Friday, March 09, 2012

Friday-9:15am

Karma got back her soft low "treat" bed.
Actually a dog bed as the MilkBone logo reveals--LOL! Karma was relieved that food things were back to normal. Food and sleep stuff remaining dependable is quite high on her personal priority list.
The packages are beginning to dribble in! One pair of my solmate socks arrived! Been dying to get these funky socks!!
A larger package arrived, too, as evidenced by Karma's box claiming.
The Visual Journals by Strathmore!
I got one mixed media and one with watercolor paper.
Karen, you are so right! These are so sturdy with the heavy backboard. And they are so BIG! I've never drawn in anything larger than about 5 X 7! The 9 X 12--wow! Instantly intimidated.
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I can't believe that these were so cheap at Dick Blick! The WC one was $8.92 and the mixed media one was on sale for $7.48! I was shocked at how substantial they are for that price. Impressed! Now I just have to get brave enough to play with them. ;)
I also got a set of Underliners.
They're made for calligraphy (which I also dabble in)...
...six plastic sheets from fine to B4.
They have a white sheet behind them, but they are clear plastic.
What I wanted them for is for printing off writing guides for all my bookcards and blank notepads & stationery.
I immediately printed off some of the two sizes I would use the most.
My old ones I have been using for years were handmade with a ruler and sharpie markers. I print them off and cut them down to fit whatever size I need. (When Leah and I sell the bookcards on etsy we include a writing guide with each one.)
But after while--especially when using fountain pens--they get really inked up and gross. And, as you can see, the handmade lines with the sharpies and a ruler are not always uniform.
I have been eyeing these Underliners for years. Thrilled to finally get them. :)
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I couldn't resist snapping some pictures of the kids who couldn't resist the big snowpile between the garages. (I'm probably showing my age by saying "snapping" pictures--LOL!)
They would climb to the top...
...sit down (I got very nervous about the car driving by in the parking lot)...
...but the snow is a little melty...
...and not very slick, so they automatically stopped the sluggish butt-trip down right at the corner of the one garage or before. Whew! I was glad to see they were smart enough not to try to slide down the middle of the front right into the parking lot. They played and played until they got called in for dinner. Ahh! Remember those days? :)
This morning I am in seventh heaven...all clean and shiny in my mismatched funky new socks!
I realized I should show you that these are the ankle length crazy socks...the shorter ones. They come up higher than I expected for ankle length and are nice and soft.
I love-love-love that they purposely don't match! So excited to get the other pair! I believe these are called primrose, if I remember correctly. And the coming pair is called snapdragon. I'll let you know if they shrink or not. Aren't these absolutely perfect for happy dancing? :)
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Okay--deep breath--I have decided that I am not going to respond to comments on my blog in the comment section anymore. To specific questions or remarks that I want to respond to, I will either respond via email or make a remark in my blog here (as I did with Karen above about the Visual Journals). This will free up a good chunk of my McLap time. I think you all know how very much I appreciate every one of your comments and that I, obviously, read each one carefully. It's going to feel weird for a while. I will have to see if I can figure out how to email people back when I want to. I guess it's not too difficult if they have an email address posted on their blog or a reply button when I get it in my email? I'll learn.
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Speaking of, I am going to answer Desiree's question here about where do I get my quotes...with links...in case anyone else is interested. I actually follow a couple of sites and get new quotes emailed to me M-F from both of them. I like getting a little something positive in the inbox and I save the ones I like.
I also google for a quote on days I want something really specific.
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I'm still on days...and loving it! Been taking a melanonin capsule every night. Not sure if it is doing anything, but it can't hurt, right? No, Leah still hasn't picked up my sewing machine. The scrawny bit of cat grass (oats) will just be a little snack for Karma before I replant. They are actually oats and not any kind of lawn grass so that is why they don't endlessly grow the same way. I tried some actual shade grass seed once and it was so fine that Karma couldn't seem to get ahold of it and totally lost interest--LOL! I guess there's a reason they picked oat seed, eh?
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Oh, and before I go--wanted to share with you how things really work for people on fixed incomes here. After three years (or was it four) we finally got a cost of living raise. I got a $28.00 increase. My rent went up $9.00, my EBT card (food) went from $168 down to $137 so I lost $31, and my monthly medical went up $8. So, I got $28 dollars more per month and lost $48 in services. Therefore my "cost of living raise" cost me $20.00. *sigh*
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Well, another overcast day today and 18 degrees right now. If I'm lucky another package or two might arrive today. I know the books aren't due till next week sometime, but I still have two more that should be coming on the heels of these last two.
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Yesterday I washed clothes and made a big pot of veggie soup. Today I plan to catch up on Cathy's WC class. I am looking forward to each and every comment. Excited to have had a couple new people yesterday, too, that I hope to see again. Have a super duper weekend!! :):)
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"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
Marilyn Monroe

14 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

i agree with karma - routine sleeping and feed places are important!

enjoyed the scenes of the kids on snow mountain.

if you have your comments sent to your email address, you can reply directly to folks if they have their email published. :)

Furry Bottoms said...

#1 I want those socks.
#2 Yes, when I get my comments emailed to me, I get to hit the reply button. 90% of the time it works.
#3 I want those socks.
#4 I remember those underliners!! They were really, really handy.
#5 I really like those socks.
#6 Cost of living raises aren't always a wonderful thing. I know. It makes me wonder why they call it COST OF LIVING... or even a RAISE when it all falls apart elsewhere. So you don't really gain anything more.

Desiree said...

Thank you for answering my query, Rita! Much appreciated. Oh, Karma, you are so adorable. It's just not fair! And what a beautifully clean, fluffed-up "dogbed" (I whispered that deplorable word) you have after Rita washed and dried it so beautifully for you. Talk about living in luxury. You look ever so cute in your new box. What a little character with a colossal persona!
I LOVE your socks, Rita! I do not like knowing that your increase was lost in the price hikes and reduction in allowances. That does not seem at all fair! But, you seem to have a very disciplined approach to every aspect of your life and so I know you make adjustments where necessary.

I'm glad you've resolved your time allocation dilemma so swiftly. I applaud your decision and solution.

Hope you two also have a super duper weekend!

Beth said...

After figuring up my cost of living increase with the increase of my insurance etc I am $12 in the hole each month. there is no winning when you are on a fixed income.

I am glad you are back on nights again.

Rae said...

You got some nice things and so did Karma. I really like those socks!

Desiree said...

RIta, oh how i too love funky socks, my husband however thinks I own too many socks lol but I love these, awesome, I will be checking out that site and more than likely buying some socks too haha!

I am glad you have decided to cut down on replying to comments to save time, and I think if it is specific and you put it in your next post, that is not only a time saver but a guarantee the person will not miss it!
I have the watercolor strathmore in 5x7, love it, very good for the price indeed! And I have been eying those under liners too, I would love to see more of what you have done with them or a good review after you have been using them a bit.

And please check out thinkexist.com, I love that place for quotes!

Artoholic said...

Lucky Karma. When I feed the doves with canary seed, some seed always falls through the paver cracks and germinates. My kitty can't get enough of it! Cheap at only about $3.50 for 1.5 kg (.75 of a pound approx?)

LOVE the socks.
REALLY LOVE the underlines!

With specific hands there are internet sites that have free guideline downloads. eg Italic is 5times the X height etc.

Veggie soup sounds yummo!

Queenie Jeannie said...

You sounds so happy and rested - fantastic to hear!!! GO YOU!!! Getting packages in the mail...is there anything better??? I seem to be home bound more than I would like and getting mail is something I so look forward to!

Kids and cats just can't resist a good box, lol!

Love your silly socks! They "fit" you!!! Me? It would drive my OCD crazy that they didn't match - ha, ha!!!

Sorry your income went down $20. I find those kinds of things happening in military pay too. They "give" you one thing, but take away more of another. It's all government controlled, so not really a surprise, huh???

Hugs and have a fabulous weekend!

Celticspirit said...

Love the socks! knowing me though I would probably buy two pairs like that and match them up so they make two matching pairs!
To be honest with you I don't usually go back and read the replies to the comments. There is just not enough time in the day.
Love the journals! Those are really neat.
Veggie soup sounds so good right now even though it is only 9 in the morning. Yummy.

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

I like your idea of replying to specific questions or comments in your posts. That will save you a lot of time so you can enjoy some of the new goodies you've been getting in the mail.

You're so creative!! I'm looking forward to seeing what you will be up to with the items you've been getting in the mail!

I use to do calligraphy too, Rita! Learned it when I was in 8th grade and enjoyed doing that. Took a break for a long time, but now Sophia wants to learn to learn "fancy handwriting."

Found a series of books for Spencerian handwriting (it's the kind that people use to do in the 1800s and early 1900s). Since you do calligraphy, you might enjoy taking a peak at that type of handwriting - it's quite beautiful.

mygardenblue said...

Oh I love your socks! And those journals are great!

Intense Guy said...

Goodness! What colorful socks!! Mz Karma is gonna need some sunglasses looking at them feets!

Toriz said...

I'm with Karma; as long as you know where you can sleep and eat, the world is just fine! ;)

Nope, not showing your age with "snapping"... I use it too!

That game in the snow sounds fun; wish I could have played!

Deanna said...

So much goodness in one post. Well except for the co best of living "raise".

I've been away and am way behind on blogs, so will keep this short. *waves at you*