Thrusday but I could swear it's Friday.

I'll have to think awhile about the title of this. I'm really tired and not to clear at the moment, what a great time to write :-) Mom had her surgery today and she came out of it with flying colors. I was amazed at how good she looked and seemed to feel. It was done in the Surgical Center on Carrillo and Laguna streets, it was a real surgery, not like getting a tooth pulled. When I look at mom I can't believe her age, she defies all the rules, she just doesn't look as old as she is. She will be 80 in 2 years and I feel like I look her age, or rather she looks mine! And, Mom being mom, never wanting to put anyone out, made her own soup and toast for lunch when we got home, what a sweet trooper she is. I didn't stay long because she was tired and really needed some sleep, she was up at 4:30 and never went back to sleep. I don't see how she does it, I don't sleep and I look old and haggard, she doesn't sleep and she looks wonderful. God was smiling the day she was created.

So what is new, nothing. Oh, we have sold several things on Etsy at both shops. Actually I was just thinking that there had been no sales at the Azul Girl shop in so long that I might just move everything from it to the Sew Easy. And just like that, 2 sales, both for earrings. I think there is definitely a Christmas shopping boom going on and unfortunately we were not prepared because we have done well in the last month or so. It's to late to (I always get confused on the to or too) anyway, it's to late to start loading the shops up. Although I am going to attempt to get some more things up if I can ever make anything. I have the time I just never use it wisely and when I come up with a good idea I spend hours and hours planning it out and then by the time I'm ready to make it I see something else and spend the same amount of time planning it, it just goes on and on. What I need is a huge bulletin board so I can sketch what I'm thinking and move on without wasting time. I'm always afraid I will forget what I wanted to do so if I could just have a central place to pin up the ideas I might get more accomplished. I spend more time gathering the things I'm going to use than actually making it. Ah well, I used to be good at this so I guess I am thankful for those good years.

I was going to make some Christmas cards but the cards are a size I cannot locate anywhere for printing. I have looked in all my card programs, Works, on line, off line. It's a regular size but all they offer in programs is the half and quarter fold, oh and note cards that are the same size as quarter folds only the are half folds. I am going to check more websites that have card programs and hopefully I'll get luck, if not I'll have to buy more cards in the other sizes. I want to have two cards this year, I have one that is just Christmas and the other I still have to draw and color. I suppose I should do that soon since December is tomorrow. If not, there are plenty in the card programs I have have so I can tweak them to my liking.

Saturday I am going up to Lompoc for the Christmas Dinner show, no, that one is later on. This one the Madrigals and the regular choir will be singing. I don't think Tarah has any solo's this time. If she does she hasn't mentioned it. She is so active in school with choir, drama, Madrigals, it's amazing. I thought she was going to be the one who had few friends and hung back from the crowd. Quite the contrary. Joey is the more quiet and stays at home, he rarely does things with his friends, well he has reason though. His lung are so bad he's in pain and coughing every single day, it just wears him out and yet he is the entertainer at school. I think that also wears him out. Everyone expects him to be funny and keeps the group together. Big demand on a kid who is in such poor health. Well, and yet I don't know if he's in bad health, I just know that he feels bad and tired all of the time. I feel so badly for him, it hurts me deeply.

I will spend the night up there and come home on Sunday. I can't drive home at night unless I really have to or want to get home. Poor Rocky will have to sleep in this ice box all by himself.

Tomorrow Rob and Robyn leave for Africa...sigh. I just can't believe it's time already. It feels like yesterday that we booked the flight and yet that was 6 months ago. I am going to miss them so much. I like being alone but not at Christmas. I still have to do Christmas shopping because as of yet my bank (Rob) has not handed over any money. They will leave here tomorrow at 2:30 and they fly out of L.A. at 7:00p.m. and it will be nearly 40 hours before they set foot in Africa. That is not fun without stopping in one place long enough to go anywhere. They will have 8 hours in London but the air port is so far from town and that nagging "what if" is always there. What if we miss a bus or a bus breaks down and we miss our flight. Anyway, they are off tomorrow and I pray for a safe trip, all the way around.

Okay, my eyes hurt and I need to go to bed. I have a lot to do tomorrow since Rob still needs to pack! He is just awful when it comes to that. Later....

Another blog post killed by Adobe!

I am so disappointed that I could cry. I just finished a huge entry and lost the whole thing, again! My damn computer keeps freezing and it's an Active X problem, well it's Flash9.0cx, which is an Abobe problem which they know about and have not fixed! This keeps happening and I keep going to adobe and nothing is happening. Microsoft can't fix it so I have to ahhhhh, I hate this.

To briefly bring you up to date, I am working on jewelry, crocheting, sewing, etc. etc. We, Robyn and I as Sew Easy Creations, are finally up on the Mahar Dry goods website, this is the address http://www.mahardrygoods.com/category.php?category_id=52 . Robyn's are the colorful finger puppet monsters and mine are the barnyard animal finger puppets. I was so excited when I wrote about this in the post that was just destroyed by flash9 but now I'm to angry to be excited.

Robyn and the kids were here this weekend and it was fun. I'm sick again though, woke up yesterday feeling like something was coming and today it was here. I guess it's a cold, it feels just like what I had a couple of weeks ago that lasted for, what, 6 weeks?!

I have good news for potential choke victims. If you choke while taking a handful of vitamins you have a chance of surviving. If you are lucky and can cough hard enough, that little sucker will come flying out of your throat, in my case I think it was my bronchial tube or whatever you call it, and it was a vitamin C by the way, it will come flying out traveling at about 500 miles per hour and will land approximately 15 to 20 feet away unless there is a wall there, in which case it will go right through it. If possible, make sure no one is standing in front of you, if you can, because you just might put their eye out or you will kill them.

I am going to try and put my pictures in this and if it dies again, well you'll never know because this won't be here! I'll try for one picture that has a key ring made for Azul Girl, a bracelet I made for Tarah for Christmas which is her school colors-black and gold, and a set of 6 wine glass markers that will go into the 'booze' basket we are making for Tarah's Madrigal auction in February which is to help pay for their trip to sing in Italy in the spring. Pretty exciting. Robyn and I are making various baskets to auction off and so far we have come up with a yarn basket for people who are addicted to yarn as I am, a kitchen basket, a food basket (dried beans and fixings for soups, etc, a bathroom basket and hmmm, there is probably one or two more that I'm just not remembering. I'm also knitting a fur stole. Its turning out really nice. I'm using 2 strands of a fur yarn and one strand of a worsted weight acrylic yarn held together to make it extra furry and hold its shape. And ohhhhh, it's so soft!

So, below should be a picture, and here I will say good night...pardon typo's

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I just wrote a big long entry about all sorts of stuff and now its gone! For some reason my computer ceases to run and I have to end the task which means I lose everything. Sniff, sniff, I'm going to cry, maybe I'll try tomorrow. sigh.........

Gosh, I completely forgot about this blog! Doesn't matter, I haven't done much of anything other than the usual moaning and groaning. I was trying to get into Etsy and once again they are 'working on it' which means the site is down. They are supposed to be going from beta to v2 on Nov. 1st so there must be a lot of things going on there. It's just frustrating when you can't get to your shops to check on things. I don't have anything new to upload tonight so I won't freak out. I will have things very soon. I've been working on a few things and they should be done with in a few days. Providing I work steadily on them. That can change on an hourly basis.

I sure would like to get a few, no, a lot of things made for Christmas Shoppers. It's beginning on Etsy and I am totally not ready. I was so busy with all the large side orders that I haven't made anything. I could take a day off and go gung-ho but knowing me that would only produce one or two things. It takes me forever and a day to do anything anymore.

I sold another pair of booties to a sweet girl who is adopting a baby from China. These didn't go through Etsy so no fees to pay other than the Pay Pal fees. We sold Robyn's pirate doll to a girl in the UK and I had to hassle with pay pal because for some reason they kept saying I didn't accept international payments. Long story short I had to upgrade my account to premiere which it already had been done a couple of years ago. Whatever. I even have a pay pal credit card which I got when I upgraded. I think that place is so crooked. I wish there was another on line source for transactions other than pay pal. I had heard there was one starting with Google but so far I have not heard anymore about it. I even opened a Google account but I haven't heard a thing from them either. Who knows.

Speaking of google, this is actually googol, did you know a googol is the number 1 with 100 zeros after it. That is one huge number! They say you could never count to 1 million in your lifetime, so I wonder how many lifetimes it would take to count to a googol.

Have you been wondering about the lyrics to a song that's stuck in your head? Check this out, Lyrics Just wish they had a tiny piece you could actually hear so you know you've at least got the tune right.

Rob and Robyn leave for Africa on the 1st of December. That is not far away at all. I sure hope this is the last time they go during Christmas. It really upsets me. Mind you Rob has never been that in tune with the Christmas spirit, being he's half Scottish. More likely it was never a huge deal when he was growing up. They didn't do gifts there like they do here, nor did they make a big deal about anything else. I'm not totally sure if that is a trait of his family or if that is indicative of the whole of South Africa. Anyway, the next time they go it had better be in the summer, which is their winter and the weather in their winter is much like our summers so weather shouldn't be an issue.

I reckon that's it for tonight. I still have an hour or so to work on my things for Etsy so I will go and do that. It seems so strange sometimes to sit here and write to myself but oh, well, stranger things happen. Goodnight...

Christmas Before Halloween

Here it is the 10th and I'm not believing it. I am still sick but today I feel a bit better. Had a great conversation with mom tonight on the phone. I will spend the rest of tonight knitting a capelet I have started to be donated to the Madrigals auction in Feb. I think I will make two if this one turns out okay. They are furry, really cute. If I can remember I will put a picture of them up here when I am done. It's very difficult typing this because I have 17 pounds of fur on my lap and I don't have the heart to kick it off.

I received an email from a guy who would like to sell our finger puppets on his online store. It's called Maher Dry Goods . There are some cute things there, I recognize quite a few things that are for sale on Etsy so he must keep an eye on that place. The puppets are these animals and monsters. Robyn made the monsters and I made the animals. It feels so neat to have our things being sold elsewhere. My booties are in a gift shop in Georgia and the lady from polkadotpatch is still interested and I'm going to be talking to her tomorrow.

I was shocked the other day when I had to go to the grocery store, since I've been sick I haven't been out much and we are running out of food and toilet paper. I suppose we could go a little longer without food but the other is a must have! Anyway, there is already an isle for Christmas things up at Ralph's. There are ornaments, paper, ribbon, toys, dishes, other novelty items and it was really weird to see. Oh, and of course, they had very obnoxious Christmas music blaring from animated animals. Not that I mind Christmas music, it was just very annoying. However, I did buy some of the fabric ribbon. All of the Halloween candy is a few isles over from it. I don't recall Christmas things out this far ahead of Halloween.

Well that is it for me for today. I'm tired and need to work on the cape. No, I need to work on the finger puppets! Goodnight...

Just wanted to post these or I'll forget

Well here I am again but not for long. Just wanted to upload these pictures. I wanted to see what they look like outside of my photo program. I have manipulate some of these, my favorite being the big yellow eye and the red fur with blue eyes. This one to the left is not a favorite but I hope to fix it somehow. Anymore drawing on it and it will be a total loss so I want to somehow make it better with colors or applying ink. There are 7 pictures. Now I am leaving because of a huge headache which I'm hoping will also be leaving.
10-10, I just deleted the pictures, exept these two which wouldn't delete. You can see my other pictures at the azul website Azul Girl I made them into notecards and they are for sale. Wish me luck.

Here is the most current picture I have of Heather. It's been blown up quite a bit so the colors are kind of funny. I think Heather is an exact split of her parents. Corinne is below with Nolan and she looks so much like her aunt Cozy, Scott's sister. However, there is a lot of Jocelyn that shines through, too. Nolan looks just like his daddy, of whom I have never seen, only photos. Both of these pictures were taken in very early August, 2006

Been singing the flu blues

Well, gee, it's been about a week or so since I've been here. Was sick, still am. Have the flu or something so I've been keeping a low profile. Hahahaha, that's funny, a low profile. How much more out of touch with life can I get! Ventured out today but got sick in the store so had to cut it short and didn't get what I went for. I had wanted to get some cheapie paint, the little round ones that come with about 8 colors and you use water, I cannot think of what they are called, not real watercolors although they are water colors, I think. I was hoping to experiment with them on some drawings I've done. The cat eyes are Rocky's only his eyes are copper color, not yellow. I was afraid it would look really weird with copper eyes. Then again I guess I could have used orange/ginger color on the other part but I liked these eyes . They can use a bit more work but for not doing anything like this in more moons than I care to remember, I like it as it is. I am going to do more, maybe I'll put them here, too, so if anyone in my family reads this they can comment, or not. I just finished another pair of eyes and if I scan it I'll add them on here at the end, maybe, if I remember. Rob likes them the best, oh, I'll just add it here now so I don't forget. I'm so glad you can't see the little eyeball that is visible on the actual paper. I had started one up higher on the page and didn't like it so erased it and started another one, this one, and discovered the other eye was right in the eye whiskers. This is not Rocky although he was very well scrutinized for this. I wish I could draw the rest of his face, I know that I cannot do that. I tried but I get into all sorts of perception trouble and believe me, it ain't pretty. So I don't think I'll ever get beyond the eyes. OH well, I like 'just' the eyes.

I was thinking about Ernie today and got bummed out. Started thinking of dad and got even more bummed out. I keep telling myself that they are together, happy, disease free, etc. but sometimes I can't talk myself out of being bummed out. Daddy would have been 82 yesterday and Monika would have been 62 on the day before that. I hope she is with them. For someone who seemed to be so miserable for so much of her life I hope she is finally at peace and happy. I keep thinking about all the stuff she put in Ernie's coffin and I suppose he wouldn't have minded. He was used to her collection of clutter in their house so he may have expected it :-) I wonder what happened to all that stuff in their house. I only wish she had sent me Ernie's shirts.

Tomorrow I am mailing those booties I made. I received the check for them and after seeing the check and thinking about all that work that went into them, I don't think I'll be doing that again. I am disappointed that I never heard back from the lady at polkadotpunch about the monster dolls. I wonder if it would be wrong to call her? Maybe I'll do that, just for the sake of it, to satisfy my curiosity.

A couple of weeks ago I bought what I thought was polymer clay. I saw these great boxes of clay on sale for 2 dollars a box. I said to myself, what a deal! So I bought 6 boxes. I didn't get to them right away and when I did get to them, boy, if I could have reached I would have given myself a good swift kick in the butt. They weren't polymer clay, they weren't clay at all, it says right on the box in big bold letters Modeling dough! It's that play dough stuff, not that brand but the same thing. I made a little head out of it just in case it would work out for magnets but alas, after 3 days of drying it was still play dough, rough and salty!

Check this out, it's so funny! Shoes I visit these craft places often and thought this was so funny. I cannot see anyone using these, although it took a lot of imagination and skill to make these purses. Maybe in places like NYC or L.A., I don't know, maybe not even there. When we were in London I think I could very easily seen something like this. I have forgotten the neighborhood name where all the punkies were hanging out but there were things there I still can't believe. I wonder if they all still hang out there. Mohawks were very popular then and some were 2 feet, I'm not joking. I have heard it takes hours to get the hair to stand up like that but when I think of the people wearing them, would they actually stand still that long to achieve that look? I guess they would, either that or they put resin in their hair.

Speaking of London, I found my 800 year old piece of iron from the church gate. I wish I had written the name of it down. I lost my piece of dirt that I dug out of the castle wall, well, I didn't really dig it out, I just helped it out, it was already loose. It was from a castle in Gilford, or Guilford? It pre-dated Jesus and was unlike any castle you'd ever think one to be. I didn't find it romantic, I found it utterly scary that people lived like that, just pockets for sitting and sleeping carved into the walls, very small and cramped, earthy is an understatement.

Okay, I'm getting off here now but before I go, one more place to look at that's really cool. You can look anywhere in the world to see where these are happening. Goodnight...wait, a family picture is needed...it's (bear with me, he's my child) Rocky, one totally ticked of kitty for getting bright lights flashed in his face, can't blame him. But look at the other photo, same one, just manipulated and it really shows his anger! If looks could kill, I'm absolutely certain I'd be dead...see below...

Who Knew?

Lorene is giving Bernice rabbit ears and Janis is making binoculars between dad and Bernice, I'm sitting next to mom. Check out my shoes! What a riot. I always remember mom telling me I was so hard on my shoes, now this is proof positive! I wish that bit of light wasn't shinning diagonally on dad. You can even see our woodie in the driveway. When I went past Anapamu house the other day I thought how it looked so different to me when I was a kid. I didn't realize mom and dad's bedroom window was very nearly on the sidewalk, or that the driveway was so narrow, I remember it being so huge. They have enclosed the walkway that led to the back door and I think it must be an add on to that tiny kitchen. The Greek Church looks about the same but it's no longer a church, last I looked it was a child care, but that was a long time ago. I believe all the bougainvilleas are gone from the side of the house on Castillo St. Gosh that was a fun place to live, so many memories there. Like Santa Clause coming while most of us were in the bathtub. Oh and that big tub, what fun. Soaping up the slanted back and then taking turns sliding down. Or climbing up on the back fence and picking the berries out of our neighbors yard. I remember Marlene and I made a game out of the song 'A tisket a tasket, a green and yellow basket.' We had a basket and we put dishtowels in it. Then skipped all the way down to Figureoa St. singing that song, what exactly the game was I don't remember. I also remember that from somewhere get got a hoop petticoat and that was one of the highlights of my life. I though it was the coolest thing that had ever happened to me.

Sunday was a great day! I went down to mom's and Marlene came out too and we all went to lunch at a cafe that was full of a cute collection of bees. Bees were everywhere and all sorts of other charming things in the cafe. I had a pancake sandwich which wasn't really a sandwich at all. Two humongous pancakes with an egg and bacon sitting on top. It was way to much food. It was good, one of my pancakes was burnt on the bottom but I ate it anyway, I tend to like burnt food.

The Navarro's had a great time at the Ren. Fair. I'll elaborate later. Gee, suddenly I'm feeling tired enough to go to sleep so I'll sign off and come back at a later date. Goodnight...

A day in the life of somone

Who is this gorgeous sexy young woman? Of course we all know who it is but probably never like this. She is so beautiful! My only memories of gma Martgraf are when she was older, sterner. Is sterner a word? I think this is my all time favorite picture of grandma Martgraf. Oh gosh, is it with a T or a K? Why can I never remember that!? Doesn't matter right now, just love this picture! If anyone wants a copy I'll print it off and send it to you, just send me either an email or a comment in this blog. I think you can comment without being a signed up member in this beta version of blogger because I have it on public so that you can read it, I'm thinking you can comment too. Mom, do you know about when this was taken? Could that be daddy's truck? Oh, or is that a car?

So, back to the boring stuff...Here we are mid week already! I feel like I haven't slept in a week. I was awakened in the wee hours of this morning by the familiar sounds of Rocky playing with something. I hear him running around, jumping, going under furniture, his claws in the carpet and every once in a while a soft sound of something hitting the wall. Oh, he's having a ball. I know the sound very well. It happens frequently and I know exactly what is going on. I listen hoping that I'm wrong and trying very hard to talk myself into not getting up. If I wait 5 minutes maybe it will go away and I can just go back to sleep. But no, what if it gets away? What if in it's hopeless efforts of fleeing for it's life it runs up onto the bed, and Rocky right after it? What would that be like? I shudder to think. So I get up, turn on the light and scan the room for the whereabouts of this little creature that has probably found what it thinks is a nice safe place under all my stacks or under the dresser. Last night I was lucky, unfortunately for the mouse, he was not but he was in plain view for a change. It was dead and all the play was, I suppose, to try and make it run. Why do cats continue to play with their catch when it's obviously dead? It's also obvious they, cats, have never heard the rule "don't play with your food." So, all I needed was a few tissues to pick it up, put it in a plastic bag, tell Rocky, no thanks I never snack after 2 a.m. and put it in the trash since there is no way I'm hiking out to the trash at 4 a.m. What a good kitty always trying to keep me fed.

Well it's another day gone by and I sure wish I could get my act together on these booties. I have one pair of booties left, well 1 and a half. I was trimming off the excess thread of one last night and accidentally snipped one of the binding threads and had to pick it all out. I was so upset that I hardly picked it up today. Actually I didn't. This is a love hate situation with these blasted booties. I got a call from the St. Joseph's Hospital in Georgia today asking me for my tax ID number. I suggested she use my ss# since I don't have one. I wonder if I should go through the hassle again of getting a business license. I suppose it would be advisable if we start to sell Robyn's monsters and my booties. Not that it would register on the Richter scale of income earned but when it comes to taxes, it scares me. Perhaps I'll do it, just to play it safe.

The Navarro's are going to Ojai this weekend to a Renaissance Fair. I had thought it might be cancelled in light of the fire that is raging there but evidently it's still on. It's a fund raiser for Tarah's Madrigals. So far they have never netted much more than about 98 cents per child but it's good experience for them singing in public, especially the newbies. They have to sing for their money, if people want to donate they drop a few cents into a hat or boot or something and it's to be split between the kids and put into their accounts. They actually spend the night there, Friday and Saturday nights. I guess it would be great fun for the kids, everyone is in period costume. Robyn makes the costumes for herself, and the two Joeys. Tarah has a costume that comes with being a Madrigal. Hopefully this year they will give her a costume that fits, after all, she has a little seniority now.

Friday afternoon Rob and I are going to Lompoc, which I completely forgot about, to watch a football game that night. Robyn and Joey Jr. will be selling pizza's for the Madrigals, big Joe will be on his way to Ojai with the Madrigals since he is a chaperon. He is the only chaperon that the kids actually listen to. Robyn and big Joey will be doing that, pushing pizzas all football season. Robyn and Lt. Joey will go down to Ojai Saturday. So anyway, it should be fun for us but I'm not sure if I will go. I'd like to but I'm so darn tired. We'll see, if I can get a good nights sleep, at least 4 hours I should be sort of okay :)

I'm looking at the time now and thinking what am I still doing up!? If only I could be like normal people and go to bed early. Well, I can go to bed early but I don't sleep. I start getting angry just laying there wishing and hoping I'll fall asleep. It actually is worse like that because I tend to go into my panic attack mode and then there is no way on earth I could sleep. So the best thing is what I'm doing now. Just staying up until I get that odd feeling and then I know I can go to bed and get at least a few hours of sleep. I really fear sometimes that it's taking a huge toll on my body, how can it ever rest? I suppose sleeping pills would be in order but I'm just to afraid of them. I'm one of those people who when that feeling of going to sleep ebbs over my body I freak out and think that if I let myself go to sleep I'll never wake up. Then I fight sleep all night long. Mind you I did try some awhile back that weren't bad so maybe I could try them again and see if I can trick my body into thinking it's normal :) Or maybe I should say my trick my mind. At any rate I think I'll get off and put my booties in a place where I will see them as soon as I wake up so I can finish them off. So...goodnight... oh, please pardon all typo's and grammatical errors.

This is the most current picture of Jessica. It was taken at a barbecue we went to in St. Paul. I'm trying to find the two of Heather and Corinne but it may have to wait until I find where they are. I have so many photos and folders with photos that also have folders with photos in those folders and on and on. So for some reason my filing system on my computer is pretty much like it is in my home, stacks. Everything is in stacks. Oh well, I thinks she is gorgeous!

Gosh, I can't believe it's been 3 days since I have been here. Had a busy weekend with Robyn and Tarah here. It was fun, it's always fun to have them here. I'm trying to remember exactly what we did this weekend and for the life of me, I cannot. I do remember we had pizza from Costco which was surprisingly delicious. Robyn and Tarah left on Sunday and I don't think I was even up yet. I've been so incredibly tired that I think something must be amiss within me, and that these hot flashes are going to drive me to drink. I used to really fear getting that first chill of the winter because it meant I'd be freezing cold all winter long and no matter what I did it would never take the chill out from inside my body. However, now I am thinking 'Oh, please bring it on!'

The on going saga of the booties, I'm nearly done with this batch. I mailed some today as well as the dish bottle apron kit that we sold on Etsy. Anyone want to buy a kit to make some clothes for your dish soap bottle? Don't laugh, it's adorable! My own dish soap has an entire wardrobe, doesn't yours? That cute stack of animals is a door stop mom gave me and I do use it. The dishtowel in the background was made by Marlene and I use it too! I think that is the only decent one left.

Well I don't have much to say tonight. So I will go. I have those booties to finish. Goodnight...

It's another Saturday night and I ain't got no money...Kidding, it's Friday but I still ain't got no money!

Well Rob's surgery went very well. The whole thing took about 2 hours. He's not in pain, yet, and you'd never know he had surgery today other than he has bandages on his hand/wrist. Which don't look very impressive considering he did have surgery. Hopefully this is a good sign that his hand will take little time to heal. There were not really any specific do's and don'ts other than be careful with it.

While Rob was having his surgery I ran out to Micheal's to get some black and white floss for my booties. I cannot believe I actually was in and out of that store in less than an hour.

Now that I have started this I have completely forgotten what I was going to say. I guess I should make notes so that I don't get on here and do this again! Oh, I did learn how to do hyperlinks which turns out to be a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Just to show that I do know how I will do one, to a bracelet just click on the word bracelet and you'll be taken there. Mom, if this doesn't work for you it's probably your computer. I tested it and the link does work. I think it's really cool and now I won't have long drawn out URLs messing up the text.

Robyn is coming down tomorrow to clean house. I think the kids may be coming with her and I'm not sure if they will be spending the night or not. Usually they do on weekends. It's really nice for me to have a clean house and even nicer to see my little lovelies. Thank goodness for able bodied daughters!

I found this really nice site for embroidery stitches. Not only does she show the stitches she has other gorgeous things on her site, like pieces she's done. This is her stitch site and this is a page of some of her crazy quilt stitching Some day I'll find the crazy quilt I have in the makings and finish it. It got packed away on one of the numerous occasions when I was forced into packing up everything I own and store it because of guests coming to stay here. It was for Tarah when she was little so that's a good indication of how long this thing has been around. It would be nice to have it finished before Tarah has her first child so it can be for the baby. E-gads, I hope that is not for a very long time to come.

Last night I actually did enter on this blog but I was putting pictures in it and like a fool navigated away from this page and lost the whole thing. I was so bummed. I had put a picture of mom in it and accidentally put it in again which I'm still not even sure how that happened. When trying to remove the second picture the whole post got dumped. So I will put the picture in this one at the bottom. I love the picture too, it's of a very gorgeous mother sitting on a picnic table at Oak Park. I know it's oak park because I remember the cement tables and the houses in the background. I may have cropped most of that out of the picture, we'll see once it's in this post.

The neighbors are having a party, once again. I get so tired of hearing it. Tonight there isn't any music, you can just hear all these voices, getting louder and louder as the night wears on and the booze loosens them up. The girls are the worst, for some reason the really loud ones all have shrill voices and they laugh a lot and very loud. How funny, the music just went on. We called the police once and they actually did show up and the music stopped. It's music from the 80's and pretty bad. Well that is enough rambling for one night, like the title says, booorrring :-)

Here's mom's picture. This isn't as large as I'd like it but it's as big as this blog will allow. Goodnight...

No time tonight

No time for this tonight. I've spent way to much time on here today and didn't get much else done. I found a new website that sells homemade gifts and things and I signed up for it and listed just one item, my booties that sell for $9 on Etsy but I can get more for them else where so it's a new price. We'll see if this works out.

Another thing for today is I received an email through Etsy form PolkaDotpatch, or bunch. Anyway she saw the monsters and the monster puppets and would like to know if we'd like to sell them on her site. Mind you, she will buy from us and resale them for a lot more. But still, it's exciting and I talked to Robyn since they are her creations and she said go for it. So I'll get in touch with them and see what happens. That would be so cool for her things to be sold on a, um, real website. Well that's it. I am off to do some hand stitching to fulfill my order for booties. Goodnight...

I'm back if only for a moment

Gee, it's been hard getting to this tonight. Etsy is not cooperating either, I haven't been able to get anything done there today and I have a buyer that is probably wondering what in the world is going on. However, she has a shop too so she may be having the same problems I am.

I started working on my order of booties, got only 2 pair cut out but have the top of one of them done. Will get down to business tomorrow and get at least one pair finished. I will take them with me when Rob goes for his surgery, I could be there for several hours, no, I will be there for several hours Since he is being put under it will take a lot longer. He doesn't do well with being put out. I wish they (the booties) were in other colors, doing 3 blue and 3 red will be a challenge. Mind you, I do like sewing them together.

Talked to Robyn today and Tarah's doctor appointment revealed that she is having migraine headaches. That really hurts because I have them and I know the suffering you go through. They did an x-ray of her sinuses and the rear sinuses are full of fluid, which mean?? She is on an antibiotic until further tests are done. She will have blood work and may have other tests as well depending on what the blood tests show tomorrow. She also has some strange numbing on both feet on the inside of her great toes. He did the pin pricking tests and she felt nothing so this will lead to more tests to try and figure out what that is all about. I have the same thing off an on but it's usually 1 or 2 toes that are totally numb, not just in spots. Maybe I'll find out what mine is through her results.

Rob is going to pick up little Joey tomorrow after school to go golfing at LaPurissima (spelling?) He says it's because when he has his surgery on Friday he won't be able to golf for a long time. Yeah, Yeah, anything for a game of golf, especially with his grandson :-) I'm really glad he is playing golf again and it's always with either little Joey or with both Joeys. You know, male bonding...

Shoot I've just had 3 pieces of black licorice and now to finish off my tea which is going to taste pretty bad. Maybe I'll skip the tea and eat more licorice, yes, much better plan.

Today I received another gift from Rocky. He's go generous lately. In the past 2 weeks I've had to chase down 3 mice and 2 rats. I'm getting pretty good at it now. Rocky rarely kills his prey, plays with it outside then brings it in for me or for Rob. Usually me since Rob is at work. He brings it in to me and then just lets it go. I don't know if he's trying to tell me I'll have to work just as hard for this meal as he did, or if he wants to see me dive into action to catch these little critters. He brings in frogs too. So far he has never killed a frog. However, those he will let loose anywhere in the house. A couple of weeks ago he came in and jumped on the bed, I didn't know he had a frog. Then I felt this cold, soft, wet thing on my bare chest. eeeeeweeee. That was awful. I took it out side and tossed it into the hedge which is probably where Rocky found it.

This is my great grandson Nolan. He is really cute. He will be 2 years old at the end of Sept.

We got to see him when we went to Minnesota in August. He is very spoiled and mommy and grandma let him get do as he pleases. I'll have 2 more new great grandsons in Dec. when Jessica and Heather each have their babies. They are due one week apart. Jessica is not happy about it at all. She will have to juggle classes once again. She is studying to be a nurse and this will set her back once more. She is determined though and I'm confident she will eventually get through school and be what she wants to be, a Nurse. I'm very proud of her for sticking with her plan in spite of setbacks. Heather was as gorgeous as ever. So was Jessica and Corinne was looking pretty good too. Heather works for a big company, still haven't figured what it is but she does the books there. It's a very well paying job I hope she can keep it after the baby is born.

Okay, that is it for now and I am hoping I will sleep tonight and not just doze in and out. Tomorrow I have to run out to Michael's for embroidery floss and Craft village for some tiny ribbon flowers. Got Janis's birthday card out today. Wish it had been yesterday. Later... photo of mom and dad taken in their backyard in Carpinteria.

My first Post and hopefully not my last...

I say that because I have started quite a few blogs only to discover that they are so darn hard for me to figure out. I know nothing of HTML and it seems you need to know at least something about it in order to get all the neat things going, like links, and photos, and favorites. I want to be able to have names where you click to go to a site and not have the html showing as it does below where my addresses are. So anyway...

Ah, a nice clean place to start. I will have to write to my family who have computers and let them know I've started this blog. It's going to be a place where I can just shoot the breeze and everyone can keep up on what I'm doing, if of course they are interested :) I have another blog over at yahoo 360 which is pretty much and will now become almost exclusive to Etsy. That is where I feature Etsy shops and put in plugs for my/our own shops. Which are www.seweasycreations.etsy.com and www.azulgirlartandjewels.etsy.com. That blog is http://360.yahoo.com/its_sew_judy I hope to get these links on the side like other bloggers do so they are accessible without always digging through pages of blogging to find the addresses. I hope pictures will be easy to insert, also.

So today was going to be a visit with Kathy Chambers, we were going to go out to moms for a visit. She had a change of plans and it didn't work out so we'll see here next time. She comes fairly often.

Instead I went grocery shopping and bought a lot of nothing that cost me $60. I had 3 things on my list but it will be a cold day in hell the day I buy only what is on my list. How could I pass up the Red Vines on sale, red and licorice, or the cat treats for Rocky, Oil of

Olay Soap on a great sale. I'm afraid I'll never stick to a list, it's more of a guide around the store. I usually put things on my list according to the lay out of the store. Start in fruits and veggies, on to the sundries, then on to the potato chips - low fat of course, beans, rice, soup, etc. I don't know how anyone could stick to a list. There are so many other things you pass that you realize you need. And if not need then WANT. Grocery is a hard thing for me to do. Fibromyalgia presents several problems when trying to shop.

The first is getting up the energy to even go. Then once you get

there you have all those prices to compare, weights, pieces in a pack. It takes a lot of work, I can't just pick up a jar of pickles and put it in the basket. No, I have to think it over, look at every single conceivable form these pickles come in, even the kinds I don't like and then once I'm satisfied this is THE jar of pickles I want I move on. And heaven help me if I find any other pickles anywhere

else in the store. This goes on with each item I am buying. So it

takes me about 2 hours to do what should have taken 30 minutes. But it doesn't end there. At check out time I find a nice empty isle and start going through everything in my basket. I think, 'do I really need this, do I have some at home, is it to

expensive, will it make me fat? That is the start of the putting things back. Or going back to check one last time that I got what I really wanted. Weird. It fits in there with what is commonly known as Fibro Fog. I live there a lot.

Latest things going on. I got another order for the Baby's Sweet

Feet. These ones are going to Georgia. They have gone to many

places and I hope to get more orders for these precious booties.

There are more pictures but I will have to put them up some other time since they are in my camera. I think they are all so cute. I don't really mind making them but I really dislike cutting

out the patterns. It takes 8 pieces for one pair of booties. Life is tough! lol I hope to get more order for these but not all together. I want to make them in Christmas colors and Fall colors too. That would be so cute. I could put little bells as part of the toe decoration. However, I've got so much to keep me busy for at least the next 7 or 8 days. So if you think of me in the next week

or so, think of me in my chair sewing baby booties by hand, none

are done with machine stitching or glue. Enough - booorrring!

Rob is having his carpal tunnel surgery on Friday the 15th. It will be done in the afternoon which I wish it were in the morning. He's going to need some help. I remember my carpal tunnel surgery and it HURT! He is being put under for this particular procedure. Mine was done with me wide away and I watched part of it. Hopefully he will not go back to work on Monday and rather rest like he is supposed to do. Will update once he has had his surgery.

I had a molar pulled last week and it's still very sore up there in my mouth. I can actually feel the bone of my jaw with my tongue. It's a really creepy feeling. I don't see how that can stay clean and not get infected with all the things that go into your mouth. Seems like food bits would go up into the bone where there is a hole after he ripped that tooth out of my mouth. That has to be one of the strangest feelings having a tooth pulled. You are at the complete mercy of your dentist. Wow, it's after 1 a.m. so I better get off of here and head for bed...