Friday-7:15am

I had Karma's cat grass growing behind the porch door. Didn't have it open this far and thought she had enough room to go back there and chew away. Either she didn't have enough room or out of sight, out of mind.

I moved it out yesterday in front of the screen door and Karma has been happily grazing away ever since.

It got so awfully sticky in here (90% humidity) last night that it woke me up at 3am. I closed the place up and put the air on. So, of course, Karma has already asked to go out half a dozen times--ROFL! Does this mean summer is here already? ;)

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I ran across ~Pieceful Art~ on youtube. She was recycling an old book into a journal and using her sewing machine to bind the new pages together--neat idea! I started following her blog, too. One day Desi showed some bookmarks she had collaged and asked if anybody wanted one! Tada!

I had no idea that this multicolored thread for your sewing machine that Desi used for the zig-zig border even existed. Just shows you how many years it's been since I've had my machine out of the closet--hehe!

She added chains and beads and trinkets, too. Handmade things are special to me.

And she sent this pretty card...

...that has a pop-out flower pot inside! Thanks so much, Desi!

I don't know if she peeks at my blog, but thank you so much, Desi!! :):)

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It's supposed to clear up a little this morning--to partly cloudy, mid-70s, and humid. I am not a fan of sticky. :( Karma--she's sprawled out on the porch avoiding the AC. ;) The AC and I--we're going to have a good day! :)

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"If you plant rice, rice will grow. If you plant fear, fear will grow."

Caine, from Kung Fu (TV show)

Thursday-12:45pm

Sunrise on the prairie.

A little sunbathing on the porch rug for Karma...

...who sat up wondering if I was coming out to read yet. ;)

I did read a little out there early in the morning--until the wind picked up. It's 70 degrees right now and has clouded over. Thunderstorms are on their way, I guess. Been a nice morning, tho.

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I got the cutest card from Iggy!! How To Live is the name of the company. (This was so cute I had to go look them her up online.)

click to embiggen

Thanks so much! You made my day, Iggy!!! :):)

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My little sister kindly went and took spring pictures of the old cottonwood tree, too! This is from one direction. It's the big tree next to that closest parked car in front of the grey house.

And here are some shots from down the other side of the street.

Everything is so pretty and green now!

Hard to believe I can remember when it was all sand and mud--totally barren and naked land in the entire housing development. Amazing what 55 years will do. Nature is miraculous in how, given enough time, it will thrive even where we have bulldozed it down to nothing.

Dagan and Leah didn't come over last night. Leah's oldest sister called a sibling meeting to discuss their mom. Vicky's got hospice coming every day and is on morphine now. My friend, Ruby, and I postponed her visit till later in the summer. My prayers are with them all.

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Meanwhile, it's too windy on the porch for Karma and I this afternoon. She's sleeping by the open porch door, tho--closer to the wall where there's less wind. She's no dummy--hehe! And I'm going to settle in and watch the second DVD of Justified-Season One.

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Hope you've been having a good week. Karma and I have been on the lazy side, but it's been a sweet week for us--even counting the tornado flash backs--ROFL!! :) :)

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"How many times have you noticed that it's the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?"

Mr. Fred Rogers

Wednesday-8:30am

This morning there was sun on the porch where Karma caught some rays...

...and listened to the birds singing.

We've had the usual cloudy days...

...with an occasional peek of sun since I last wrote.

Monday night rain misting me from the fan rocking in the bedroom window and the dryer vent slamming violently against the building woke me from a dead sleep at around 8:30pm. The building was shaking, lights were flickering, wind roared like thunder, the sky looked green...I shoved Karma in her stroller and rolled her into the bathroom (only room without windows). Grabbed rubber soled shoes, my robe, my bag, water thermos, camera, phone, laptop, and a chair. The sirens went off.

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Dagan called me from their basement. (They knew my days and nights were flipped and I might be sleeping.) Karma and I waited it out in our bathroom. Dagan and Leah were down in their laundry room with Sammy and Annie. (Another reason I am falling in love with cell phones.) Annie had been a poop and ran to hide under the bed...trying to bite and scratched Leah I guess. Next time they'll just chase her downstairs--LOL!

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We're all okay. But it was a doozy of a storm--long storm front with high winds, hail, and tornadoes. Caroline emailed me yesterday and had to switch to this afternoon to come and clean because the clients couldn't go their worksite because they still didn't have electricity yesterday. A cold front moved in after the storm. Back to 50s yesterday. Today it's sunny and peaceful. ;) Might reach the 70s.

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Besides that--LOL!--since I last posted I have been working a little on the birthday cards...

...coloring the bases of the cupcakes. All done with that step now.

I made a recycled wedding reception card for my brother's oldest boy.

We can't make it down to the Twin Cities for it, but Dagan, Leah, and I will send a card. :)

I took pictures of Dagan and Leah's furbabies when I went back on Monday morning. They are funny...take turns eating. First Sammy ate some...

...while Annie waited.

Annie took a turn--and then they started over. Did this about three times each. So funny. I guess they don't really like to be at the bowl at the same time.

I get my tree fix when I go over to their place!

They have the nicest view of the woods and a little river is right behind those trees. More like a creek where they live.

This blossoming bush is right outside their living room window.

I have no idea what it is, but it is loaded with all these reddish-pink flowers. Very pretty!

Well--the internet and I haven't been the best of friends lately. I have still had some trouble posting comments on various blogs and had trouble posting my own blog last time (hope none this time). Also have had trouble replying to comments on my own youtube account? Arg! So, if you haven't gotten a comment from me lately on your blog or a reply to your youtube comment, I have probably read it but wasn't allowed to post a comment or reply. Blogger has been touchy ever since the 2-day meltdown. Youtube has done this to me a couple times in the past--not letting me reply to comments on my videos. So random! I apologize. When it works, it works. I doubt I'll go back and try to repost. Sorry. Should be better soon, I hope. In the meantime, I am copying this whole post this time before I try to upload it. Fool me once...LOL!!

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I'm getting back toward being on days. Dagan and Leah are coming over tonight if I am awake enough--been up since 3am and I'll email them later. Just washing clothes, listening to the birds, and glad I never lost my electricity. The porch must be dry if Karma is laying out there. Might have to grab a book and read in between folding and hanging clothes. ;)

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Have a glorious day!! :):)

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"It is in the shelter of each other that people live."

Irish Proverb

Saturday-10:30am

Since it has been cooler Karma's been sleeping in her nice warm cat bed again.

Leah was over on Wednesday night to make a couple of guy graduation cards.

She used this technique to make the cardstock look like wood. The "Congrats" oval sits right inside the oval window hole...

...so this is what you see when you open the card.

I thought this was a clever idea! The "Congrats" is attached with brads that look like screw heads.

She made two of them.

Leah's family has always gotten together over Memorial weekend. They left yesterday to go visit with her mom first. :)

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Early this morning there was this dark wall of clouds along the horizon.

The sliver of a moon was still out as the sun was rising.

Later in the daylight you can really see that is becoming a road over there. Won't be too long now, I suppose.

Anyways, I am taking care of Sammy and Annie for Dagan and Leah while they are gone on their long weekend. Since my days and nights are flipped (am slowly working my way around the clock) I left early this morning for West Fargo.

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Iggy had asked me what was on the other side of my apartment building...pretty dull stuff. Here's the street that runs in front of the complex.

Endless new housing developments across the street.

Oddly, there's this public playground--right next to this busy four lane road.

Here's looking a little bit the other way down the street. Somebody came up behind me, so I had to go.

My view is more interesting, I think--even if there is some construction and I will probably end up overlooking a lot of small businesses. It's also quieter in the long run on this side because I don't get the louder constant traffic noise. Pretty barren around here because I think this all used to be farmer's fields at one time. But I do get to see a lot of sky! ;)

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I forgot to get pictures of Sammy and Annie. I'll try to remember next time. They're much friendlier now than when Dagan and Leah first adopted them.

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I started watching Justified and I love it! Will definitely follow this series. Of course, I loved Timothy Olyphant in Deadwood, too. And he was in the movie I Am Number Four that I just told you about. This morning I began watching the series The Darling Buds of May with a very young Catherine Zeta-Jones that Serena mentioned on her blog. Cute!

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I hope everyone (in US) has a nice long weekend with decent weather. :):)

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"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."

From a headstone in Ireland

Wednesday-7:45pm

Proof that even on our cloudy, overcast days...

...off to the east in Moorhead somebody saw a glimpse of sunshine. ;)

Today, though, has actually been sunny! Cooler--only 62 degrees right now and there was a frost advisory north of us last night--but today it's sunny!! Too cool for Karma to want to lay about on the porch, so she snoozed on "her" chair.

Cats can become deeply relaxed. Believe it or not, she was awake when I took this picture.

Okay--the piston pen. I finally asked on the Goulet's live stream program last night why my piston pen was evaporating so fast and was that normal? (Never did get a return email, but they just got their help back and said they are behind on emails and blogs because they had to focus on orders.) Anyways, they said there's holes in the cap and that can cause quicker evaporation. It was hard to get a close-up of this tiny hole that I found on the side of the cap--was the only hole I found?

What I did was take a tiny little piece of poster tack and squeezed it into the hole. Looks huge, doesn't it?

But it is very small as you can see from a regular shot. We'll see if that slows down the evaporation. I mean, good grief! I can lose an inch of ink in a little over a week! My apartment must be very dry, eh? I do like the pen, tho, so wish me luck! :)

My days and nights are still flipped. So, I am often going down in the middle of the night to check my mail. Twice within the past week the elevator has looked like this. :(

Pee or whatever it is all over the floor. Even almost looked like a couple poop smears? Dog? I've often wondered if it was a dog, but then you can see where they pee down the wall in the corner...

...and it would have to be a pretty tall dog.

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Why do people do things like this? And even if it was their dog, why don't they clean it up? I'd be mortified if my dog peed all over the elevator, you know? Oh well. Sorry to complain, but it hadn't happened for a while and I had gotten my hopes up that maybe they had moved. :(

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Anyways, Leah is running about doing errands and is going to stop by quickly to make a graduation card later tonight, I think. BTW--Dagan and Leah and even Caroline do not use the elevator and take the stairs. I don't blame them. There's also often snot wiped or spit dripping down the wall and they scratch all over the door with their keys. Right now there's a swastika--that they had to draw three separate times before they got all the angles going the right way--LOL! These are obviously well-read, intelligent folk we're dealing with.

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Deep breath.

Clear out my negatives.

I think I need to watch one of those 10 minute relaxation videos. ;)

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Well, I have finally started coloring the cupcakes (for the birthday cards) with the copic markers--another step to do 50 times--LOL! Always relaxing to color. :)

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Yesterday I watched a movie from Netflix called I Am Number Four. If you like movies like X-Men, I think you'd like this movie. It is set up to have sequels and I hope they make them. :)

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I'm not going to let the urine soaked elevator get to me. (I feel so sorry for the cleaning person!!) I'll continue to wear rubber soled shoes and press the buttons with my mail key. ;)

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"In the midst of gathering darkness, light becomes more evident."

Bonnie Bostrom

Monday-6pm

Just a couple of videos for you today. :)

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This youtube site found me and subscribed to me on youtube. Whoohoo! It is all about Fargo-Moorhead! And they had this quick tour video I thought you might enjoy.

And then this site is my favorite place to go when I want to relax in nature. Great ten-minute meditations to calm your soul and lower your blood pressure. ;)

Have a really great week!! :):)

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P.S. Looks like Blogger is acting up again. I hope these will work giant sized?

Don't know how to fix this.

Sorry. :(

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"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

Albert Einstein