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

Monday-12:15pm

I have felt worse every day since last Monday.  I finally slept better last night--and during the night--so I thought I could finally order groceries today.  It said the last slot was almost full (8-10pm) and I didn't get my email confirmation like I usually do, so I am not sure if they are coming or not.  If I don't get confirmation in a couple of hours I will call them to see if they're coming tonight.  I hope so.  God only knows if I will sleep tonight or what shape I might be in tomorrow.  Old Mother Hubbard needs groceries--at least more Puffs!!  ;)

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I've been sleeping--or I should say napping--here and there around the clock.  I took pictures, but don't ask me which day it was.  The following shots were all the same morning when I was up pre-dawn. 

The sky was beautiful and I wanted to watch the sun come up over the horizon. 

The clouds magically transformed! 

Couldn't see all that fluffy texture to them until the sun reached a certain angle. 

When I zoomed in all you could see was that splendiferous orange and gold. 

They have been up so early working on the mystery building that they had floodlights working before dawn.  Trying to beat the winter weather. 

And speaking of winter--it snowed again one day, too.  My brain is too foggy to search back and try to remember which day that was, either.

My November Ink Drop arrived. 

 Definitely "autumn leaves" colors!

Since I have been hot and cold--one day I had the porch door cracked open and Miss Karma was sitting up watching something on the carpet by the door.  Karma doesn't sit up if she doesn't have to, so I knew something was up--LOL!  Yuck!  This alien bug was making his way into the apartment! 

I caught it in Karma's bug jar.  I know.  Insects bring out the worst in me.  The foolish bugs that enter here can be killed or worse...become cat entertainment for a few days as they slowly die in the bug jar.

Karma spends hours and hours watching them.  She touches the jar now and then but, oddly, doesn't bat it around.  She's very gentle with her captives. 

She smells them--and intently observes with endless fascination as they crawl futilely in circles. 

She doesn't appreciate me watching over her shoulder, either. 

Meanwhile...my ten gallon tank.  The four new tetras and one spotted catfish survived...and a few snails came in with the live plants.  I now have a snail farm--lol!  There are eggs everywhere!  They're even laying them on the underside of the cover! 

Snails of all sizes everywhere!  The babies are just tiny brown specks.

I've been feeding them a lot of extra fish food and they've been multiplying like crazy!  In the mornings the snails apparently know I am going to feed them (except the feeding schedule was all over the place this past week) and they are up at the water's edge waiting.  I also sprinkle some granulated food over the side with this rock (that has fake algae coloration on it).  If I come back an hour after I've fed them--this is what I find... 

...feasting snail party! 

 I wonder what you call a whole bunch of snails?  Or if there is even a word for it?  I'm getting a real kick out of them.  Wonder if they will just all die off after while or keep thriving?

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Hurray!  I thought I'd check again so I didn't leave you hanging--my grocery confirmation email came through!  I am sooo happy!  This is the best day I've had in a week--tired-wise.  I can always take a nap this afternoon, too.  I may still be dealing with coughing jags and nose blowing, but I'll try to stay 10 paces away from the delivery person...well, 3 or 4...this is a small apartment--LOL!

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I have more to tell you, but it will have to wait.  Running on empty over here.  Hopefully I'll feel lots better next time I post.

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Oh, and tomorrow is election day over here.  I already voted by mail long ago.  I just hope, whatever the results are, that people can stop fighting and begin to cooperate.  I shall be so relieved to see an end to the nasty political advertisements and the endless phone calls (interrupting what little sleep I've been able to snatch) wanting me to reveal my "private" voting intentions.  No matter what--please get out and vote if you haven't already.  Each voice has a right to be heard.  :)

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"There is no way to peace.  Peace is the way."

A. J. Muste

Friday-6am

If you get sick enough there is no wondering, like before--is this just a fibro flare...allergies?  All doubt is erased.

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Monday's scratchy sore throat progressed to Tuesday's "hurts-to-swallow".  By Wednesday sleep has become a priceless treasure because the "dare you to lay down" barking cough and endless nose faucet joined the party.  Pills, liquids, drops and sprays can but briefly curtail the ferocity of these happily multiplying germs. 

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Karma knows things are not right with her human vending machine, pooper scooper.  This time when I got out my camera while she was sun-dozing by her tipped toybox...   

 ...she pretended not to hear the camera winding to attention...

...but her ears gave her away.  She pawed...

...rolled her head... 

...and sniffed her assortment of toys and trash.  Yes.  Just like a toddler--the packaging, netting, paper, and rags are her favorite toys.

Karma felt sorry for me and decided to charm... 

...and pose... 

...and rub her head against said toys... 

...with her prayerful, squirrel feet. 

Better?  

She checks to see if I am smiling. 

I was.

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The only thing I got done all week was back on Monday while I still had just a scratchy throat.  The European tablets and paper is sized differently.  I needed some wider envelopes...so I cut and folded a few from some pretty 12 X 12 inch paper.  That was it for me...and will be for some time, I'm afraid.

Meanwhile...the mystery building progresses.  Well, I assume.  For all the vehicles, activity and hubbub over there I don't see much change to the naked, unschooled-to-construction eye. 

But I did notice they were laying a long yellow something or other over on my side of that road yesterday.  

Glad other people are still functional.  ;)

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Today is the very first National Fountain Pen Day. 

It is also Dagan's 38th birthday.  

Happy birthday to my miracle boy!!

Words fail me.

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As miserable as I am...missing my recliner right now so badly it made me cry because I am so tired and can't sleep lying down...I am thankful that I have electricity and am sick here within my own four walls.  Prayers to those on the east coast who are not so fortunate as I.

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"I can choose to be grateful when I am criticized, even when my heart still responds in bitterness.  I can choose to speak about goodness and beauty, even when my inner eye still looks for someone to accuse or something to call ugly."

Henri Nouwen