Friday-9am

Well, I think I discovered why I can't seem to regulate the heat in here. I walked down to put something in the mail slot late last night and it was extra cold in the hallways.

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Okay--confession number one--I have not taken the stairs for a long time. Been so chilly in the hallways that I just want to get back home ASAP. I know I really should be doing that for exercise, so I decided to walk the length on the first floor and come up the stairs near my end of the building--which is my usual route for the stair climbing.

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Well--it was not just chilly down that hallway--it was freezing!!! As I turned into the door to go to the stairs I thought I saw the outside door at the far end of the building (two doors at that entrance) was stuck open because of snow caught in the door! But there was an even colder breeze where I was standing because the exit door next to the bottom of the stairs that leads directly to the great white out-of-doors was most definitely and without a doubt stuck open several inches because of snow buildup!!!

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I held open that exit door (surprised my hand didn't stick to the metal door!) and kicked and shoved with my feet--getting snow on my bare legs--until, after several tries at slamming (it's an exit only door with just a push bar so you have to open it wide and let it slam), I finally got the door to close all the way. But--confession number two--I was so frigging cold I was shivering by that time so I didn't go and work on the other outside door. I know--my bad.

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I am going to check it this morning. And I plan to call the office and let them know. They might already know. I think this has been happening for quite a while. I have had cold air coming in from the hallway to the point I have rolled up a rug and put it along the bottom of the door. (Karma would have none of it, Iggy--hehe!) But that doesn't do much good, because my door leaks air top, side, and bottom. This probably explains why I have the heat cranked up just to try to get the chill out of the air and next thing I am roasting--somebody probably got the doors shut down there!

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How do the people on first floor stand it!!! I have it the warmest up here on third floor. They must be sooooo cold down there!?! Why don't they go out and get those doors shut? I just don't understand. ??? If we put the heating system out altogether because it is getting overworked--what then! My God! Last night we had 40-50 below wind chills!! It was minus 25 degrees! People! Make sure the doors shut after you! Duh!

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But then I didn't go back down. Even if kicking away all that snow was hard on me--I should have gone back down later and not just crawled into bed to warm up. So I am just as guilty, I guess. who am I to talk, right?

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But--now that I am aware of it--I am going to call the office. And I will dress a lot warmer to check my mail--and I will take the stairs and at least check the exit doors on my end of the building. Brrrrr!!!

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Meanwhile--on a lighter note--I have been puttering with the caulking and having a grand time. :)

Here you can see how I smear the caulking with my finger and press it into the stencils.
Then you peel them apart and hope fo rthe best--hehe! Most of them turn out fine. I have a little stack that is slowly growing. :)

Before we put the cards together we can pick off most of the little white pieces that end on on the outside edges of the red cardstock. I do love the 3D effect this makes. So cool to run your fingers over. :)

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While the snowstorm was going on, Miss Karma wanted out. The snow did stick to her feet..

...so she got to eat her footprints--hehe!

But it was sooo cold then that she hasn't asked again for a couple of days! ROFL! Good thing! It is much colder now and she is not stepping foot outside! I won't allow it. It was still 17 below at 9am! She's staying inside--at least until it gets closer to zero--hehe!

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I also quickly made a few simple thank you cards. I am way behind with those from Christmas!

So those will finally be going out today. :)

Which means--I need to dress warmly and head downstairs with them for the mail. Wonder what I'll find??

Thursday-9:15am

More snow.

My Impress order arrived!
Now we have two sets of tweezers so that Leah and I can work with embellishments at the same time--tada! Some more clear dew drops, a couple Liquid Pearls, a Stickles, and some pretty paper Leah would never use--hehe! (She doesn't like pink.)

We're already bouncing ideas on the three new stamps. The middle one will end up on a Christmas card one day, for sure! :)

The wind picked up yesterday. I tried to catch the snow almost spraying off the garage roofs.

Storm watch. Horrible conditions. Leah couldn't come over for crafts and just made it straight home. I started on caulking the birthday cards for Iggy. ;) I guess I got these out of order. Anyways, not all of them turn out. You don't know until you peel them apart.

You'd think the big stencil with the presents would be the more difficult one, but it is the smaller "happy birthday" one that is more likely to be missing part of a letter or something.

Have my pail, toothbrush for scrubbing, wet rag, towels, spatulas, jar of white caulking, and the oven liner under it all so no caulking sticks and I can clean as I go.

I just set my timer for an hour and sink into the process. I know it might sound about as relaxing as grouting tile, but it is a meditative process to me. (Of course, grouting tile is meditative to me, too--ROFL!) Leah already pre-cut the papers the same size as the stencils. I just put one red piece of cardstock under each stencil and then get to kind of fingerpaint the caulking onto the stencils. Then you peel them apart to see what you ended up with (the exciting part). Clean everything up and start again. Now you know what I will be up to for a few days. ;) I can do a few sessions a day. Since Leah couldn't make it last night, she said she could come Monday and Wednesday next week, too.
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The wind brushed, pushed, whistled, and occasionally howled against the building all night.

This morning all the garage roofs are almost bare of several inches of snow. Naked footprints of the wind?

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When it is this windy it becomes hard to tell if it is still snowing or if it is just the wind redecorating the landscape. The vents are streaming horizontally from the factory roofs across the field. High of minus 4 today and wind chills of minus 35 degrees. I feel sorry for all the people who have to be out in this today.

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Karma is sleeping in the sun.

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Me--I'm lucky. I'll be caulking. Safe and warm! :):)

Wednesday-5:45am

I made it shopping with Leah--for about three hours! (Hence--too sore to do much yesterday and didn't even blog.) Leah went to Tochi's by herself after work (my request) and then came to pick me up. First we went to PetSmart...

...for feline and fish food.
Karma played with the can of fish food until I took it away. Then she rubbed and cried and pawed all over her bags, of course--until I finally opened a couple and filled a couple of her little treat jars. Big excitement for Miss K. ;)
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Funny thing is--the big bag is the food that will go in her actual food dish. All three of the smaller bags are her "treats"--and we will be out of those first! She only occasionally eats out of her actual food bowl anymore. I have created a monster--a treat monster--hehe!
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Anyways, after Leah and I finished at PetSmart we went to Target for the big trip. Granted, the majority of the things I had to pick up were necessities--I mean a person does need toilet paper, toothpaste, and the like, right? But I did buy a few non-essentials--some clip barrettes, hair pins, and a new won't-squeeze-your-head (?) headband--oh, and some lip balms. Actually the lip balms up here in this cold might be considered essential, come to think of it--ROFL!
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Then we went to Bed, Bath & Beyond, too! Okay--I have been finding socks falling out of various pieces of clothing since I have only been using the dryer balls--and I do shake the clothes out. So funny! Last time I washed clothes I shook out pieces by the dryer, as usual, brought them into the bedroom, hung them, folded, and put away, went back to move the next load from the washer into the dryer--when I spied a footie sock had latched onto the top of the one I had on my foot the whole time. Cracks me up! But it is annoying, too. So--I wanted to try the "anti-static" dryer balls. I'll see if that helps. (Really want to not buy dryer sheets anymore--another thing good for my environmental footprint.)
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So, we wander about BB&B for some time and pick up a few more things with our wonderful 20% off coupons. Leah and I just have the best time! We even make clerks laugh--hehe! And after we finished there Leah asked me what I would like to eat--her treat! I could have gone to Olive Garden or wherever I wanted--but was so sore by that time that I asked for Burger King to go. :)
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Now--we used to go to Burger King when I lived in Moorhead. In fact Burger King and Subway were our favorite places to stop on our way home after Dagan and Leah used to bring me grocery shopping. [When they started helping me carry after I tore my rotor cuff on my "good" arm. My own dumb fault--overdoing things, of course--carrying multiple bags with my one good arm & walking about a mile home from the grocery store--duh! Never let it be said I am not a stubborn Swede!] We've gone to Subway but I haven't had Burger King since I moved to Fargo five years ago next month. So--we picked up combos at the drive thru and went home. Got my big wheeled wire cart from the garage and stuffed it full. (I love that thing!) Hauled up the bounty and went to eat our Burger King meals.
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I laughed when I saw the size of the Bacon Double Cheeseburger five years later! The combo costs a dollar more and the burger is about maybe 2/3 the size it used to be! It looked like a little bigger version of what used to be the kids' size! Kind of like inbetween the old regular size and the kids' size. Everybody is cutting corners everywhere, I guess. And if they did it gradually over the last five years, people wouldn't notice, I suppose? Or maybe it was a reaction to the Super Size Me documentary? Well--made me feel less guilty eating my fatty burger and fries--ROFL! The fries are still soooo good! Less of those, too, BTW--hehe! I just thought it was interesting. :)
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Anyways, I was limping about and sore--so I took it easy yesterday. Just ordered groceries and had them delivered in the afternoon. Put everything away from the huge shopping haul. (Karma, the fish, and I thank you for the Christmas money--you know who you are--hehe!) I am stockpiled on quite a few essentials and there's food in the house. Feels good! Very, very good! :)
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We had a dusting of snow last night. Doesn't look like more than an inch. The cars are all blanketed white and glimmering in the garage lights. And it is 9 degrees! We are above zero--tada! Wasn't that bad last night shopping, either--somewhere around zero, I think? Wasn't very cold because there wasn't much wind. Leah and I actually commented on how nice it was out. :)
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Tonight is Craft Night!! We start playing with caulking. Messy fun! That is why I was very good yesterday--so I will be all set and ready to go tonight. Slept well--at night--tada!
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Life is good!! Very, very good!! :):)

Monday-5:15am

Have been in a lot of pain the past couple days. Stressful situation/person...but feeling better this morning. The situation has been resolved. :)

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I thought I'd show you the box for the Chakra Balancing book and CDs.

I also have this "course" that I haven't tried yet.

These are both on my goal list for 2010. :)

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Since we moved the turntable off the table over New Year's--I cleaned and reorganized...
...of course--ROFL! (The only person interested in these pictures will be Leah--hehe!)

I hadn't even been down to check my mail on Saturday, so I walked down this morning. I had a small bubble envelope from my folks in Florida. I wondered what in the world would they be sending me??

Made me laugh out loud!

A cute elastic "Karma" bracelet!

My Mom works part-time at Universal Studios and she found this bracelet there. Just the perfect reminder I needed this morning! Be careful what you send out to the Universe because it will come back to you. What goes around comes around, right?Embrace the simple things...? Notice the furry "simple thing" in the picture--ROFL!

Thanks so much, Mom and Dad!! You absolutely made my morning! And you're probably right, Mom--Leah and I could probably figure out how to make something for Karma with it. (I thought of a beaded collar...hummm?) But right now, as I am typing, I have it shining on my wrist. So thoughtful--many thanks--and Happy New Year!! :)

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Another possible project for the coming year--signed up for an online ACIM workshop course. It will depend on what it is like, I guess. I read ACIM about fifteen years ago, I think--cover to cover.

My book has all three books included: text, workbook, and teacher's manual. I got more out of the text--the actual book--but, then again, I didn't actually try to use the workbook as a daily exercise project...so who knows? Honestly--I didn't read thru the information very thoroughly (too sore), so I need to just check it out as I get my email posts. So far--they look cluttery and confusing. ?? Not sure what I think yet.

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Well, it's warmed up closer to zero--hehe! As highs in the afternoon, I mean--was supposed to be about 12 below during the night I believe and right now it is 7 below. Silly Karma has been begging to go out on the porch! She has no concept of the great outdoors, does she? ROFL!

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Today the plan is for Leah to come over after work. We plan to brave the cold and do a little shopping. I'll see how I feel by that time. :) We want to go to Tochi's health food store, Target, and PetSmart. Sounds overwhelming to me at this moment, but my first 2-4 hours are never very good--ROFL! So I'll know more how my day is going in another 2-3 hours--hehe!

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Seems like things are back to a normal routine now on this the first Monday of the year...after all the holidays and such. Suddenly feels like 2010, doesn't it?

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Life is good! :):)

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P.S.

It just hit me! I have been soooooo annoyed at how I lose paragraphs in Blogger when I post...and it hit me! I went back and added the stars between paragraphs so they don't all smash together--tada! What do you think?! Easier to read?

Sunday-8am

Saturday-5am

First of all, so I don't forget--here are the beautiful necklaces that Spruce made for Dagan and Leah!!

Made with Russian trade beads and hand designed by Spruce. :) I had no idea he was making these and was surprised he picked black and cobalt blue beads--they are Leah's favorite colors--and hematite--one of her favorite stones! I have been hiding them for over a month--hehe!

Thanks so much, Spruce!!! They were really surprised! Lots of good energy and love went into these! :):)

Right now it is 32 below zero! Not wind chill--real temperature. Whew! Bitterly cold! Good grief! Been a cold winter so far.

Leah stopped by yesterday after work. She had gotten to Office Max to get the angel bookmarks laminated after work on Thursday but didn't have time to trim them there. So she shoveled out my garage, checked that PitaPaseo started up (yes!), and came in to cut down the lamination on the bookmarks. Soooo cold, poor thing!! I was so tired from only sleeping 4 hours that I was in my robe--all day.

Quite a zombie day yesterday--glad to be greeting the new year inside--hehe! I did order the "tear bar" from Daniel Smith and some rubber stamps that Leah and I had talked about from Impress. [And a few other small things--don't want to say--want to surprise Leah-hehe!]

And I joined the CED online group--Creative Every Day. I keep seeing blogs (wonderful creative people) with that link. I am not sure if I managed to get it set up right so it is actually a link, but at least I got the picture up--hehe! It's not strict--includes creativity in all its unending forms! Sounds like it is a way to be reminded all year long to think and be creative. I thought that would be a wonderful way to approach 2010. :)

Speaking of....time to post the Goal List! :):)

Artistic, Creative, and Spiritual Goals for 2010

1. YouTube—keep making videos of all the art and craft projects.
2. Spirit—Insight Meditation course.
3. Spirit—Chakra Balancing course.
4. Writing—buy a new user-friendly laptop with contest winnings.
5. Writing—find a way to write-write again!!
6. Writing—enter a poetry contest.
7. Writing—enter a short story contest.
8. Bookbinding—make journals with lighter weight papers (90 lb).
9. Bookbinding—make a journal using the Davy board.
10. Sewing—try to make a pattern and sew a shoulder bag like our red bags.
11. EDM—work on the EDM list.
12. CBP—practice orchids and bamboo.
13. CBP—try gongbi the proper way.
14. Watercolors—continue with wildflowers and botanicals.
15. Watercolors—finish the inked/traced Flower & Bird Paintings
16. Watercolors—make some more abstract bookmarks.
17. Polymer Clay—figure out how to finish the rose bouquet (ask Leah for help!).
18. Handmade Paper—finish the set of red and white Christmas cards.
19. Handmade Paper—learn how to make envelopes.
20. Handmade Paper—use some of the new techniques we saw on the videos.
21. Cards—make a second set of Christmas cards.
22. Cards—make a set of birthday cards.
23. Cards—make a second set of birthday cards.
24. Cards—make up the scrap cards (prep work done 2009).
25. Bookcards—make up the ones from the pretty paper (prep work done 2009).
26. Bookcards—make some from handmade paper.
27. Etsy—send the postcards for 2009.
28. Etsy—make up postcards for 2010.
29. Etsy—make up Christmas cards from the leftover parts from 2009.
30. Organize—Give 30 gallon tank away and remove cabinet.
31. Organize—Move bookcase from hallway to living room.
32. Organize—buy the paper storage bookcase for hallway.

I do apologize. I haven't forgotten about writing up the story about GA and quitting smoking. Just haven't had a free good day to dedicate to that yet. I should know better by now than to ever make promises that involve deadlines--ROFL!

Maybe after I have my wonderful new laptop I will be able to have more good computer hours available, eh?? Wouldn't that be an amazing thing!!?? I am visualizing that. :):)

In the meantime--it is first on my writing list when I have a free, good day. I promise. Yes--I can still make promises. They just can't have an actual deadline--hehe! My good days--generally out of my control. See--I still have trouble reconciling to that fact to this day. Stubborn, optimistic Swede--hehe!

Well--all my best to you--and may 2010 be filled with good days!! :):)

New Year's Day--8:30am

Happy New Year!!

If the last couple days are any indication, this should be a magical year! Here's the Angelic Messenger Cards that we used New Year's Eve.

I can tell you a little bit about my card. I was asking for guidance about the "writing-writing" and I got this card--Expression!
The first thing is says is my present challenge is "unleashing spiritual energy and overcoming limitations"! It talked about how "your spirit, as part of [the] grand divine plan, isn't bound by your physical body's boundaries". My spiritual opportunity is "to be aware that your inner voice can trumpet out into your life and into the world, sharing feelings that grow from an unlimited spiritual reality: truth, love, joy, kindness, compassion, and service." Also mentioned--(ahem)--that the divine presence doesn't accept problems as the excuse for denying that love. And that I should use the gifts of insight and perception in order to "see" and "feel" God at work in my life.

Wow! I still don't know what to write about--but I guess, whatever it will be, I should make sure I really feel GA sitting over my shoulder. (My favorite way to write.)

In relation to my finding a way to be able to "write-write" again--sounds like there will be a way!! :):)

Then the card said in order to apply this I need to work on my physical body--on healing my aura. To meditate and work on understanding the nature of the force that holds, disease, dysfunction, or disturbance in place in my life. So, yah--it was a great idea to work on chakra balancing in 2010, I guess! ;)

I'll be thinking about all of that for some time. :)

Okay--so then last night I drew a card from a new deck I haven't used yet--Soul Coaching cards. I bought them along with the book I just finished. Again--I asked for any guidance they could give me concerning getting back to the writing-writing.
I got BELIEVE!

The first thing it says is--"Believe in yourself! Have faith in magic and miracles. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it."

"The best is yet to come!"

Well, you can't say I didn't get a response--hehe!

I was so tired that I took a short nap so that I could be up at midnight. Didn't sleep long after that--4 hours. Mind is much more awake and energized than my body--hehe! ;)

Oh--here is the gift from Dagan and Leah! Specially hand made for me from a lady in Sweden!!

They are like natural stone roses. :):)

No one on earth has a pair of earrings like mine! And from Sweden!! You can see more of her handmade jewelry here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Jealousydesign

Thank you so much!!! :):)

Oh--SHOOT! Sorry! Had so many pictures today that I missed the one of Dagan and Leah's gifts from Spruce!! Dang! Next time. I promise.

Okay--I decided that mere dusting just wasn't enough. After several years the time comes for hot water--hehe! I gathered up my "stuff"--and even more angels than usual this year. (I think I needed them--hehe!)

Decided to check out the Chakra Balancing kit on New Year's Eve.

I got the Healing Ruins out, too. But I never did get to them last night. Maybe today--who knows?

Everything all clean and shiny on my Tibetan Monk's colorful handmade table cloth.

Angels and crystals and rocks and candles and bells......

As soon as Karma hears the soft music (last night was The Edge of Forever by Hilary Stagg) she has a hard time keeping her eyes open.

Clockwise photos from lower left hand corner of the cloth: crystals, stones, and my ting-shaw chimes...

...handmade Tibetan bowl, Tibetan bell and dorje, Turkish inlaid box (from Dagan) with stones (reddish brown one was a gift from Sedona), small glass pyramid with a piece of rose quartz inside...

...angels, crystal sphere, rock sphere, big crystal stone, and you can just see my red man-made crystal ball on the stand with the doily...

...better picture of the huge crystal rock, chime, more crystals and rocks, small jar that holds sand from the mandala Tibetan monks constructed and then destroyed when they visited Concordia college, my three pendulums (the wooden one has some of the sand inside it from the monks).

I realized I didn't get good pictures of the beautiful angels I got from Lynnette that were standing on the corners of the cloth. (They watch over me while I sleep.) The green angel of roses. In the green vase is sage blessed by a medicine man--northern Minnesota--also from Lynnette. (I should actually burn some and not just save it all, I suppose--but I am loath to do so. :)

The amazing red angel! And my red crystal ball is easier to see here. (I have never tried scrying--but the red ball had the most amazing, positive, vibrating energy for me when I held it--had to buy it. Still does!)

Here's a close up of the rock collection I keep in the box Dagan brought me from Turkey.

And--the candle holder made especially for me by my Leah in her pottery class!! Took her forever to cut all those leaves.

Miss Karma totally missed the greeting of the new year.

She just loves the peaceful music and is out like a light in no time.

Cat meditation?

What a glorious shifting to 2010! Just felt like the best one in years. Hope you all had a wonderful greeting time and released all the old, no longer useful or needed, from 2009. The sun is out--cleansing all my goodies on the table with bright rays.

I am awash with joy!

May we all have a lighter, brighter year in 2010!! :):)