Saturday, December 31, 2016

Saturdday-New Year's Eve-11:30am

Happy New Year!
Goodbye to 2016.  
I hope this will be a good year for us all.
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I am very happy to see the jackrabbits this past week.
They are not so skittish as the birds. 
They come at dusk and clean up anything that is left on the ground... 
...leaving little round presents in exchange.  ;) 
Leah came up with a brilliant suggestion for the bird feeder.  The complaint was focused on my hanging the feeder from the balcony above, right?  So we're going to take the bird feeder down, set it on my little metal table out there, and wait to see if they forbid that, too.  
What the heck!  
I have nothing to lose.
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I ran out of the calming spray about five days before Karma did this to her ear in half a day.  How does she manage to do this with no claws?
Again...Leah had a brilliant suggestion.  The cover didn't screw off but Leah managed to pry it off, we added some distilled water, popped the cover back on, and now we have a watered down version to use till the new bottle arrives.  Karma had done that to her ear Wednesday night.  Leah came over Thursday night--and I started spraying her collar again and Karma has pretty much left herself alone and her bloody ear is healing up.  So maybe the spray is really helping?  I'll have to make sure I always have some, I guess.
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Leah spent hours working on Mr. Rusty.  I know!  The problems had not been resolved.  *sigh*  So she had Dagan on speaker phone and he helped her wipe Rusty's brain.  This time I don't have windows 10 and went back to an earlier factory setting--Windows 8?  
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McLap was saved, though!!  
Hurray!  I have backup!!  
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It took till almost midnight before we could finally get to "the box".
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OMG!!!!
WE LOVE IT!!!!
LOVE IT-LOVE IT-LOVE IT!!!!
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Yes!!  We were like kids with a new toy!!  
Mouths hanging open in disbelief!
Eyes sparking!!
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My old Cuttlebug had gotten worse over time...loosened up, I suppose.  We were used to experimenting with shims of all kinds...different plate "sandwiches"...the endless struggle to get a thin die cut all the way...and most of the time without success.  We gave up on the new thin dies a few years ago...well, and cutting very much at all.  It could still cut the circles that Leah used for her Christmas gift tags because those were Spellbinder dies (a bit thicker).  But we haven't wanted to use the Cuttlebug for mass producing our birthday or Christmas cards...well, for years.
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We made a permanent home in the studio for the new Vagabond 2.
 
I'll be clearing off the other half of the shelf behind it because it's a handy place to set things as we are working...but this is its new home. 
 
We were absolutely blown away by how simple it was to cut intricate thin dies we couldn't cut before!!  And without any shims or trouble whatsoever!  Just the plates that come with it and that is that.  Whoohoo!!
 
Of course we had to see how it embossed, too.  We have never had such crisp embossing before!  This machine has power!
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 Leah embossed some thank yous I could add on top of my Christmas thank you cards.  Took no time at all.  With no cranking and sore arms!  Just the push of a button.
 
I taped these all on yesterday, so now I can start working on my Thank You cards so I can get them in the mail.
Leah even made extras!
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We have been just over the moon!!  Been looking up dies for our wish lists...some stamps, too...and sending links back and forth.  (Yes, the internet can be a royal pain sometimes, but don't you just love it?!)  I already had plans to buy a few dies if the Vagabond worked decently and showed them to Leah Thursday night.  Stuff we both like!  Whoohoo!  So will put in an order in January...and will show you the goodies when they arrive.  :) 
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Meanwhile--I will just continue to be extra careful jumping up backwards to sit on the bed because I won't order a step until probably February.  (Priorities, you know--LOL!)  I do plan to get one like I got for Miss Karma.  Made for humans to get in and out of the bathtub, but works fantastic for her and will work for me, too.  (I tried it--LOL!) 
Speaking of Miss Karma.  I am moving my few Christmas do-dads into my Croc boxes this year and hauled them into the pantry in preparation for the undecorating (what little there is).  Of course, Karma lies next to them...since she can't lie on top of them--LOL!
She's my cat arrow--pointing--this is new, did you notice?  She pointed out the Vagabond box to me, too, until I moved it.  :)
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Anyways, I couldn't let the year end on such a sour note.  Leah and I are absolutely thrilled with the new toy!!  I really do foresee a lot more card making in 2017--LOL!  Leah will be back on Monday night for crafts.  We have been bouncing ideas off of each other like crazy!
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Oh, and I also heard that they give you something when you have cataract surgery so that you don't care at all what they are doing to you.  That made me feel a lot better.  Now--it's just worrying about actually physically getting to all these appointments--LOL!  But for now...I have die cutting and embossing on the brain.  Play time was the best!  Leah and I both feel recharged!  :)
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This year I am doing a mini new year's ceremony again.  I plan to join in online again this year with a group of crafters doing this Ring In 2017.  It was pretty fun to watch last year.  They do have a chat room, but I don't usually chat much.  You can do projects with them if you want to.  Last year I joined in on one of the art projects.  This year I plan to use the time to organize for challenges I would like to try in 2017...picking out journals and such.  I might even work on thank you cards.  But since the group went from about 7pm till something like 2am last time (central)...I will do my little new year's ceremony earlier this year.  (Angel cards and such, for my new folks.) 
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Anyways--happy new year to one and all!!  
Things are looking up already. 
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Bless you and thank you for visiting us up here in Fargo.  I am grateful for every comment and every personal email and every letter all year long.  You all are my cyber family!!  Best to you in the coming year.  Love and hugs from me and Miss Karma.
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Hello 2017!!
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"When the waves close over me, I dive down to fish for pearls."
Masha Kaleko 

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

May the new year be sweeta for you, Rita!!

Deb J. in Utah said...

Have a great 2017! I love Karma's Litter-box. What a great idea! I am going to do this if/when we get another kitty. Hope you enjoy your New Year's Eve.Sounds like you have fun plans! Happy New Year, and as always, regards to Karma and McFamily!

AliceKay said...

Wishing you, Karma, and McFamily a very happy New Year.

DJan said...

Wonderful upbeat post, Rita! So glad to hear your new toy seems to be working, and that you have a backup computer! Yay! And Happy New Year to all of us, everywhere. I'm hoping for a good one. :-)

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

This is wonderful Rita. So glad you like that new machine. I've heard mixed reviews about it, so I'm over the moon with happiness that it is working for you.

Glad to read about the bird feeder, too. Now maybe they will stay off your case.

Hope Karma gets better soon. Maybe she need a pet psychiatrist (grin).

It's almost midnight, so I'll wish you happy new year and be gone now!

Neesie said...

It sounds like you're having a good start to the New Year Rita... long may it continue. All the best for you and yours in 2017!

Divers and Sundry said...

Wonderful idea about the bird feeder! :) Rabbit droppings make excellent fertilizer, so they ought to be great for your grass.

I've been blessed by the blogging community. Isn't it a joy to have a way to visit with people without having to leave home?

Happy New Year!

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Oh Karma's poor ear, I hope it is looking much better now as it looked really sore. Oh what a cool machine it does a bloody awesome job. I hope 2017 is a bloody great and wonderful year for you and yours

Serena Lewis said...

Happy New Year to you too, my friend!

Yes! Great idea, Leah! Surely they can't complain if the bird-feeder is on the table.

OH NO...poor Karma. Another brilliant idea by Leah...I hope the watered-down calming spray continues to work its magic until the new bottle arrives.

The Vagabond 2 sure looks snazzy in its new home. I'm so excited for you! It's very precise...awesome!

Good idea to get a step for beside your bed.

Yes, you do get drugged to relax you for cataract surgery.

I hope your New Year's ceremony went well.

Happy New Year to you and to Dagan, Leah, and little Ian.
I'm proud to be a member of your cyber family.

May 2017 bring lots of happiness, love, light, and peace for all.

Love and hugs xo

Far Side of Fifty said...

Happy New Year! Your New Machine looks like a gem! What fun to have a new toy!
Karma is a turd with her ears...I wonder what is in the spray and if you can make your own:)

Far Side of Fifty said...

Hi Rita, Forgot to say yes you won't remember a thing about the actual surgery just maybe a little when they are finishing up. They uses Propofol with me...the Michael Jackson Sleep Aid...I told the anesthesia guy to take lunch after my surgery not during:) You will do great and boy will you be able to see colors again!

Jenny Woolf said...

Oh, what a fabulous gadget. I would love one too to make cards with.
That poor jackrabbit looks cold but I don't suppose anyone would really like it to come indoors :)

Hope you have a Happy 2017, Rita!

Sherry Ellis said...

Hope Karma's ear heals. That looks nasty!

Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2017!

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

I would think that having a birdfeeder on a table within your patio area is within your rights as a homeowner there. You are not infringing on anyone else's property. Plus those birds and jackrabbits depend on you! Look how close the rabbit came up to your window. I wonder what Karma thinks of such a big friend right on the other side of the glass! :)

The embossed cards are beautiful. You are so creative!

Intense Guy said...

Love those wrascally rabbits!!

Leah is brilliant! :)

froebelsternchen said...

Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2017 Rita!!
What fab photos from this giant rabbit!
Hope Karmas ear heals soon ♥♥♥
Wonderful cards!

oxo Susi

Stephanie Faris said...

Wow. You've been busy, busy! I hope 2017 is a great year for all of us.

Lady Fi said...

Oh my - poor Karma!