My friend Patric is moving to Washington today. Go figure! I took a picnic to him yesterday, and we enjoyed an all to brief visit and goodbye. Gone is he, but forgotten not, hmmmmmm?

With the foot of snow came a ton of photo opportunities! w00t!

Last night, our two old female kitties were hissing and growling at each other over the food dish in the entryway. Diana was telling them to quit it, but Justice (a young and dense little boy cat of 2 years) thought the noises were interesting, and decided to go and check it out. Dianas response to his moving toward danger? "Seriously little man? You are going to get between two women and their food dish???" Priceless!

We recieved 3 or 4 inches of snow from the skys a couple days ago. We are now in the middle of a snow storm, and I can see we have more, it just isn't light enough to see how much or take pictures yet. Here are the ones I took of the first few inches.

Solstice 2012

Had a wonderful, quiet, relaxing and fun Solstice celebration with Diana. We even had snow!

My to-do list has finally dwindled. I have a few more things to get done by January, but everything for this month is done and I plan on leaving the list blank and enjoying the rest of my December. January will be busy enough. And now for a few pictures I too the other day while having morning coffe with Smudge outside on the back steps.

Wow! I hadn't realized how long it had been since I posted anything here! Time is flyin' by, and it's all good! I have been busy helping Diana with her business. I get to pack all the pretty jewelry up for shipping, do post office runs, and anything else I can that helps free up her time to create. As I get more comfortable with her system, I get faster at it, which is nice. I am going to look into opening my own Etsy shop in the spring. Might as well, as it will be a possible second income, and Diana can show me everything I need to know. I have been kicking around the idea for a while as a way to sell my murals, and maybe even my felting baubles. However, I will deal with that more after the holidays are done. I have been out hiking several times now, even took a road trip to Ottowa, Canada to visit a museum. I am enjoying my adventures out, and all the people I am meeting. My favorite new friend is Patric. I enjoy his company and when scheduals and time permits, we head out for a fun time somewhere. He has been mentioning hitting the Corning Museum, and I think that would be lots of fun. He's one of those people that is so easy to get along with, and truely enjoys whatrver he is doing at the moment.He could make ditch digging fun! We recently went to Black Pond and hiked during the seasons first snowfall. It was fun and beautiful, and we took lots of super pictures, like these;

He took some crazy pictrues too, but the conversation that goes along with our travels and adventures is what really makes it all fun! Not much more to tell. The weather has been really cold. 19 F in the mornings. Today it will be 50 and rainy. Go figure! Weird weather abounds here in the North County. I had a crafting party finally. Only Katherine showed up, but we had a great time glueing and glittering and chatting. It will be easier to do all this after the holidays, so I will wait with the next one til next year. Enjoy the pics, and don't give up on me here. I may be spastic in my postings, but I plan on keeping it up!

The last 2 days here were absolutely glorious! Warm and sunny. I openned up the house and let the breeze and warm air work it's magic. Since today is my day off and the morning is still warm, I am out on the sunporch in my owl PJs, typing at you and sipping my coffee. We don't have sun this morning, but the golden leaves covering the ground like a rich carpet make up for it in only the way they can. The construction guys were here the last few days, finishing up the windows, door and bookshelf. The mess is large. So, after work last night I started cleaning, and since I had to move furniture to get under the windows, I figured I would simply move everything and get it all. Spring cleaning in fall! I have one room left, and then my plans are to pickle me some green tomoatoes and start moving all the stuff out of the guest room upstair so I can paint the 2 walls in there. I have so many things to do, but I keep getting distracted by friends (yep, I now have several!) and beautiful weather. People keep telling me the weather will change, and I believe them. So, I will enjoy what I have now, and deal with the sleepy winter when it hits. The birds here are fabulous, and much to Dianas dismay I plan on feeding them throughout the winter season. They bring Pug, Smudge and me much joy. I need to find a bird book specifically for the feathered creatures of this area and start identifing. I saw a Red Cardinal zip by while I wandered a cememtary the other day! Oh, and the Jays! They are everywhere, and so pretty! I keep my eyes open for gifts of feather everytime I am outside. Mom and Dad are in Brason until this Tuesday. Dad and I are going to see if we can get a little time in on Middle Earth while Mom is doing her thing. My visit to the Ottowa Museum is tomorrow instead of next week because next week we are having a garage sale to get rid of the stuff Carol left behind. I am starting to collect the suplies I need to teach a class or two, and hope to do that soon. Diana has been gone the last few days, and it's to empty around here. I am looking forward to having her home agan tonight. Someone drank my coffee. Hmmm. I'd better do something about that.

Two weeks since I posted here and it feels like forever! I am sitting out back on the porch steps, watching Pug chase the leaves that are blowing in the wind, and drinking a cup of morning coffee. It's warm, but Fall is very established. The leaves turn only a little faster than they are being blown off the trees. However, every morning I get to look out windows at the picture that Mother Nature is painting, and it is beautiful! I have made 2 friends here. Both are happy to show me around, geocache with me, and just hang out. I have a trip to Canada planned for 2 weeks from now. Patric and I are headed for the art museum in Ottowa. Long day, but it will be worth it. I am hoping to head N.E. today to a town called Canton. It's a little college town where another potential friend lives. He owns land and 4 rental houses. He live in a smithy that has been turned into a house. It looks very cool! Also, he has foraging skills, and I would love to tap into some of that. I love having people around me I can learn from. Besides, he offered me a beer, and I haven't had a good beer since I got here!. Hahaha! Diana's Mom is leaving a week early. The movers come this Monday. I am not sure if she is headed out Monday night or Tuesday morning, but I do know that Diana is also leaving on business on Wednesday, so I will have the house to myself for a few days. I plan on painting walls and some miscellanous things that never were finished, listening to loud music, and having a box explosion happen upstairs. I will be able to unpack, spread out, organize, and leave the stuff lying about until I have a place for it! Yeah!!! AND....wait for it....The sunporch will be empty of boxes and I can actually use it!!!! Bliss! Work is work. I love being a worker bee. They leave me alone and I get to see projects through from begining to end. They are starting to offer me more hours. I work 4 days next week, 2 of them 8 hour shifts. Every little bit helps. I need to volunteer for Thanksgiving. It's time and a half, and it will keep me off the streets and out of trouble.

Diana's mom is gone for the next few days, so I was able to spread out my boxes a bit last night without worry of setting off her OCD. I was able to unpack another 7 because Carol picked up some cool shelves from Ollies that fit on top of my dresser. Yeah! I will finish the rug today, and get ready for a delivery of stuff on Monday or Tuesday. Yep. The parents will be here with the rest of it soon. Yeah! They will be gald to empty their car, and I will be glad to take it! Diana and I will be hitting a local rummage sale today. I am hoping to find a few of the things I am looking for to finish up my closet, and get a few more things unpacked. It is all finally coming together and I am feeling like I have a personal space here to stretch myself out in. Pug has been going out, and he is happier because of it. However, he has realized there isn't anyone outsideto play with, either. Poor booboo! He and Justice are poised on the edge of playing. Faith gave it a go the other day, and although Pug didn't go for it, he wasn't a big meanie about it either. All good signs that he's adjusting well. Misty has discovered Diana's lap, so that is a good thing. She needs her lap time. She wanders downstairs, even when I am not around and hangs out. This is her way of saying she has excepted where she is, so Ha! She is claiming the space as hers, but still wants major amounts of lap time from me. She's my silly little cranky pnats, that's for sure! Smudge is having the hardest time. She went out for the first time 2 days ago, and practically took off running for the nearest bush to sit under. She feels safe under bushes apparently. She was out there about 45 minutes before I had to bring her in. She spends most of her time under the bed in the guest room. I am not thrilled about that. She is super skitish. She does wander downstairs during the early mornings or late evenings when things are calm and quiet. I hurt in my heart for her. I wish the sun porch wasn't full of packed crap so she could at least enjoy that. Le sigh! It will change for her eventually. I feel we have the rest of the month for outdoor adventures before itgets super cold and rainy/windy/snowy. I hope to get her out a lot more between now and winter.

I am sitting here in Diana's office with a mocha and my feet up, watching the uniformed hotties stroll by her door. Very nice! I will be spending the day in Syracuse. I won't be driving anywhere becuase I get lost. Easily. However, I will probably be wanderin' off after lunch to explore the few blocks around the building she works in. If I do straight lines out, I can find my way home easily. If I have a map, I become directionally oriented much faster, but I don't have one. Getting lost today would be bad. It would not be like getting lost in Schaffhausen. Maybe we should make a tag to pin to my raincoat that says "If found, please call... and feed french fries. Thank you." Maybe we could shorten that to the " freed fries" and leave it at that. Hmmmmmm. Emptied two of my media boxes last night. Can't do much more with those until I get shelves, and I am still trying to hash out the rug thing. I also chucked a bunch of bathroom stuff with expired dates and what not. I know I'll be chucking a bunch of stuff like this as I unpack. Not enough that it would have made a difference in the number of boxes I packed, but enough to make me feel like I am still dropping the crap from my old life and making way for the new. Speaking of new; I am not sure exactly where along the Black River I went hiking, but it was beautiful! One of the trails had access to the river in several spots. There is a lot of shallows that are made of smooth slate. Easy walking and lots of places to sit and read or enjoy the river and listen to it sing. I loved it! I will be going to these spots as often as the weather will permit. I might even have to try out my snowshoes there. If they fit. I will have to check that out. I have also been told that a drive up highway 3 in the fall is beautiful, and that about 3 hours up you are in the mountains. I am going to try and do this as soon as possible. Mostly because fall only lasts so long, and it is swinging into the straightaway here. Man, is it beautiful, too! Other than that, not much going on. Mom, Dad and Carol will be heading my way soon. I am so looking forward to that! I really hope the crisp, sunny weather we have been having holds out so I can show them about a bit. We will see.

And now for the downpour!

Holy shit, it is windy! Like "I am so pissed off I am going to throw air about furiously like a raging lover' windy. The cats are totally freaked out! Smudge is cowering under the bed and Misty is alternating between wanting comfort and wedging herself under something. Pug strikes out when he is this upset, so every time one of the girls bolts (or even breathes), he chases them and whacks the crap out of them. So, on top of the horible wind, we have horrible cat noises, too. Wee. Unfortunately, this kind of wind hits all my panic butons as well, so it's not like I am much good to the furries. I creep around like some anxious ghost, whining and begging the cats to let me snuggle them; for their own good, of courseI feel like such a sissy, but wind this hard has always freaked me out. Always. The sun is up now, and although Mother God has decided to extend her hissy fit, at least it's light out and not so scarey. Moving on. My closet shelves are in, and so I will paint them this afternoon/evening. Now that they are in, I want them to be blue. I just don't know that I want to atke the time to do that. Probably not, since I just want to freaking unpack, already! I will drive into town today and visit the NCAC co-op store and chat up the people there for info on teaching crafts. I have a great idea that kinda evolved from something I saw on pintrest. Might be a fun first time craft class. If I can't do it there, maybe I can do it somewhere else. Hopefully, I will get the last of my carpet, too, and finish that up.

The blue walls in my room have a second coat, and the closet ceiling is painted. Can't do the room until the carpet is down, which happens this weekend. Then the handyman needs to come and put in my closet shelves so I can put my clothes in it. Diana's mom has been packing to move, and has filled the upstair with boxes and stuff. This gives me very little little room to work. So, if I can get my closet done, then I will have a little more space to work with. But until then, I will go to town and run a few errands and get my hair cut. I will feel better with it out of my face. Bleh!

I have managed to keep more than busy. I am a bit overwhelmed, but I guess that is my own fault. I did enjoy a nice cup of coffee with a potential new friend today, and that was fab U lous! So, tomorrow I will start and finish the blue in my room. When that is dry I will have to remove everything that is in there so I can lay the carpet. A pain in the butt, however it will be so nice when it is done. the carpet is 9' x 12', and the room is 9'2" by 15'3". I am not going to worry about the 2" , but will need to do something about the 3' plus end. Pretty sure I have come up with the awesomest solution. Ever. Seriously, I am THAT good! When it is done, I will be all posty with pictures, both before and after. If it doesn't turn out, I'll post some before pictures, and then an after picture of the Oval Office or something. Just cuz. Work is fine. There is a part of me that still dreads going there. I was wondering when that was going to surface. My immediate boss is pretty cool and fun, so that helps. The lady that works with us as regular morning replenishment is super kewl, too. We've been yaking a bit, and share a lot of the same opinions on the downward decline of Michaels and the treatment of employees and what is going wrong. Unfortunately, Michaels is Michaels, and so I will never be completely happy there again, unless I win the uber-mega-super lotto and can buy it and make them run it my way. Except I wouldn't waste my money.

So, my commute has gone from 50 miles one way to 17. So, instead of filling up every 2.5 days, I'll probably be filling up once a year. LOL! Okay, it will FEEL like once a year! Had my first close shift in ages last night. It was great. Why? BECAUSE i DIDN'T HAVE KEYS! Yes, you will get tired of me saying that. I put up plastic dividers and did label maintainence. For 8 hours. I helped customers and learned the store layout in the process. It was fabulous! So, today Diana and I do some shopping, and I will start painting my closet. Yeah!

I had a glorious first day at work! Their truck is TINY!!!!!! We had 23 shopping carts of repack merchandise. 23. The average in Beaverton was 60 to 70. The staff was about the same size to work this tiny truck as we had in Beaverton to work a truck 3 times the size. I would say something is wrong with this picture, but since it no longer effects me, I gayfully dance a jig and move on. My day was great. I had no keys. I repeat- I had no keys. So, I was not a garbage running, return doing, truck recieving, answer a billion stupid/repeat questions person today. And ya know what? I will have no keys tomorrow, either. Or the next day. Wash, rinse, repeat. Did I mention that I had a glorious first day? I should have stepped down from management a long time ago.

Another lovely day here. I am again on the sun porch with my morning cup of coffee and Pug, listening to the breeze tickle the leaves, and the birds chitter away the early morning hours. I adore this sunporch, and will hate to have it closed up for the winter. Good thing about it is that it will be open for business again next year! Today I will spend time painting my bedroom and seeing what little spider and bug entrances need to be plugged up. Once I have those things done, I can start looking at what I need to make the place unpackable. No shelves means my stuff stays in boxes. I want it out of the boxes. So, I will stay home today and play homemaker and see what Diana has that will help me accomplish the basic prep work for buying shelves and such. Tomorrow I will work my first shift in the new store. I am stressing out about it, but not because I can't do it. It has been so long since I have walked into Michaels as an employee and not a manager that my mind and body can't snap out of Manager Mode. A few days there should take care of that. I found a crafting Co-op store that I can do some volunteer work at and join, and they teach classes. So, I want to go check them out next week and talk to someone in charge about giving some hours and teaching some classes. Keep your fingers crossed. If I could suppliment part time at Micheals with teaching, I'd be thrilled!

Day one alone.

Yesterday I finally felt like my normal self again. Hard core road trips sure have a way of slappin' ya down with their own brand of jet lag. Esh! I just saw Bill off this morning. After 8 days of straight social, I am looking forward to a day of quiet. I have an errand to run later, but am going to spend the rest of my time on the 'puter and going for walks. Word up! The kitties did great on the road trip! Smudge had the hardest time. She hates not being outside or having fresh air, and the drive really wiped her out. Misty wanted to look out every window, and would poke around on and off on the trip. Pug would occasionally look out a window, usually chatter a bit about what he saw, but then would go snooze in his carry case. I am so proud of my little ones! They did me proud!They are adapting very well here. Today is the first day they have been allowed downstairs, so I am keeping an eye on things. Pug is way more interested in exploring the house than even bothering with Faith or Justice. He doesn't even give them the time of day at this point. Misty came downstairs and poked about a bit. Now she is snuggled up next to smudge in a sunbeam on my bedroom floor. A friend asked if I had taught Pug slug-bug to spice up our long days. Didn't do it, since he puts some serious effort into his physical activities and I didn't want shredded upper arm syndrome. However, Bill knew it, and after I started a game of it, we had a blast socking each other randomly. Fun road trip games! I was able to get a little hiking in yesterday with Bill. Took him to Black Pond, which is a bird refuge/wildlife observation area a few minutes down the road. It is located in some dunes along the edge of Lake Ontario, and is absolutely beautiful! We walked the sandy beach and enjoyed the sunshine and waves. A very nice way to help make this change feel more real. So, I will eat lunch, run my errands, and then call it a day. My brain is starting to get a little fuzzy, so I think I am not as over the trip as I thought. Bummer.

Well, I am here! It's a bit surreal, and my brain feels a little soupy and fuzzy. I have only every been here during my yearly vacations, so my mind is doing the whole "July, yet not July. Whaa?????" Yeah. The last I left you, my gentle readers, I was working out various aspects of the trip, and still in my apartment. I found a single mom with three kids that needed furniture, so she took the rest of what I had. My landlord found tennants willing to paint, so that saved me a heap of last minute work. Dad came back down and helped me wash the walls. TSP doesn't even remove kerosene smoke. Go figure! So, we did the best we could. After a long last night on the 31st, I was fed a wonderful breakfast by my dear friend Ruth, then gathered up the kitties and headed to Seattle. Smudge, Misty and Pug didn't care for 4 hours in cat cages, but other than the occasional outburst (Pug would rattle his cage bars like an inmate), they did well. They also behaved very nicely at my parent's house. Misty, who I worried about the most, was a big trooper! She was the first to explore and discover the upstairs. She loved going up to see if Dad was watching TV. If he was, she would pounce on his lap as if it were her last chance, and sleep as long as he would let her. Then he would carry her down to my room and set her on the bed. She is the master manipulator! LOL! Dad rigged up a great setup in the car to separate the front from the back, and all three occupants settled in quite nicely. They spent most of the time sleeping. Occasionally Pug would place himself so he could look out the front window between the two seats. Then he would talk to us for a bit. Misty liked peeking out the side windows, and occasionally would view the scenery by looking over the driver's left shoulder. Despite the good riding behavior, I know they are all glad to not be back in the car today. Bill was a great companion. He loves to drive, so he did most of it, and we chatted like gangbusters. We also sang horribly together and made really bad jokes. It was a fabulous trip in all, even if the days were long and our butts were flat and sore every night. He likes it here in New York State, and Diana likes him and has already extended him the invite to show up and stick around whenever he'd like. The scenery was amazing! I think I want to live in west Montana next. It was so stunning I could barely peel my eyes from the scenery. I-90 may not offer the best view, but It offered me more than I had seen before. I crossed the Missisippi, got a tour of the navy pier in Chicago, saw Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, beautiful high country and barren desert. Spotted lots of cows, ground hogs, hawks and beautiful antelopes. Bill has seen many of the places we drove through. He could even say, "Hey. There is this great resturaunt up here that I eat at whenever I head out this way. Lets do lunch there!" Um, can you say awesome? Yeah. Me too! Now I will spend a couple days showing Bill around, and then I will start job hunting. He is thinking about driving to New York since he is so close. Me, I will rent him the car and wave goodbye. I am a country girl at heart, and I want to sit here on the sunporch for the last few weeks of fall and listen to the crickets sing to me with their New York accents. To each their own.

Things are moving along quite nicely. Mom, Dad helped me do a huge amount of packing and purging. My friend Tamara came down this weekend and helped me get more of the little stuff done. I have found homes for about half my furniture, and my neighbor is offering to sell whatever I nee in the city wide garage sale next week! Friends and acquaintances are coming out of the woodwork, helping me in so many ways. Finally, all that "I'll help you move" karma is rolling on back! Thank you everyone! I mailed another 3 boxes today, and the rest will have to be Greyhound or Amtrak. Dad and I will figure that out next week. I am surprised at what I ave been able to let go of, and what has been hard to say goodbye to. I am also remembering how much crap you need to just make it from day to day. Bleh! I hope to have the landlord over in the next day or two so we can chat about what I will need to clean before I go. I am hoping the $250 deposit buys me a lot of leeway, since it is non-refundable. I am excited. So far the only thing I am dreading in the drive. My friend Bill will be helping me with that, but I am still not excited about me, him and 3 cats in a car for 5 to 6 days. Gotta start working out that puzzle next.

I'm in a New York State of mind. Henderson, New York that is!

I am moving to New York State at the end of the month. Things have been falling together, so I know it is what I am supposed to do. At this point, I have someone to give my things to, but I am looking into other options for quick disposal of items I cannot take with me. Those items being anything I cannot pack and mail via the post office or Greyhound. So, There will be a lot of purging. One more cup off coffee, and I need to get to work!

I am sitting here trying to think of what it is I have been doing on this trip. Time has gone by so fast. We re-arranged a bit of the furniture upstairs yesterday to make way for the beautiful antique dresser we found at one of the sales we visited. That took up a few hours. I almost finished the painting. I need to get the high up edging with the special high up edging tool. A coat today and a coat tomorrow, and I will be done. Then it's clean up the upstairs, since we kicked up a lot of dust bunnies and moved a lot of things around yesterday. I got my postcards done and mailed. Spent time reorganizing one of Dianas jewelry displays. That took a few days, as I had to card most of it and figure out how to get it all in the space, while having it make some sense. I love merchandising! Lots of kitty playing, too. Justice and Faith are forming a tentative friendship. It's funny to watch them 'air box' with each other. They sit back on their haunches and gentle paddle at the air in front of them. Each thinks the other is closer than they really are, so they pretty much biff the air with about a foot or so between them. Funnier than all get out! I didn't really go anywhere, or even take any walks. It was simply nice to hang out and not have to go to work. Might have to take a stroll about town today to make up for it. But first, I need lunch!

Here is the Facebook album link. I will be adding more as the days go by, so keep checking it! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3028665694274.101680.1791798792&type=1&l=8d10206488

Today was a 'run around and get it done' day, but we didn't get it done. Le sigh. Tomorrow we will have to pick up where we left off. Such is life. We went swimming in the lake last night, which felt fabulous! There were not that many people, but there was quite a bit of ink running about, and nice ink at that! So, how about a few pictures? Okay? Great! (BTW, I will start an album on Facebook and post a link here you can keep checking.) So, we have a picture of Dianas house with Diana doing her Toyota pose. Justice,one of Dianas blind cats, snoozing on the porch. Then There is the jewelry booth and new sign. We had Color Guard show the colors. It was a touching ceremony, with a great singing of the National Anthem. Then a picture of me, showing off my porcelaine skin.

Tomorrow, we finish the errands and do some things about the house. I like those kind of days!

The Art in the Park craft fair was amazingly sucessful for Diana this year. Over $500 in profit. W were both writing ou sales slips for a while. She has a Cube, so that also helped to bring in business she would not have otherwise gotten. I am sitting on the sun porch, drinking coffee and enjoying the morning breeze and sun. Everyone is still sleeping, so I have the place to myself. I am waiting for it to be late enough West Coast time to call Mom and Dad before they head off to church. Then I will download some pictures, and help inventory sales from the show. I love that my organizational skills are appreciated here. I love being able to help Diana get reorganized after a show. I was having fun trying to get a short video clip of Faith, running around with a crinkle ball in her mouth. She is a sweet, energetic little fuzzball, and she makes me miss my babies. Back to coffee and quiet morning surfage. More later!

Well, I am in New York State for my yearly vacation. I am working on a banner for Diana's new craft both and listening to music. It's cool, cloudy and beautiful out. Vernonia was much hotter and more humid than this, but the weather report promises more Vernonia-like weather in the next few days. Yeah! I have two people to meet up with while I am here. I am looking forward to meeting and chatting with both. I also plan on Geocaching while I am here. Apparently this is a hot spot area for caches, so it will be fun to see what I can find. Well, I am going to make some coffee and get to work, but I promise there will be posty goodness and pictures to come!

After a semi productive morning and afternoon, I laid down for a snooze, and was awakened by a call from mom. She is an alarm clock I don't mind hearing! We chatted a few minutes, and then I got up and had a little ice cream and some apples for dinner. Yeah. I know. But I am an adult, and sometimes that's just what I do. As soon as I sat down at the 'puter, Misty climbed up on my lap, so I think I'll put in a little time here before wandering outside with my sketch pad and doodling markers. I am in the mood to doodle, and sit in the evening air. I should do something a little more structured, but I can't bring myself to even think something more structured up. Must be a sign. I have all day tomorrow to get things done, so I think I will enjoy the rest of today. I did hit a few garage sales. I bought a pair of bootie slippers at one for $1, and the other was a "free; take it all" pile on a tarp and table. I made off with a beautiful green windbreaker from Cabelas! Score!

Well, after posting my eye injury adventure, I realized I have been quite absent here. Sorry about that. Sometimes I forget that there are people in my life that are actually interested in my life. It simply doesn't seem all that interesting to me. I'm glad to know that to others, it is a train wreck they simply can't look away from! Last you were updated about anything significant, I had a sweet man in my life. However, for reasons due to his past, he split. It hurt me in a way I have never been hurt before, and I simply curled up like a potato bug ( Rolly Polly to you other folk) and slept/ate/cried away 2 months of my life. I am struggling to get out of that place, and thankfully am down to the occasional cry and a few good days. I have acquired a new friend, and he is actually willing to call and chat, as well as do occasional things, and that helps. Also, the continual support of my friends and family help. Life would so suck without you! I skipped the garden this year. Work has been tough, as usual, and I just don't have the energy or desire. I planted snap peas, pole beans, lettuce and a tomato in my front flower beds, and they are doing quite well. My Nasturtiums are exploding all over the place, and I have my first flower on them! Yeah! I have spent most of my free time in the last few months removing things from my home that have negative emotional attachments, or that I simply feel 'meh' about. 7 boxes have left the building, and I am into the 'room by room' deep purge. My spring cleaning is going to wander into summer, but I don't care. It feels good, and that is a feeling I love to have. I thumb my nose at you, Bad Feelings! Take that! I going on my annual trip to New York to visit my dear friend Diana for 2 weeks. Then I will come home for a few days and take another short vacation to Whidbey Island to hang with family, and maybe see a couple local friends there on the island. I am trying to find 7 more days to pend at home with family before the holiday season ramps up. Did you know Michaels already has: Fall bushes, flowers, wreaths and other home decor Halloween wreaths, ribbon, and-wait for it- the crafts will be arriving next week. Joy. Back to School grids??? Please! The kids have only been out a week! Other than that, the kitties are fine, I had Mom down for a fun Mothers Day, and Dad down for a Fun Fathers Day, and I and going to spend the 4th of July with friends in Estacada. There ya have it. Now, go do something fabulous!

Pole: 1 Face: 0 My face 40 hours after head-butting said pole. It's stil swelling and bruising. I give it another 12 hours before it's done.

I guess I need to take Talk-n-Walk 101 again. I obviously have issues. LOL!

What's that I see? Is that spring?

I am bundles up, sitting on my front door step, listening to the morning take shape around me. Robins are singing their hearts out, and I am pretty sure the lyrics are "It's about flippin' time, Spring! Now get on with your bad self!" I am enjoying the flowers in my front beds, the sun rising in the sky, and the crisp chill in the air. I am dreaming of winning the lotto and having a small place of my own to fill with misfit animals and non-misfit garden beds.

Work is work. Up and down. I can feel myself getting vacation fever. Yesertday- the first full beautiful day we have had- had me craving to hit the road and never come back. I truely have a severe case of the 'Get-me-outta-heres" that I WILL need to remedy soon. Dad.

'nuff said.

I will toodle into REI with Eli today for a new pair of hiking boots, and take care of Ruths cats, since she fell down yesterday and split her forehead wide open. I could see bone. It was big and gross and deffinately 'ride to the ER' worthy. Five stitches for her. Not the way she was planning to spend her easter, but it could have been a broken bone instead of broken skin, so I consider it a stroke of love from the Gods.

Other than that, not much to tell. I have had 2 small, quick, and dirty logo design jobs, with 2 more on the burner, which I will start this week. Eli has been enjoying the new found freedom money brings. He's been gone, helping friends and visiting his sisiter for the last week. I feel a little abandonded, but like I told my parents; if I think that after a year and a half of him being 100% dependant on others he isn't gonna go crazy for the next few months, I'm an idiot.

I'd post a picture, but I want to sit her for a bit more, then I will need to wander over to Ruth's and check in on her. Til then, I will sip my coffee and be still a while yet this lovely spring morning.

Tiddley bits.

So, some sweet local decided to syphone a full tank of gas out of my car 2 weeks ago, so I know have a locking gas cap. Annoying, but healthier on the pocket book. What can you do?

Had to finally take Corn Dog in for a isit with "The Shovel" last Saturday. He had lost over one thrid of his body wieght in a couple months, and wasn't eating. He was also going in and out of the house a lot. I followed him on one of his longer trips and found he was loking for a way under the house he originally came from. He was ready to call it a life, so I made the appointment. He's a happy cat now, and I am pretty sure he is the one jumping up and down on the clouds, knocking all this snow out.

While we are on the topic of snow...What the red snapper is going on with this? My poor daffodils were all like "Gee wiz!" and trying to stand up straight with the mantle of snow weighing them down. Snow; the albatrose of the flower world.

Work is going a bit better. They revised how we unload and process freight trucks. All the things I was doing BEFORE the new truck program was implemented are now okay to do again. All those things that made the putting away of thousands of little, bitty pieces of frieght go smoother...go figure.

All is nice on the home front. Things are easy and relaxed with Eli. I really enjoy his company, even after all this time. The family likes him, and so do my friends. The true 'friend' test will come when Diana meets him. If she gives a thumbs up, all will be well.

Two owls and a pussy cat.

This has always been my favorite poster from Despair Inc.

Arty stuff.

My first ever Mandala!

when randomness strikes.

I feel a bit guilty for doing nothing last month. It's not like any other January has been different, but somehow I feel I should have been going like a cat on fire instead of collapsing and recovering from the holiday debacle-um, season. I mean season.

I love my kitties. Their purrs are the best symphony.

I finally made it to 4 weeks paid vacation with Michaels. Granted, a few of my years were only part time hours, but damn! 20 years = 4 weeks??!! Glad to have the extra week, though, because Dad and I will be doing another road trip this year, and it will certainly help getting paid to take that time off.

I have discovered (actually, more like finally realized) what it is that I hate about libraries. Time limits. That, and other peoples holds on the book you are reading forcing you to have to turn it in before you are done. It makes me all "Why bother". Oh well. Maybe if I stick to stuff no one else finds interesting...

I awoke to this view this morning and had to share.





Be happy I did not share the view of me, freshly out of bed with bed head, hot pink fuzzy robe, and owl hat, clutching my cup of coffee for my morning facial coffee steam treatment. I was even quite a sight for ME to see this morning. Thank goddess I only own one mirror.

Misty really enjoys the kerosene heater we purchase. Usually she is sprawled out with her belly facing it, seeing how long it takes to melt. Today she was being a bit more lady like about the whole 'morning warming' process.

Yucky water.

I am not going into a detailed explaination on this one. In short, I have learned that this is an old building, and that damp air, heat, and cold makes parts of its insides sweat. This phenomenon created a small, hidden pool under the head of my bed, and some rearranging needed to be done. The rearranging resulted in my loft bed being assembled and used as a place of storage. This has turned out quite nicely, and I have been able to open up so seriously needed cupboard space. I will cover the new storage eyesore with some white sheets when I can get my hands on some, and call it a day.



My new storage digs.

More art.

I found these three pieces I painted back in collage while I was going through some old boxes of stuff.

post snow update

We recieved 18 inches of white glory here in Vernonia, and now we arre recieving who-knows-how-many-inches of rain. I satyed in town for 5 days while Mother God rained the white stuff down, and I have to say

I LOOOOOVE MY HOME!

I am so happy to be back whith my man and my kitties. It's heaven!

Corndog has kidney failure, and I was going to take him to the vet and have him put to sleep last Wednesday. The weather changed that, and now he seems to be doing better. So, until he suffers a relapse of the badness, I will give us both a chance to enjoy each other and life. Might as well put off hitting him over the head with a shovel and buring him in the back yard until I have to.

G.G. Corn Dog