Good afternoon!
Leah, Ian, and Liam came over Monday afternoon, but the boys decided they didn't want Spam after all. They were all excited about Burger King, so they showed up with some for me, too. Not bad! It is a treat for Gramma to get take out food.
Leah needed to make birthday invites for Liam's birthday coming up in beginning of September so she wanted to do that early. But her main reason was to make a couple of birthday cards to mail out right away...with the new stamp and die set she got at Kay's!
The boys watched some of their shows on Netflix...
...while Mama made these awesome cards!
A lot of work, but they are so cool! When you open the card there is this pop-up where she attached a gift card holder (another die but not in this set) to the pop-up piece.
They took my spider plant with them when they left. She would have taken them both but the other one was still must have had water and was too heavy so she wanted to wait.
When the bookcase sells I won't have any place to put it except down low where Allie will chew on it, I am afraid. I could put it on Allie's favorite spot--the end table by the patio door--but that seems cruel and it would be too cold in the winter anyways over there. So Leah is taking both of the plants eventually--or when the bookcase sells, at least.
The boys went wild with birthday stickers on the backs of the envelopes for the cards!
They even went a little wild with the postage stamps and balloons on the front, too. What fun!!
It was in the 90s till Friday. Then we dropped into the 80s. In the hot weather the boys had some kind of slip and slide...perfect for when it is 95 degrees--lol!
But yesterday (Saturday) we had thunderstorms rolling through with light and heavy rain most of the day and into the night. Had flood warnings last night. One extreme to the next...but we needed some rain. I loved it! Temps dropped down to the 60s (still super humid) but I cracked open the patio door just to listen to the thunder and the pounding of the rain and to smell the freshness of the air!
Dagan came by on Thursday with some of Leah's homemade beef broth and pork broth. I've never heard of pork broth before. She's never sent me any, either. Interesting. Anyways, I wanted some broth as I am fasting--liquid fasting--this month. I decided my system probably needs a break and I am tired of dealing with all the IBS issues so thought it can't hurt and I am willing to try anything. My plan is to do a liquid fast during the week and eat during the weekend. Well, my basic plan.
I had thought I was going to start on Monday--but then we were talking that Spam lunch--which turned into Burger King--so I waited till Tuesday. ;) I fasted Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...but then remembered about my appointment on Monday--which means I can't eat on Sunday anyways. (I never eat the day before appointments--this is just my life.) I didn't want to miss an eating day--so I ate Friday and Saturday. Fasting again now today and will go until Thursday or Friday (depending on how I feel about having two or maybe three days to eat--lol!). That's why I say "basic" plan. ;)
Even though Dagan was over Thursday and we had a nice long chat...I forgot all about asking him to bring out the trash for me--duh! We had a really heavy bag with all the spices from my kitchen. So he stopped by on Friday--and said it wasn't that bad, but was heavy.
There are times I look at him when things like this happen and remember when he was too weak to carry in a gallon of milk from the car when he was a boy...or when he was on the heart transplant list for a while when he was 19 and needed a wheelchair when we went to doctor appointments...and now he's the one to lift the heavy bags up high and into the dumpster. Life is such a miracle. :) :)
Anyways, was a week filled with little things...banking, laundry, walking down the rent check, dishwasher, setting up the bullet for August, watering the patio...and then...
I can't even remember how I stumbled across this lady on YouTube early in the week...but it was because it said she did slow, small art that I got drawn in. Now that I know it will likely be spring or later before I move...well, I can slow down a little bit. (I'm exhausted anyways--lol!) I had already been thinking about working on cards, but kept thinking about doing something more artistic...something with paintbrushes. But getting out the art journals seemed overwhelming to me right now...no idea what I felt up to, you know? Then I run across this lady, Amy.
She's doing a free inchie challenge (from the 7th through the 18th) working on 2-inch squares of watercolor paper with just WC paints and micron pens...every day...slowly. The 2023 Inchie Challenge. She sends a prompt every day, I guess.
Well, I thought--even I could maybe manage that. I took it as a sign. Thought about it, watched a few of her videos. Looked like a combination of free form watercolor marks with zentangling or mandala doodling. Absolutely no pressure. Could even do watercolors one day and pen the next day after they were dry. I signed up and started cutting up some cheaper WC paper into 2-inch squares. (But I think if you had acrylic paints you could just use those and other paper.) Anyways, I am going to give it a go!! Let me know if you want to try it, too. Sorry about the short notice. But there's not much at all in way of supplies.
These lovely clouds turned later to precious storm clouds.
Allie wasn't sure about the thunderclaps.
I have been having crazy hours again for several days. So I will have to set an alarm to make sure I am up and dressed and human for the dermatologist tomorrow. Been waiting for so long I can't remember when I made this appointment--Feb? Mar? Maybe he can cut off this bump on my head from the cupboard door finally. That's what I made the appointment for because the other doctors didn't want to deal with it. Never went away...just got smaller and harder. Took so long that now I also want to ask him about my shingles rash that won't go away. I think my immune system is so shot it is in super low gear. Anyways, tomorrow I will know more.
Meanwhile--I liked this latest shower curtain so much it has been up most of the week.
I really do enjoy my wild shower curtains! :)
Last night...couldn't sleep all night...second night in a row. As long as I was up, I decided at 3am that I wanted my art desk back. I wanted that spot to be able to have the stuff set up for the inchies every day...just ready to go, you know? Like it should be and was before. Not stacked full of stuff like a storage area.
So, I just cleared off a space to work...and set it up for the inchies! And got out my favorite porcelain palette, too! Why not?
All of which means the die cutting table is stacked full! Plus several areas in the bookcases--lol! Who cares. I have to go thru every bit of it anyways.
I decided I'm going to sell this porcelain palette. I like my round one better. (See! Already purging--lol!) I cleaned it up but wasn't sure if I should clean out the paints, too? Maybe sell it as is. They can always get rid of the watercolor paints.
Oh, Leah was asking me about perennials around the window wells since this is what I would see out the south window. That trampoline looks so close, but it is big and the netting is just high.
And I can see the roof of the house next door from the north window. You can see there is some kind of prairie grass along the sides of the window well.
We've decided on lavender around the south window well. Leah laid out cones to show me where she'd plant, Far enough away in the front so it doesn't block out the sky, you know? But enough for feeling you have privacy. I like that.
The boys had their Saturday fun at Home Depot.
I love that they go as a family (if Dagan doesn't have to work).
They boys explaining what they each made.
Ian
Liam
The family heading home.
Liam is losing teeth. He had three teeth coming in behind his baby teeth! Not good. I think he has one left to come out. I can imagine he might need braces one day.
Well, I've been working on this since midafternoon--need to proofread this and post it. Always takes me longer anymore than I think it will--lol!
Oh, Trent was there today, too! How could I forget that. Not a lot to see--working on electrical. But Leah had questions for me about the washer and dryer platform and shelves in the laundry room, etc.
And I did re-watch Avatar this week before I watched the new one--Avatar:The Way of Water. I didn't realize there will be four movies/parts altogether. I really liked the first one, but I did find some elements of the second one confusing in a how-in-the-world-did that-occur kind of way. Maybe I missed something. Still was pretty good.
Okay--that's it. Time to say goodbye for now.
Till next time...I hope I have some inchies to show you. Maybe quite a few? Thinking positive. :) :)
15 comments:
It would be such a pleasure to receive one of those homemade cards. A lost art for the most part, I’m afraid. A trip to the dollar store is easier.
I liked Avatar and we started watching the second one just the other day and I could not get into it at all. Maybe another time?
A very busy and full week, for sure. I am hoping you do get some sleep, though. Last night I finally got plenty of sleep and feel great today!
Too bad we do not live closer, I really like that bookcase! Love that shower curtain, it looks so fun!
Those were cute videos of the treasure chests! Hope you have good luck at the dermatologist!
Since I don't like Spam I would go for Burger King as well, I don't have a lot of take away usually it is Tim who wants it. Hand made cards are so much more personal in my opinion, children love stickers. I don't mind listening to a thunder storm as long as it's not too loud. Tim has suffered with IBS for years so I am aware of how awful it is. We use to have lavender plants which I loved
Leah's cards are adorable and so intricate. I love seeing the boys snuggled together in the chair and doing their Home Depot projects. I'll look forward to seeing your inchies. It is amazing that Dagan has survived and been able to do so much. Here he is an adult and a father, taking care of his family with Leah. I know how you love them. We didn't have rain yesterday and so far none today, which is pretty shocking. We have heat advisories again, though. Apparently we are back under a "heat dome." I hope the dermatologist is helpful. Have you ever seen this doctor before? Better not be a Kobrossy. From now on, when I encounter a bad doctor, that person will always be a Kobrossy. It would be wonderful to get that bump off your head and have some relief from the shingles rash. That's another great shower curtain. Katrina's baby teeth all fell out, but she had an adult tooth that wouldn't come in. It was after she already had braces. The orthodontist said to take her to an oral surgeon, who knocked her out and put a tiny good chain on the adult tooth that somehow gradually drew it through the gum. She was about 15 or 16 when it was done. I also had a nephew who had baby teeth that never fell out and the adult teeth never came in. The baby teeth were pulled when he was a teenager to try to get the adult teeth in, which never happened. He was left with these awful, embarrassing gaps in his teeth. I don't know if he ever got anything to fill in those spaces. You really have to get the right kind of oral surgeon to do the work. Katrina's adult tooth came in without any problem after the tiny chain was attached to it. I know my nephew was humiliated by those missing teeth.
Love,
Janie
Hubby was pleased with Avatar 2 but i liked Avatar 1 MUCH better... I remember taking my daughter to the Dentist because her new teeth were coming in so far behind her baby teeth.... !!! The Denist told me that that was normal... He said you don't realize it but when you say certain words your tongue pushes against your teeth and will slowly push them into position... and he was right! So i wouldn't worry! Have fun with you inchies... I hope you'll stick one in and envelope for me!! Hugs! deb
Lavender sounds like a nice choice. So much to think about and plan.
I'm checking out that YouTube channel. I haven't done any artsy anything in years, but it might be nice to dip my toe back in :)
I thought I had commented on this post earlier, Rita, but somehow did not. As usual, you have had a lot going on with family and nice that Leah and the boys were able to spend time visiting again. The cards are awesome and Leah is certainly talented and creative which is why you two work so well together. It was fun to hear Liam and Ian explain their Home Depot projects and nice that they and their father get to do these together.
Thanks for you comment on my current blog post about text alignment. I didn't mean to step on anyone's blogger toes, but seems I may have. Certainly, I can understand that blogger does strange things to text alignment and then it can become too frustrating to try and change it. I have always preferred left aligned text because of what I did in my working career of writing and editing.
Your new shower curtain is my favourite now! Love seeing your littlies making a video about their treasure chests. Hope you get good news from the dermatologist, I do find that I can get different answers to the same question from different doctors which is frustrating. Thanks for reading my blog as it is always nice to get some comments.
Those inchies sound the perfect thing for you Rita, no pressure and very small, yet fun. Glad Amy has come into your life when you need her! I can never get over what a star Leah is. And so talented... those invites are spectacular! And the boys are just delightful. Their happy approach to life must be a tonic for you. I never thought of changing shower curtains since I saw you were doing it I think the last post I read. I really liked the idea. Then I remembered that we need an extra long shower curtain. Long story to do with old fashioned house with high ceilings, builder who didn't understand about measuring stuff, etc. etc. but upshot is we are lucky to have even one shower curtain, and it's white, and was so hard to find! However, we have put picture tiles round it which mean there's something fun to look at, even though they can't exactly be changed easily LOL !
What a wonderful and newsy post. I'm so glad that Leah enjoys crafting too and that it is something you can do together. The boys, too I don't think I knew this about Dagan's childhood. Yes, that IS a miracle -- what a stunning recovery over time and now look at him and his beautiful family. I like the idea of doing inchies, too -- not so large as to take up a lot of room.
I'd sell the palette with the paints. That's a lot of paint and a new owner can pick and choose what (if any) they want to keep. A good soak in the sink and it's gone but that would especially make a nice start for a beginner who doesn't have many colors.
Hello, Rita! Wow, seeing the sweet creations it does make me miss card making. Oh, I still have lots of supplies, but seem to still be hauling mostly rocks around my art room and painting them. lol Your work space is very tidy, love that.
I don't even know how many spider plants I have now. Got one plant a couple years ago with lots of plantlets growing from it, potted many of those, and now they have plant babies growing.
Lavender will be soooo nice by your window. I love it, but haven't been able to grow it. :(
Since it's my blogiversary I'm trying to check in with as many as possible this weekend. Thinking of you, hoping you're having a good summer.
~Mary
Oh those homemade cards are such treasures! They are not just beautiful but also intricately done with such detail!!! Sending hugs to you and the kids!
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