Rita's Ramblings: a basically house-bound woman in Fargo, North Dakota blogging for friends, family, and anybody who finds it interesting. I talk about art or craft projects, my grandsons (Ian and Liam), the weather, movies, books, health, and whatever happens to be going on in my life. Welcome!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wednesday-3:45pm
Gracie is calmer since her cage got moved back the proper direction. I think she was exhausted by the stress of the last couple days, too. hehe!
Leah is stopping by after work to see if she can fix the wobble in the new chair. She and Dagan have an appointment with the contractors to discuss building their new home, so I passed on painting tonight. I did sleep today--all day, actually. That's two days in a row. Too bad it is from morning till late afternoon--that's not normal even for me, but I'll take sleep whenever I can get it--ha! Hopefully I will get over the menopause insomnia again here pretty soon--been taking my Shaklee stuff (that had been backordered) for several days now. I have always slept crazy hours, but was able to sleep--until menopause. I guess there are worse symptoms that other women have. I suppose it could be that the symptoms are just more severe and nothing will change them--who knows? Just a blessing that I am not going to work or school right now, eh? I can't complain.
Thunderstorm just rolled through--and it poured! Seems to have gone now. Leah will be here soon--got to go...
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tuesday-6:00pm
I had to turn her cage away from the bookcase for now (she is clipped)--until I can think of something else. I can't leave it like this--makes it difficult to reach her water dish on the one side.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Monday-10:30am
I was back to three hours of sleep last night and then couldn't sleep any more--just laid there. So, I got up about 3am and have been awake ever since. Menopause--*sigh*
As long as I was up, I did some sketching. Finished another EDM challenge. Long way to go to finish the page spread, tho. I also organized all the pictures I have taken for the challenges--got them labeled on the computer in a folder--finished printing them off and writing the numbers on them, etc. I probably have pictures for about 2/3rds of the rest of the challenges. Had to look for some of them online. I have 100 left to go--hehe!
I am sooo tired. Maybe I will try--again--to lie down and catch a few winks...?
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday-2:30pm
I was working on the buttons off and on yesterday again and finally finished stringing them all!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Saturday-2:30pm
Still dark and damp and drizzling off and on. I drug out all my drawing books yesterday--pencil, ink, and colored pencil. Just felt like going through them for hints and ideas and information.
I hadn't been sleeping much for the past three days--last night I finally collapsed and slept over 14 hours. My Shaklee menopause pills were backordered and I just got them yesterday finally. That may have had something to do with it--since I was back to the insomnia and exhaustion...? If it was, then I should be able to sleep better again within a week or so. Menopause--can be so annoying!
Just made up some tuna salad that is chilling in the refrigerator. Now am off to read art books. :)
Friday, May 25, 2007
Friday-5:30pm
The biggest order so far for Dagan and Leah came yesterday--plus another package (backorder--just in time).
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Thursday-1pm
I think she enjoys me searching for her. She stays silent and watches me walk around the apartment calling for her. Sometimes I am only here for her entertainment, I guess. hehe!
Dagan came by after work to pick me up. He helped me push the clothing racks back down the long hallway to the storage area. When we got to their apartment, he made me a brat on the grill--yummy! I brought a Netflix movie along and we emptied their big coffeetable so we could paint there and watch the movie. Painting ice cream pails with gesso is a mindless activity and didn't interfere much with our movie. Dagan painted two and I painted two.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Wednesday- 3:00 pm
Caroline came today. (She had gum surgery yesterday--oh, to be young!) After she was finished I had her help me wheel down the two clothes racks I keep in the storage area (it's on this floor). The box is full of shoes. :)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Tuesday-5:00pm
The top picture was "draw what you see out your window"--garages, field, and businesses. I am not too good at making the buildings seem as far away as they actually are. And I have never tried to draw a car! Bad! Well, that is why they call them challenges, eh?
Been raining here off and on--and supposed to be like this all week. Good sleeping and reading weather. :)
Caroline switched from Tuesday to Wednesday this week, so she'll be here tomorrow afternoon. Leah is busy, but Dagan and I are going to paint with acrylics tomorrow night. Been a long time! With painting sessions so far apart, don't know if I am ever going to get the hang of it? Just have to keep trying, right?
I have been pondering how to decorate the outside of an ice cream pail. Why, you may ask? I have these flower pots that I bought at WalMart several years ago that have literally been disintegrating before my eyes. I was thinking that I could set them inside of an ice cream pail--and then I wouldn't have to: (1) look at them and (2) worry about the watering overflow. I am wondering about painting them--might try acrylics tomorrow night--or covering them with paper or something since they wouldn't be getting wet on the outside? Hummm?? Will have to come up with something. Can't stand looking at them anymore, but don't want to buy new pots and repot plants. I'll try to remember to post a picture of what I am talking about tomorrow. TTYL.... :)
Monday, May 21, 2007
Monday-6:30pm
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Saturday-12:15pm
The roses were safe--but for some unknown reason, Miss Gracie snuck over and chewed up the Mother's Day card!
Friday, May 18, 2007
Friday-3pm
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Thursday-4pm
I took this picture a while ago. This was my first sketch, I guess. Done from a booklet by Jon Gnagy called Learn To Draw. He was the first television artist I remember. I begged my parents to buy this book for me. Tells the basics about shape, perspective, shadows, and shading--and then has step-by-step pictures for you to follow. Yes--I still have it. I was 11 years old when I drew this and my dad framed it for me (this is a new frame, tho--the old brown wood one started to come apart). I never forgot that Dad said he liked it and surprised me and had framed it. :)
I was getting restless basically doing nothing but read and watch TV--thought of something I could do sitting in my chair and still be good. I have a large button collection--my own from back in the days when I sewed Dagan a lot of his clothes, Grandma Ring's collection, some I bought up when Munsingwear was going out of business in Minneapolis, and I think maybe some from my mom. I saw in a magazine how you could sort the buttons by tying them together (I am using crochet thread). I had sorted them many years ago and had them in cheap fold-over sandwich bags (so you had to be careful they didn't fall out because the bags weren't closed) and it was impossible to find anything in the box. So, I dumped the bags into the plastic containers we just bought (that were still empty) and I have been slowly threading the matching buttons together. I rub beeswax on the end of the thread to keep it pointed and thin. Gives me something to do while I watch TV.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Monday-3pm
Was 88 degrees yesterday--very warm in here by evening. Didn't want to close it up and put the AC on this early in the spring. Wow! I hope this is not an indication of how warm the summer is going to be! Only 74 degrees so far today, so it shouldn't be quite as bad tonight. :) Short and sweet today....
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Mother's Day-Sunday-11:30am
Karma had her nose in the bouquet right off the bat, of course. I found out when she was a kitten a couple of years ago that she loves baby's breath. Woke up the next day and Karma had pulled as many of them as she could out of the vase and eaten them--stems and all! And then she had grazed around the bouquet and chewed off all the little white flowers she could reach. It was amazing she didn't tip the vase over! So the flowers went up on top of the bookcase--hehe!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Saturday-1:30pm
This is the front--has a zipper pouch that I can keep pencils and erasers in.
You flip it open from the front and it is the perfect size for a large Moleskine--could fit two or possibly even three.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Friday-5pm
...this is the back. I can snap on a clip if I want to.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Thursday-11am
Nope! It has this strange top that you have to press down on to get the water out...
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Tuesday-12:45pm
,,,along with the Sigg water bottle.