Tuesday-12:45pm

It had gotten up to 40 degrees and the porch had no snow whatsoever yesterday.

The above videos from this morning show you why Dagan and Leah won't be here tonight. Leah might stop by with milk sometime soon--not sure which night--but we won't be getting together till next week.

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Yesterday I decided I had been out of my bookcards for just way too long. So I picked out covers and the inside pages (all pre-cut)--and started punching holes using the cradle.

Picked out colors of embroidery thread...

...and sewed them together while I watched TV.

Made seven and six of them are already earmarked to be used right away. :)

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I also decided upon the pen and ink I want to use for the personalized cards--Noodler's Ink and my Lamy calligraphy pen.

I made up some samples of my half-printed style of handwriting (bottom) and numbered the rubber stamp sentiments. All ready to go with Leah whenever she comes by with milk--tada!

I'm using the Noodler's Polar Black. Don't they have the coolest bottle labels? Love the polar bear!

So once this is dry it isn't supposed to bleed if it gets wet. And I bet I could write outside when it was twenty below zero--or colder--if I ever really needed to. ;)

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The Christmas programs have arrived! CMA's Country Christmas was on with all the classic carols. Christmas in Rockefeller Center (tree lighting and singing) is on tonight...and Rudolph...and the Grinch...along with the new Shrek The Halls. I only watch a few of those--but I wait for It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story every year. Wouldn't seem like Christmas without watching (or at least half-watching) them. :)

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I still remember watching the Andy Williams Christmas show every year when I was young...and the Bing Crosby Christmas specials. Getting old! Do you have any favorite movies or programs you watch every year? Does anybody read The Night Before Christmas to little ones anymore? Just curious.

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I guess I've been chatty lately and blogging every day again. I guess it all depends if I have something to share. :):)

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Bye from blizzard city in the north.

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"We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep."

William James

Monday-11:30am

They're baaack! ;)

The roofers returned this light snowy morning. Apparently they figure with the snow on the ground that they can't tear up the lawn and they didn't put down a plywood path to the building.

BTW--they are right over the sidewalk that comes from the emergency exit door and, as you can see, the battle has begun. They didn't ever shovel that sidewalk. *sigh* I may have to call the fire marshall and see what the law really says.

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The office said...that the owners said...that the fire marshall said...that they only have to clear enough so that the door can swing open. Everybody uses the exit doors as they are right at the bottom of the stairs--and the owners don't want us using them. They stop shoveling, the doors get stuck open--(I would swear on a bible that originally the doors got stuck open due to half-a**ed shoveling in the first place)--it's a vicious circle. As I said--looks like the winter battle has begun.

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My complaint is that, when our fire alarm goes off, I have to get out of that very door down there with Karma in her cat stroller. *sigh*

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Let's talk about something else.

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Yesterday I decided that it was time to change the wall over my art table. I had all those various paintings pinned to the wall the last couple years from my friends in the Yahoo Chinese Brush Painting Group. I put them all carefully away (they'll probably go back up again in the future some time) and now have a blank wall. I am thinking that when my daisy painting comes from Serena that I will hang that up right there for a while.

Seemed like that area needed an energy shift. Been way too stagnant this past year. Only bookmarks have been painted there.

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Miss Karma kept me company last night.

Funny how much cuddlier she gets when the temperature drops--ROFL!

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Today--I'm listening to hammers and clompy boots. I wonder if they will be done before Christmas? hehe! Have a great week!!

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"The heart is the chief feature of a functioning mind."

Frank Lloyd Wright

Sunday-10:15am

Karma was snoozing in the sun on the carpet minding her own business...

...when I came sneaking up with the camera. She looked the camera right in the eye...

...and then let me know what she thought of the intrusion. Can a cat look disgusted?

Here's the additional box of cards (I forgot to take a picture of) that we'll sell next year on the etsy shop.

We're never exactly sure how many we'll use, you know? And then we have some already done to have for sale the following year. :)

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I stamped up a sample page to show the simple sentiments people can choose from.

And now I need to make some samples of my handwriting for the really personalized sentiments. But I have to decide on what kind of pen to use first. ;) I just want to have these done by Tuesday so Leah can have them for the shop.

Since it snowed Karma has added something to her morning routine. After her canned spoonful treat in the pantry Karma usually goes right to the dogbed and wants some of her dry cat treats (just diet cat food). Heaven forbid she actually eat out of her food dish, right? LOL! Well, now she has added wanting to go outside right after scooping a few treats out of the metal tea tin. Like she's turned into weather cat--just has to find out how cold it is and if there is more snow.

When it is really cold she mistakenly thinks she can change her mind. But if she cries to go out, she is going out--if I have to push her butt out the door. She quickly remembered from previous winters to just sit there--silently (as in the picture above). Because I just might let her off the hook if she hasn't been yowling and creating a ruckus to go out. ROFL!! If she hasn't expressed the verbal desire to go out, then she can feign that it was all my idea to open the door, after all. And I do allow her to change her mind. Politeness goes a long way in my book. She's a pretty smart cat. But if she's positive she wants out---she yowls. ;)

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I've been working on balancing the checkbook, writing out bills, and I also got my new 2011 weekly planner all ready for the coming year. I keep track of birthdays and the monthly budget in there--now I am all set for 2011. :)

And in December or January, depending, Karma will be getting a new cat box for her litter box. There will be a huge change in Miss Karma's life. She has had the same one since she was a kitten--going on six years now. There will be pictures, of course--LOL!

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Hope you're having a good weekend.

Bye-bye from Fargo! :)

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"Gratitude is the intention to count-your-blessings every day, every minute, while avoiding, whenever possible, the belief that you need or deserve different circumstances."

Timothy Miller

Friday-10am

Thanksgiving in Fargo included snow plows.

The snow was heavy in the morning, thinned out until late afternoon, but then it picked up speed and got quite white out there again. Was not good traveling weather out there. I hope everyone got home safe and sound.

There was more excitement in Karma's world before the plant left the bathroom.

I removed all the dead and dying leaves--tossing them into the tub as I pruned.

As soon as I said--"What are you doing in there? Get out of there, you stinker!"--I knew she'd think she was getting away with something and she dove down on the leaves and pawed them like crazy.

Karma knows the difference between my teasing voice and the you-are-in-serious-trouble-run-for-your-life voice.

I let her bat the leaves about for a while before I scooped them up for the trash.

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Was a quiet Thanksgiving Day. I finished our Christmas cards--tada!

But I just realized that I forgot to take a picture of the additional cards for the etsy shop. I went thru and picked the best 40 for the shop and put them in a box for selling next year. Anyways, the Christmas cards are done! Now I can start addressing envelopes. Feels so good to be done and not scrambling to finish them in December. Just made it, eh? LOL!

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Have a great weekend!

And For those of you who shop on Black Friday (I am not one of them) I wish you all the best deals. ;)

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"Within us is the soul of the whole, the wise silence, the universal beauty, the eternal One."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday:10:45am

I heard this terrible Karma yowling from the bathroom this morning.

Karma doesn't spend much time in the bathroom to begin with and never goes in the bathtub, so I had to grab the camera--hehe!

Dagan had helped me with the watering of the plant under the shower last night. Karma discovered the misplaced plant and she cried and carried on till I came and put it back--hehe!

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Such a silly girl.

I surprised Leah last night. I had secretly been working little...

...by little...

...by little...

...by little...

...over the past three days finishing every thing I could of the Christmas cards!

So all she had to do was distress the end of the ovals last night and now I can tape them on the last of the cards and they are all done--tada!! :):):)

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Really strange occurrence yesterday. My last package arrived--from Barnes and Noble. I was expecting the calendar refill...

...and the seal set...

...with the snowflake seal!

But the box was really large for what I ordered--and when I went to pick it up I was shocked at how heavy it was! Had a hard time getting it back up here with one arm, I tell you. I open the box and find this in the box.

Two medical textbooks saran-wrapped together:

Miller's Anesthesia...

...for $446.00!! Do you believe it?!!

Talk about a huge warehouse error!!

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I checked my account and I was overcharged--but not for the book--thank goodness! I had also ordered an extra set of two silver seal sticks that never arrived and yet they charged me for them. So, I have emailed Barnes & Noble to deal with my more minor error (backordered or refund?) and ask them what they want me to do with these books. I need a pre-paid shipping label if they want me to ship these heavy books back. Otherwise, I could just bring it over to the Fargo B&N store. I'll see what they say.

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We have snow again today. It looks much the same as it did on Monday. Could have snow thru tomorrow. I'm glad Dagan and Leah will be staying in town and going over to Leah's sister's for Thanksgiving this year. This snow makes it hard for people to travel for the holidays. I hope everyone (in the states) has safe travel tomorrow and a pleasant, delicious dinner. :):)

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"When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed."

Maya Angelou

Tuesday-9:30am

Karma's was fascinated with the new snow. Begged to go out several times yesterday--even if she didn't last more than a minute or two.

It kept snowing.

I never heard how many inches we got...

...but, as you can see on the parked cars, it was several.

The plow finally showed up in the afternoon to basically make a big swipe thru the parking lot. They aren't very good about shoveling or plowing here compared to other places I've lived. Might be another case of you get what you pay for? Like the roofers? LOL!

I was so excited to see a package in the mail from Iggy!!

Awesome!!!

My very favorite kind of leaves--maples!!

Aren't they gorgeous?

And look at these fancy things!

I've never seen them before. They are so delicate and almost fluffy.

Iggy said they are from a Red Japanese Split Maple. I absolutely love these!

Thanks soooo much, Iggy!! You're an angel! I can hardly wait to show Leah tonight. She might have to fight me for these, tho--ROFL!

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They finally came thru and did the sidewalk. People were having to fight their way into the building all day...and the snow is deep, as you can see.

I am so blessed that I don't have to go anywhere. Being housebound has its silver lining, I guess, eh? ;)

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I am wondering if they are going to have the parking lot plowed enough for Dagan and Leah to get in and out tonight?

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Okay--new idea for the etsy shop. Was thinking that it would be really cool if people could pick out a sentiment for the inside of a blank card if they wanted one. We could take a picture of several simple sentiments (made from rubber stamps) that they could pick from. For example: Thank You, Thinking Of You, Happy Birthday, etc. It would take a little extra time, but they could could have their card customized, you know?

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And then I was also thinking that I could show a sample of my handwriting and they could have a very personalized card if they wanted--with a hand written sentiment. For example: Happy 40th Birthday Phil--Happy 25th Anniversary John and Mary--You're The Best--whatever they want.

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Just curious as to what you guys think of these ideas?

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Anyways, it is eight below zero and sunny. Dagan and Leah plan to come over tonight. Leah and I have a date with the Christmas cards--hehe! I think it is a spaghetti night. :)

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"The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them."

Ralph Nichols

Monday-12:30pm--second attempt

Maybe when I tried to center the videos it did something to them in HTML?

I'll try them as is right now and see if they work.

I've got my fingers crossed! :)

Monday-11:45am-video experimentation

This is what I woke up to yesterday.

Just a dusting of snow.

Didn't snow the rest of the day, but it was cold enough to stay on the ground.

This is what I woke up to this morning.

I am experimenting with using the embedding/HTML method so that I can try to add two videos. I hope this works? All I see is a black box, so I hope I have the videos in the right spots. ;)

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Karma wanted to go out and check out the little bit of snow, of course.

It's 10 degrees right now and not expected to be more than a high of 25 before Thursday, so it looks like we will have a white Thanksgiving!

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Well, I hope I managed to get the two videos to post and work?

Thanks for your patience. :):)

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Happy Monday from this old dog in Fargo--ROFL! ;)