Sunday-7:30am

Hello!  Hello!

Finally able to pop in for a catch-up.

I started at 7:30am and it is already 10am now before I am even starting any actual writing.  Took that long to sort through photos and post some short videos.  I am slow to begin with and YouTube was even slower than I am this morning--LOL!

****

The jackrabbits say hi.

Been a cold snowy attempt at spring so far.

April has looked like this off and on.

I thought I'd show you what the other side of the building looks like.  This is the side door I go out to bring trash to the dumpster (that is right behind that big snowbank there in the yard and across the parking lot).

I've basically been pretty much the same, but have a little more energy than I did a couple weeks ago.  Annie likes our chair time, though.  

She's so funny.  She started leaning into the pillow and lapdesk when I was writing and really liked that I could put my hand on her chest.  She can't tolerate too much petting, our prickly Annie.  If a cat can be autistic--Annie is autistic.  She can only take so much stimulation--touching, sound, sight.  I watch her personal signals and have always tried not to overdo and freak her out.
****
  Now when I'm not writing and yet she wants to be closer...well, she kind of pretends the pillow is there between us.  She comes up on the arm of the chair, turns around, and leans practically into my arm pit and then gradually wiggles down until she is laying on my left leg.  Annie doesn't want to believe she is actually on my lap because that would stress her out.

Annie definitely has issues--ROFL!  But I am learning how to adapt to them and she is learning to trust me more and more.  Prickly Annie is quite happy, I think.
****

Decided to take a picture of the last batch of soup before it was all gone.

****
Now you know you're getting old when your hand hurts, you look down and can't even remember how you did this to your finger.  I had a bad sprain.  

Twisted it somehow.  It was red and swollen and hurt like heck for a couple days.  Mystery injury.

We had a really beautiful snowstorm.  It's so seldom with the wind we have up here that I get to see snow coming almost straight down instead of at some severe angle.  
Was gorgeous!

I had to chuckle at the lone grouse and jackrabbit out digging for food while the storm was in full swing.  (I've been putting seed on the grass for a while--tired of the poopy patio--LOL!)

They got a thick layer of snow on their backs.  The grouse shook and ruffled it off and the jackrabbit rolled about in the snow before it took off.  
****
Oh, I can't remember if I mentioned the grouse BFFs--two girls who travel about by themselves--and that one of them had an injured leg over a month ago?  Well, her BFF has never abandoned her and stayed by her side and she is still hopping about last I saw her.  I'm glad, but I was hoping the leg would heal.  Well, she's made it this long.  I keep an eye out for her to see if she is still around.
****
When Leah was here for a Craft Night back in March I forgot to take pictures of what we were doing.  You may remember I bought up a set of Distress Oxide ink pads...well, we played and played.  
****
Dabbed the ink on to non-stick mats, spritzed with water, and kind of dunked and swiped the paper into the colorful mess.  Lots of fun!  We tried out different kinds of paper.  These are Tim Holtz alcohol ink papers and the larger couple on the left are watercolor paper.  
****
These are Leah's.  She rubbed most of hers down with the Distress Glaze--which makes the color pop and gives them a shiny surface.

Here's mine.  I ran out of steam and didn't do the glaze so you can see how the distress oxides alone have this chalky, matte look.  

I will go back and play some more with them later.  I never even played much with the spritzing them with water yet.  They will make nice background for card fronts, I think.
****
Oh--we did find out--do not try them on yupo paper because they never seem to dry.  No lie!  A month later and they will still smear with a fingertip. We don't know what to do with them.  Trying to use the distress glaze just smears them.  May try a fixative spray when it gets warm enough to do that outside.
****
The still damp yupo sheets...these are Leah's.  Yupo will buckle when you use a heat gun on it (top right) so don't try that, either--LOL!

Mine.  My third sheet was so pale that since I heard you could wash yupo off sometimes--I tried it.  Worked!  It is like I never used it.  Forgot to put it on the tray to show you, but it's just plain again, anyways. 

****

I have been having Friday Gramma Days alone with Ian now since March 23rd!  We would have worked into it the beginning of the year but we all got sick--LOL!  Then I have been pretty poorly since--but I am using up my spoons and borrowing against spoons so that I can have Craft Nights, Gramma Days, and McFamily visits.  Priorities, right?  :)

****

I made it over to their place to visit twice in March and once, so far, in April for a family visit.  Have to get over there so I can see Liam and Dagan!  :)  Leah and I had one more Craft Night this last Tuesday.  And I have had Gramma Days every Friday!!

****
Ian is finally old enough for me to be able to physically handle spending time alone with him.  He's 3 1/2 now so less carrying, he can wash his hands and go to the bathroom without much or any assistance--more independent.  Will be a couple more years before Liam can come spend Gramma Days, too.  It always broke my heart that I couldn't babysit him all these years--so I am just thrilled to have some Gramma and Ian time.  I'm still pretty much in extra low gear so we've been watching Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, his movies, nature shows, and reading.  Hope to be doing some artsy stuff pretty soon.
****  
Absoposiloutely worth waiting for.  :) 
****
Woke up this last Tuesday to no hot water--and since they had to unhook the water altogether we were running out of cold water, too, from the top floor down.  (Lucky to be on the ground floor that day.)  The mechanical room is kitty corner across the hall from me.  Behind that big water heater in the back there's a guy hooking it up.  I didn't know if he wanted to be on some crazy old lady's blog so I grabbed a shot while he was safely hidden.    

We got water back late in the afternoon.  Leah came over that night for Crafts and we worked out a new set of Christmas cards.  We use the three-trees die to cut the green plaid paper and the white paper.  Then swap and inlay them.  Attach them to the card bases and add a die-cut frame to the one with the white front.

So--that will be our next big project--mass producing about 100 cards--50 of each.
****
I love when I see all the critters getting along out there.

Just a couple days ago I saw my first robin--caught this pic--and my first grackle.

This is what it looked like on this very gray morning.  
Snowbanks and brown grass...

...and rabbit poop dotted all over my grass--LOL!

****
Okay, folks--I will end with Gramma time!
****  
I promised the short videos from Leah last time and I have a few more pictures, too.
****
Liam--laughing smiley baby.

None of us can believe how totally mellow Blink is!!  This proves it.  She was purring the whole time Liam was "petting" her.  (Watch to the surprise ending.)

Liam scoot-crawling at 5 months. 

That's Ian (on the right) enthralled at a real hockey game!!  

Liam sitting up on his own.

If you remember, Liam has wanted to stand for a long time.  He's been pulling himself up to stand against the furniture for quite a while already.

Ian likes banging whatever he can find together to make music and sometimes sings songs in his own made up language, I guess.  Here he has some plastic pieces to rub together that make a washboard effect.

Liam got his first solid food at 6 months.  He wasn't sure what to think of it, but he's gotten the hang of it quickly, of course.
Liam was only 7 months on April 3rd and yet he pulls himself up to stand against almost anything.  Here it's the frig.

Oh, and here was Ian at Gramma's birthday party eating the blue frosted chocolate cake.

Ian at home with his rabbit ears and basket for the Easter egg hunt.

We'll end with the family picture--Easter 2018.  Blink included.

They're all in the car right now--driving down to Minneapolis--and will be back Thursday.  Dagan is having two surgeries at once on Tuesday 11am.  He's getting his pacemaker battery replaced and having a heart cath at the same time.  (He wanted to get them both over with.)  Mom will be waiting for a text or call on Tuesday, of course, to hear all went well.  
****

Later today they are going to the big aquarium at the MegaMall.  Ian told me sharks swim over his head there. :)  They'll be going to Ikea tomorrow and swimming in the pool at the hotel.  (Leah's brother Aaron is here taking care of Blink, BTW--would have been no room for him in the car--LOL!)  And Leah's youngest sister, Ariel, who lives in Mpls will be coming to wait with Leah and help her with the boys at the hospital.  All the bases are covered...but it's at times like this I feel especially useless, you know?  Sending good energy and prayers has to be enough.  
****
I miss weddings and new babies and funerals...and surgeries.  But--face facts--I am not of much use even if these things were right here in town.  I don't even make the boys' birthday parties--LOL!  It's just times like this make you remember when you could, I guess.  No need to dwell on the past.
****
I am just tickled to have my Gramma Days now.  Means the world to me.  You have to appreciate and be grateful for what you have in life.  :)
****
So, you can join me in long distance positive energy and prayers for my boy on Tuesday if you'd like.  I do absolutely believe in that power.  And Ian will tell me all about sharks and swimming and being at the hospital on Friday.  ;)
****
Have a fantastic week!!  :) :)
****
"Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way."
Native American proverb

Thursday-7am

Okay--I'm alive and doing okay.  Thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday.  Sixty-Seven years have flown by.  Life is definitely too short to bemoan the fact that I was sick for two months and then slid right into a bad fibro/CFS flare.  You know things aren't right when I had only blogged three times this whole year and been away the longest in the over 11 years I've been blogging.  But I am okay--just extra tired and sore.  Waiting out the flare.  Able to function enough to get done what I have to most days and that's fine and good.  Annie and I have watched a lot of really good shows.  She seems to like me being laid up and basically still as much as Karma did--LOL!  Means a lot of chair time...and Annie has gotten cuddlier.  :)

****

Lots of photos for you--but the following are just a smattering I assure you.  :)  First I have some of Leah's and then I have some of mine.  (Too tired to do any real sorting.)  Leah's go all the way back to December.  Mine go back to February 9th--the last time I posted.

****

We'll start with Leah's.  :) :)

****

This was around Christmas outside the front of their house.  Leah and the boys.  You can see the Christmas lights on the house behind them.

The boys playing together. 

Tired Liam.

 Tired Ian (who doesn't think he needs naps anymore--but it occasionally catches up with him).  :)

Liam learning to sit up by himself.

Liam and Blink just hanging out. 

We've had yo-yo weather.  Snow, rain, melting till little snow left at all, snow, rain, melting, snow, rain...and mother nature even threw in some hail!

Not too often we get hail in the winter.  Kinda cool!

****
Liam has wanted to stand before he was even crawling.  Now he can stand alone for some time and wants to pull himself up on everything. 

I love this shot of the boys...and Blink is on the couch, too, behind Ian.  :) 

Leah's also sent me some short videos, but I have not gotten anything ready so that I could post them.  Maybe next time.

****

Then we have my pictures.

****

Of course I had a lot of the visiting critters at the seed banquets.  Relax--not going so show them all to you--LOL!

We've had some snowstorms--as you can see by the snowbanks from the plowed driveways. 

The grouse dig into the snow and huddle together during a storm. 

My patio is popular.  This was one day after one snowstorm. 

The smooth white blanket... 

...becomes a trampled, textured terrain--lol!

The girls love having some snow to dig into to help block the wind and stay warm. 

****
In the almost seven weeks since we last spoke: Dagan has popped in several times to do a dumpster and bird seed run for me; I've been over to visit McFamily twice; Leah and I had one craft night (then she got sick again--but is better now so we might be able to do one next week); Caroline's been here a couple times to clean and once for  groceries; I've had three Gramma Days with Ian and Dagan (one I went over to visit afterwards to their house).  Having a visitor is physically easier than being a visitor--but each and every visit is soooo worth it!  Food for the soul!!  :) 

****

On one of my visits over to McFamily's I did remember to take pictures.  I know--shock!  I've become so bad at remembering to get the camera out.

****

Daddy and Liam. 

Liam checking out Daddy's zipper on his shirt. 

Ian playing with magnetic squares. 

Daddy holding Blink for her close-up. 

Liam climbing up to stand by me. 

Mama and Ian figuring something out (can't remember now). 

Liam chewing on one of his baby books.  (He has gotten some teeth, but I forgot to ask how many.) 

My hail photo. 

Can't forget Annie. 

That is her favorite way to relax--pushing her feet against something.  When she sleeps with me nine times out of ten she doesn't curl up with her back next to you--she pushes her feet against you instead--LOL! 

****

For about a week we were on the edge of freezing temps and had snow, rain, snow, rain... 

...and then finally a good snowstorm.  So funny--I heard there were at least three snowmen built here.  I saw one near the front door when I went to get mail--so  cute!  It even had a Fargo-hat and plaid scarf on.  The seniors know when there is good, heavy, wet, snowman-building snow on the ground...and I guess they couldn't resist--LOL! 

There was a lot of ice under that snow, though.  

Can you see it on the bird feeder? 

When the weather is bad the critters seem to get along better as far as all eating together. 

But it was a shock to see a  pair of geese in very early March walking down the plowed sidewalk. 

Honestly--I stood aggressively in the doorway and told them to buzz off. 

I did not want any of those poop-machines to know there was food over here.  They're not actually crazy about seed but they will eat it if there's nothing else...and with all the snow there wasn't a lot else.  Luckily I haven't seen any others.  Well, only honking and flying past overhead.  ;)

****

 Most of that snow has melted again--but we're due for another snowstorm tomorrow through Saturday, they say.

****

A few days ago I noticed there were no birds here all afternoon??  Look who I found parked under my bedroom window watching my patio! 

I couldn't get a good shot through the screen but it's some kind of small sparrow-type hawk.  There are so few trees here that he doesn't have a good place to perch nearby.  Smart, though.  He was very still.  But the sparrows must be smarter because they all stayed away until he got bored and left--LOL!

****

 Yesterday McFamily actually came over with dinner from Ruby Tuesdays and a homemade birthday cake!!  (Ian was demonstrating how a washing machine works for some reason when I took the picture and I don't think Dagan realized I was taking one--but I did remember to take one--LOL!) 

This morning--Annie will soak up the sun for as long as she can.  

I barely slept (just the usual after-loving-up-grandsons aches and pains) but don't mind a bit.  :)  And since I've been up since 3am and am already hurtin' anyways--I thought what the heck, why not start a way overdue blog.  ;)  You just might finish it.  And I believe I will.

****

It is hard to explain the chronic fatigue.  I don't always suffer as badly from that as the pain--and, honestly, the pain is a little easier to deal with than a flare of the CFS side of the fibro.  If you're interested or maybe know anyone else with fibro/M.E./CFS here's a TEDtalk:

If you want to know what it is like to lose your former life, to be so tired and weak you can't get dressed or take a shower, and to know there are people who have it much worse than I do--this lady now has a documentary streaming on Netflix called Unrest.  (Thanks for letting me know, Serena.)  
****
Anyways, due to being sick so long and then this bad flare I have not yet been able to reschedule my dentist or eye doctor checkups, haven't been writing letters or been online like I usually am able to, and have been saving my very few spoons every day for showers, dressing, laundry, cooking--and visits with McFamily!!  I'll be back when I can.  Thanks to everyone who emailed or wrote to ask how I was doing and to those of you who even remembered this absentee's birthday--LOL!  You're all such a blessing in my life.  Even those of you who just visit and never chat.  Thank you!!  :) :)
****

When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. Helen Keller