10-1-2018 Monday-11:15am

Good morning!

We've had freeze warnings a few nights this past week.  

Annie is always glad if I crack the patio door open for a while.

At this rate it won't be long and we'll be closed up for the season.

She still has mad love for her favorite spin-toy.  :)
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Thanks to everyone who commented on Friday.  This nomination has stirred up a lot of people--male and female.  I'll be waiting to see what this week holds.
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A mystery box arrived from my sister-in-law, Kathy!  She remembered I had said I would love to have something Mom made one day.  When they brought Mom back to Florida for the winter Kathy noticed this throw/blanket that Mom had knitted for Dad because he'd get chilly even when it was 80 degrees out--LOL!  Mom said she'd never use it, so Kathy asked if she could mail it to me!  How nice.

I am already using it when I have the patio door cracked for Annie when it's in the 30s and 40s.  ;)  It's doubly special because Mom made it and my dad had used it to keep warm.  
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Not a good picture, but The cat grass came up from when Ian and I planted some the week before and Annie was thrilled.

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I spent most of the week down the news rabbit hole--but I did get the two bookcases emptied out and ready to be switched.  
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Why switch identical bookcases, you may ask.  Well, we have the Vagabond die cutting machine set up next to that center-of-the-room bookcase and I wanted to move all the paper racks and paper supplies over to the one next to it by the closet door so that we could put all the dies, embossing folders, and supplies right next to the Vagabond for easy access. 
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As you can see below Leah made some extra shelves for the bookcases and rather than dealing with moving those all around--just switching the bookcases themselves was easier since I do have to empty everything out to clean and organize anyways. 
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Daddy and Ian came over yesterday afternoon and we had a busy time of it.  Dagan switched the bookcases for me--tada!  Then he decided to help me wipe down the top and shelves with a damp cloth, too.  Ian wanted to help, of course.

Here's a little taste of our busy day.

The paper racks are too heavy for me to move as is.  These days I would have to empty all that paper out, move each rack, and then refill.  Dagan can just lift them up and move them...like I used to be able to do--LOL!
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Paper racks moved!

While I, myself, could still move after they left I did gather as many of the paper supplies to the little table as I could find easily in the various stacks--ready to find a new home in the "paper" bookcase. 

You can see what a mess this place is--stuff piled everywhere.  There's more piled around elsewhere, too--LOL!  The kitchen table, my desk, the bookcases in the hallway...lots to go through. 

But it won't take too much longer now that this hurdle has been jumped.  ;)  As soon as the room is done (have to wait on closet, hallway, etc, where other art & craft supplies are lurking) I really have to get going on Christmas cards!!  
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After we switched the bookcases we headed out to the garage with a huge stack of stuff on my little cart.  I pushed that, Dagan carried two tall fans, and Ian had the job of carefully carrying my cell phone...because I needed to get pictures for Leah of the chair mats.  As you can see, even with weighting them down for a month when it was in the 80s and 90s (and you know it's hotter in the garage) they did not flatten down.

  Leah is going to send pictures to IKEA, I guess.  They may do nothing now because it has been quite a while, but it doesn't hurt to show them the mats were permanently warped.
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Anyways, Ian filled the bird seed container all by himself with the huge scoop.  I took pictures of the dangerous-to-me mats.  Dagan gathered up the humidifiers and then he even filled them for me when we got back!  Aren't I spoiled!
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Ian had some "punch time" with some new-to-him punches and scrap papers while Dagan and I sat and talked a bit.  After a while Ian said he needed a break so he climbed up with me in my chair, had a snack, we watched the latest Maru and Hanna video and then found the log cabin builder guy.  Ian and I watched the builder man cutting logs while Daddy sawed a few with a short nap--ROFL!!
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We all shared apple slices.  Ian and I cleaned up the punching mess.  They left about 4pm.  We were blowing kisses and I told Ian to save one for Mama.  Leah told me when they got home Ian found a small box in the entryway and put the kiss in there to present to her--LOL!  
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Well, I am so far behind this month.  I haven't quite finished setting up the bullet journal for October or finished with the monthly banking and bills.  I also printed off my request for a write-in ballot last night and need to fill that out and get that in the mail, too.  My back already hurts, so you know there is going to be a lot of stretching and frequent breaks.  In time, I'll get it all done.  But starting back in the studio cleaning and putting things away--not today, that's for sure.  Maybe by Wednesday...or Thursday.  ;)
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I hope this is a really good, positive week.
*hugs and blowing kisses*
Bye for now.
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"Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness."
Chuang-Tzu

Friday-10:15am Personal feelings about Kavanaugh hearing

I am listening to our senators right now.  They are each giving their reasons why they plan to vote the way they will later today.  

Yesterday I watched and listened to both interviews.  

The day before this hearing began--Wednesday--on Kate's blog she posted her personal feelings about the "Me, Too" movement.  She usually does not go into controversial topics on her blog, either.  I began a comment...to tell my story...and the following just poured out of me--as is--copied and pasted below.

These days of watching this political, corporate agenda unfold--the past two years--have been distressing on an entirely new level.  Dr. Ford's dignified, calm, heartfelt but stressful testimony.  People not believing her...belittling her.  Repeatedly refusing an FBI investigation to question witnesses and yet using "no evidence" as a reason to discard her truth so they can gain control of the Supreme Court.  Rallying around that angry, defensive, evasive, nervous, boys-will-be-boys innocent virgin who joked about drunkenness...wrote about a devil's triangle in his yearbook (which is two boys and a girl having sex).  The second half of the day turned into a nasty Trump-like circus.  

Was extremely difficult to watch.

I am overwhelmed with sorrow.

I expect they will succeed in the desperate pushing through of Kavanaugh.  I hope I am mistaken.

I fear for our democracy.  

I can hardly wait to vote in November.

Those of you who know me or have followed my blog long enough know this happened to me.  I talked about it before on the blog and saved a copy of that to my other blog.  You can find Love and Rape on my soulcomfort's stories blog.  But I didn't talk about not being believed by the police and them making fun of and belittling me.  I have not talked here about how it affected me and my life.

I know some of you reading right now believe Kavanaugh and support Trump.  I usually do not get into politics on my blog, but I can tell you that I, obviously, do not believe...or support.  I feel that as a woman and as an American they are tearing my heart out and shake me to my core.  Feel free to unfollow me.  

This is my comment from Kate's blog:

I was 17–snatched off the street walking home–crying–from a beach dance. My ex-boyfriend told me to meet him after the dance–turned out his new girlfriend waited in his car while he told me not to show up where he was and look at him like that (broken). I was about three blocks from home–three older guys in a car–the leader grabbed me and dragged me into the back seat. I fought and screamed–he beat my head against the big door handle (older car) until I blacked out (two concussions, two contusions, earring ripped through my earlobe). He told me they were going to kill me. I believed him. They kept the car moving–leader guy raped me. Let me get dressed and then he made the second guy get in the back. They let me get dressed again. Cat and mouse. Driving and driving. Dark. Woods. Leader kept telling me I would be dead soon.

I didn’t realize sex had nothing to do with love–thinking I was going to die anyways–I started talking. About how I knew what it felt like to feel unloved and like nobody cares whether you live or die and how the world looks like such a black place sometimes…about how you can’t take love from somebody…can’t make somebody love you… I don’t remember all I talked about, but I spoke from the heart. I had never been that close to such hate, anger, and emptiness of soul. I didn’t honestly think anyone was going to miss me after they killed me, anyways, so I had nothing to lose. I may as well speak my truth before I go. I know I talked about how I still loved this world, regardless, and believed in the goodness of people…I’m not sure what else. The leader suddenly screamed at me to shut up–(was surprised he listened for so long as he drove and I talked huddled against the back door)–as he turned up the music really loud.

I knew that was all I was going to be able to say, but it did feel good…like a weight lifted…like I had done my best as a human being…the end. At least I had tried to connect with these miserable, lost souls before I left this earth.

The leader was trying to get the last guy in the passenger seat to take his turn. I watched that sandy-haired guy shake his head no…and the leader slugging him as hard as he could with his one free arm–several times. I knew how that felt. But sandy-hair kept shaking his head no. Tears came to my eyes then–as they do now. I was so proud of him. I knew how dangerous the leader was and I knew he wanted them all to be together on this night. Share the ugliness, you know? I wondered what he would later do to sandy-hair.

They ended up driving me back–music blaring–a couple blocks from where they had grabbed me off the street. I was shocked when the leader turned the music down and told me–get out, walk away, do not turn around, keep walking, we know where you live and if you tell anybody we will kill them–and you and your family. I got out and didn’t turn around. I believed them. They had (inadvertently most likely) left me at the end of my own block.

Bloodied, bruised, and a little dizzy…I didn’t go home, though. In a kind of trance (concussions) I automatically headed to the only person I had once thought cared about me–the ex-boyfriend’s. I avoided the streets and carefully made my way through people’s yards, darting across streets when I had to, and when I finally got there I hid in a dark corner of his family’s breezeway. I remember wondering why I was there–remembering he had a new girlfriend. But I just needed a place to hide–like a wounded animal. I’d leave quietly and go home–before the sun came up.

I didn’t realize the ex wasn’t home yet. He found me rocking in the corner making moaning animal sounds. When he turned on the light–I must have looked a shocking sight.

He spent a long time trying to get me to tell him what happened. But I was convinced they would kill him if I told. Finally I did–then he had to gradually convince me to go to the police station down the street. I finally let him walk me down there. I remember how safe I felt walking through the police station doors. (Had grown up being told to trust the police.)

But they didn’t believe me. True–I am, shall we say, a bit on the unique side. (A born flower child before there was such a thing.) I didn’t really realize it for quite a while. I told them everything I told you here and more. How I was glad I had had the intimate boyfriend senior year so that wasn’t my first time…and how glad I was that it had been me and not my little sister or any of my friends. They made me tell them over and over again. (Later it dawned on me how funny they thought it was–me talking to rapists about love was apparently the most amusing.) They insinuated I must have wanted the sex, gone into the car willingly, shouldn’t have been wearing shorts, a tank top and bare feet, or maybe my ex beat me up because he caught me with another guy? I chuckled at the very idea–he wouldn’t have hurt a fly. (My sense of humor is not normal, either, and usually remains during times of crisis.)

That was 50 years ago this past July. The police never believed me. They made me feel like it was somehow my fault. They made me feel small, worthless, and dirty. Reporting to the police–was not something I would ever do again. If the ex hadn’t pushed me to report it I would have done as I had planned–gone home in the predawn, showered, tried to cover up the bruises and blood blisters on my face (leader had a big ring on) with makeup, and never told anyone but maybe my BFF at the time. Not sure I would have even eventually told her. You feel so violated and shocked and scared and worthless and defiled…and why do women usually blame themselves in the first place? It makes no sense. If I had been walking down the street naked that does not give another human being the right to attack me…and how in the world does a crying girl turn a man on? It’s about hate and power. Not sex. You are a thing. You are not a person. Not human. Worthless.

I had other events happen with men–verbal harassment, groping, pinned against walls, fought my way out of cars…and was even date raped a year later. (What happens when you decide to drink away your fears and try to drown the nightmares that steal your sleep–and you get too drunk at a party with those kind of men I will never understand who would screw a corpse if they could…who leap at their chance to take advantage.)

What bothers me the most is the women who don’t believe the victims. The women who automatically assume other women are making it all up…or cannot understand for the life of them why anyone would wait decades to say something. (Very, very few women “make it up”…and only if it is to some kind of great advantage.) Those women who have no more empathy than the men protecting themselves and each other…I’ll never understand them, either, I guess.

9-24-2018 Monday 9:45am

Good Morning!

We've had some beautiful, chilly fall days... 

..but it doesn't look like either of these blue sky days today.

Dark, gray, and 49 degrees today with occasional drizzle.

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The stuffed up head and I have apparently established a close and abiding relationship.  Less intrusive and more compatible now, at least.  

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Caroline came to clean on Tuesday.  She helped me haul in the winter clothes bins from the garage.  That time of year, for sure.  I was wishing I had my layers and sweatshirts--LOL!

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  I've been working on the studio all week.  Made my way around to the other side of the table and started on the small wall shelves and hanging cups.   

I didn't make it to wiping down all the punches and punch racks above, though. 

Nor the top of the big shelf wall unit.

I ran out of steam after cleaning off every shelf, tub, bottle, tube, and jar... 

..but I finished the fifteen shelves!

Whoohoo!!

In reorganizing I even have one empty tub at the moment.  You know that won't be empty for long--hehe! 

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I just started making one of the bookcase shelves to the left of the table into a calligraphy and brush lettering shelf for those classes I want to dive into this winter. 

When I finish on the walls this bottom corner is next.  The shelf under the wall unit, the taboret, the cherry wood cabinet, and the assorted equipment stashed in-between them on the floor.

Which means I am getting closer to the final two bookcases!  Of course I still have the tall stamp cabinet I skipped in the first place, the closet, the hallway, and parts of my bedroom...but--hey--you should celebrate each step getting completed, right?  :)

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The tables aren't too bad right now.  This is mostly stuff from the top of the taboret here on the window table...

 ...and most of the stuff piled on the small table is empty containers.

So I am very happy with my snail progress.  :)

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 I spent all day Friday switching the summer and winter clothes.  Six loads washed, the three bins ready to go back out to the garage, and everything sorted.  Done and dusted.  (I watch a lot of British TV--LOL!)

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There's no reason I should have this many clothes and every year I think I should purge...but it's enough work just cleaning and hanging and putting things away.  To purge I have to try things on.  I get stuff moved and then forget about it.  This year I started a donation bag with a couple of things I knew I'd never wear again.  One--a pretty black dressy sweater I wore to the 25th class reunion...with shoulder pads...and we just had our 50th--ROFL!  Okay--time to go.  See what I mean?

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Do any of you have clothes you have hung on to for way too long?  Items that are just a bit too small you think you will fit into again...but haven't for the last decade?  Or something you bought but it just never fit quite right after it was washed but you hang onto it hoping it will miraculously alter itself in your closet somehow?  Well, I am finally going to gradually do some trying on of clothing this winter so I can purge and fill the donation bag.  Hopefully continue on next summer, too, after the seasonal switch back.  :)

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Had Gramma Day yesterday.  Ian came over after a birthday party (with glow sticks) and we worked on the patio.  I cut the coleus branches and Ian smashed them into the garbage bag.  The big ones in the front with all the lavender flowers oozed out purple juice all over us--LOL!  I swept the patio, watered the planters, and Ian put out a cup of bird seed.

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(The purple juice did wash off with some scrubbing.)

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Wouldn't you know it!  The first time I remember to take pictures and the camera wouldn't work on my cell phone.  Black screen that said something about the camera not connecting or something like that.  I kept trying.  No luck.

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Of course--late last night I thought of restarting my cell phone.  I know.  Dagan and Leah would be shaking their heads right now.  The computer generation thinks of this right off the bat.  I know.  I know.  *sigh*

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Yes, it worked after that and I was able to get some pictures of the planters this morning, at least.

They look pretty naked! 

More whole marigold plants have turned brown. 

I tried to leave coleus stumps.

The geraniums are totally shocked to see the light of day--LOL! 

Won't be much more time for any of them, really, but they will not blow over anymore...and I will be able to see my solar lights at night now.  ;) 

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Anyways, Ian and I hauled out three bags to the dumpster on my little cart.  He loves to get a ride back inside.  We planted some catnip seed and some cat grass seed for Annie.  And then--well, this is how it went...

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I used a tool from the studio (a small spoon) to gather the tiny specks of catnip seed...Ian wanted to see where I got the strange tiny spoon from...so we were then in the studio and I was telling him all I had finished cleaning on Saturday.  When I said I hadn't gotten the punch racks yet...what are punches, he asked.  Next thing you know Ian was punching out little flowers out of paper scraps...and we decided to gather them all up and put them in a little bag for Mama and write her a note to cheer her up.

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Leah is now dealing with sciatica the past couple weeks.  Dagan told me when he dropped Ian off.  She never said anything!  Back pain and down one leg--hurts sitting, standing, walking, lying down--anyone who has had it knows how painful it is.  And she has to haul Liam around--and he's heavy!  :(

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  Ian punched and punched with two little flower punches for over an hour.  Made her a "paper flower bouquet".  He had dinner here and then punched some more until he had to leave.  I wrote down what he wanted to say--that she get better soon and everything we did all day--and tucked it into the bag.  Daddy came to pick him up about 6pm.

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Today it hurts to get up out of a chair--LOL!  R&R day--rest and recovery is definitely on the agenda...maybe for a couple of days.  But it has been such a great week...and productive.  You don't mind being laid up for a while when you can gaze upon some accomplishments, you know?  ;)

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  Till next week...enjoy the change of season, whichever that is for you.  :) :)

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"When the waves close over me, I dive down to fish for pearls."

Masha Kaleko

9-17-2018 Monday-noon

Good afternoon!

Yesterday it was 93 degrees and right now it is 49 degrees.  Talk about a shift...from sweating to shivering--LOL!

More marigolds are turning brown so I think they are just feeling the fall weather and are ready to give up the ghost.  The coleus on the left side of the patio are still doing okay, but being blown over every few days. 

The wind is usually coming from the other side so these coleus are taking a beating.  Hard to tell but the front one has been having branches snap off.  About a quarter of the plant is gone now. 

Probably this week I am going to chop them all back.  Even the blossoms on the front coleus are dying now and when it gets this cold the bees aren't here as often.  That's a project for this week.  As well as switching out seasonal clothing from the bins in the garage.  Really feels like fall isn't fooling around anymore.

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I haven't gotten much done at all since I last posted.  I have either worse then usual allergies or a bad head cold and have been a bona fide, mouth-breathing, chair-sleeping old woman this past week--LOL!  Have been mostly taking it easy and even passed on Gramma Day.  Should be better now this coming week, I hope.

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 I forgot to show you the desk organizer I got.  Black mesh like the pen cups.  Takes up much less room on the table than the system I had before.  I'm loving being able to just roll over all my journaling routine stuff every morning.  

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Leah went to Tuesday Morning!  I didn't even know we had one of those stores up here.  She found some awesome deals!!  Biggest deal for us was the We Are Memory Keepers glass craft mat.  I've seen it between $20-25.00 and they had it for $9.99! 

Leah also found some Zing embossing powders for cheaper... 

...and a butterfly stencil, butterfly & bee stamp set, numbers etc stamp set, and a snowflake embossing folder.  

All for way less than normal.  There's not a lot to choose from and they switch up what they have so she plans to pop in there once in a while to see if she can snag any other good deals.  Nice!
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Also forgot to show you my new TWSBI GO fountain pen.

Just wild!  You fill it with that plunger that has a spring on it.  Never have seen anything like it. 

Yes, it only uses bottled ink like their TWSBI ECO, but that's the only drawback with those two.  (I like to use a syringe and love trying tons of different ink samples.)  Well, it's not like I don't have bottled inks--LOL!  ;)

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Lindsey over at The Postman's Knock had her baby boy and is running a special only till Wednesday to celebrate.  He was born at 4:07pm so she's got 47% off on everything!!  Code is: ITSONREMY.  I had already purchased her Kaitlin Style Calligraphy course and the video course to go along with it but hadn't started it yet because I really wanted to buy her beginner one--Modern Calligraphy Course--first. 

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 What's funny is, I usually never have any money left over after the first week of the month but this month I had some left over and felt like I shouldn't touch it.  Of course--I had just enough to order ALL the other workbooks I wanted to buy with a few dollars left over!!  OMG!  You don't know how amazing this was.

So I was busy printing off the core workbooks for each of the five this morning (and praying I wouldn't run out of black ink--LOL!).  She also has intensive alphabet sheets and word practice sheets you can print off, but I'm waiting to print those till I get to each class.  The Amy Style one also has video classes like the Kaitlin Style does.  Got that,too!  I got $80.00 worth of classes for less than $43.00!!  Whoohoo!  That just made my day...my winter, let's be honest.  ;)  Plus I am so happy, of course, for Lindsey with their first baby arriving safe and sound.    

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I guess I am going to have to plan out a calligraphy class day each week, eh?  Man!  I need to get that studio done.  I had kind of planned to work in there for the calligraphy classes.  Before the snow flies, you think?  :) :)

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In closing--I'll toss in a few pics from Leah.  Liam and Blink looking out the patio door.

Ian picking some cherry tomatoes.  

He loves to eat those right out of their garden. 

Lastly--a family shot from Liam's first birthday. 

What could be better than this!
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Hopefully I will be feeling back to my normal by the next time we chat.  I certainly have new motivation to work on the studio now, too.  (So excited!)    

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Until then...

 How many of you remember Roy & Trigger and Dale & Buttercup?
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Maybe our 50 year reunion has gotten me thinking a lot about being a kid and teenager...about all the events and separate "lifetimes" I have lived in just this one crazy life that has been whizzing by--LOL!  I woke up this morning thinking about how through decades of chaos and upheaval I prayed for one peaceful, calm, non-traumatic year...and how I thought it could not possibly get any worse than being housebound and living with constant pain and exhaustion.  Rock bottom I thought at the time (2004).  
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But I have been inadvertently blessed with this current boring life of mine that I eat up with such intense joy and gratitude.  I always was one to grab on to the small miracles and wee delights...the humor, irony, silliness of it all...so I quickly (well, after feeling very sorry for myself for a good while) learned to hold on tight to the blessing of these peaceful, calm days.  So I hurt, am tired, am weak...that is only my body.  Inside...I have never had such contentment, peace and joy.     
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Mysterious ways.  
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See you next week.  :) :)
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"Life does not accommodate you; it shatters you.  Every seed destroys its container, or else there would be no fruition."
Florida Scott-Maxwell

9-10-2018 Monday 1pm

Good afternoon!

Goodness!  This week seemed to fly by!

First of all before I forget, I think a lot of us on Blogger got a request form asking if we wanted notifications for comments.  Clicked YES for both my blogs...and they seem to be working again.  Hurray!  So I am going to try not making a comment myself this week and see if I get all of yours.  :)
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Was a busy week.  Tuesday Caroline came with my groceries, Wednesday morning before preschool I had Ian for a couple of hours while Mama and Liam had doctor visits.  I was working on cleaning in the studio, writing letters, reading ebooks, watching the new season of Shameless (Netflix streaming) and Lucifer (DVD rentals)...and way too much news.
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Friday we had another official meeting in the Community Room here to introduce our new Activity Coordinator and answer any questions we might have.  There's supposed to be a calendar coming around to us next month.  They are also supposed to be stricter with the non-smoking building about people being 20 feet from the building.  Glad to hear it.  I was a smoker for many years so I can empathize with them but they stand right outside the door and it often reeks in the entryway.  Of course the heavy perfumes also linger in the air, too--LOL!
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I ended up sitting with the two ladies I used to see regularly at the CCC group on Thursday afternoons and we stayed and gabbed long after everyone left.  We might try to get that group going again...just coffee and conversation once a week.  I'll probably be the only one who brings with something crafty to work on, but I had been for some time last year.  I haven't been down to anything since last November!   Maybe will have to try to venture forth again.  :)
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My Mom has been looking at senior apartments and assisted living places this summer.  I've kept telling her that I know she would LOVE all the activities they have.  Mom is quite the social butterfly--unlike her reclusive daughter--LOL!  She wants to look at places in Florida, too.  But we really, really want her up in Minnesota, of course.  Hard to tell an old Swede what to do.  (Dagan and Leah have scary visions of the future, I bet--hehe!)  
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The sparrow flocks are back.  Lots of bees every day.  I've had planters knocked over a couple more times.  The wind seems to be gusting from just the perfect direction lately--LOL!

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Opening boxes in the studio has been an adventure!  Remembering what I have--and ideas flowing for fun things to do.  I'll have to figure out a good way to label what's inside all of these big boxes so I can find things easier, that's for sure.

Anyways, these first two bookcases on this side of the room are pretty much done.  I'm sure there will be a little more tweaking and shifting things about, as is always the case.  But I shall continue around the room.  

I'll come back to the tall cherry shelf unit (above) that's filled with all kinds of rubber stamps because that one is going to take a long time to sort through.  Plus we need to figure out how we want to store the clear stamp sets that have been shoved in there "temporarily".  That's something Leah and I have been debating about for a couple years--LOL!  Guess it is going to be time to decide pretty soon.  ;)

Feels good to be making progress.  Slow is better than no.
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Then on Saturday afternoon...TaDa!  The bookcase got put together by Leah and her bother, Aaron!

Ian helped, too.  He screwed in (almost all the way) one of the screws and held a few nails to help Mama to start them.  With me--he pushed out the cart to the dumpster filled with cardboard and trash...and then he helped put away all his stuff on the shelves of the new bookcase while Leah and Aaron checked their phones.
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Done!!!

The cube bookcase, which has most of the Liam age things in it, was moved into the hallway under the coat hooks.

Lets hope I don't need a walker for a long time, eh?  I'd never fit it down the hallway--LOL!  Heaven forbid I have an empty wall, as Dagan and Leah would tease me.  I am plum out right now.
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After everything was done I took this video.  (Told you it is windy up here.)

Ian had just a little red spot--no bump or bruising, BTW.
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That night I went outside and tried to take pictures of the sides of the patio with the solar lights glowing next to the bushy plants.

It really does look super cool!  I'll be able to see them even better when winter comes and the leaves fall off the plants.  Imagine them shining off the white glittery snow--can hardly wait!

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Okay--Leah went through the pics and videos to move anything with other people in to the "Gramma Only" folder because we don't like to post anyone who might not want to be on this old lady's blog--LOL!  BUT--that still left 633 photos and 53 videos!  And, well...it was such a busy week that I never got near them--LOL!  Like everything else in my life, it will happen slowly, I guess.  I would bet money there has to be videos of Liam first walking.  I haven't even peeked at the videos yet.  *sigh*
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Anyways, I just picked out a few pics before I went to post today.  Enough to catch you up a bit on McFamily.
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I love this pic of Ian sitting on my lap and talking with his great grandma about puzzles.  She had just helped Ian put the pieces back in that hot pick bag under his hand.

Mom just went back to Florida for the winter, BTW.
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I loved this one of the boys riding in a cart together at Costco and sharing Cherrios.

Long before Liam could walk he climbed up everything and anything he possibly could.  Still does.  Makes Gramma very nervous--LOL!  

He's been walking for a while now.  

Turned one on the 3rd of September.

Hard to believe they are one and four already!!
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I love the pictures of the boys and mellow Blink.  
Here's Ian watching TV with Blink...

...and Liam giving Blink a pet.

That cat is so calm and relaxed that it blows my mind!  They couldn't have a more perfect cat to grow up with two little boys.  :)  She is so friendly.  Runs up to you when you come over so she can get picked up and get a cuddle.  Purrs all the time.  She's something else!  :)
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Well, that's it for this week.  We're supposed to have a few warm days again about 80 and then back to fall weather.  I am loving the cooler weather SOOOO much!  Am one of those people crazy about fall.  :) :)  Cooler wind=happy me.  See you next week!
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"Wherever you are is the entry point."
Kabir