Saturday-6:45am

Caught such a pretty sunrise a couple days ago.  I haven't usually been up before the sun lately.  Today I am, but it's 30 degrees, 100% humidity, and foggy out there this morning. 

I actually played with the weekly zendala the last couple days.

It went places I didn't expect... 

...as doodling often does. 

I had a wonderful pajama-movie-day birthday.  Watched Lincoln (very good) and Killing Them Softly (odd, violent movie with no real ending).  It was a warm sunny day in the 30s.  We had several last week.  So many that the parking lot turned from an ice skating rink during the nights into a lake during the days.

Karma was loving the morning sun...

...and I'd find her on my chair by the craft table soaking up rays. 

When I wanted to sit there I would just roll her away and grab another chair...which she found so very annoying.  She was pawing and beating up the chair in protest--so I tossed her new catnip toy at her...

...which she grabbed with her teeth and played with for a while.

A pause to rest--clutching her toy.

We played a little catch-my-toes, too. 

It's so nice to have Karma back to her goofy, opinionated self.  :)  She's lost 2-3 pounds over this illness.  (Weighing her at home isn't as accurate or easy since she doesn't like to be picked up, either.)  

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What a birthday!  I have to tell you--people literally shocked me to tears this year.  Several times.  I won't name names, but two people sent me Amazon gift credits and another sent money toward Karma's vet bill (and a couple more offered)!!  It's not often you will find me speechless.  ;)  I got comments and cards and letters and emails and ecards...it was a marvelous birthday!  My soul must have really needed it because I felt it lift and lift.  My heartfelt thanks to every one of you.  Bless you!!  :):)

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Leah stopped by to cut my hair on Wednesday--so I maybe lost an ounce or two, myself--LOL!  I'm not moving quickly yet (as if I ever do anymore), but I have been working on replying to letters.  Next project will be making thank you cards!!    

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Funny, I woke up with this repeating thought in my head a few days ago--that we humans are both mundane and profound...mundane and profound...mundane and profound.  Like an ear worm thought, it's been in my head for days.  Makes me smile, actually.  Anyways, just wanted to pop in and say a very happy hi from Fargo.  Many thanks and may your life be overflowing with blessings, too!!  :) :)

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"One word can be more precious than all the treasures on earth."

Hazrat Inayat Khan

Tuesday-9am

You've may have already figured out that I have decided to go back to random blogging again and just pop in when I have something to share.  I had wondered how I was going to change my blogging habits before these last couple months forced me on a kind of blogland vacation.  Now, easing my way back, I am going to have to play it by ear and find out what works best for me.  :)  I have finally caught up with emails, though!  Feels marvelous!  And soooo nice to be in touch again.  Now this week I can start reading blogs--whoohoo!  I may not be commenting as often--not sure--but know that I will at least be reading again and keeping up with what you all are up to.  

So happy!

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Was a gorgeous day yesterday...

...with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. 

Warm enough (close to 30 degrees) to melt some snow. 

When you hear cars splashing through puddles you know spring is just around the corner.  

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Karma got the funniest card from Patricia (friend since high school).  I just chuckle every time I see it so I just had to show you...

...and on the inside: 

She enclosed this catnip bag toy,,,

...and Karma loves it!  

Dozed off holding it... 

...until I interrupted her with the camera--LOL! 

Karma's back to begging for her string toys and attacking them in her normally brief feisty way.  She's perkier and up and down and here and there again.  Granted, she still needs her beauty sleep, but she's back to watching CatTV on the chair by the window and doing all her normal "Karma" things.  

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I've been busy replying to some absolutely wonderful letters.  Yes--snail mail--ahhh!  You know how I dearly love my snail mail.  I've already received some birthday cards, too--and even got a St. Patty's Day card and a sympathy card for Ruby.  Caught up with two weeks of laundry.  I know, I usually wash once a week, but I was saving all my good hours to work on the invitations.  When it came down to fitting in laundry or some playtime...well, the zendala won.

  Priorities, right?  ;)  LOL!

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  I'm being very careful not to overdo anything at all and spread out what I am doing sparsely over the day.  So far, so good.  :)  I most certainly do not want to annoy and set off my moody old body for any reason--ROFL!  I have learned about patience from many angles these past years.  Things are going very well.  The sun is shining.  It's 3 degrees, but supposed to maybe hit 25 today.  I am looking forward to doing something creative this week.  Life is good.  I have a big old sappy smile on my face as I am typing this.  

Happy Tuesday!!  :) :)

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"We can't control our destiny, but we can control who we become."

Anne Frank

Friday-9:45am: Karma's results

I think Karma is in the clear!

I got an email from them yesterday afternoon.  Here--I'll let you judge for yourself:

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We got Karma's urine today and were able to recheck her urinalysis. Overall it is much improved with no sign of white or red blood cells and very little bacteria. She does have a lot of struvite crystals, however these can form when urine sits, and I understand that Karma's sample was about 20 hours old, so this is to be expected. Hopefully the crystals developed as the urine sat and not in Karma's bladder!

I am encouraged by these results. I hope she is doing well at home.

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 Sounds mostly positive, right?  Leah thought so.  She was less bothered by the crystal confusion than I was...and now that I said crystal confusion...

...Tommy James & The Shondells have ear wormed me and brought me back to being 18 in 1969--LOL!
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Their most popular song, though, was Crimson and Clover:


Played on the radio endlessly.
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I must be getting nostalgic with my birthday coming up and realizing how many decades have gone by--ROFL!  
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I know some of you will ask--I'll be 62 on the 28th.  Been an amazing journey so far.  :):)
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Anyways, happy that Karma is likely cured, (I'm feeling better, too), the sun is out, has warmed up to zero degrees, Leah finished putting the cards together last night, and I am just waiting on the last five addresses to fill out envelopes for her.  Karma is crying at the porch door to go out (not for long when she realizes how cold it is out there).  
Have a great day!!!
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"Sit in reverie, and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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(I think Henry would have fit in quite comfortably in the 60s.)

Thursday-7am

Lots of pictures today! 

Including the zendala for this week! 

Proof that I am starting to feel better.

I couldn't sit for long at a time...

...and wasn't up to looking up different zentangles to use...

...so I just did my own thing.

Was such fun--and always so relaxing--to be doodling again.  :)  Thought I'd add some color this time, too.

We had another snowstorm Sunday/Monday.  I don't think they've moved this car for about three or four snowstorms--lol!

There was ice under the snow and this car got stuck right there in the middle trying to get out of her parking spot.

Someone she knew in an SUV came and pushed the car back in.  Don't see anybody doing that very often around here.  Pushing is usually done manually.  People don't normally want to take a chance of damaging their vehicle.  I found it fascinating.  They pushed it back in and then gave her a ride to wherever she needed to be.

Karma was out enjoying the snow...

...for very short periods of time because it was so cold--around zero.  (It's -8 degrees right now.)

I think she mainly wanted out so she could make her tasty footprints.

She's obviously feeling more her relaxed self.  Beginning to sprawl a bit again--not always in a tucked ball.

Speaking of balls...those pee balls....!!!

Such a teeny, tiny amount!  And these are $5 a crack!

They're itty-bitty plastic tube shapes...

...that couldn't scatter even one thin layer on the bottom of her empty, cleaned cat box.

Well, I can tell you--Miss Karma was not happy.  She cried and complained--trying to tell her stupid human that she had forgotten to replace her kitty litter.  I ignored her--tried to tell her it was okay--but Karma managed to hold all pee and poop for almost 16 hours--then made a much louder protest...

...and peed on the carpet right next to the cat box.

That's what Karma thought of those urine beads.  

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So, I quick grabbed the syringe they sent and sucked as much pee as I could out of the carpeting so I could get a sample into the little cup.  I hope it will suffice--fibers and all.  Dagan is dropping the sample off this morning at the vet clinic, so I expect to hear something later today.  If it doesn't work--well, that is as far as I go with this test.  I'm not bringing Karma in to be put under and such.  I will just wait and watch her for signs of it returning, I guess.  

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Nothing is easy with Miss Karma, eh?  LOL!

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Right now, she's been off the pills for a week, is acting much more like her old self, and eating much better.  No leaking and the diarrhea is gone. Ahhh!  So I think it worked.  I pray it worked.  And I hope we get definitive positive results today.

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Dagan and Leah were over on Monday and last night.  Dagan ran the SpotBot on the carpet (you know where) for me last night.  They brought dinner and after that had a conference sibling video chat with Leah's brother in the Navy for his birthday.  Leah got almost done with the invitations!  She's coming back tonight.  Leah will finish putting them together and I'll address the envelopes.  This is what the craft table looks like this morning.  

I think the invitations are cute and classy.  This is what the fronts look like.  The buggy is lifted up off the page a bit with dimensional foam squares.

These are the insides.  One shower has the ovals and other one has the circles.

I covered up all the private info, but I loved this idea of asking people to maybe bring a children's book and put a message inside the cover instead of a card.  

Nothing better than books for kids!  I started reading to Dagan when he was just brand new to this world.  Even at just days old his eyes would become huge mesmerized saucers when I did my dramatic vocal effects reading of The Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs.  ;)  He loved it!

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Speaking of reading...I may not be reading blogs yet, but I finally got to answering some emails yesterday.  (I am weeks behind!)  I expect things to get back to normal here by April.

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  April!  

Do you believe it!

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2013 is already three months gone!  What a beginning to this year, eh?  I knew it would be a year of shifts and changes...but you never know what that might entail.  ;)  But it's all okay--it's all good.  Life is filled with surprises--and shocks--rich with variety--flows from dark to light.  The tears arise--from sorrow to awe to that joyous, squealing laughter.  

"Life is short, but it's wide." 

Kind of like me--ROFL!

(This is one of my magnets on my frig.) 

It's all what it is meant to be.

Happy Thursday, you wonderful people! 

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"I am grateful to be a rainbow in somebody's cloud."

Maya Angelou

Monday-9:30am

This morning we have 15 degrees, light snow, up to 45 mph wind gusts, and can barely see past the garages.  

Blizzard conditions.

Blizzards have nothing to do with how much snow we're getting--but how much wind.  Lots of cancellations and postponements again today due to the weather.  Must have been a bear for people getting to work today. 

Meanwhile...Karma and I are inside and warm.  She's feeling better as the days go by and she's not on antibiotics.  I found a feather toy in the middle of the floor Saturday morning!  :)  She's not sleeping almost 24/7.  More alert. 

Still bothered by the door chime across the hall...

...and intrigued by the sound of people scraping their car windows. 

Dagan and Leah made it over Saturday--between snowstorms.  (We had one Friday and this one started Sunday.)  Karma even hissed at Dagan and Leah again when they walked by her.  She didn't run in the bedroom or anything--just letting everybody know she was there and making up for several visits where she couldn't keep her eyes open, never left her bed, and felt too crummy to even hiss--LOL!  Never thought I'd be happy to see her being Miss Crabby Pants again.  ;)

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The goal Saturday afternoon was to get the information for the inside of the two different invitations printed out.  Always a challenge getting my printer to communicate properly and my internet to feel generous toward newcomers (Leah has a new laptop/tablet conversion thingie--waaay cool!).  But we managed to get all the electronics cooperating, adjusted the info to the right sizes (to fit circles and ovals), and printed them off...

...before Leah had to go spend the evening volunteering to man the phones at the local PBS for pledge week.  Leah does this every year and I usually watch the night she's there so I can get my glimpses of her at the phone bank, but I couldn't listen very long this year--they ended up with this gospel jazz night this year (Leah never knows ahead of time).  Jazz is just is definitely not my thing...hard on my ears.  ;)  Leah's the one in the blue top.  

Since I have started feeling a little bit functional for the past several days (tada!), I've been using up all my productive time sessions working on the baby shower cards for Leah's sister's two showers.  I am glad to be able to finally help Leah out!  You know how much she and Dagan do for me.  :)  Little by little, I embossed "shower" in white on the brown baby buggies yesterday.  This is what it looks like this morning.  

Today...I'm not sure.

I may have to take a day off.  (Shoulders, neck, and back--well, my body is the ringmaster in my personal circus, as you know--lol!)  But the next step is to crank away and cut out the ovals and circles for the inside info.  With the weather being so bad--(well, unless it clears up this afternoon, which I doubt)--Leah won't make it tonight to work on cards.  Weather like this you just want to make it home safe, you know.  They have plans on Tuesday--so I'll probably see her Wednesday night.  Gives me a few days to putter when I'm able.  :) :) 

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Dagan will make a quick stop after work on Tuesday to use my land line for his pacemaker check...and drop off the urine beads (pee balls--lol!).  Then I will see him briefly on Wednesday night when he stops by to pick up whatever sample I have hopefully gotten to bring over to the vet clinic.

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Tuesday afternoon I also have a home visit from an intern from the county folks who provide Caroline to me for cleaning every other week.  Looks like I'll have to clear off a spot at the craft table for the young lady to sit and do her paperwork.  ;)

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Those are my plans for this week so far.  I'm just so happy to be able to be making something with my hands again--and to be helping Leah, you know?  Everyone needs to feel useful.  Makes me happy.  And when we are done, then I can do whatever I want...or whatever the ringmaster allows.  ;)  Coming slowly out of the worst and longest fibro flare I've had in several years makes me truly appreciate anything I can do more than ever!  Nothing makes you appreciate your limited life than an extreme reduction of those very limitations.  

Life is good!!

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I still have not been able to spend much time at all online, but that should slowly change.  (You know I'm an optimist, but I am done guessing--lol!)  In the meantime, I can at least try to pop in and blog to say hi.  I have read and appreciate every single comment and personal email--just haven't been able to respond individually.  But they do mean the world to me!!  Thanks so much--from me and Miss Karma.  

Have a fabulous day!!

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"Relationships are the oxygen of the psyche."

Jane Fonda

Thursday-10am

Good Morning!

It doesn't matter which bed is on "her" chair--Karma spends most of her time in her very favorite spot.

I took a smaller planter to grow some cat grass for her and she's been nibbling a little.

Mostly though...

...she just sleeps a lot.

Or she's wanting, in no uncertain terms, to be up on my chest for a cuddle.  Karma hasn't realized it yet but this is her first pill-free day in a month--tada!  

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There's been a change in plans, though.  We are not bringing her in to the clinic tomorrow.  The vet called and suggested, since Karma was so traumatized the last time she was there, that we try doing the urine beads (I call them pee balls--LOL!) in her cat box to get a sample.  That way she wouldn't even have to come in at all--plus she might possibly freak out and pee out any sample they might have gotten as soon as she realizes she's back at the vets, anyways.  I was happy about that and hope it works.

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The sample has to be dropped off within 48 hours--preferably 24.  So--Dagan is going to go pick up the urine beads on Friday.  Since the clinic is closed over the weekend and he has to come over Tuesday after work for a pacemaker check anyways (I have a land line and cell phones don't work on the pacemaker machine), he'll bring everything over with him on Tuesday.  Plus, the vet clinic is only open later on Wednesday and Thursday, so then he can drop the sample off after work when I have one--hopefully Wednesday.

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I cannot shut her in the bathroom or the bedroom as many people would do.  For one thing, you know how Karma is about change in her personal life--and she yowls and howls with great enthusiasm and volume when she's upset.  (Just ask them at the vet clinic--LOL!)  Using another litter tray--well, I'd also have to go buy one to have one in another room.  Karma is used to her privacy...

...and having a lot of space.  

And the reason she has such luxury in the hallway in the first place is there was not really anywhere else to put a cat box in my small, jam-packed apartment.  So I have to hope she will just use her box normally even if it won't have "her" normal litter in it.  It's our best bet for getting a stress-free sample, that's for sure.  Karma is the most opinionated, persnickety cat with attitude I have ever lived with.  Her reactions are always hard to predict--well, face it, beyond comprehension sometimes--LOL!  Think positive, right?  

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But that means--if all goes well--I won't know until probably next Thursday.  More waiting.  But Karma's done with the pills, anyways.  Hurray!  She's been moody about taking those, too, of course.  One time she puts up a twisting struggle--occasionally biting down hard enough on my finger to draw a pin hole of blood--and the next time she may be placidly cooperative. ??  The perpetual mystery of the Karma mind.  Anyways, I'll let you know.

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Meanwhile...Dagan and Leah were here last night.  Leah worked on the baby shower invitations for her sister.  Dagan ran the SpotBot (rug cleaner) for me again and even made dinner for us and cleaned up the kitchen afterwards.  I am still not in the best shape, but what little extra I can manage to do--I am helping work on the cards for Leah, so I am still not on the computer much at all.   

They plan to come back tonight and during the day today I am working on punching out all the tiny pieces in these cute baby buggies Leah was die-cutting last night for the front of the card.  (Her sister is expecting a boy so the cards are in a blue and brown theme.)  

Lastly, I have some wonderful news that couldn't have possibly come at a better time!  Dion Dior was giving away on her blog a membership to the 21 Secrets Workshops over at Dirty Footprints Studio--and I won!!  See details here.  Dion is one of the teachers for one of the 21 classes and--truth--I thought I won just the entry to her class.  I was already so excited--but now I think I won the whole 21 classes!  If you click on that last link--well, it looks like I won the whole shebang!  Dagan and Leah thought so.  Wow!  You can access all of the art classes 24/7 from April 1, 2013 until Jan 1, 2014.  As you can see on the link, most of them have to do with mixed media and art journaling--whoohoo!  What a wonderful gift!  And it's even my birthday this month!  Something to lift my spirits for the rest of the year!!!  Wow!

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Now--I just need to get to feeling well enough to play, right?  It's coming!  I'm able to do a little card helping right now...so art play can't be too far behind once we get the shower stuff done.  :):)  

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Have a wonderful weekend.  It feels good to even be able to blog and it not do me in for the day.  ;)  I am off to poke paper pieces...

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"An optimist isn't necessarily a blithe, sappy whistler in the dark.  To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic.  If we remember those times and places where people behaved magnificently, this gives us energy to act and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction." 

Howard Zinn