Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sunday-8:15am

I washed clothes all day. Got the winter bedspread washed, folded, and tucked away in the closet for the summer. Miss Karma and I spent a lot of time on the porch on such a glorious day.
Karma always grabs the comfy chair when I leave--hehe!

The windows were also opened wide. Karma loves to watch the swallows on the wind.
I wiped down the dirty metal and glass furniture...
...and planted Karma's cat grass planter once again. :)
Was ten years ago today that I moved up here to the Fargo-Moorhead area from Minneapolis. Wow! Time flies!!
Supposed to almost hit 80 today--but expecting thunderstorms this afternoon. So--Karma and I need to hit the porch while we can--hehe! Later! Have a happy day! :):)

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Saturday-7:30am

Already up, showered, and have clothes in the washer. This being on days is nice! :)
45 degrees, sunny, and supposed to get up to around 70 today. Lovely! What a gorgeous spring we are having up here!!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Friday-7am

Beautiful day yesterday! Might be about the same today.
Read a lot on the porch--while the weather is nice. :)
Sunny morning again. 41 degrees, but it is supposed to hit the 70's again. Good book reading weather! :)

At 4am there was a lot of shouting on a balcony below me someplace. We have had some new families moving in. I suppose it might be a new resident. Great! :(

There was shouting--a woman laughing, taunting--doors slamming violently. I shut my bedroom window and turned on my noise machine. I think it might have lasted half an hour or so that I know of. I fell back to sleep, thank goodness. :)

Speaking of--got a notice in the mail that my rent is going up again in August. It has gone up $37.00 in the 4 1/2 years since I've been here. Rents have been creeping up everywhere, though.

I believe Leah and all the siblings (and probably the husbands) are helping Leah's mom, Vicki, move this weekend. Leah's been over this week helping her pack and such. Sounds like it's a beautiful lake home. Nice! Sounds so peaceful. I hope she just loves it there. After dealing with the flooding for so many years, she deserves a worry-free place to call home. Not that any place is totally worry-free, but at least it should be flood free. Hurray!

Have a great day! :):)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Thursday-7:30am

Received the book from Haiying--with a pretty card and her new colorful business card. Made copies of the pictures and will send the book on to Howard from the CBP group. :)
Have a couple of letters going.
Dagan came by after work to see if the title for the Paseo was in the glovebox--nope. So they'll have to search it out. Needs new license plate tags or I can't drive it after the 31st.

Anyways, they hadn't told me they were just down to Minneapolis for Dagan's checkup--or that he also had a cat scan of his heart back when he had his stress test. (Not that they were hiding anything from me--they are just both naturally slack at relaying information. Like two peas in a pod--hehe!) The good news is--he has better oxygenation levels than most of the Fontan folks. But the bad news is that where they put the tube-like piece inside of the upper chamber because the sides had expanded out so far--well, it has pooched out again. ?? They told him this means his heart could fail again.

I asked him what the options were--if they can redo the Fontan again or if they were talking a heart transplant--but he didn't know, so they hadn't said. I am sure Dagan and Leah were both just absorbing the facts--just as I was last night. Need time to think on it to know what to ask next time, you know?

And a lot of the time they have no answers anyway, to be perfectly honest. When Dagan was a baby there was only one other girl in France with the same series of defects who had lived past two (she was five at that time). So they don't necessarily have a lot to go by. There have been other Fontan procedures done over the years--so even if they don't have all the same defects as Dagan does there's something to go on there--hehe!

He has a new lady doctor. I wondered if this chamber enlargement might have been this way for a long time with no problems and she just noticed it and wanted to investigate further? Or if it was a new development? I have more questions today, of course--once the news has settled in. That I will ask Dagan.

It's not like we haven't gotten bad news many times over his 34 1/2 years. He's had his heart "fail" bigtime three times now. He's lived in failing or declining condition before--sometimes for years. But the last failure crisis was about 15 years ago.

Don't worry. It's not a bad situation at this time. He's doing well--still stable. Just kind of like a warning that he may decline again. And sometimes those crisis situations can come on very suddenly--like when he collapsed at the driving range the last time. But he knows how to make himself stay calm and not panic--and his angels watch over him. :):)

He's got about six months left on the pacemaker battery, so they are planning to replace it in September. He'll stay on monthly phone checks, of course. They are debating whether to replace his older leads or not this time, also.


Well--anyways--Dagan and I had dinner together (Leah was gone till later in the evening) and watched a silly movie (that we figured was going to make fun of Minnesotans) called New In Town:

The weather isn't the only drastic change for high-paid consultant Lucy Hill (Renée Zellweger) when she's sent from her home base in South Beach, Fla., to a small Minnesota town to improve the productivity of a local manufacturing plant. The town's residents also take some getting used to, especially the ruggedly handsome union boss (Harry Connick Jr.) who's doing his darnedest to make sure that Lucy doesn't cut any jobs.

Sorry, but we couldn't imagine anybody in Minnesota being rude and nasty to a stranger--especially one who held their jobs in her hand. The people tended to have the same heavier accents as some of them did in Fargo--hehe! I am always curious to see what Hollywood thinks of us. Dagan and I thought it was pretty funny in places--because of the Minnesota things that didn't ring true and the ones that did--but it wasn't that great of a movie. Very, very choppy in the middle. Had the good moral ending, tho, that us Minnesotans would probably approve of--youbetcha! ROFL!!

It's a gorgeous sunny morning. A very good day for gratitude and counting your blessings! :):)


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wednesday-7:45am

That Karma! Always finding some new place to sleep. She's just a little too big to fit under that plastic stool--hehe!
I keep the stool out because I can't reach the things on the top of the bookcases. (Yup! Quite short!) That sturdy red box is what I have been using for the videos now. I put the red box on top of a TV tray and the little tripod on top of the box. Not very glamorous--but it works--hehe!
Let's see--what was I up to yesterday? I worked on the Soul Coaching book some more. I think I am up to lesson 14 or 15 now. I am working on a couple of letters. Still cloudy and dark and cool (41 degrees)--but they are guessing we might see the sun today--hehe!
I had just left the wet red handmade paper under the books all this time. They were still damp, so I placed sheets of newspaper between them. I'll check and see how they are doing today. So nice and flat, tho! I hadn't looked around online for pressing instructions because my back was too sore--but now that it is a little better I might do some peeking about today. Just a little bit, tho. :)
Later.... :):)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tuesday-4:30am

Yesterday I spent a bit of time with dried flowers. :) I slowly rubbed all the tiny buds off of these (came with the roses this year).
Took the old dried bouquet of red roses apart (from a few years ago)--see bag of red rose petals and small bag of baby's breath--bottom bags. The two roses that fell down to the closet floor--put those petals into bags--top two left. And I already had all the orange spiky petals saves from the flowers this year that came with the roses. Lots to make paper with! :)
The roses dried beautifully!!
I removed the excess leaves and put them in the vase. :)
Gorgeous!!
I'll have them to look at for a long time!!
And when they get old and dusty--I'll take them apart and use them for making paper--hehe! :):) Talk about recycling, eh?
It stayed dark and rained off and on all day yesterday and all night last night. It was so windy all afternoon it was just crazy! The outdoor carpeting on my "porch" is just tacked down on both ends of the balcony floor boards. The wind gusts would come and poof the wet carpet up and down. Karma found that absolutely fascinating!
Every time the wind roared in the force of it made her ears go back.
But she never moved. It was just too interesting to miss, I guess--hehe!
And for the first time the wind was actually warm!! I didn't see--but it must have gotten up close to 80? Not today, though--predicting rain to continue and only upper 50's.
Slept a little sounder. Pain not as sharp this morning. Could be a better day--knock on wood. Hurray!! :):):)
Hope it is a good day for you, too!!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day-6:45am

No sun this morning. Rained last night, as you can see. More scattered rain predicted to be passing through--but look how green it has become! :)
Miss Karma soaked up all the sun she could get yesterday--hehe! She sleeps in the sun like it's an Olympic event--hehe!
I have still been in bed before the sun is down and up before it rises. Liking it, actually. Who'd think a lifelong night owl like myself would ever appreciate these hours? I must be getting old, you think?
For those of you in the United States--have a good Memorial Day. I hope you have picnic weather with the family today. :):)

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Sunday-6:15am

Leah and I bought this eyelet lace embossing border punch made by Fiskars at JoAnn's. It didn't emboss--just cut. So we brought it back and exchanged it for another one. Same problem. I spent a long time trying to find where to send, then trying to send (can't have more than one picture, I guess), and finally finding a "live" person to have an IM conversation with--hehe! Got it straightened out how to send a picture and where. Now I just have to wait to hear from them.
The top row is just punched normally. The bottom row was punched as hard as I could standing--and you can barely see where the embossed line and dots are supposed to show surrounding those eyelet holes.
It's a lovely border punch, so I hope we can get a replacement that actually works. Never had any problems buying from Fiskars before?? Now we'll see how their customer service is. I was impressed with the "live" person to answer questions. So far, so good, eh?
It has warmed up during the day--but it is so chilly in the mornings. No sprawling for Karma as she waits for the sun. Right now it is 38 degrees! The sun is out, but it is too cold to leave the porch door open. They're thinking 72 today--we'll see.
Probably a good thing Leah isn't coming over for a while. I have been pretty useless lately. Not having very productive days. On a fibro flare--again. Headaches, more pain, weakness, pain dreams--the usual. It will pass. They come and go. Can last days or weeks, but they do let up--eventually--hehe! :):)

Hope everybody has been having a better weekend than mine--ROFL!!

Miss Karma says hi.

She's always excellent company. :):)

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Saturday-7am

The sun came out for a while yesterday afternoon--along with the kids--hehe! Karma loves to listen to them. Since it didn't look like rain, I put Karma's TV tray back on the porch. This is her bird's eye spy position. Doesn't she have thick fur?
Made a couple of cards in the late afternoon.
Caught up on things I taped this last week--(Medium, 2 1/2 Men, PBS series on WWII, Mentalist)--doing stretching exercises for my back--playing with Karma--still catching up on the computer. :)
Sunny morning. Yesterday it got warmer than they thought. I saw 74 degrees at one time online. Today they're saying 67 and sunny. Karma's already on the porch even tho it is only 39 degrees right now--hehe! She's ready!!
Have a good Memorial Weekend!! :):)

Friday, May 22, 2009

Friday-6:45am

It's a good thing Karma got her sun worshipping in yesterday morning. The sun is having a struggle this morning peeking out between the clouds. Maybe they're right about rain today?
Supposed to hit upper 60's the next three days and then mid-40's to mid-50's at night. Ahhh! Paradise!! I sit on the porch and read--and watch the barn swallows building their nests and the geese heading north. You have to appreciate the weather you love while it lasts up here. Soon the heat and humidity will descend upon us and I'll be inside with the AC and Karma will be sprawled out in the stifling heat on the porch. Well--paradise is different for each of us, right? hehe!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Thursday-3:30am

Not another picture!
Actually she was washing her face--hehe!
A gorgeous day yesterday! Was actually getting HOT! Was about to put the AC on when there was a temperature drop and it clouded over. Must have been raining someplace close--could smell it. :) Yesterday was a working on the Soul Coaching journal and reading on the porch day. Believe it or not I was in bed by 7pm and just got up here at 3am. Well, that's closer to day hours, right? hehe!

Warm in here when I woke up. Looks like it had been raining after all--puddles in the parking lot. Not raining now so I opened the windows to get some of that cooler air in here. Don't you love the smell of the air after it's rained? It is like the rain has washed away all the dust and odors in the air. Clean. Just smells so clean. :):)

I remember lying in my "fort" and listening to the rain hit the roof just inches above my face. I had cleared off a section of the rafters in the front of the garage--nailed up cardboard walls to section my "fort" off from all the rest of the storage up there--boxes, luggage, Christmas decorations, etc. I painted colorful flowers on my cardboard walls (it was the 60s after all--hehe!), used boxes for small shelves and storage, brought up an old radio & small lamp (used up all Dad's extension cords to get electricity up there--hehe!), my sleeping bag & a pillow...ahhh! That was where I went to write--to read--to doodle--to think. Didn't matter that it was hotter than Hades up there in the summer--those were the days before most homes or cars had air conditioning so we just had to tolerate the heat (or go sleep on the cement floor in the basement)--there weren't any options. I loved to sleep up there on a night with rain--or thunderstorms!! Awesome! I couldn't even hear Sonny & Cher on the radio for the pounding above my head. Talk about The Beat Goes On! hehehe! :)

I did so love my fort. :):)

Funny--this little apartment is kind of like my glorified fort mansion these days, isn't it? This is where I write--read--doodle--think. But I have an air conditioner, way more stuff to play with, a lot more room--and to get here I don't have to make the precarious trip climbing over two by fours, swinging over that open gap above the cement floor of the garage--ROFL!!

Even on my really bad days--could it get any better than this? Everything is relative, right? :):)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Wednesday-7am

Here's Caroline! Haven't had a picture of her for a long time. Funny--she said the last picture I took was probably with her vacuuming. Better than cleaning the toilet, I replied--ROFL!! She is such a great young lady!
Funny--I seldom take pictures of people because I don't want to be intrusive, you know? Leah and I hate to have our pictures taken--period. And I don't see many people in the first place--ROFL!!
Miss Karma--basically she doesn't mind too much--and she is at my mercy--hehe!
I couldn't find her last night for a while. She was sleeping on a chair under the table--out like a light. All that fresh air she has been getting I guess, eh? :)
Well, plans have shifted, as they so often do. :) Leah's mother has been waiting to move. The government recently bought her house (and several other people's--before the floods) because she was in an area they plan to flood--wrong side of a dike they have been planning to build for many years.


She has a house picked out--small town about 45 minutes away from Moorhead, I think?--but had been waiting on actually getting paid for her house. Not sure if she finally did or she just has to close on the new house, but she is getting ready to move--closing on the 29th.


So--Leah is busy with helping her mom and I probably won't see her for a couple of weeks. I sure hope everything goes well and it is an easy move. :):)



Yesterday I washed clothes after Caroline left. Was in bed early and up early. Nice! Sun is shining now-but we're supposed to have rain moving thru again today like we did yesterday. In the 70's tho!! Hope it is nice where you are and you have a great day!! :):)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Tuesday-8:45am

Was sooooo nice yesterday! (And I didn't miss it--hehe!) Miss Karma spent almost the entire day snoozing on the padded porch chair.
Supposed to be in the low 70's again today, but scattered rain. Right now it is clouded over here and cool (46)--but the sun keeps trying to peek out. I'm back on days again--tada! These are the absolutely perfect weather days to me--around 60-70 in the daytime and back down to around 40-50 at night. Ahhhhh!!!! :):)
I had a strange order arrive yesterday--hehe! Pressed paper coasters to use for crafts. I had seen a youtube video on making post it note holders with them and searched for them online. Got these from http://www.stamponthis.com/index.htm
The ones on the right are a little thicker. The really thin ones on the left--I thought there might be some way I could use them in making cards...or something?? :):)
Maybe my fellow crafters might understand? When you see something that intrigues you and you just know you will find a use (or two or three) for it--somehow, somewhere, for something, right? I'll be pondering on it--hehe! :):)
I've been working off and on with the Soul Coaching book and caught up on my Netflix DVDs (been watching Wire In The Blood--British psychological murder mystery series). Caroline comes today, but Leah won't make it. Her poor feet are already hurting and so she needs a break. I totally understand because I have plantar fasciitis, too. She got called in to work yesterday and spends a lot of her time at work standing--and she was out walking with Dagan and Chuck on such a beautiful spring day. Anyways, I am glad she is taking care of herself and listening to her body. We have to pay attention when it starts complaining, right? hehe! We'll see how Wednesday or Thursday will work. :)
Meanwhile--much windier today. Just may blow these clouds away--hehe! I am going to try and catch up on emails and go back and work on the Soul Coaching book (lots of spiritual contemplation--good for me!). :):)

Monday, May 18, 2009

Monday-10am

Was back with the Soul Coaching book last night. :)
Karma was trying to keep me company--but kept falling asleep in the chair--hehe!
This morning--back to sun bathing. :)
Well, crazy hours or not--tomorrow I have to be awake most of the day--hehe! Caroline is coming over to clean and then Leah is coming over for crafts. So, I'll try to stay up as long as possible today. Slept a long time yesterday (3:30pm-1:30am)--so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to go to sleep some time in the evening tonight.
I got to enjoy half of the beautiful day yesterday--and should see most of it today. Sunny and supposed to hit 70 degrees. Good day to read on the porch again when it warms up. But right now--back to the Soul Coaching book... :) :)

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Sunday-7:45am

I found this picture on the web--a simple book press. Leah plans to make one for us this summer (her own version, of course) so that we can use it to press our handmade paper and any books I make, etc. They sell presses for making handmade paper and I believe you put them in damp or wet??
So--this is what I did during the night last night. First--these were the first thinner papers I book pressed--ironed them with just a hot iron. They are a tad flatter, but look pretty much the same.
Then I experimented with the thicker papers we made. Tried ironing--with just the hot iron--and that didn't work very well. I tried misting with water and with spray starch and either method worked pretty well. But it takes quite a long time to iron the paper dry again. And I had trouble with curling. So--what I ended up doing was...
...almost soaking the sheets with either water or spray starch--or a little of both.
I used my ironing cloth (really stained it, as you can see)...
...and ironed the paper just enough to flatten it out well.
I had cut up pieces of butcher paper--folded them shiny side out...
...and then stacked the damp, flattened paper within layers of the butcher paper...
...and put heavy books on the small stacks.
I can't imagine how long they will take to actually dry this way? If they can even dry at all??
Another experiment! I am not positive but I think that in the actual book presses they sandwich the handmade paper in between the couch papers somehow? I have never tried to press damp or wet papers before--so I guess we'll find out, eh? Maybe after a while I could sandwich these between couch papers or paper towels or something if they're not drying at all?? Hey--you never know unless you try, right?
Anyways, that was what I was up to all night. :):)
It's 37 degrees at the moment, but they predict it will get up to 70 today! Another beautiful, sunny morning!
I'll let you know what happens with the paper, of course. :):)

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Saturday-5:30am

For the last couple of days the roses were listing--one by one. So I had been removing them and hanging them upside down to dry in the closet. I use clothespins and hangers. They're all in there now--resting in the dark--out of the sight of Miss golden eyes--hehe! (She cries and begs for them like she does the bubbles!)
I hope they retain their color. :)
As long as the roses had all sagged...
...I took apart the orange flowers and am drying them to use for paper. Leah and I had the same exact thought about their future--hehe! I sure hope they keep their color, too! :)
I didn't book press the latest sheets of paper and haven't ironed them yet. This is the entire stack we have so far, tho. :)
And these are the moulds! (The original is on the top right.) The Plaster of Paris we had left is all used up now--tada! We have a dozen snowflake moulds you'll see in paper progress later--hehe!
I guess it rained all day yesterday. No wonder I slept so well--chuckle! We had a frost advisory last night, but I haven't seen any frost on the cars here. Today is supposed to be sunny and 58 degrees--and the sunbeams are just beginning to crawl across the apartment wall. Karma is begging to go out on the porch--but she'll be surprised at how cold it is out there (33 degrees). No lying about this morning catching rays out there--chuckle! She'll just have to be satisfied with the carpet. :)
Maybe I'll get to the ironing board today? Well, tonight, I should say. I'll be sleeping all day again hopefully. Back is feeling a little better, too. Nice! I'll have to mention it to my rheumatologist when I see him next month. Anyways, have a good one!! :):)