Friday, November 09, 2012

Friday-9:45am

You might want to grab a cup of coffee or tea this morning.  Lots of ground to cover and I am finally feeling like I am on my way to rejoining the land of the living as of Wednesday.  :)
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The Artist's Playroom Challenge this week was sunsets.   
Yes.  
I know.  
I cheated. 
These are all sunrises.  
But they could almost pass, right?   
I hope Jennifer will forgive me.  Been sick...only face east...and you know how often I leave the apartment--LOL!
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The Zendala Dare this week had a special challenge (Erin does that once a month).  In honor of Thanksgiving we had to use tangles that began with P, I and E for pie.  (Made me wish I was farther on my Tangle Binder--LOL!) 
I kind of adapted or modified: peaks border, intersection, and euca.  Looks like it should spin in the pounding wind we have today--LOL! 

I was awake so much of the time for way too long and keeping poor Karma from her 20 hours of beauty sleep... 
...so as soon as I started sleeping longer a couple nights ago and was not making incessant noise 24/7... 
...Karma has been totally zonking out.  Apparently she's either not worried about me anymore or is too tired to care--LOL!  
This month I finally signed up at Luminarte for Dion Dior's A Taste Of Silks online class!  Apparently you can work through the classes at your own speed and I have until September 2013 to do so, I believe.  (I was very sick and foggy brained at the time, but I downloaded all the classes already and that's what I remember reading someplace along the way.)  With my $60 fee I got $30 of store credit so the class is really only $30--and I ordered some more Silks, of course.

I needed some more colors for the class and got a couple of the newly released colors, too. 
Okay...I really do have a lot of art & craft stuff.  From her long list of materials suggested for class (and the beyond-the-call-of-duty list, too) I only am missing one optional product.  Tulip dimensional fabric paint.  Sounds like fun!  Whether I start the class until after the holidays is a big question.  Christmas cards have to come first.  But I am so happy that it is there waiting for me!!  
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Ordered some odd things this month from Amazon.  I have this limping, leaning cart between my washer and dryer (has a broken leg or two).
I get these big boxes of Shaklee laundry soap through Leah and they are too big to fit on this narrow cart...or for me to pick up and haul about for that matter (bum arm)...so I was using several empty sherbet containers to hold the laundry soap.    
Trouble is after while the sherbet containers start to come apart around the rims so I found a container I thought might work and got one to try out.  Perfect!!!  
I know.  Not a big deal to those of you who can just stop in to Target or BedBath&Beyond whenever you want.  I have to measure and compare products and take a leap of faith.  So exciting when it's just perfect!!  Like the tubs I bought little by little for the wall shelves--whoohoo!  Doesn't take much to thrill me, eh?  So happy!  I'll order a couple more of these now and be all set.  They're even easier for me to pick up one-handed, too!  Ahhh!
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One of the two cans of fish food arrived--the granules.  Funny how I can have one order to Amazon end up coming in 4-6 different boxes.  There are more boxes on the way.
I did get a couple more of the ArtBin Prism containers!  (Have moved shelves around on the wall unit again, too.)  They are the top two on the bottom stack.  The top three are divided into six compartments that are perfect for pens.  The bottom three are just single containers with no dividers.  (I also have one more coming with 18 compartments I wanted to try out.)
Karma lucked out this month.  When the groceries arrived there were a LOT of things not in stock (like $60 worth!).  I go through and check if there is anything absolutely essential that didn't come...kitty litter.  Must have Karma's kitty litter.  So, I wondered--would Amazon have kitty litter with no shipping?  I found a 40 lb bag of scoopable litter I've never tried that was cheaper than what I pay every month for her Fresh Step, Scoop Away, or Tidy Cat Scoopable.  But I needed to order more to have the $25 minimum for no shipping, right?  So, I ordered something for me (non-essential) and something for Karma (non-essential).  With cats...I just hope she likes it.  You never know.  I'll show you all those when they arrive, too.  Keep you in suspense--LOL!
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Also, while I was miserably sick, I got this wonderful video in an email.  It's only about 4 1/2 minutes.  I hope you have the time to peek at it.  Seeing young people come up with such beautiful, compassionate ideas renews my hope for us as a species.

  You know how I enjoy writing letters...and then add spreading random positives and love...well, sign me up!  Just one letter a month, but more if you want to.  Check it out at her website The World Needs More Love Letters if you think it might be something you'd like to do, too.  :):)
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One more thing before I leave...
Dad, I know you faithfully read my blog.  Here's a picture of when you and Mom were here in 2010 and Karma actually let Mom comb her--shock!  (Back before my trusty old recliner finally bit the dust.)  We were all chuckling!
 And here's you and Mom and your three kids all together for the first time in 14 years this last summer: Blaine, you, Mom, me, and Renee.
Happy 92nd birthday, Dad!  :):)
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I am still half-to-two-thirds-miserable, four days behind reading blogs (sorry, rarely commenting--will once I have my head above water again), and with over 45 emails yet to respond to...but I hope to catch up this weekend and feel better every day.  I have Christmas cards to work on next week!  ;)
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"If there is a sin against life, it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life as in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life."
Albert Camus

27 comments:

Jenny Woolf said...

Glad to read you sounding upbeat again, that's great you are feeling better. And the Zandala is wonderful. I do hope you're feeling totally a hundred percent very soon!

TexWisGirl said...

glad you're feeling a bit better. yikes!

i just love when you share your zendala creations. they are my favorite thing you do. :)

karma, hi!

Shelly said...

It is good to hear you are on the upswing again. I am glad Karma is able to get her 20 hrs. of beauty sleep, although she is already very pretty.

Those sunrises are breathtaking!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your return to the Land of the Living! I don't see how anyone could find fault with those sunrises!!

Dave said...

That video was beautiful Rita.
It was nice to see your family photo.
Happy 92nd birthday to your Dad too - Dave

Janie Junebug said...

Poor Karma. She suffers so. The good news is that you don't have to catch up on my blog. I'm taking off a little time for editing a book.

Love,
Janie

Beth said...

A very nice video Rita. It was great to see the picture of you with your mom and dad!

P.S. There is no law that says you have to send an email response to all of your commenters!!! I don't send any, ;-)

Serena Lewis said...

So good to hear you're continuing to improve. I was a little worried about you. Don't overdo things...still be sure to get lots of rest.

I often confuse photos of sunsets with sunrises and vice-versa.

Beautiful Zendala!!

It's good that you can work at your own pace in 'A Taste of Silks' class and you have ample time to do it in. I won't be signing up this time around...too many other commitments for now.

It looks like the laundry powder container will work well for you.

Speaking of writing letters, I am in the middle of one to you. I hope to get more time in the coming week to finish it. I've been so busy of late.

I remember those family pics and loved seeing them again.

Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy a restful weekend. We're having a wet one here.

Michelle's baby is due today! No calls yet tho....

Love and hugs,
Serena xo

Jennifer McLean said...

First, I'm loving your photos, second, OMG, I want all those see through bins and third, Karma is the cutest cat on the internet. I'm betting you're gonna love those silks as much as I do, have fun!

Anne's tangle blog said...

Your zendala is very pretty! Lovely sunsets too!

VonnyK said...

So glad you are feeling much better. I love your sunrises, if you hadn't said anything I wouldn't have known that they weren't sunsets. Your zentangles are gorgeous as always. I've been looking at the silks classes but not sure if I would ever have the time to do it, even with a year!! I got some silks weeks ago and still haven't been able to try them.

Love the photos of your family. Your dad looks really well for his age, doesn't look a day over 60.

Hope all your goodies arrive soon, from Amazon.
Have a great day.
Von

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

happy 92nd to your dad!!

LOVE that spiral-y zendala!!! i LOVE ALL your zendala art!!

glad you're feeling better rita...take your time & don't stress out about getting behind in blog reading. just take it slow. i used to feel like i had to read the 'older' posts i missed, and i started to feel so overwhelmed...now when i get behind, i just start by readinbg the latest posts...first...then time permitting...i go farther back! maybe i'm just babbling too much...you may do this already!!

take care rita & karma! OH yeah, and i also LOVE your sunrises that surely can pass for sunsets! so peaceful!

DJan said...

Somehow I knew they were sunrises when I looked at them, but they COULD have been sunsets. Your zendala is so pretty. And you are so fortunate to have your dad around. MIne has been gone way too long, so I am a bit envious... Happy Birthday Dad! :-)

Dee said...

Dear Rita, thank you for sharing that inspiring and hopeful youtube video. And also for giving us the blog link for the letters.

I'm so happy to learn that you are feeling better. You know one day or days you could do a whole posting on your internet orders: what you order and from where. That would be so interesting to me.

And finally, thanks for the Camus quote. It speaks to me. Peace.

Currie Silver said...

wonderfull & marvelous to hear that you are feeling better.

loving the sunrises, and, I, too, couldn't tell the difference ;~D

great to see photos... it is hard to "picture" people and Now I canNOT remember how I had pictured YOU!!!

the video was a treasure.

so what are these silks?! I keep hearing about them but somehow on my little planet we're spinning without knowing about them.

I love the P I E idea for the Zendalas and have been thinking it would BE nice to have a few simple ones to "teach" the kids who might want to go that way with their mandalas. I will look through my binder where I have directions and see if I can find something fun like that!!

keep healing and Gracie says RUFF to Karma... [she is an extraordinary sleeper these days as it is actually a bit cool here!!]

Friko said...

Poor Rita, I hope all is well again.

You are still as busy as ever I see. Is there nothing that will stop you?

Gloria j Zucaro said...

You sound good, you look good(in photo) and I love your sunrises! Your cat is adorable and nice to see your apartment and studio, too.

AliceKay said...

Sunrise or sunset...sometimes look the same, and your sunrises sure should win a prize. :)

I'm glad you're feeling better. No fun being sick.

The video wouldn't work for me, but my computer seems to be possessed tonight. Not sure what's up with it. :(

Happy 92nd birthday to your dad! What a wonderful celebration! My mother's 82nd birthday was last Sunday.

Carolyn Dube said...

I hope you feel better! I love Silks and the colors you chose are fabulous!

Tracey FK said...

the sunrises are stunning and I am a sunrise person so they make me happy... and the organising thing is crazy amazing... I have to constantly hide the screen when Phantom comes in... though maybe you are getting to me as I actually got in and did some organising on the weekend... quite satisfying actually...
and huge happy birthday to your dad... hope he had an awesome day
T xx

Felicia said...

Your sunset photos are amazing!! And I am in awe of your tangle talent! I look at the starter and see nothing. You look at it and see well EVERYTHING! Just simply awesome! ROFLMAO Looks like Karma is leading the same life Sophie and Bennie are.. Rough to be a cat isn't it lol. Love the Silks you got. Only thing I know about them is what I have see Rach0113 do with them. Lovely stuff though! *squeaks with joy* don't you love with storage containers just "work" out lol. Love it! WOW Go Dad! 92!! That is AWESOME!! You have a super duper week ya hear! *hugs* =0)

TammyVitale said...

quite the post! You sky pictures are spectacular! Am off for a busy day but wanted to be sure you got this shout out before I go: http://tammyvitale.com/realistic-optimist/

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

It took me almost as long to get here as it did to read this. You packed a LOT into that post. I can relate to your one handed container. It looks easy to pick up, at least. You are lucky. I don't have room between my washer and dryer.

I hope your dad had a great birthday. What a blessing!

Queenie Jeannie said...

First of all, I LOVE your clear caddies!!! They are awesome! Everything is so neat and tidy and PRETTY!!!! *sigh* In crafty love....LOL!

Happy Birthday to your Dad!

Really sorry to hear you are still feeling cruddy and not sleeping. I'm not sleeping as much or as well as I should, but I'm feeling better overall. Weird.

What are silks?? Going to have to look that up! LOVE the vibrant colors!!

I wish I had your talent! You always make the most amazing stuff!!!

Far Side of Fifty said...

Happy Birthday to your Dad 92..that is an accomplishment!
Christmas Cards..I have not thought about that yet..thanks for sharing/reminding me:(

Funny in My Mind said...

I just realized that art supplies to you are like makeup to me!! Ha!
Happy birthday to your cute daddy!
I wish I had room for a sorter and rolling shelf in my laundry room.

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

I checked out the website you recommended - The World Needs More Love Letters. What a great idea! Very inspiring!

Happy birthday to your Dad! Enjoyed seeing the pictures of him and you. :)