Sunday-2:25pm

I know!  Do you believe I am back again already with another slew of pictures!?  This was pre-dawn this morning...and we do have sun today--30 degrees right now.

We had such a busy day yesterday!  Ian was left to the devices of Daddy and Gramma all afternoon.  I now keep this old throw and a couple old kitchen towels clean and at the ready for Ian visits.  He doesn't need to be putting tiny pieces of food from Karma's treat ball or thread or God knows what in his mouth at Gramma's house--LOL!  

It's getting a little harder to keep him on the blanket, though.  He kind of spins and wiggles about now.  This is the only picture of Miss Karma...trying to ignore Ian and be invisible to everybody. 

Here's Daddy soothing Ian when he was getting fussy while we waited for the food container to warm up in some hot water.  

Dagan forgot the bumbo (?) seat so we had to wing it.  I held Ian in my lap while Daddy sat on the floor and fed him.  

There was a little reluctance, but it worked okay and we managed to get the whole container down him (only leaving a dash of food on his forehead that Mama found later after she arrived--ROFL!)  But after a full tummy Ian was a happy boy again.

Laughing...

...and watching silly Gramma with her camera.

Ian has become quite the intense observer.

After Leah arrived they dug into this Amazon box that held the wall coat rack and the bathroom spacesaver.

Leah brought her drill and special hold-the-screw-into-the-sheet-rock thingies.  The coat hooks were going above the bench in the entryway. 

I am already loving these hooks!!  

Oops!  There's Karma again--LOL!

While Mama and Daddy were doing that, Gramma stole a quick video chat with the little book chewer while we were waiting for Chinese delivery.

Yup!!  Even got my favorite--fried rice!  What a treat!

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After dinner Leah also used her drill and screw thingies to attach this letter basket/hook rack which was going...

...here by the door to replace some 3M hooks I have been using for my keys and purse.  In case you're wondering, the white trash basket is for recycling catalogs and magazines.

So, for right now, the little white board is just sitting in the basket.  

It will go above the rack but Leah (who always knows the latest, best, coolest things like this) said they now have velcro attachments to stick up things like the white board.  She's going to get me some.  I tell you, she's a wonder when it comes to things like...well, all of this.  :)

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The spacesaver that is going to replace this old Target model...wasn't enough time to get to that yet...

...but they got all the parts out of the box and Dagan carried all the boxes out to the dumpster for me.  I'm sure Karma wouldn't have been thrilled had she known, but I sure was.

Miss Karma is as stiff and hobbly as I am today--LOL!  She sat in that same position in her bed on the chair for hours--trying to be invisible, hissing if anyone came to close or talked to her, waiting for them to leave--until she finally went and hid in the bedroom.  She's used to flipping herself back and forth like a pancake as she sleeps and getting up to wander about periodically...just like her roommate--LOL! 

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Okay--if all that wasn't enough...they also hooked up the picture frame to the internet.

It also has a motion sensor!  

Do you believe it?

AND they connected the tablet...AND Dagan connected his old (bigger than my old Galaxy) phone for me, too!  Got me switched to this new phone over the phone...which was possible with four cell phones and a land line in here--LOL!  Crazy!  (I'm using an old wooden letter holder to hold the tablet, phone, and fauxdori--tada!)  

Then Leah set the new phone all up for me, too.

And you thought Miss Karma was spoiled!!  ;) ;)

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I never got near the tote (and won't until my body gets back to its normal fibro-set-point in a couple days--LOL!), but I came up with an idea of how to use it.  Face it--this thing is way to huge to use as a diaper tote (giggles)...BUT...they could use it as a Toy Tote!  For hauling Ian's toys up and down the stairs!  They liked that idea.  Hey--it's going to be a sturdy, tough bag.  So they're going to try that.  I plan to have it finally finished and be able to bring it over some time this coming week...

God willing and the creek don't rise.

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And just to make this post even longer...(I bet you're sorry now that the fibro flare is letting up!)...I'll show you what I've been doing with my bullet journal so far.  Soooo, exciting to me!  Hey--if I bored Dagan and Leah with it in person, you can bet I'm going to bore you with it, too--ROFL!!

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Table of Contents.

 January tracking chart--I love this!!  You don't have to be rewriting things over and over.  In fact, I've gone beyond it being a daily chart already and highlight the boxes for weekly tasks!  

 I'll be adding more as I go along...or subtracting.  Can do whatever you want.  Notice the January sticker?

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Then on my "January" page I used a month sticker so I can see the whole month at a glance.  To the right of that I have the projects I want to try to finish in January.  Below that I have an ongoing letter/note/card list for the month.  

Then I started the actual daily task lists.  I haven't been using all the little codes that you can use.  At least, not yet.  I have been color coding tasks for years.  I'm just trying to adjust to a new set of colored pens because I used to color code with highlighters--and there are some color changes in the switch.  I'll find out if it is more practical to use symbols and one color of pen or not over the coming months.

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  What I personally love is that if it turns out to be a rough day and I am good for little or nothing (like today) I can just combine a couple of days if I want rather than rewrite everything.  Easy peasy!  And, yes--been using the elastic band as a bookmark. 

I also printed off on cardstock a kind of bookmark that is a list of everything I could think of that I might want to add to my task list on any given day.  A possibilities list.  :):) 

I'm too sore to even work on planners today, but I am excited to continue on with the Franklin Covey (my information station)...and do have a couple filofax (personal size) binders to dig into, too!  One is going to be for arts & crafts stuff, for sure.  Ahhhh!  :)

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I know.  I get so excited about these nerdy things.  Can't help it.  This is absolutely so much fun for me!!  Dagan basically kind of tunes me out and just nods.  Leah shakes her head because she's totally a digital crunchy girl and it's a waste of paper.  True.  I have had to blanketly apologize to trees since I was nine.  BUT--the bullet journal will waste less paper, right?  ;)

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Well, that's it from here.  I am off to watch some Battlestar Galactica while Karma and I rest our achy bodies.  Does that count as a guilty pleasure?  :):)  

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I wish you an OMGosh week!!  

See you soon!

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“Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people."

Mother Teresa

Saturday-8am

Grab a cuppa!  Lots of pics for you today.  :)

We have had sunny days (or short portions of days) so seldom that I tend to grab the camera when I see blue sky at all.

We've even had mornings like this... 

...which have turned into dark, overcast, grey days in a matter of a couple hours. 

But it's been warmer!  In the 20s and it's even 35 degrees right now.  Karma keeps asking to go out on the porch...and, yes...I left the old bathroom rug out there just to freak her out--LOL!  Made a box-fort in the far corner so Miss Snoopypants can't resist going over there to check it out despite the fact that the bathroom rug outside still totally freaks her out. 

I forgot to tell you that I went to turn on the bathroom light and the door angel fell down, hit me on my right arm, and smashed into about 20 pieces.  Hard to get a shot of the greenish bruise on my forearm--still sore.

I had to dig through photos to find a picture of her from 2010.  She was beautiful.  All my door angels were gifts.  

Yes, I had three door angels.  This one is still over the hallway closet. 

This one is over my bedroom door. 

So--I've been pondering...what kind of a sign is it when you get a smack down from a suicidal angel?

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Speaking of...a sweet, earthly angel sent me a paypal gift.  Jeannie told me to buy something FUN!  Jeannie makes these beautiful, intricate cards and loves supplies as much as I do so I knew what she meant, but I was going to be a bit more practical and order the lovely european paper tablets (Clairfontaine and Rhodia) and envelopes (they run a different size than our tablets) that I use a lot writing letters.  But when I went to order them from Goulet Pens my paypal order was rejected because they were out of the Clairfontaine tablets (my fav)...well, I took that as a sign.  Maybe I should get something I really would never have gotten myself...or at least not for a long time--LOL! 

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That meant going to my Dick Blick wish list.  Whoohoo!! 

I have watched people on youtube using the Golden High Flow Acrylic paints with their gelli plates for a long, long time.  They stay wet a lot longer...which is a good thing for people who move a lot slower.  ;)  I now have a set!! 

AND...last year they came out with baby gelli plates!  This is the smallest one--3" X 5", but they also have a 5" X 7", too.  Advantage?  This baby plate can be picked up and used like a rubber stamp!  It's so small that I should be able to sit down to use it so my sciatic leg won't interfere!!  

Thanks so much Jeannie!!  I really did get something FUN that I wouldn't have gotten for a long time.  (You know I would have eventually--LOL!)  
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Meanwhile...the January orders have come trickling in.  My Leuchtturm 1917 (do not ask me to pronounce that) journal arrived!   

It's the perfect journal to use for bullet journaling. 

It comes with contents pages... 

...and all the pages are numbered.   

 What's bullet journaling?

If you're interested, here's the very basics.  

If you search on youtube...well, people have gone wild adapting this system to their various needs.  This is just the launching pad--LOL!  Just awesome!  So flexible!  I knew I had to try this the moment I ran across people using it on youtube.
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Do you remember my red leather fauxdoris?  My smaller one has been trimmed down a little to adapt to pocket sized notebooks.  I even rounded the corners.

Since December I have been using it to see if I would like the bullet system.  These Word notebooks are lined with a little circle before each line--also good for bullet journaling, but too small.  Perfect for a trial daily-to-do bullet list, though...and I am hooked!

My fauxdori holds four small notebooks.  I also cut down the ones I had made to fit the new pocket size--so that's one of those for taking notes, etc.  Oh, in fact I even rounded those corners yesterday.

Then I have a Field Notes ledger notebook that I use to scribble down my prioritizing of the monthly ordering of goodies...okay--and actual necessities when I am forced.  ;)

Lastly I have the Field Notes notebook with the dots and slick pages that I use for wish lists.

Karma finds all my lengthy table time for organizing planners and journals a good time to relax in the brief morning sunshine.

My small January orders have been trickling in.  Have some calendar stickers to try out for the heck of it in my bullet, address pages and tabs for my Franklin Planner (which is going to be at my desk and where I plan to migrate all the more permanent information), and a punch for my filofax size planners.  Yes, I am far from being done organizing for the year. 

The huge project...the trial of patience...the battle with Miss Brother...continued.  But there has been another huge breakthrough!!  
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For two days I could not get past three stitches without her jamming.  I tried everything I could think of.  Have threaded and re-threaded that machine so many times I actually have it memorized--LOL!  Then a couple days ago I woke up thinking about the thread being too thick.  (I get a lot of solutions as I am waking up...think I get help.)  We bought heavy duty thread you can use for upholstery because this is a big heavy bag, right?
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So, I decided to look through my threads and see if I had a dark brown...tada!  Well, Miss Brother not only doesn't like thick, stiff fabrics...she apparently doesn't care for thick thread, either.  She would at least run and not jam.  Sews so poorly...

...that I sewed most seams twice...

...but at least she was moving.

I have never worked on a more exhausting sewing project.  Not even when I tried a tailored jacket many years ago.  Sorry, but I really needed another art break.  

I added the last bits of some ink samples all over the page.

Used the sample vials...a pill bottle...and created another paint shirt because I forgot to change clothes--LOL! 

Then last night I misted and splattered it with white dylusions spray to tone it down a bit.  

I got so carried away slapping ink all over the place that I am not sure I will be able to see the list when I write it--LOL!  But what fun!  Ahhhh!  I needed that!

I didn't get any more in the process pics of the tote--but I have managed to get all the sides together because Miss Brother would at least make a half-assed attempt to cooperate when she got her thinner thread.

Final step...hand sewing the bottom on.  

I knew there would come a point where there would be no way to sew this on the machine anymore.  I was shocked to get all the rest of it together, to be honest, on the diva.  Looks dreadful because her tension is terrible, but it will be together.  I gave up long ago on trying to make this look decent.  
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It's way bigger than we expected!  Like a big piece of luggage--LOL!  We knew this long ago and Leah said she didn't care if I didn't even finish it.  But this stubborn Swede was not going to give up.  I really wanted to see if I could figure out how to get this together.  I don't care if they never use it and give it away on freecycle or toss it in the dumpster...it will be in one piece in the end.  I wasn't going to let Miss Brother win--LOL!
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I am wondering if the tension will be better on more normal fabrics?  Seems crazy to have to bring a brand new machine in for repair.  And the two places I did bring my old machine to for repair couldn't fix her tension at all (she wasn't catching the bobbin thread).  Caroline told me there's one more place in town.  Caroline likes the quilt store for repairs, but I paid over $90 for nothing there, too.  ??  Let's hope Miss Brother relaxes and behaves now that she's free of the diaper tote.  We shall compromise.  I won't try thick, stiffer fabrics or threads on her anymore.  She. Will. Work.  At least, that is what I told her.  ;)  Fingers crossed!
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On a lighter note...I take Miss Karma's toy box away from her sometimes.  She hadn't seen it for about a month, so it's interesting again.

She doesn't really "play" with the toys.  
She pulls them out and lays on them.

Anyways, I you probably need another cuppa by now.  ;)  I am off to hand sew that bottom piece on the tote.  (Glad I own thimbles.)  Leah is off to girl's spa day this afternoon and Dagan texted me yesterday to ask if he and Ian could come visit--you bethcha!!  :):)
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I am so thrilled I am going to finally get this tote together that I can't tell you.  Miss Brother and I know each other a lot better...but we are far from friends.  I have lots of fun planner play ahead...and the art table is patiently waiting for me.  And Dagan and Ian are coming over to brighten up this grey day.  Life is good!!  :):)  Need to get some more coffee and start the day.
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"Sometimes I go about pitying myself, and all the time I am being carried on great winds across the sky."
Chippewa, translated by Robert Bly