Friday-6:45am

Hallelujah!!

I was never so glad to see a pooper scooper!  Isn't this a beauty?!  All metal with a plastic sleeve handle.  This should last forever!  Happy me!  (And happy Karma, I haven't exactly been wanting to clean the cat box as often since the plastic handle snapped off--lol!)

Been like Christmas this week for Miss Karma, too.  Well, that's just her new brown bed to the right, but the dirty old cream colored crate bed or bumper bed went off in the trash and she has a new smaller brown one for her "treat" (diet food) tin.  She loved it right away.  The blue mat to the left is supposed to be self-warming--as she lies there it is supposed to warm up from her body heat, I guess.  But she has to lie on it in order to find this out--and, of course, when you want her to lie on something then Miss I-claim-this-with-my-body won't have anything to do with it.  Yet.  ;)  Maybe I can think of some way to entice her.  

Karma walks quite stiff-legged for a while after she gets up this past year--especially now that it is cold again.  I thought this might work for a fraction of the cost of those heated ones you have to plug in...which I never, ever thought I'd even consider buying for a cat.  But then I've never purchased a cat stroller before, either.  ;)

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Karma dove right in to her tin and was comfy as all get out with the cushy brown crate bed, though, so that was a definite and immediate winner. 

I know these items might not be that exciting to somebody else, but I was rapturous!  I got a letter sorter to match the new letter tray I bought previously.  I always have letters going and I use this to hold the envelopes and the bookcards that are in progress and my writing guide stash...priceless!!  I was using an old napkin holder with one slot.  Now I have three and can organize--LOL!  ;) 

I discovered they make really wide masking tape!  I was using three or four strips to cover the spiral binding in my Visual Journals when I paint and spray.  Now maybe I can use one wide strip.  Less leakage!  (Can you hear the joy!)  I also ordered the one StazOn refill that they were out of when I found all those discontinued refills a few months back.  (Never going to buy a new ink pad without the refill again!)

Two more of those perfect containers to hold my laundry soap.  They come with an unmarked plastic handled scoop that holds just a little over a cup--now in my rice and flour containers. 

My ice cube trays are so old they have cracks and have been leaking water all over my freezer so I thought I would try these new silicone trays.  I ordered the smaller one-inch-square red ones to try them out (cheaper than the bigger blue ones).  

I ordered this fun set of Tulip fabric paints because they were on the list of optional supplies for the Silks class.  They weren't expensive and I would never think to buy fabric paint so I was really curious as to what we will do with these. 

Got a set of regular colored Gel Sticks and metallic Gel Sticks.  I've seen mixed-media artists smearing these around to make background colors on youtube videos.  Now that the Christmas cards were all in the mail by Wednesday, I can start thinking about art and playing again!!  

But first...my OCD organizer self was thrilled to pieces and couldn't wait to get my little mitts on my yearly calendar "stuff"!!  This past year I started using an inexpensive Peter Pauper Press journal (on the left) for a weekly "To Do" list. 

Turned out I really liked and have actually been using it for the past ten months.  Maybe because it's small and I can keep it handy right near the craft table.  Anyways, I went through and dated the new one (on the right above) for the whole coming year.   

Then I got a brand new type of desk calendar after using the same bound type since about 1997--so you can see why this is a big deal for me.  ;)  Levenger discontinued their refill calendar a couple of years ago and I had been trying to smash a different brand into the leather holder since then.  This year I went crazy and said--no more!  The old battered red leather holder that I used in my office and then up here when I went to college, dragging it around with me in my backpack, and ever since...will finally be retired.  

I got this spiral one with the same general layout.  Transferred all the birthdays, anniversaries, and information to the appropriate days...filled out the monthly bills section I made in the back for my budgeting...and transferred all the addresses and numbers for all the county, state, and federal folks I deal with endlessly and doctors, etc.   

Then I worked on my new goal list for 2013 (only had 14 left out of 42 from 2012--not bad!) and decided to do something else different that might work better for me.  I cut up the 2013 goal list and taped it into the front pages of my new weekly "To Do" journal.  Now maybe it won't get buried under paperwork on my desk and be forgotten for months at a time--LOL!

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Ahhh!  

Yes!  

Rapturous!!

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But then I tried the new silicone ice cube trays--LOLOL!  Does anybody have the secret as to how to actually fill these and get them into the freezer?!  And I thought I had water problems on the bottom of the freezer because of the old cracked trays!  It is like trying to carry jello!!!  I was dribbling water everywhere!!

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So--I pondered--what could I use to brace these little things without taking up a lot of room in the freezer?  I came up with this.

I took pieces of chipboard (from the backs of small legal pads) and covered them completely with clear packing tape to make them as waterproof as possible and they worked quite well...as trays for the trays--LOL!  Sad!  

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The idea of the silicone ice cube trays sounded really good, but--and that's a big BUT--in practice they were actually a pain in the butt.  Does anyone have a secret I don't know about as to how to use these?  They were also hard to pop out (of course I have one very weak arm, though) and to fill.  You know how regular ice cube trays kind of have connecting dips so they can overflow into each other and it helps them to level out?  Well these are individual squares.  You have to fill each one separately, it's hard to see if they are each filled, and they are too floppy to tip around to level them out.  I was flummoxed, to be honest.  Maybe it's kind of like the better mouse trap thing?  Switching from the old lever type was good, but maybe there's nothing better than the plastic twisty ones.  *sigh*  Any advice would be appreciated.  Does anyone have favorite ice cube trays that work really well?

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Meanwhile--Karma obviously loves her new "food tray".

The very last item to arrive was the big green scoop for the kitty litter.  Yesterday, of course--AFTER Caroline was here on Wednesday and she completely emptied out and I scrubbed Karma's litter tub...and Caroline wiped down the wooden box and then had to lift the whole white plastic tub with 40 pounds of kitty litter in it.  Murphy's Law that it would arrive a day late.  (No the stickers, which bug me, don't come off easily at all--bummer--deal with them later with some goo-gone.)  Karma is finally using some of the new brand I got through Amazon--tada!  We were still very impressed with the lack of dust.  So far, so good! 

Anyways, the scoop was supposed to arrive on Monday, but it somehow ended up in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.  Then Tuesday they posted that it would be delivered on Wednesday, but it finally arrived (without change to the Weds. delivery date) on Thursday.  I have noticed a lot of orders that say they are UPS are arriving via USPS in the regular mail.  It actually says "UPS Mail Innovations".  According to my mail lady the "innovation" is that UPS backs a truck up to the post office every morning and unloads a ton of packages for USPS to deliver. ???  What is the deal with that?  I see the big brown UPS truck delivering packages here still?  So it's not that they have quit having UPS carriers up here?  Anybody else know anything about this new "UPS Mail Innovations" that's been going on?  The tracking information is delayed and sometimes non-existent.  The deliveries take longer.  Why is UPS using the regular post office to finish their deliveries?  Even the mail lady didn't know.

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Yesterday I caught up with the More Love Letters and will get just one more email now today to finish the 12 day special event.  It got me to thinking about how I used to keep letters...for years and years.  And then my aunt was telling me a few years back about how after clearing out her mother-in-laws house how weird it was going through other people's personal stuff and how we have too much of it...and she was going to clean her basement--LOL!

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  Myself, it got me to thinking about stuff I have around my place.  And I thought of the letters people had written to me.  I truly, honestly don't care if people read anything that I wrote, but it got me to thinking about how several of the people I write to aren't necessarily open book types, you know?  They are able to tell me things that they might not tell other people and I am honored that they feel free to tell me absolutely anything--but they certainly wouldn't ever want anyone else but me to read what they wrote, you know?  I wanted them to feel perfectly safe in that they could tell me anything whatsoever and it will never go any further.  Their total privacy and safety is more important to me than whether I can go back and read it years later.  So I started shredding.

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 I have one special small drawer where I save my letters.  Every couple of months I go through them one last time and then shred them.  Dagan and Leah know where the drawer is and I made them promise me that if anything ever happened to me that they would shred whatever letters are still in that drawer. 

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So anyone who writes to me--past, present, or future--your secrets are safe with me and your privacy is paramount.  :) :)  Just an FYI--because we do talk about everything--LOL!  But I am perfectly fine with you keeping my letters.  Doesn't bother open-book me in the least bit, okay? Just wanted to put that out there.  :)

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Then--I have one final bit of amazing news!  (Can this Christmas get any better!?)  Jeannie emailed me and asked me if I wanted her old Kindle!!!  Yes!  Yes!  Thank you so much, Jeannie!!!

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Since I hurt my arm in 1995 and have the permanent muscle damage--well, it is harder to hold a book for very long or even to press down the pages to keep it open when it's propped up or on a table.  I've tried book weights and book holders...and just ended up falling out of the habit of reading as much as I used to.  That's the biggest reason I wanted to save up my Christmas money toward buying a Kindle--because I think it could be easier to read again.  :)

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You know how old-fashioned I am with pens and papers and inks, so it is no surprise that I love a real book that I can hold and smell and feel the pages as I turn them.  I have an entire personal collection of bookmarks, for goodness sake!!  But I have finally come round to thinking that an electronic book just might actually work for me...and maybe even work well.  And I just might read more again.  ??  That was my plan for 2013.

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And then Jeannie offers me her Kindle reader!!

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Gosh!  Sometimes lately I feel like my heart is going to explode in my chest or I am going to float right up and away into the sky!!  :):)

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  On that note...

...if I could hug you all I would!  I wish you all happiness and joy and peace!!  Have a stunning weekend.  :):)

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"One of life's most fulfilling moments occurs in the split-second when the familiar is suddenly transformed into the dazzling aura of the profoundly new."

Edward B. Lindaman

Monday-7:15am

They predicted around four inches of snow for Saturday night.  The wind was pounding against the building and gusting so that whatever amount of this dry, fine snow we did get...

...mostly blew around into tiny drifts. 

The wind was coming our direction this time, though, so we got some snow on the porch.  It was seven degrees Sunday morning.  The snow crunched and squeaked under Karma's feet.  Too cold to stay out long, so she scooted in before I could get her picture out there. 

I worked on the Christmas cards in small batches over the weekend and got them all finished up by late last night.  Saturday I was still working on the half with the Stickles.

Karma kept me company...but she would have rather I was paying more attention to her, of course. 

Yesterday I worked on the glazing.

Got them all drying by late morning... 

...so that in the afternoon I could get out my trusty bone folder and then stamp the insides with a sentiment... 

...and leave them to dry well. 

I was up late to finish them...and then had a strange bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep this morning so I'm here early.  :)  The sky is beginning to orange up.  I can't chat long because I can feel it already in my back.  I probably shouldn't have done that last session on the cards last night--LOL!  Oh, but...Christmas music and a little bit of snow...I lost my head.  ;)

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It's eight below zero right now.  I am glad I don't have to go any place.  I haven't read but a handful of blogs for days, so I guess I'll do some reading and whatever sessions my body can manage today for addressing envelopes--whoohoo!  Love Christmas!!  Maybe I'll stick in my favorite movie--It's A Wonderful Life.  It really is, you know.  ;)

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"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads."

Henry David Thoreau

Friday-10:15am

My hours seem to have shifted an hour or two since I was sick, but I'm still on day hours so I am happy.  But I was up earlier on Tuesday because I was so sore from Monday--LOL!  Got a sunrise shot.  :)

Monday night Leah and I went over to Office Max and I had copies made of the Christmas cards and the birthday cards. 

FYI: I just wanted to say that we have had troubles with both Office Max stores up here when it comes to printing anything with red in it.  I had red leaves come out pink at both stores years ago.  Took a whole evening with one employee who knew how to adjust the color via the computer--was a real pain in the butt.  So this time I figured I would just walk away and whatever happened happened, you know?

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And this is what I got.  As you can see from the original on top, the brown-eyed susans ended up very yellow...

...and they lost most of their definition because of losing so much of the orange. 

Okay--original on top, yellow ones from Office Max on bottom right, and a copy from my own printer at home bottom left.    

My copy on my HP printer at home does a way better job than theirs did.  So, if I can ever figure out how to scan (the scanner won't talk to my McLap and I have to wait until Dagan has a lot of time to take a shot at figuring out what Windows program it says I need to have) I will maybe learn how to do them at home from now on.  It can't cost me much more than their 71 cents a sheet--plus paying for them to fit the picture on to the page in the right spot and cutting the sheets in half.  I guess my printer isn't as bad as I thought it was--LOL!  My copy is a lot closer to the original, even if mine has more yellow, too.  ;)

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It has to do with the magenta ink they use, I guess.  At least that is what we've been told.  I suppose we could try an actual printing shop, but that would probably cost me more than making them at home, too.  Might be an option, though, if I can't ever figure out the scanner so that I can get the pictures into my computer in the first place.  Anywho--just thought I'd give fair warning to anyone else thinking about making copies at Office Max.  If they are blue--they will be okay.  The Christmas cards turned out just fine.

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Oh, and I picked up a set of legal pads that looked so happy.  I thought they'd be fun to use for writing letters to strangers for More Love Letters!  :)

After Leah and I had wandered about while the girl was printing up the cards I was pretty sore (lower back), so I stayed in the car (brought a book) while Leah ran into JoAnn's to look for diamond Stickles (the one thing I forgot to look for at Amazon before I made my order this month).  JoAnn's didn't carry Stickles.  Leah needed to run into Target and then we went over to Hobby Lobby but they were already closed.  (Hobby Lobby closes really early and isn't open on Sunday--religious owners.)  So then we drove over to Michael's.  By that time I needed to get out and walk (I also get stiff if I sit in one place too long--geez what a pain I am).  Well, you can probably guess what happened--LOL

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You get Leah and I inside a craft store for the first time in must be a year or so...we went in for the diamond Stickles, right?  No diamond Stickles, but we did find a three pack that at least had something white...

...but then Leah started looking at the stamps for something new for the inside of the Christmas cards.  All the stamps were 40-50% off!  We've used most of the Christmas stamps we already have...well, you know what happened.  ;)  We found sayings and Christmas stamps... 

 ...and found a couple non-Christmas stamps, too, of course.

We both loved the idea of decorating this tree. 

And we couldn't resist this is a pack of inchie holiday stamps--one side... 

...other side... 

...and silver and gold ink pads and glitter tubes on the top. 

Quite a haul! 

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Of course, that fun trip put me out of commission for a couple days, but it was SOOO worth it!!  Leah and I haven't been out and about doing our crafty shopping thing for so very long.  :):)  Was a joy!

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We've had such dark mornings.  But sometimes it has cleared up by the afternoon to blue skies!   

Yesterday my back felt good enough to start on the cards.  I had them drying all over the place. 

Found out quickly that it is easier to do the embellishments first before I fold them--duh! 

Don't want to glaze to drip! 

On the one snowflake I am adding the Stickles. 

On the other snowflake I am adding some clear glaze (Glossy Accents). 

And then when the fronts are all dry I fold them and stamp the insides of the cards with a sentiment and let that dry. 

So that's what I will be doing in batches (while I sing along to Christmas carols, of course) until I am finished with all of them.  I hope before the new week starts so I can begin addressing envelopes and such.  Kind of behind schedule this year.  But if I can have them all in the mail before the middle of the month it will be okay, I think.

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I was so excited about being able to make an Amazon order this month!!  After I made my big postage stamp order I dove into my Amazon wish list with great gusto!  Ordered things I needed (like the pooper scooper--lol!), things I wanted, and even something extra for Karma I hope she likes.  Christmas will be coming early to Fargo!  Packages should start trickling in next week--whoohoo!  :)

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And I was able to order groceries and not owe anything extra!  What a treat!  I was asking the young man who brought the delivery if they needed to take the gift card or how did that work?  (They didn't need it and I even have a little left over for January!)  He told me--"I answered the phone when the lady called back to check to see if you got it."  So, I know it was a woman, but he didn't know her name.  Thank you!!  Whoever you are, sweet lady!!  :)

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It wasn't until the next day that I wondered if whoever did this wonderful thing maybe gave me the groceries so I'd have money to buy Christmas presents!?  And what had I done?  Selfish me?  I bought things for myself and Karma!  I even bought some art supplies I didn't need.  Suppose I had really let this kind, generous lady down?

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I called my BFF, Ruby, yesterday and she roared with laughter.  "You are such a Scandinavian!  Can't even just enjoy a gift without feeling guilty."  And I am making Christmas cards for her (they're all ready for the PO and will be picked up today by D/L) and for Dagan and Leah this year--so they are getting (tiny) presents.  Ruby said she'd be mad at me if I spent the money on her.  She makes me laugh, always has my soul's best interests in mind, and I felt much better after talking it over with her.  But I feel even better now after a full, public confession.

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  Yes, such a Swede.  Have you ever seen the Swedish movie Oxen?  That's my heritage from the old country.  It's in my genes.  You can watch The Ox here for free.  I can totally understand the good and the evil in this movie...the guilt...the judgments...and the forgiveness.  (And I am grateful my life is much brighter and happier!)

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But I hope my childish, selfish joy at the goodies I was able to get this month is not a disappointment to you, my kind and generous Secret Santa.  You will see pictures of what you helped provide me and Miss Karma this holiday season...and I cannot suppress the selfish joy.  Sorry.  Kind of bubbles over, you know?  I even ordered me a couple cans of my special French Vanilla Cafe International Coffee!!  Whoohoo!  I love to sip on that in the evening while watching TV and rubbing Karma's belly--oh the small pleasures in life.  ;)    

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 Speaking of--one day (was too dark to even get a picture without the flash) I caught Karma trying to bend down the tall side of her new cat bed--LOL!    

This couldn't have been that comfortable.  She looks kinda creepy with those glowing flash-eyes. 

Oh, I have also been writing letters every day for the 12 day event for More Love Letters.  Which is good for my soul, too.  ;)  The first one didn't have to be in the mail till Monday so I am ahead of the game and have been keeping up!  Just plain feels good to reach out to somebody who needs a paper hug.  

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Well, I need to get back to my card sessions.  To my delight, I have had some people email me about exchanging cards!!  If you are interested email me at soulcomfort@gmail.com and put "Christmas card list" in the subject and we'll exchange addresses!  I will mail internationally, too.  :)  

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Very, very best to you this season of love and joy!!

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"Life is no brief candle to me.  It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

George Bernard Shaw

Monday-10am

Since Friday the mornings have looked like this... 

...fog and frost.

But this morning it is 46 degrees so it is fog and drizzle.  Variety is good--LOL!  ;)

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Been a quiet, dark weekend.  Been playing some classic Christmas music on Pandora.  The drabness of the weather doesn't deter me.  I love-love-love this time of year so much that I get to feeling like I am bubbling over with love and joy...well, just because!!  :)

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Which gives me the giggles over silly things like the depth of Karma's laziness with her treat ball...

...as she lounges on her little green air mattress. 

 She just rolls the treat ball back and forth... 

...until she whaps it too hard and it rolls out of easy reach. 

Will not look. Will not look.  I did that on purpose, you know.

One of these days I am going to remember my camera has video--LOL!
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I am a new follower of Jenny Matlock.  Jenny tells life stories and does a variety of different posts, but on Tuesdays she has been telling her chronic pain story (which fascinates me, of course) and has been giving away copies of this book written by the naturopathic doctor who helped change her life.  I was the winner a week ago and the book arrived Saturday!  Thanks, Jenny!!

I've been trying to slowly change my eating habits.  Been vegetarian for a couple years and am gradually going vegan the last few months--about 90% or more right now.  I'll be really interested to read this, Jenny!  And to hear the rest of your personal story, too.  

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Since there was agreement on the snowflakes being the favorite, this weekend I decided to just get a couple of those all ready to be copied and forget about trying to make anything else.  And I am actually going to use the (formerly disliked) three brown-eyed susans (which have really grown on me) to make cards I can turn into birthday cards or just use to tuck letters into, too.  Those will have to be copied and size-adjusted by the folks at Office Max.

Leah is picking me up after work.  We'll do all the ordering and then Leah will pick them up when they're ready.  And then I'll be busy addressing envelopes and such.  :)  
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Note: If anyone would like to exchange Christmas cards, just email me at soulcomfort@gmail.com, put "Christmas card list" as the topic, and we'll exchange addresses!  I am ordering quite a few extras and as long as there are any left I'd be more than happy to send to some of my blog friends!  And mine does not have to be handmade, of course.  It's such fun getting snail mail!!  

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 Writing is going to be the thing for the next couple weeks.  I will be busy writing a letter every day for the next twelve days for The World Need More Love Letters, too!  Artist's Playroom is on hiatus for December.  Zendala Dare is still on!  And if I can squeeze it in, I want to finally start the Taste of Silks class pretty soon.

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Oh!  And how could I forget!! 
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The manager said he had no records and no name.  Couldn't tell me anything.  Maybe the young man was wrong about the manager dealing with the transaction (assumption?) because he sounded like he would have helped me if he could.  So, the Cashwise Surprise remains a mystery from a Secret Santa.  And due to their generosity, I will be happily ordering a big metal pooper scooper...a huge plastic scoop to conveniently haul kitty litter one-handed from the pantry to Karma's box in the hallway...and a few other equally exciting items this month--tada!  Christmas has already come to Fargo, I tell you!  :)

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I am off to write an uplifting letter of love--number one--to Emily--who lost everything she owned in an apartment fire--including her car and her two kittens.  I shall wipe my eyes and find some pretty stationery...
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You can follow this link if you'd like to join me in the 12 days of letter writing.  :)  But, if writing is difficult for you (as it is for a lot of people)--well, just spread a little love somewhere this week.  Best free thing we can do!  I'll leave you with this earworm--LOL!

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"Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day.  You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
Ralph Waldo Emerson