in our backyard by my hardworking hubby. It looks presentable now! There is even a table, umbrella and four chairs.

Life is good.

Paper....and a real Jewel(l)

2010-04-27T00:09:00.001-07:00

This photo was taken from the laundry room. I'm more than sick of the color of the walls by the way. They are getting repainted soon (right dear?). Here you see the back of Jewell "the gag" Gaynor, my friend since 1981, and her two guard dogs. I am not posting a photo of Jewell's face, as she's wanted in two states.

I have only now come to realize the depth of my love affair with paper. Any paper. All paper. Paper is such a versatile artistic tool. I have a great deal of paper, in many sizes and many varieties. And images to put on that paper....oh my gosh....LOTS! I'm looking forward to a new adventure with paper.

A Malamute Moment ~

2010-04-25T17:56:00.001-07:00

Here is Juneau, examining a bit of picnic fare near beautiful Multnomah Falls. He wanted neither the hard-boiled egg, or the sandwich cookie.....or, the water in his bowl (puddle water is so much better). He gets a bit nervous being away from home. Unsettled would be the word. I can relate.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho.....It's Off to Stealth Mode I Go

2010-04-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

I put my eBay store into hiding. A neat little feature they offer, for when you want to take a break. I struggled with the concept of it, because it's never wise to turn down sales, especially in this economy. Beyond wanting a break, I desperately need one. I have many ideas in my little idea bag, and not enough time to work on them.

I am still determined to find my niche on Etsy. It would be wonderful if I could cut all ties with "Fee-Bay," but I doubt that will ever happen.

This is a good place to say thank you to my husband, who is so very patient with me and my creative muses. He never refuses my requests for help and I appreciate that more than I could ever say. I love you Feff.

We are just beginning the process of refinancing our house. I had forgotten the enormous amount of paperwork involved. Even more so when you are self-employed. It's great when your house can work for you. That was always the goal, and tah dah, now we are there!

Catching Up

2010-04-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

My poor blog, how I have neglected you....

Life....is good. My car accident case is settled, over and done with, finally. Physically not much has changed, but what a huge relief mentally. I'll be having breast reduction surgery in the not too distant future. Still trying to "process" that, though I know it's the best decision.

My friend Jewell visited from March 10th to April 3rd. I moped around for days after she left. She is one in a million and I love her to death. Jewell and Juneau developed a special bond. It was very sweet to watch.

I bought a couple, okay three, lots of costume jewelry on eBay. I also bought the book Mixed Media Dollhouses. Incredible....no other way to describe it. The plan is to take the ideas from the book and combine them with the costume jewelry to hopefully produce something a person might call "art."

Our neighbors are foster parents to three baby squirrels.

Hubby and son are doing well. Son will begin his driver's ed training in two weeks. Taught by a company who only employs current and retired police officers. Man oh man, that course is not cheap! I remember when you took it in school, for free.

That's about it. God Bless!

March ..... March On

2010-03-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

Did you know March was National Frozen Food month? Lots 'o great deals to be had.

March is also shaping up to be a big month in the Morris household. On the 8th I turn 50. I am trying not to think about that, and take comfort in the fact I can continue to be the same weirdo I've been all along. That, and there isn't anything I can do to not be 50. Also on the 8th - my mediation hearing. I get to spend some quality time with a very nice Judge. I am so happy, I wish it was tomorrow!

On the 9th my hunky hubby turns 52. I actually have a birthday gift for him. It's about as unromantic as a case of crabs (I know.....gross), but at least I have something. He has big screen TV dreams, and I have a Dollar Store budget.

March 10th my buddy Jewell arrives from Banning (aka Armpit of the World), CA. She calls it that. I myself have never been to Banning. I blogged about her in my last post. Guess you could say I'm beyond thrilled she will be visiting.

Then on the 25th (I think) Grand-ma-ma will fly in on her broom. Only kidding mother. I used to love how Tabitha would call Endora Grand-ma-ma. Mother's visit will coincide with Jacob's Spring Break. They are very similar people with very similar spiritual gifts. I know this time will be quite special.

Lastly, a recap of tonight's coupon run. It was a bit frustrating for me (let along the poor cashier) and I was in the store 20 minutes past closing time. It all worked out in the end. I was taking advantage of the "Buy 10 frozen food items, get a $10.00 Catalina" and the "Spend $20 on General Mills products, get a $7.00 Catalina" promotions. Of course I had lots of coupons, plus the $7.00 Catalina I got Sunday at Albertsons.

9 cans of Old Orchard juice (grape and cranberry because apple wasn't part of the sale)
1 bag Ore-Ida fries
7 boxes assorted Betty Crocker muffin mixes
2 bags Nature Valley Nut Clusters
1 pouch Betty Crocker instant potatoes

I spent $19.29 and came home with a $17.00 gift card because neither Catalina printed, even though they should have. I could do this deal over and over again, assuming I had enough coupons. Next time around I would use my $17.00 gift card, only spend $2.29 and come home with another $17.00 in Catalinas, or gift cards as the case may be. And yes, we do donate food to our local homeless shelter.

So.....

2010-02-24T02:24:00.000-08:00

...there's a party in my head right now. Well, there is always a party in my head. The party is particularly loud and busy at this moment in time. As usual, I have 50 things to do and can't focus on any one of them for more than a few minutes. Great time to do a blog post said I.

Tyler Perry. I tell ya, if I wasn't married.... Seriously, if you haven't seen any of his films, SEE THEM....as soon as you can. We screened "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" last week. There is just something about his work, how he weaves things together. His movies are predictable, yet full of so many things you don't mind the predictability.

Juneau is in the middle of blowing his coat. Usually takes 3-4 weeks to achieve total "blow-age." I don't like the little tufts of hair everywhere, but combing him is quite relaxing.

My battery went dead in the Fred Meyer parking lot on Monday. Jacob and both doggies were with me. It was hubby to the rescue in his big silver truck. Husbands are such wonderful creatures. I was there to buy whole chickens for $.69/lb., Wisk for $.49 and All for $.99 (perhaps it was the other way around). We have eight bottles of laundry detergent in our little stockpile. I spent less than $10.00 for all of them. This makes me happy. I'm easy to please. Oh, also got some Prevacid which was totally free.

My friend Jewell will be coming for a visit very soon. We need to work out the details of her ticket later today. I haven't seen her in over 10 years. We worked together at Irvine PD and she is now retired. She likes to do all types of crafts and said she is happy to help me with my work. Jewell loves dogs but told me she can do without their hair everywhere. Well duh, who couldn't? I will conveniently forget to tell her about snow dogs and coat blowing, until we are on our way home from the airport.

I look forward to fussing over her and spoiling her because she totally deserves it!

~ Dora

2010-02-18T03:17:00.000-08:00

I remember, with vivid detail, receiving a phone call informing me my father had died. The date was July 3, 1997. Shortly thereafter I was walking through the living room and saw Spike (I hope I have the name right), the dog in the Rug Rats cartoons. My then three year old son had put Spike down for his nap, on the couch, covered with a blanket.

What I took from that moment (and I don't expect anyone to understand this) was that life goes on. A little boy, caring for his "pet," oblivious to the fact his grandfather was gone. My world was crashing down, but life went on. It felt so tragic, but yet....so right.

My dear friend Dora passed away on Tuesday. She was 48. Her sister called me yesterday and told me the news. Dora and I had known each other for almost 30 years. The last 20 of those years having been spent apart. We lost track of each other. We were reconnected about 18 months ago. It was like no time had passed. The only "problem" - she was in North Carolina and I am in Washington State.

We laughed and giggled and spent many silly hours on the phone. Then she got sick. She was being treated at a hospital known worldwide for helping people with her disease. They couldn't help Dora. She died at home, peacefully. Most importantly she knew the Lord and knew where she was going.

The tears I have cried today are not for her. I am happy for Dora! She no longer struggles to breathe. She has no pain. She has no fear. My tears are those of guilt and regret. Why didn't I call her more often? Why didn't I write her letters (she didn't have a computer)? Why had I not made an effort to find her years ago? We could have had so much more time. Then it occurred to me: Dora isn't up there annoyed with me. Dora isn't angry. She is free from the struggles and sins of this world.

I said to my 15 year old son, "Grandma says there is a veil between heaven and earth, and they cannot see us, or hear us. Do you think that's true?" He replied, "Yes, I do think it's true. If they could see everything happening down here, it wouldn't be heaven." I told him I would tell God what I wanted Dora to know, and ask Him to deliver my message.

Later in the day my son told me how he deals with the death of a loved one. He said, "I don't think of them as being gone, because they aren't gone. I will see them again. So I think of them as being on a long vacation, without a phone. Try thinking about it that way Mom. She's on a long vacation, without a phone." Precious words of comfort from the same boy who put his stuffed dog down for a nap, so many years ago.

Life....goes on.

Lord, thank you for allowing Dora to pass away peacefully. Thank you for the blessing she has been in my life. If you have a moment, could you please tell her I love her and miss her? Thank you Lord.

da QUOTE of DA day

2010-02-17T02:13:00.000-08:00

Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality.

Rolaids, anyone?

2010-02-16T02:50:00.000-08:00

I paid $0.24 plus tax for EVERYTHING pictured. Seriously. One penny less than a quarter for all of this.

Albertson's has the Rolaids soft chews on sale for $2.00, and the mint flavored boxes of rolls on sale for $1.06. I used four $4.00/2 coupons and four $1.00/1 coupons. I am VERY sorry but I don't know the newspaper insert or date for these coupons. I know the sale price will be effective through today, but didn't remember to check if it runs longer. The whole deal made my head spin and I wasn't thinking clearly :).

Check out www.thekrazycouponlady.com for the latest and greatest deals!

Wow.....has it been a MONTH?

2010-02-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

It certainly has. A month since my last post. Yet I still don't have much to report. I am going along, step by step. I wouldn't say I'm sad, but my head is down. If I were a Budweiser Clydesdale I'd be in the middle of the team.

This is one of my favorite cards. Just thought I'd share :).

~ Saturday Night Savings ~

2010-01-11T23:42:00.001-08:00

At Safeway I purchased:

18 ct. eggs
1 gallon milk
1 32-oz Coffee Mate
1 12-pkg Nabisco cookies
3 boxes Kleenex ($.75 ea on clearance - $.50 coupon doubled = $.41 a box)
Tin of butter cookies - $1.25 clearance
Large box of taquitos
4 boxes Nature Valley Granola bars (4/$6.00 before coupons)
4 boxes Trix (with coupons and sale these were $.49 a box)

Total Spent: $19.00
Got Back: $2.50 Catalina for buying granola bars

**********

At Walgreens I purchased:

2 6 oz. boxes Chips Ahoy
8 cans Progresso soup
2 boxes Nutri-Grain bars
3 6 oz. bottles NyQuil
1 8 oz. bottle Theraflu
2 10-ct pkgs DayQuil
2 boxes Puffs tissue

Total Spent: $19.92
Got Back: $2.00 Catalina for buying Chips Ahoy

I did three transactions at Walgreens. They have a Register Reward deal running all month for Vicks products. Spend $20.00 and get a $10.00 RR. I had coupons for $1.50 off each Vicks product and I had coupons for a free box of Puffs for every 2 Vicks I bought.

So....I purchased $20 worth of Vicks and then used my $10.00 RR to buy the soup. The soup also had a RR (spend $10.00 and get a $3.00 RR). I used the $3.00 RR from the soup to buy the Nutri-Grain bars (on sale 2/$5.00) which had a $2.00 RR.

I also purchased two boxes of the Chips Ahoy for $.99 each. That generated a $2.00 RR.

We are not a house full of sickies (at least physically), but these kinds of medicines are good to have on hand. I always check expiration dates and buy what has the longest shelf life.

**********

At Albertsons I purchased:

4 pkgs Green Giant vegetables

1 box toaster strudel

2 boxes Cocoa Puffs

5 boxes fruit snacks

3 pkgs allergy/cold medication

2 boxes DiGiorno pizza

Total Spent: $7.97

Got Back: $8.50 in Catalinas ($5.00 for spending $20.00 on General Mills items and $3.50 for buying five fruit snacks - kind of a deal within a deal, since the fruit snacks counted toward my $20.00 purchase too).

Grand Total Spent: $46.89

Grand Total in Catalinas/RR received: $13.00

Total Out of Pocket: $33.89

And....it kept me off the streets!

Albertsons Run

2010-01-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

All the coupon stars and planets have aligned this week at Albertsons, making for some free, yep FREE, food. There are even three double coupons in their store ad. I did two transactions:

13 cans Progresso soup
1 pkg Green Giant Steamers - corn
1 box Cheerios
2 bottles V8 Fusion juice
5 pkgs Nature Valley Granola Clusters
5 pkgs Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks

I had coupons for everything but the corn. I also had my $10 Catalina from last week's P&G promotion. Total cost was $13.82. BUT, I came home with $12.00 in Catalinas. That makes the cost $1.82. See what I mean about the stars and planets aligning?

Canine Chronicles

2010-01-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

Miss Jessie is back home, again. I took her back to the Vet on Tuesday afternoon. It's a long and whiny story. Suffice it to say she needed to be there, and not here. Her Daddy picked her up late this afternoon and she's doing much better. No more e-collar. With all the advancements in medical science, you'd think they would have something better to offer than a thin piece of plastic, shaped into a cone.

So....we spent another $93.00 for boarding, sedation, etc. I don't know why I am so shocked at these figures. I think it's most likely due to the fact when I get sick, I go to the doctor and pay my $12.00 for the office visit. If I need medicine, it is $3.00 a pop. Jessie's antibiotics and pain meds cost almost $100.00.

All is back to normal in the Morris household :). Back to making knobs and clipping coupons.

Miss Jessie

2010-01-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

She came home about two hours ago. I was hoping to post a picture but she was in no mood. She was actually in an e-collar. I know it's necessary, but geez, she is miserable.

Her cysts were removed and now we wait for pathology. Whatever these growths turn out to be, we got rid of them very early. $730. Yep....$730. They let us pay half today and we will make $50 payments every two weeks till the balance is paid off. To quote Tony Soprano, "what are you gonna do?"

Jessie's "little" brother moped around all day, and didn't touch his dinner. He perked up the minute she and her plastic lamp shade collar came through the door. We were worried he would not leave her alone, but he's actually been very good about giving her plenty of space. We can tell he's concerned though.

Time for her medication.....