Saturday-12:45pm

Good Afternoon!

This is the view out the window this beautiful fall afternoon--69 degrees and sunny.

A couple days ago Karma woke up to a little gift that was left just for her right outside the patio door.

She'd press her head against the screen in an attempt to get a closer whiff.

Looks like it's probably baby bunny poo, but I'm not sure.  

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Karma stayed near the screen door all morning--watching, waiting, and hoping the mystery creature would return. 

Since it has been a little chilly, she's been appreciating the comfort of her big brown bed once again. 

Well, my arm was bothering me so badly I couldn't write letters or type for more than a few minutes until Thursday.  Before Dagan and Leah showed up yesterday I did finally unpack what I could.  My desk was full of pottery and jars and canvases (on top)... 

...got most of the stacks by the studio door dwindled down... 

...found one small box with paints and sprays to put away in the wall shelves... 

...still had a mess on the kitchen table Friday morning. 

Even half the kitchen counter was full of Leah's tools and hardware.

While unloading boxes I had partially filled a big black trash bag with crumpled newspapers we had used for packing.  Karma was feigning lack of interest, as cats do...

...but she disappeared inside the bag when she thought I wasn't looking. 

Before McFamily arrived last night I just started shoving stuff here and there to partially clear off the kitchen table.

Didn't matter where I stuck things...just wanted to clear some space. 

Leah taught me how to make a veggie-pasta-pesto dish and we had that for dinner.  Yummy!  Dagan brought in load after load of boxes from the garage.

He thought he had gotten everything that wasn't marked "G" for garage. 

There are boxes piled everywhere, as you can see.  

But now I am really free to organize!!  

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It's difficult to organize when you don't know how much space you need for this or that and so much of this chaos is going in different spots.  Fun--but challenging!

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They got the power strip behind the bookcases on the wall by the door... 

...and Leah put together the black wire cubes in the closet...

...while Dagan hauled in boxes--tada! 

So, now I will be able to organize all my toys!!  I have my work cut out for me, don't I?  But I am SOOOO excited that this is the last of the unpacking!  Then all that's left is to rearrange a bit in the garage before the snow flies.  There will be room out there now for Dagan and Leah to store some things out in my garage, too, so that they can get both cars in their garage this winter.  :):)  So nice to have some extra space to help them out.  

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Even though all but one of the little poo-balls has dried up and rolled away in the wind, Miss Karma keeps watch.

And you know what I'll be doing...putting the final room together in my dream apartment...ahhh!  "Studio" Baby Steps here I come.  :):)  Enjoy your weekend!

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"If you have built castles in the air your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday-7am

Only slept 3 1/2 hours and was up three times.  One of those hurtin' nights.  Definitely need a nap today.  Hope I can manage a few winks.  Anyways, good morning!  Been busy-busy since last we spoke.  Emptying out the studio.  This particular stuff on the kitchen table (canvases and large paper goods) was shifted away later to make room for all the other "stuff" that got shoved here and there into the bookcases.

There's stuff in the hallway... 

...the bedroom... 

...more in the bedroom (these are all various empty containers)... 

...extra fans by the pantry... 

...more stuff leaning against the bookcases in the living room... 

...and stacks outside the studio door. 

I had removed the two chairs that have been in "Karma's room"--LOL!  (See last post.)  But she was so upset by the empty room that she'd just walk around in there and cry and cry.

So, I put the chairs back and one of her cat beds...and she was happy again. 

The kitchen table... 

...filled with all those odds and ends.  Room emptied out! 

I finished before McFamily came over last night.  Oh, and had two new plastic cars and two new tiny board books for Mr. Ian.  (We never got to the books, but he enjoyed the rattly cars.)

I basically tried to keep him busy while Mama and Daddy arranged furniture and hung up shelf units and put the new IKEA table together.  Not easy to get pictures in a small room, but here you can see the new little black table and that the big wall unit is up with a skinny shelf underneath--tada! 

I can't fill anything on this other side of the room yet because we need another power strip with a flat plug. 

But I will have plenty enough to keep me busy this week till they can come back on Friday.

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We put up the new ink pad & re-inker shelf unit behind the door. 

So, the place is chaotic once again, but this will be the last time.  :)

 Hard to see but my red cup is way over there by my chair for the T-Stands For Tuesday group over at Elizabeth's.  ;)

That's only one load of boxes on the big cart in the kitchen.  There are a LOT more boxes in the garage yet to come in.  But there really is a light at the end of the tunnel, folks!  Whoohoo!!

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I'll have to wait a day or so before I can start in, though.  My right arm is extra sore now, too.  Not sure what I did while I was emptying the room, but that's my good arm.  Darn!  So, this is about all I can type for now.   Better wrap this up, eh?

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I had a great time with Mr. Ian!  So grateful to Dagan and Leah for doing everything they do to help me out.  I am loving the new little IKEA table in there--fits perfectly.  Karma is curled up in my lap.  The sun is coming up.  AC weather in the 80s for the next couple days and then it's supposed to cool off again.  Time will tell.  ;)  Delighted to finally see the beginning of the end of this move--hurray!!  My arm is killing me...well, and my back, too.  R&R day here I come...with a smile.  I think I'll finish watching the new season of Longmire.  Netflix is truly my crappy-days-BFF.  ;) 

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Have a really sweet week!!  :):)

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"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

Mother Teresa

Saturday-11am

We had a brilliant rainbow... 

...a couple days ago. 

If you enlarge this you can even see the magenta along the bottom. 

I wish the camera could capture the depth of color that I see.  Another day--the drama of the dark clouds... 

...and sun played out beautifully. 

 Yes, I still see some pretty sky from the new apartment.  :)

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Leah, Ian, and I went chair shopping on Wednesday.  I looked at all kinds of power recliners and power lift chairs.  There are a lot of them that when you put the feet up--well, the back goes way down at the same time and you can't sit up at all.  So I really need one with a duel motor system.  With quite a few of them your legs are still slanted downward even when the footrest is all the way up (some my feet even hung over the bottom) which is useless when you have swollen joints from arthritis.  Being short--I still have the puffy back issues with the built-in pillow hitting me on the top of my head.  It was quite the experience--but the yes or no came quickly.

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There was only one yes--and that was a ridiculously expensive leather power rocker-recliner (even has lumbar adjustment, though).  Wasn't even a lift chair but was higher and easy to get out of.  But the chair I am waiting to try out that's new to Slumberland's website--well, it still hasn't arrived.  This lady told me at least the end of the month.  The good thing was--it was listed as $200 cheaper than it was a month ago and she promised me that price.  So--since it's already been a month and I still have to wait...well, I am not putting off starting on the studio just so we don't have to make a path for delivery men--LOL!  And--who knows?!  I might be totally done with the room before that chair ever arrives in the store. 

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So, I thought I'd take some "before" pictures.

So nice to see the place all organized... 

...and Karma soaking up rays. 

This is what I have to clear out this weekend. 

All kinds of odds and ends were shoved in here.   

Anything that wasn't packed in boxes that clearly said "den" or "art supplies"... 

...(those boxes are all still in the garage)...  

...was all stuffed into any space we could find in here. 

I have to haul everything out except the furniture so we can arrange... 

...the empty bookcases and cabinets and the power strips before I can actually put anything away. 

All those other boxes out in the garage have to come in, too. 

McFamily is planning on coming over Monday night to arrange the room, haul in boxes, and--hopefully--be able to install the two wall shelf units.  We'll see how much we can get done.  A lot always depends on Mr. Ian.  ;) 

I have started moving things out and gotten a lot done.  Hoping to be finished today so I can rest my back for a while before Monday night.  :)  

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Miss Karma thought this was her private room.  People never spent any time in there and it was always a quiet place for her to snooze.  There were like three cat beds in there, after all.  Why wouldn't she think it was her room--LOL!

Was quite a shock to her when I started tearing the room apart--LOL!  Yes.  The re-messification has begun!

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Cooler days have stayed around this last week.  I LOVE FALL!!  Crispy, clean air--digging out the sweaters and jackets--leaves turning and skittering across the lawns--school starting--new beginnings!  It always has me excited for the holidays, too.  Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years!  The time of year when people seem to be kinder to each other--a most loving season, to me.  Fall always fills me with joy and excitement.  And this year--truly a new beginning here in a new home, too!  

Wow!  :) :)

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They are having a graveside memorial service for my dad (ashes) in Cokato while my mom is still up here in Minnesota.  I believe on Sunday the 27th.  McFamily already will be down in the Twin Cities that weekend for Dagan's annual heart & pacemaker checkup so they will be able to stay and attend.  :)

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Then the Johnson clan plans to come up to Fargo to visit October 10-11th--so I will get to see my mom before she goes back to Florida.  And yes, she's doing really well and I guess she plans to live alone winters in Florida then come up and spend summers in Minnesota at Blaine & Kathy's.  I am hoping to have the apartment completely finished and organized by then.  :)

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I hope I don't have trouble posting this.  Had no wonderful, super-fast, CableOne internet this morning for a couple hours.  Really?  Already? 

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Plus, my laptop has been slower and slower.  Something called Shockwave Flash keeps crashing--freezes up the laptop and then I can't do anything for a while.  I checked for viruses and bugs--nothing.  Leah couldn't find what was wrong and not sure when Dagan might have any time to mess with it--so I limp along.  Doesn't help when the internet goes down, too--LOL!  

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Ah, the internet.  

Gotta love it!  ;)

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Anyways, I'll be taking a long break--then I'll finish emptying the studio today.  TaDa!  Geese have been cruising by with much conversation all week.  A sure sign of the changing season.  Karma is catching the last rays by the patio door.  

Life is good!!  

Life is so good!!  :):)

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"May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder."

John O'Donohue