Saturday-11:45am

What a welcome surprise yesterday! I got a handmade gift from John/Spruce from Nain, Labrador in Canada! The bunnies--are from his reading my story Flower Child--hehe!

Oops! I guess I forgot the flash on this one. Oh well.

Thanks so much, John!! You are so talented to invent a way to bead these for me! I will think of the little bunny spirits keeping me company every time I wear it. :):) I have always thought of all those baby bunnies and wished I had known more at the time and could have saved them all instead of only one. Somehow this bracelet makes me feel forgiven, John. :):)

Many years later I raised five (week-old) kittens whose mother had been run over. Saved every one of them, John!! So I did learn through that process, I guess, eh? Everything happens for a reason, right?

Speaking of cats--hehe! Karma and I were being very "restful" yesterday.

I rotate her "toys"--hehe! She seemed glad to see her Christmas bow "toy" again. :)

Not feeling as badly with the tooth since the dentist drained it. Back to the normal dosage of twice a day for pain pills. Sleeping well. Life is good. :):)

Happy weekend!

Friday-9:30am

Leah and I made it over to Family Health Center--whew! Got stuck in the snow before we ever left the parking lot here and Leah pushed us out. Took a lot longer than I had thought. (I'll keep that in mind for future visits and bring a book.) Appointment was at 1pm and I didn't get in until 1:50pm--and didn't get out until around 2:30pm.

Anyways, it is a wisdom tooth that is causing the trouble. I think both the ones I have left that were not pulled (because they never came up--couldn't actually) are sideways in the back of my jaw. Horizontal instead of vertical--no lie! I forgot all about that--hehe! The dentist was amazed that I hadn't been in earlier and that I didn't seem concerned about waiting to see an oral surgeon--even tho I told him I had pain pills. He offered to break the skin open to drain it, so I said he could. Didn't hurt much--even when he was pressing around. I explained to him that the pain I get in my shoulders and down my back, etc, is so knife-sharp that it kind of takes a person's mind off an abscessed tooth, I guess. Everything is relative, eh?

The dentist is contacting the oral surgeon at MeritCare hospital. They will get ahold of me and schedule an appointment. I need somebody to drive me (Leah said she will) when they are actually going to do the surgery. I don't know if I go see them first for more X-rays or if they will do it all at once.

I got a prescription for penicillin and we went up to 2nd floor to the pharmacy and waited for that to be filled. Then we could finally take off--out on to the horrible roads again-hehe! I should have taken some pictures in north Fargo where the clinic is, but I didn't think of it. We really went thru some bad streets up there because the plows hadn't been out yet. (Side streets are always the worst!)

94 had either been plowed or the wind had blown most of the snow off of it. Wasn't too bad. But it was icy on the "dry" spots because the wind was so cold. Slow driving.

These roads were actually a little better--getting to the main shopping drag in Fargo off the freeway on 13th Avenue.

Here's 13th on our way to Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Plows were in the parking lots already, tho--hehe! Here we were turning into the malls by BB&B.

The parking lots have huge snow piles, as you can see.

We made it!

Wandered about in BB&B for a long time. Nice and warm in there--hehe! I used up my gift certificate for odds and ends. Leah got some odds and ends, too. Had a good time!

Then we headed back to my place so Leah could drop me off.

What a horrible day and a horrible spot to stall, eh? The car behind him there had brought a charger they were installing.

This is coming down the street my apartment is on. Lovely, eh?

This is the short street that you take to get behind the buildings. The end of it is filled with snowpiles.

Here we are coming around the back of the building. That is where we got stuck earlier--somewhere in the loose snow there in front of that snowpile between the garages.

So Leah just pulled up by the dumpster to drop me off--where the wind had kept the snow off the ground a little.

She made it home--and Dagan, too. The plows were running in the parking lot after dark. Everything is probably all plowed by today--except for maybe a few side streets. We are very efficient with our snow in the MidWest--hehe!

Bought some odds and ends. The funny things with the holes in--those are filters for my humidifier. You need one when you are closed up all winter with the heat on. Otherwise I get bloody noses and give Karma shocks when I touch her or she rubs on my legs--hehe!

Got a couple of cheap knives (my 35+ year old small knives are a little dull--hehe!--and falling apart), candles on sale, and glass lock-tight containers (for crafts). I lit one of the candles last night and my whole place smelled like fresh cut roses! Awesome!

Was so exhausted that I slept for almost 10 hours! :)

Oh, I made an appointment for March 5th to get an exam and X-rays at the dentist's--so I can then make an appointment to get my teeth cleaned and find out what else I need to have done. *sigh* I really hate going to the dentist, but it's something I have to do now that I found out I can get some dental help financially (sliding scale). I think there are other issues I haven't wanted to deal with because of no coverage--like maybe an anchor tooth on a bridge! Oh well--I'll find out, right? I'm just glad I can be knocked out for the wisdom tooth! I have never had that particular luxury before. :) Leah said I should ask if they can take the last one out, too, while they are at it. I will. They could possibly be the cause of the chronic jaw pain I've had for so many years??

So--today--collapse mode. All is well. 11 below zero right now and the snowstorm has passed. :):)

Friday-9am

Woke up to a snowstorm this morning. White horizon again. I'm glad Leah is coming to pick me up for the dentist. We planned this yesterday. Then after the dentist we are going over to Bed, Bath & Beyond! I still have my gift certificate I got from Caroline for the old laptop! :) Both Leah and I need filters for our humidifiers and I wanted to do something kinda fun after what I expect to be bad news at the dentist's--hehe!

As promised--here's the awesome border punch!

It both cuts and embosses at the same time! Looks like lace, doesn't it? So cool!

And Leah found some multi-colored ink pads, too. "Primary" and "Tropical". They don't look too much different as is, but they may look more different on paper, who knows? At least we have some again. If they work well, I might keep my eyes open for a pastel one, too. :)

Leah and I probably won't get to any labeling today. Probably wait till Tuesday. Just want to have a good time today. :) So--out into the snowstorm we go, eh? Supposed to get 2-4 inches with a high of 5 degrees. Dress warmly, right? :):)

Wednesday-noon

Well, I am going to try and post this as long as the computer is up and working. It was out all morning?? Needs some looking over, I guess. Have to call Dagan. ??

Anyways, I got going on the ink pad shelves right away in the morning before Leah got here yesterday. I emptied them out and grouped similar types together...

Cleaned all the shelves with a damp rag...

...and then was freaked out by men building scaffolding right outside my window!

So--THAT'S why they dug out the snow next to the building!! Aha! Mystery solved!

The workmen were removing the siding and doing something out there?? And they are still out there today. On a lunch break at the moment, but they'll be back--and loudly! Closed the blinds, but it upset Karma so much she threw up twice yesterday.

Anyways, I kept working on the shelves--wiping down every little thing--and reorganizing...

...until I was done! TaDa!

Next I started emptying out the cherry cabinet under the ink pad shelves and air conditioner--and organizing all of those supplies. I had just started when Leah arrived. [She found some multi-colored ink pads--different kind, but they should work nicely! And a special border punch that is just awesome! Show you tomorrow.]

We kept on with the drawers and the cupboard in that cabinet all afternoon until Leah had to leave at 5pm.

Got almost done. I finished up the last of it and cleared things away. :):)

Leah was making some labels with the label maker as we went along, but we have quite a few more to make. Then we will mount all the labels on cardstock and attach them to the fronts of the drawers with poster tack.

The very last thing will be using the poster tack to attach the labels we already made to the satchels and then we will be DONE!!! TaDa!! :):):) One more session probably! Either tomorrow or next Tuesday--hurray!!

Wow! Does it ever feel great to get a project that all encompassing behind you! And, of course, we LOVE being organized!! Soon! Soon! Soon! :)

I need to see if I can post this? Seems to be working? :)

Tuesday-9:45am

Made it over to the Family Health Center. Waited in line for 40 minutes so that I could apply for the sliding scale for the dentist. Didn't take very long once I got to a worker. Found out that this includes a doctor, too--if I go to this Family Health Care Center clinic. Good!! Same thing--have to have $25 at the time of the visit.

After I was done and approved upstairs I went downstairs to the dentist's office to make an appointment. As I walked into the dentist's office I heard the receptionist telling somebody on the phone that they were taking "no new patients at this time"!! My heart dropped! But the lady remembered talking to me and I was okay!!?? Thank goodness! I have an appointment for Thursday at 1pm, but there was no way I could get antibiotics at all until he sees me on Thursday.

Once again--how grateful am I that I already have pain pills--hehe!

After I got done there I stopped over at K&Krafts--thinking I could buy one of those multi-colored/rainbow ink pads. They don't carry them anymore!? Not sure if that company went out of business, they were discontinued, or Kay just decided not to carry them anymore? The salesgirls didn't know--but the one said she had seen them someplace else in town a while ago, but couldn't remember where.

Then I stopped at the post office in Moorhead, too, as long as I was over that way (less busy than the Fargo one--hehe!) and mailed off something to Kaine/Jenna. It's on the way, Jenna! :)

Got home and Karma was still sleeping in her chair--just lifted her head and yawned when I came in. I don't think she had moved in the over two hours I had been gone! hehe! (Usually she waits somewhere near the door when I am gone--like a dog--hehe!)

Last night I was working again on the Soul Coaching book. Part of the lesson was to clean a smaller area. So--I cleaned off the table, the top of the cherry cabinet, and some of the ink pad shelves!!

We still need to take everything out and off of the shelves and dust them well and reorganize them--but they are decluttered!! TaDa!!

I called Leah after I got home yesterday and told her about the rainbow ink pads. She is going on a search mission before she comes over today. Michael's, JoAnn's, and Hobby Lobby are all on the same main drag in Fargo--hehe! Chalk just doesn't show up very well for resist unless you put a ton on and painting buckles the paper quite a bit. Hopefully somebody in town will have them, right? The multi-colored look is so much more festive and the method is really easy to do. Let's hope, eh? :)

Today Leah and I are going to work on the ink pad shelves and the cherry cabinets. The last of the cleaning and labeling project. I don't know if we will get done today but, if not, we should be really close. :) I'll do a video walk through when we are all done for YouTube.

Beautiful sunny day and above zero again today. Wind is cold, but it is supposed to get into the upper 20s! :):)

Monday-9am

My computer buddy!

Karma likes me to keep my free hand on her like this when I am just using the mouse. Purrs like crazy! If she had her way, of course, I would never use the keyboard at all. :)

Well, I am off to Family Health Center today. Hopefully I will come home with an appointment for the dentist and some antibiotics. Really have to let the car warm up for a while (2 degrees out there). The sun is shining, though. Beautiful day! :)

Got all my paperwork ready yesterday and made myself a google map. Yes--I've lived up here for nearly ten years, but I have only driven less than one year of that time. I don't really know my way around up here, truth be told--hehe! Not really even used to driving again, for that matter--hehe!

I watched The Life of David Gale and it was pretty good--even if I did have the basics of the mystery figured out early on--with all those great actors--how could I not enjoy it!

Dr. David Gale (Kevin Spacey), a Texas professor and advocate for the elimination of the death penalty, is falsely accused and convicted of the rape and murder of another activist (Laura Linney) and ends up on the state's notorious death row himself. The movie unfolds in a series of flashbacks, as Gale tells his story to a reporter (Kate Winslet) visiting him on death row.

Over the weekend I watched Moonlight Mile--again--what great actors! One of those quiet character study type movies that I love!

Moonlight Mile is the story of a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) who's taken in by the mother (Susan Sarandon) and father (Dustin Hoffman) of his recently deceased fiancée, as he's the only living connection to their daughter. Even as they're all still grieving, Gyllenhaal begins to fall in love with a woman (Ellen Pompeo) whose boyfriend has gone missing. But will Gyllenhaal's former in-laws-to-be accept the new relationship?

And Burn After Reading--with the crazy dark humor like Fargo (which I loved!). So silly! Brad Pitt was such a goofball! (I could have totally done without George Clooney's sex chair, tho--paaleeez! The rest of it was good, tho.)

In this dark comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen, ousted CIA official Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) loses his recently penned memoir into the hands of a pair of moronic gym employees (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand, in a Golden Globe-nominated role) who use it to try to turn a profit. George Clooney and Tilda Swinton round out the cast of this irreverent farce, which was nominated for a Best Picture (Comedy) Golden Globe.

Well, happy Monday!

Sunday-8:30am

Just enough snow on the porch...

...that Miss Karma had to step in it.
She quickly came back in--but was delighted that it was the softer snow--and there were snow footprints for her to find on the carpet--hehe!

I actually did play a little yesterday. Since I don't know what type of a resist process I want to use for the next set of birthday cards--well, I have to concentrate and think, right? hehehe!

I am using clear embossing. Tried multicolored ink pads and these foam rollers.

But the ink pads are way too old and dry--took forever just to get any color on the paper.

I either need a new multicolored pad (for this method)....or I got out the chalk...or maybe paint....hummm??

I forgot to even tell you yesterday what I had found out when the receptionist finally called me back. Okay--I have to go down to the Family Health building on Monday and apply for a sliding scale payment for the Family Health dentist. Bring all my paperwork to prove my income, etc. After I am approved--then I can bring down the form from there and make an appointment for the dentist. You pay $25 each time you go in--at that time. They'll work me in as soon as they can. (Hopefully this coming week.) I am going to get pushy about a dentist at least taking a quick peek in my mouth so that I can get antibiotics, tho--want to get started on some antibiotics as soon as possible. So--that's the plan.

I'm actually not doing too badly with the one extra fibro pain pill during the afternoon--3 instead of 2. I'm sleeping well, too--so I'm hanging in there just fine. Don't worry about me.

Sun is out--zero degrees. I have one more Netflix movie to watch today--The Life of David Gale. I love Kevin Spacey! Filling my head with stories!!

Happy Sunday!

Saturday-8am

Snowy morning yesterday.

Could only see--well--just about across the field.

I never noticed (but I bet Karma watched every move!)--looks like that little boy is trying to build an igloo or a round fort. :):)

My books came yesterday! The one that was backordered and then the buy two get one frees. I think that is it and my obligations are fulfilled for One Spirit--tada! And all these new books will give me many hours of reading material for the coming year. :)
This morning they were out with the push blower for the sidewalks.

Going to be a pain pill weekend for me--hehe! Lose myself in TV and movies and books. I don't know about you, but when I am dealing with pain levels--I have a harder time just doing things with my hands like the art and crafts. But I do better if I keep my mind busy--keep my mind off of it, you know? If my hands are busy and my mind is allowed to wander--it tends to focus on the pain which only makes it worse. That's just me. I won't be working on the bookcards for a while, tho. They're on hold while I lose myself in stories--hehe!

And--for the very first time I am actually grateful that I have fibro and therefore have pain pills at my disposal--ROFL!! Always a silver lining, eh? :):)

Friday-8:30am

Doesn't take much to throw Miss Karma's world out of whack (which I think she thoroughly enjoys, actually--hehe!). She was yowling and carrying on and rattling the pantry door. When I walked in with the camera, tho--she ran back and threw herself down on the rug--reminding me of a toddler having a temper tantrum--and pawed on the rug instead.

Why was she pawing desperately at the pantry door?
You may recall I put her food and water dishes in the pantry a little while ago--well, I just shut the door part way, which I usually never do--just to see what she would do--hehe! That is what caused the ruckus! I pretended I didn't know what the problem was and this caused her to yowl some more and race around the apartment--up and down the chairs. (And me to chuckle! Her racing doesn't last very long any more now that she's close to twenty pounds--ROFL!!)

Well, I needed something to laugh about this morning. :) After being on the phone yesterday--well, it looks like you have to have a referral from a dentist to get in to an oral surgeon. Dagan and Leah were going to double check with their dentist friend, but I'm going to call and try to get an appointment at the cheaper dentist's today. I need X-rays to see what is going on so that I can be referred.

Meanwhile--I finally got out my fibro pain pills yesterday. (I try to use them only when I really have to--afraid of living the life of a complete zombie.) I am taking an extra one during the middle of the day, too, so as to keep the pain at bay. (The swelling is getting a bit worse, of course.) But then on the pills I am kind of lethargic and don't get much of anything done. Oh well. Working on getting this taken care of. I can feel the morning pill kicking in.

Have a good day. Be sure to laugh today! :)