Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thursday-4:15am

Some pre-dawn pictures from yesterday. Do you see the moon up in the left-hand corner?
I love the contrast when the orange horizon and the blue sky are divided by dark clouds...
...and when the emerging sun sprays gold on the fresh day.
Well, I hadn't been feeling that well since Tuesday. IBS is also a huge issue in my life and another listed side effect of fibro...add a bad headache...nausea...and I wasn't going anywhere yesterday. So, the jumping of the car was postponed. And since Dagan and Leah are leaving tomorrow to spend the weekend with his dad & family (big reason to be thankful there this year!), won't be able to get the car in to be serviced on Monday...not enough time, as Leah and Aaron have appointments right after work.
****
This is not a big deal. I obviously don't have anywhere to go and rarely leave here anyways--LOL! So, probably next week the car will be jumped. Maybe we can try to make an appointment to just jump her and bring her right over to the car dealership? Anyways, the old car will just rest in the garage until we come to pester her again. ;)
****
I'm glad that Leah and all her siblings are getting together today to start their own Thanksgiving holiday tradition now that both their dad and mom are gone. They'll do that this year for Christmas, too. Just makes me happy. :):)
****
Oh and BTW, I could spend the holidays with Dagan and Leah and her brother and sisters any time I wanted to. I was invited. But I'm so used to spending the holidays quite happily alone and I don't travel well, anyways, to be honest. I'm perfectly content here with Karma. Plus, this is their first year without their mom. Maybe next year...who knows?
****
Since I wasn't feeling the best , I forgot to get pictures of the art journal pages just dried with the salt brushed/scrubbed off. The next thing I did was get out the emerald gilded ink and sponge again so I could try out the last of the three templates I purchased this month.
You can see the salt effect, though. Kind of crackly looking.
****
I started on the right side and was a bit too heavy handed with the sponge.
I'm learning. The left side went much better. :)
After the pages had dried I got out the misting box again. First I lightly sprayed both sides all over with the pewter radiant rain, hit the center area with some golden bamboo, and left them to dry.
Here's the results so far. Left side...
...and right side. I'm really enjoying playing with backgrounds. No pressure!
I didn't get much else done all day, to be honest. And don't feel that hot this morning. I have been sleeping basically from between 8-9pm till about 3-4am, though, and loving it. One nap when I'm feeling crummy could throw everything off, of course, but I am happy to have been on day hours since Sunday night. I've had much, much worse days, so this is no big thing. I started to wonder if I actually did have the flu because I was hot and cold, too...but I wasn't running a temp. Hard to tell when you are actually "sick-sick" when you can normally have ache-all-over, nauseous-with-diarrhea days any old time. (I know...I know...TMI--LOL!)
****
Anyways, we hit 50 degrees yesterday! Whoohoo! Told you! Heat wave! Could possibly have a repeat performance today, too. Nice!
****
A serious note on this Thanksgiving Day 2011:
49 million, 1 in 6 households in the United States, don't know where their next meal is coming from or have trouble keeping food on the table for themselves and their families. About 15% of our population is now on food stamps. Food banks and food kitchens are overwhelmed. The new poor come from the middle class and even upper middle class...and soldiers returned from war...
****
So, if you are reading this today and you have food to eat, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head...be thankful...and happy...and grateful. :):)
****
Please don't forget during the year to give food, clothing, money, time...whatever you can...to help your neighbors.
We are all family.
****
Karma and I are warm and safe up here in Fargo with food to eat, a door to lock, beds to sleep in, and places to poop. What more could one ask for? ;)
****
Blessings on this day of thanksgiving!! :):)

33 comments:

Gwen said...

Beautiful photographs and fantastic salt creations:)
I just love the raggedy edge the salt gives!

xx

DJan said...

Blessings to you and Karma on Thanksgiving, Rita. With all your challenges, you never fail to see the bright side of things. I appreciate that so very much, and it's great to have made friends with you; it's one of the things I'm most thankful for. Rest and play. I am not forgetting to be grateful for all that I have and wish I could share it with everyone. Hugs....

Tammy Vitale said...

We are indeed all neighbors and nothing like the Internet to bring that home (otherwise how would a Southern Marylander be chatting with a North Dakotan haveing never met face to face?!). Love your moon picture - hard to get and that one's gorgeous! And of course am loving the art journal pages - I really must try salt. Thanks for the reminder (Leah's been using it a lot lately too. I really like that effect). May you and Karma enjoy your day together. Feel better soon!

carol l mckenna said...

Photos are fantastic ~ as are the 'art creations' ~ Glad you are feeling better ~ Day at a time ~ Give yourself a hug from me and enjoy the day ~ ^_^ ~ hugs and namaste, Carol ^_^

PS ~ enjoy the heat wave

Dee Ready said...

Dear Rita,
The journal pages are lovely. Evocative. Thank you for reminding me just how blessed my life is. I too have a roof over my head, I can afford to heat my home, I have food in the pantry, and three cats who delight my life.

Thank you for sharing your life with all of us. And thanks, also, for having that video in one posting of "Simon's Cat." I bookmarked his site and have looked at it ever since. It makes me laugh out loud. Did you see today's yet with the cat and the kitten and the nap? Wonderful.

Peace.

Rita said...

Gwen--Thanks so much! Have a great day of thanks! :)

Djan--Blessings to you and yours on this fine day! I am so thankful to have met you this year, too. We have so much to be grateful for...it just overwhelms me sometimes and drips out my eyes! :):)

Tammy--I know! Isn't the internet and amazing thing. I never would have been able to picture such a thing in my wildest dreams when I was a kid...and now kids take it for granted. Can you imagine the wondrous things that they will see in their lifetimes? Wow! Blows the mind! :)
Thanks! I hope I will feel better soon, too. Have a great day!! :)

Carol--Thanks so much! Hope you have a really wonderful holiday! :)

Deanna said...

Beautiful skyline.

I'm glad Leah's family are developing their own traditions and staying close. Hopefully next year you can join them.

We do have so much to thankful for - and you are right - so many are in great need. Thanks for the reminder.

Happy Thanksgiving Rita.

Deanna

Beth said...

I did see the moon! The shots are beautiful as is the art.

I suffer from IBS too and it is a pain in the behind. Pun intended. I hope you feel better soon Rita.

HUGS!!

Beth

Rita said...

Dee--I am jealous of your having three cats! LOL! ;)
OMGoodness! Yes, I was thinking of posting that tomorrow. I just love Simon's Cat videos! I'm glad you went back and watched the others. They are such a sweet giggle!
Have a great day, Dee! :)

Deanna--Yes, things change. New traditions develop. I am glad the kids are starting their own memories. :)
Blessings to you and yours, Deanna! Have a wonderful day!! :)

Rita said...

Beth--Thanks! I didn't even notice the moon when I took the shot.
ROFL!! Yes, a pain in the behind--literally! LOL! IBS has kept me housebound even moreso than the pain. Sad, but true. I can empathize with you, lady! ;)
Have a really good day!! :):)

Jennibellie said...

Stunning pictures, and happy to see your page evolving, really nice. You're really good at picking collaborative colours, something I need to work on and actually think about a little bit when I create I think, thanks for sharing :) x

Anonymous said...

Oh I finally made it to today... Happy thanksgiving Rita. I didn't make it long on days. I made it to 2pm and suddenly felt zombified..... I laid down but had to get up to go to the bank. We had to get our refinance papers notarized. The bank was so desperate to keep their customers they refinanced for nothing! We went down a whole point and they paid for the appraisal too. Odd. I guess keeping customers is important these days. Well I must have looked like a mental patient high on something while I signed but I didn't care. When I got home I poured myself back into bed and was out. Riley came in asking me about taking him somewhere and I barely remember talking to him. Needless to say he didn't go. I woke up just before midnight. UGH! So I've been up all night.

You know I have IBS too but right now my biggest issue is RLS.... and neuralgia pain. I'm falling apart I tell you. My hands are shaking bad today and I keep dropping things, my legs are bugging me and it feels like a bee is stinging me on the bottom of my foot and big toe. I'm thinking if a drop a large rock on my toe it would feel better.

Okay, I'm thankful for my toes so I wont do that. My husband is actually missing a big toe and he has issues with one shoe not fitting right LOL One is either two tight or two loose. Oh, and it warmed up to -2 degrees. I'm thankful for that! I hope you have a good thanksgiving Rita. I hate that you are alone but then again you don't have to cook a bunch. I am going to cook but I get to do it in my pajamas. They stretch a lot :O)

Serena Lewis said...

I love what you did with the pages, Rita...layering is so much fun.

So sorry you're off colour at the moment but I do hope whatever it is goes away and leaves you alone. Yep, living with daily pain and fatigue makes it hard to diagnose other problems...I have that experience myself.

How lovely that Leah and her siblings are starting their own tradition at Thanksgiving. I hope they all have a great time. I can understand your contentment to be alone on those holidays.

I hope your sleep time at night continues.

Your Thanksgiving message was beautiful and so important. We don't do Thanksgiving here in Australia but there is reason to be thankful every day. I will certainly look to making some donations, particularly with Christmas coming up. We have much to be thankful for.

Love,
Serena xo

Gwen said...

Thank you Rita for your amazing comment. I have just become a follower of yours too. I will put you on my sidebar I think, as I have problems with the blogs I follow, in that they don't appear on a list as they should. I think you are inventive too. We will have to keep in touch and share ideas..well that's really what we are doing anyway. Excuse the ramble:)
xx

Rita said...

Jenny--Glad you like my attempts at backgrounds. I have been fairly happy with them and am learning as I go. Have a great day!! :)

Donna--Sounds like you got a super deal with the refinancing! Whoohoo!!
I have those days, too--where I feel like I am 90 years old and coming apart at the seams. Sucks! You sleep and I walk around so tired I can't see straight and can't sleep. Either way--sucks! But, you have to laugh. Nothing left to do some days but laugh. Keeps me sane. Good thing I have Miss Karma around to give me chuckles every day. ;)
Glad it warmed up to minus 2 degrees! Heat wave up there, too! Nice!
I don't mind being alone at all. Honestly. I've been spending almost every Thanksgiving and Christmas alone since 1999. I spent years and years doing the running over the holidays from here to there. Been there. Done that. Dagan's grown. No grandbabies. No big deal. I actually look forward to my quiet, peaceful holidays. Not sure I'd want to change them anymore. So--no worries. :):) Have fun cooking in your pjs!! ;)

Rita said...

Serena--Thanks, sweetie!
Yes! It is pretty sad when you aren't even sure if you have the flu or don't notice a badly abscessed tooth with a cyst--ROFL!! ;)
I think Leah, siblings, and mates are going to have a wonderful time. They are all looking forward to it. Leah next oldest sister was over helping cook/bake yesterday already, I think. I heard laughter. Makes my heart swell. :)
Yup--I did my time with all the running on the holidays. Me and my body do really well quietly at home. ;)
They always do clothing and food drives up here and toy donations before Christmas. It's a good thing to remember after the holidays. It's a long winter...a long year. :)
Have a great day! Hope you're feeling lots better. :)

Gwen--Oh goodness! You're welcome. If I love it, I say so. :):)
There's been some people complaining about the blogger reader lately. Yes, put me on the sidebar! Don't want you to lose me. ;)
You never have to worry about rambling when you visit here!! LOL! Ramble away! :):)

betty said...

Wonderful message to help people to make sure they have their basic needs that so many of us take for granted. I saw all the stories of the meals going to be served today at various rescue missions here and the volunteers helping out. I thought "wouldn't that be neat to get that many volunteers other days when they serve meals?"

It is good I think for young couples to make their own traditions, especially if they are far from family or if family is gone. Sometimes it is neat to make new ones with incorporating things from what they both did growing up; makes it interesting I think!

Like the sky shots; I saw the moon this morning too, it was cool, just that sliver!

Sorry you haven't been feeling too good this week; not fair to have the fibromyalgia and IBS too.

take care of yourself

betty

Desiree said...

I suffer from IBS as well and it is seriously worse when I am stressed (sigh) which I have been sadly due to family, but I am blessed and thankful and all are alive so that is important! Hopefully we all will make it to next year's Thanksgiving!

Loving the these pages in the art journal, I have not tried the salt effect yet but it is one I so want to try, just have to buy salt!

I have been busy with returning to work and trying to sort out life in general I have only got little bits of anything crafty done, I so hope to make myself find the time to do a good posting soon with some pictures!

Rita said...

Betty--Yes, that's what I thought. People remember during the holiday season, but it is a long year.
Yes, I think they are trying to preserve the traditions they had in the family while their mother was alive. That's such a good thing. :)
Sadly the fibro and IBS often go hand in hand. Not a lot you can do about it. We were never promised life would be fair--LOL!
Have a great weekend! :)

Desi--Yes! I always joke that my body turned into a stress barometer! Even when I don't consciously realize I am stressed about something, my body will reveal it. But sometimes there's just nothing whatsoever bothering me, either. *sigh*
The salt technique is fun to play with. You can try table salt, but a chunkier salt will give you different effects.
Good luck at work and I hope you get to play a little soon. Being creative with your hands is food for the soul! :):)

Far Side of Fifty said...

Happy Thanksgiving! A place to poop is good! :)

Furry Bottoms said...

Miss Rita, you stole Karma's box to dry your project in?!

I hope you feel better. I have a stomach ache, all from yesterday's eating. I think today, while I am at work, I'm going to walk around the building 5-10 times (inside of course) just to work some of this jiggle off.

Rita said...

Connie--You darn tootin' it is! ;)

Nikki--LOL! No sharing this box ever with Karma. Cat hair is most annoying stuck to your art projects. It's mine-mine-mine, I tell you!! LOL!
I think I caught a little stomach bug that has been in no hurry to leave. Hope you had a good walk around the building. I'd have to walk for months...years...to get this jiggle off--LOL! ;)

Serena Lewis said...

I hope all is well, dear friend ~ xo

Rita said...

Serena--Didn't have internet all morning. Still feeling a little off, but nothing that would have kept me from posting--LOL! ;) I'm okay. Love and hugs!

AliceKay said...

Beautiful pictures. As I sat here wondering why the suns in your sunrise shots are more colorful than they are in mine, I finally figured it out. By the time I see the sun come over the mountain here at my place, it's already been "up" for awhile. ;)

I know I'm late getting to your recent blog posts, but you know what's been going on in my neck of the woods. I'll go up to the next post now....hoping you were feeling better than you were feeling on Thursday.

Rita said...

AliceKay--That makes perfect sense. By the time you see the sun it has been up and the sky has turned blue. :)
Don't worry. I know you have had a lot going on your way and you back has been bothering you. Rest up lady! :)

Intense Guy said...

Your water color art looks so "organic"! One could almost see the living creatures in it.

I hope you feel MUCH better today!

*Hugs*

Rita said...

Iggy--Thanks so much, sweetie! Feeling better comes to those who wait. ;)

Queenie Jeannie said...

Ohhhhhh!!! LOVE THIS!!!! It looks like the bottom of the sea! You just need a mermaid, lol!

And yes, we have so much to be thankful for! I hope things turn around for those struggling in this rotten economy!!!!

Rita said...

Jeannie--LOL! I wonder if I have any fish stamps...
I hope so, too! :)

Toriz said...

Sorry to hear you've been having some bad health days; YAY for sleeping at night though!

A good message there; be thankful and helpful all year, not just at the holidays!

Rita said...

Tori--I've been doing well with the sleeping for a while now--knock on wood! ;) I wasn't feeling well for quite a while there...like a stomach bug and headache and dizziness. Bleh! Better now, thanks! :)
Yes, we should remember to be thankful the whole year long. :):)

Toriz said...

Glad to hear it! :)