Proof we saw sunny days...
...and got a little bit of snow with our blizzard conditions this past week.
Barely enough to cover the lawn, but I'll take it.
Looks more like winter with a little white out there.
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Leah sent me another video of Ian eating his solid foods...and now trying to get used to water in a sippy cup. (Which he treats like a very wet chew toy--LOL!) I noticed he has become an intent observer of everything around him...so much more so than three weeks ago when I saw him last.
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The video ends abruptly because Leah said she went to grab the sippy cup before it dropped over the edge of the highchair and knocked the camera over. Anyways, for those of you who were looking forward to an Ian fix...enjoy.
Looks more like winter with a little white out there.
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Leah sent me another video of Ian eating his solid foods...and now trying to get used to water in a sippy cup. (Which he treats like a very wet chew toy--LOL!) I noticed he has become an intent observer of everything around him...so much more so than three weeks ago when I saw him last.
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The video ends abruptly because Leah said she went to grab the sippy cup before it dropped over the edge of the highchair and knocked the camera over. Anyways, for those of you who were looking forward to an Ian fix...enjoy.
On sunny Friday (warmest day last week--12 degrees) Dagan picked me up after work and we went to the Natural Pet Center.
Karma isn't spoiled, is she? Yes, one bag was already opened before I thought to take the picture. I store the foods in jars and tupperware containers.
She also got a new string toy. I seldom buy her toys because the only ones she really likes are toys on a string...
...and I basically do all the work...while she observes...
...and occasionally grabs the toy in her teeth as it flies by and doesn't want to let go. But she can bite a string clean through so quickly that I can't let her keep the toy for long--LOL! This new toy has a plastic "string". May slow her severing down...or ease the process. Not sure. But don't feel sorry for Miss Karma only getting the very occasional string toy.
She has quite a collection on top of the bookcase in the entryway over her almost ten years--LOL! She sits underneath, looks up, and cries when she wants me to entertain her.
Karma's string chomping was the original reason why Leah and I purchased supplies for making our own cat toys a few years back. We can repair and replace strings and make various new cat do-dads. ;)
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Meanwhile...yesterday...another sunny morning...
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Meanwhile...yesterday...another sunny morning...
...we had our McFamily Christmas!
Note the intent observation now with little Ian--LOL!
He's not just laughing at everything these days. I swear he is trying to figure out all those everythings now--LOL! Okay--got to throw in a funny pic. The camera used to be Dagan and Leah's so she knew how to set the timer...and the flashing light obviously entertained Gramma more than Ian--ROFL!
But we got a decent picture, too.
I got my own "mistletoes" canvas to hang on the wall. Leah made these for all the grandparents and great-grandparents...and one for themselves, of course. (Leah's and mine are a little smaller, for you grandparents who were wondering.)
And then...look what I got for Christmas!!
Are you like me and wondering what the heck they actually are--ROFL! Well, the top "screen" that stands up...drum roll, please...is a picture frame that rotates pictures and videos! And, yes--that's a little remote control in front of it! And Leah can load pictures and videos to it..from her place!! OMG! And below that is a new-to-me tablet!! OMGosh! It is so small and light! Has a touch screen. Dagan has one of those cool new laptops that twists and contorts itself into a tablet so he never uses this one anymore. Whoohoo! This one is small enough to fit in my purse even! Wow! Do they keep me in the techie world or what?! :):)
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But--no--I can't show you how either of them work until Dagan and Leah come over next time and actually connect them into my wifi system over here. LOL! I may be kept within the techie world, but I do not know how to actually navigate without extensive assistance and instruction. ;)
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Besides all that excitement...the main thing I have been doing since I saw you last is struggling with the new sewing machine. I did get the little 4-way screwdriver from Amazon so I can remove that plate there if the thread get badly jammed. Pardon me--when the thread gets jammed.
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But--no--I can't show you how either of them work until Dagan and Leah come over next time and actually connect them into my wifi system over here. LOL! I may be kept within the techie world, but I do not know how to actually navigate without extensive assistance and instruction. ;)
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Besides all that excitement...the main thing I have been doing since I saw you last is struggling with the new sewing machine. I did get the little 4-way screwdriver from Amazon so I can remove that plate there if the thread get badly jammed. Pardon me--when the thread gets jammed.
There is not much leeway under there for a screwdriver, as you can see. Why they wouldn't include one with the machine that actually fits is beyond me.
The diaper tote has been a long slow struggle. More like an emotional roller coaster ride...an extreme test of patience and perseverance...trial by fire...trial by thread jam...trial by machine gun shuddering beeping computer failure that shockingly startled both Karma and I at first that now Karma can sleep through (heard it so many times) but can cause me to tear up. The new machine and I are, shall we say, slowly getting to know each other.
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We have formed a kind of semi-truce.
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She has issues.
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I have issues.
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Number one: She is computerized. She does not want me to forget that she is modern and fancy and robotic. For example--she is programmed to stop sewing with the needle in the down position. She does not care that you have tried to completely opt out of the sewing process and do not even have your foot on the pedal anymore--she will thumb her nose at you and finish doing her thing...which totally freaked me out at first (still creepy). No amount of gentleness and sweet talking have any effect on Miss Brother.
Number two: She does not like me to touch her wheel. To raise her needle from the down position you must use a button on the front of the machine (see number one). Even if you just want to move back that one stitch you didn't want her to sew--do not touch her wheel and try to do it manually. It will just piss her off. (Reminds me of the first seven years when Miss Karma did not want me to touch her belly--would put her teeth on my hand and growl if I tried it.) Miss Brother will throw a hissy fit, tangle herself into knots, and refuse to move. Her way or the highway.
Now, keep in mind, I learned to sew in home ec class in high school. I can't remember what year, but I was around 14 years old (that's almost 50 years ago). The machine I had for the last 40 years functioned quite the same as the one I learned on in school and my mom's. You used the wheel to raise and lower the needle and do a couple stitches here and there...all the time...every time you started and stopped sewing. Hand on the wheel was just an integral part of sewing! So telling me do not touch the wheel...well, it's like telling me to get in the car and drive--but don't touch the steering wheel. It feels soooo wrong. My hand automatically goes up there. Just like I automatically go to raise the pressure foot with my left hand because the lever was in the back on my old machine, when I have to use my right on this one. (That's easier to learn because there's nothing back there where the lever in my mind still resides--LOL!--but still find myself automatically reaching with the wrong hand sometimes--hey--four decades.) I am gradually learning not to touch Miss Brother's wheel. Doing quite well, in fact. The inevitable jamming is an excellent deterrent...but still...it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Some old dogs, anyways.
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Number three: She does not like sewing through thick, stiffer fabric. (Honestly, I wouldn't want to try to hem a pair of jeans on Miss Brother.) Even after I basically retrained myself not to touch herfriggin' wheel, she will still jam and throw fits if the fabric is too thick. Even when I went so very, very, very slowly that she didn't stop and kept going for many slow inches...(I mistakenly got excited and felt success within my grasp)...she was just toying with me. Miss Brother had not caught but a stitch or two of the bobbin thread. So she had not actually sewn one stitch. The bitch. She would probably tell you--"Didn't you notice that you can barely push and drag that amount of fabric under my needle? Do you think they made me with less fabric space for no good reason? Duh! Humans!"
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So...the battle continues.
I will get this tote together if I have to do it without her. I can promise you that. There were needles, threads, thimbles, and hands long before you were welded together on an assembly line, missy!!
****
We have formed a kind of semi-truce.
****
She has issues.
****
I have issues.
****
Number one: She is computerized. She does not want me to forget that she is modern and fancy and robotic. For example--she is programmed to stop sewing with the needle in the down position. She does not care that you have tried to completely opt out of the sewing process and do not even have your foot on the pedal anymore--she will thumb her nose at you and finish doing her thing...which totally freaked me out at first (still creepy). No amount of gentleness and sweet talking have any effect on Miss Brother.
Number two: She does not like me to touch her wheel. To raise her needle from the down position you must use a button on the front of the machine (see number one). Even if you just want to move back that one stitch you didn't want her to sew--do not touch her wheel and try to do it manually. It will just piss her off. (Reminds me of the first seven years when Miss Karma did not want me to touch her belly--would put her teeth on my hand and growl if I tried it.) Miss Brother will throw a hissy fit, tangle herself into knots, and refuse to move. Her way or the highway.
Now, keep in mind, I learned to sew in home ec class in high school. I can't remember what year, but I was around 14 years old (that's almost 50 years ago). The machine I had for the last 40 years functioned quite the same as the one I learned on in school and my mom's. You used the wheel to raise and lower the needle and do a couple stitches here and there...all the time...every time you started and stopped sewing. Hand on the wheel was just an integral part of sewing! So telling me do not touch the wheel...well, it's like telling me to get in the car and drive--but don't touch the steering wheel. It feels soooo wrong. My hand automatically goes up there. Just like I automatically go to raise the pressure foot with my left hand because the lever was in the back on my old machine, when I have to use my right on this one. (That's easier to learn because there's nothing back there where the lever in my mind still resides--LOL!--but still find myself automatically reaching with the wrong hand sometimes--hey--four decades.) I am gradually learning not to touch Miss Brother's wheel. Doing quite well, in fact. The inevitable jamming is an excellent deterrent...but still...it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Some old dogs, anyways.
****
Number three: She does not like sewing through thick, stiffer fabric. (Honestly, I wouldn't want to try to hem a pair of jeans on Miss Brother.) Even after I basically retrained myself not to touch her
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So...the battle continues.
I will get this tote together if I have to do it without her. I can promise you that. There were needles, threads, thimbles, and hands long before you were welded together on an assembly line, missy!!
Not today, though.
After being out and about two days in a row...well, you know. I don't have to tell you. But I am soooo happy!! Finally got to see McFamily. Everybody is on the mend--yes, Dagan caught it in the end, too. Didn't even get home till 11pm. Gramma got to cradle Ian while he took a nap and feed him his dinner...which freaked him out a bit because only Mom has been behind the spoon. Talk about stares! ROFL! I wish we had gotten a picture of the sideways glare I got. I'm chuckling out loud right now just remembering it. All three of us burst out laughing! But Ian accepted the change and ate the most he ever has at a sitting. (You may have heard Leah say she was going to try giving him more at a time in the video.) Ian's getting the hang of this eating from a spoon thing...likes sweet potatoes...and has a ferocious grip if he manages to grab ahold of that spoon, let me tell you! He is one strong little boy--LOL!
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Anyways, hope you all have/had a really nice weekend!! Some of you on the other side of this big marble are heading on Monday already. What a world, eh? That we can chat and share our lives...near and far...across miles, oceans, and time zones. ;)
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Have a great week.
Plan to see you Tuesday! :) :)
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"There is an endless net of threads throughout the universe. The horizontal threads are in space. The vertical threads are in time. At every crossing of the threads, there is an individual, and every individual is a crystal bead. And every crystal bead reflects not only the light from every other crystal in the net, but also every other reflection throughout the entire universe."
Rig Veda
After being out and about two days in a row...well, you know. I don't have to tell you. But I am soooo happy!! Finally got to see McFamily. Everybody is on the mend--yes, Dagan caught it in the end, too. Didn't even get home till 11pm. Gramma got to cradle Ian while he took a nap and feed him his dinner...which freaked him out a bit because only Mom has been behind the spoon. Talk about stares! ROFL! I wish we had gotten a picture of the sideways glare I got. I'm chuckling out loud right now just remembering it. All three of us burst out laughing! But Ian accepted the change and ate the most he ever has at a sitting. (You may have heard Leah say she was going to try giving him more at a time in the video.) Ian's getting the hang of this eating from a spoon thing...likes sweet potatoes...and has a ferocious grip if he manages to grab ahold of that spoon, let me tell you! He is one strong little boy--LOL!
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Anyways, hope you all have/had a really nice weekend!! Some of you on the other side of this big marble are heading on Monday already. What a world, eh? That we can chat and share our lives...near and far...across miles, oceans, and time zones. ;)
****
Have a great week.
Plan to see you Tuesday! :) :)
****
"There is an endless net of threads throughout the universe. The horizontal threads are in space. The vertical threads are in time. At every crossing of the threads, there is an individual, and every individual is a crystal bead. And every crystal bead reflects not only the light from every other crystal in the net, but also every other reflection throughout the entire universe."
Rig Veda
21 comments:
love the family photos! so cute! karma is cute, too. even your sunny sky photos look cold, though. :) the sewing machine sounds way to smart for me. the tangled up thread would be enough for me to give up. :)
Hi, Rita! I noticed the changes in Ian, too, as I watched this latest video. God bless that wonderful little boy! If Kitty Kat Karma was mine I'd spoil her, too. I'm glad you got a dusting of snow to make it look more like winter. I'm still waiting and wishing for snow here in Central Florida! :)
Enjoy the week ahead, dear friend Rita!
Any post with Ian and Karma is wonderful. But I smiled to see you in the McFamily photo. You and Dagan look a lot alike. And your antics with Miss Brother made me laugh.
I loved the family portraits as well as the video of Ian. Such a cute little guy! And Karma is lucky to have you!
Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography
He's growing up SO fast!!
Not had time to read your post fully, but you seem to have my problem in that....by the time you finish the tote, he will be out of nappies, as when I finished knitting my grandson's cardigan, he won't wear it. It is almost too small, but he is in the phase of, ' I will wear what i want' and he just refuses to get dressed...
:)
Good luck with the sewing machine.
Will go back later to get my Ian fix....he is just lovely!
Sue xx
I couldn’t open the video, blocked plug-in it said. Wonder why.
However, your pics of the MacFs are delightful too and the big boy is growing apace, I can see.
I would never have the patience to wrestle with a sewing machine, not that I ever learned to operate one.
Keep up the good work, I’m glad to see you so bright and cheerful.
That sewing machine would have me twisted in knots. Guess I'm really glad I have an old one that doesn't even have feed dogs.
You and McFamily look really good. And it looks like Karma has lots of goodies to last at least a few weeks. What a fun time she will have with all that food. Speaking of fun, I have never gotten one of those flying toy things. My friend Sally has bunches of them, just like Karma has.
Good to see you out and about. Your fun post made me smile this Sunday evening. Have a lovely rest of the weekend.
Wow. That's a lot of technology. My fave pic was the first one! Relaxing....
I laughed hard at the video of Ian in t he process of becoming eye-hand coordinated in such a fashion that in a few weeks NOBODY will be able to feed him. He's intent on learning this new spangled thing himself. I also laughed at the sewing machine problems, as I have a machine that is WAY too complicated. What happened to my easy peasy little Singer? :-)
So if you're "not to touch the wheel" what is the point of even having the wheel on the machine?
Ian is getting to be such a bigger boy!!! Had to laugh at his annoyance that water kept coming out of his "chew toy", lol! So funny! My son was the only one to take to a sippy cup right away. Like he KNEW what it was for and how to use it. My girls thought it was just a fantastic mess maker!
So sorry the sewing machine has been such a trial for you. I haven't sewn in years, but did it a lot back in the day. I made a ton of of kid clothes!
So glad you had a lovely Christmas, even if it did tire you out! There's always time to rest up again, right?
Enjoy your week and try to stay warm!!!
Cute video of Ian! I couldn't help but giggle at his intent look in the photo. hehe A nice family photo of you all! :)
Love the mistletoes canvas! Michelle had the girls paint Mikayla and Maddy hand-flowers and then framed them for me and their other Grandmother for Christmas. I love mine!
Those digital picture frames are great! I scored Brad's old iPad when he recently upgraded to the iPad Air 2. I'm enjoying the format.
OH my, I couldn't imagine NOT using the wheel on a sewing machine. My old Bernina used to always finish with the needle up but I could still go back and forth with the wheel if I needed to. I hope you and your machine reach a happy compromise. Good luck!
Btw, I set myself up a bullet journal and I'm loving it so far. :)
Have a lovely week, my friend ~ xo
I smiled at your not letting your sewing machine get the better of you....because I am much in the same boat. I got one of those computerized Brothers in Costco Christmas of 2013 and I'm still making friends. One thing that goes a long way to prevent thread jams (besides not hand turning the wheel) is making sure you are using the correct bobbin size.
Forgot (duh) to say I loved the family photos!
You are a saint with that machine. I think I would have thrown it out the window.....lol. Ian is getting so big! Thanks for sharing. Love the family pics.
Look at you with all your fancy new techy toys! You have more of them than me, you know that? LOL! Hope you enjoy getting to grips with how they work.
I can't sew using a machine at all. I did have a little kids sewing machine at one point, but I know for a fact it was a simplified version of the machines adults were using even then, and this was when I was about 8 or 9 and my Nan was first trying to teach me to knit and sew. I never got on well with the machine, and we gave up on it quickly and kept me to just needle and thread, which I don't do too badly with; I'm not the best at knitting and sewing, but people seem pleased with what I do, so I can't be too bad. But put me in front of a machine and I'm lost.
Karma and Ian are quite the characters! It's a wonder you can be serious at all with the pair of them to entertain you.
At times I wish someone in my family had a camera with a timer so we could get a family photo taken, loved the video of Ian feeding I think most little ones often don't like the taste of water when they first try it
No hand on the wheel? That's not right. I like the inquisitive look on Ian's face in the video. Obviously a brilliant child.
Love,
Janie
Lovely sky shots! And Ian is just adorable.
Ian is really a bright little guy - you can see the gears in his brain turning over!!
Karma and her toy reminds me of a PBS "short" where the kids in a classroom design "cat toys" and basically the one little girl concludes, "The cat didn't like the noisy ones, the ones with floppy things on the end of the string, she seems to like 'just a string' best of all!"
Old habits die hard huh, the sewing machine is a computer... for better (and probably for worse actually, I mean, does everything really need a computer in it?)
Hugs. I love the family Christmas portraits!!
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