Saturday, July 29, 2006

I wish I Could Sleep Like That



We had our grandson last night and we went to the movies (The Ant Bully) and then to Denny's for dinner. When we got home Eli wanted a story (Tarzan, again) and then I introduced him to "Where The Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein which promptly put him to sleep. I'm keeping that one on the nightstand.

I got up to let the cat out and had lost my place in the bed and I caught Hank on film being nice to Eli, sleeping at his feet. John doesn't know his backside is on my blog so don't tell.

When I have Eli with me my mantra is to create good memories for him. For in the end that is all we have after someone is gone. Memories and pictures. I don't know if at his age he'll remember these days, but since his daddy does I'm sure he will as well. This morning we played with Ninja turtles until Dad came and he looked so happy. Dad's taking him hiking with the big boys.













And the mantra of good memories continues for another generation

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Progress in the Library

As you can see Blue and Hank are on the job Supervising John in the library. With the hot weather I think they are really digging the tile, too. They are such troopers they follow him back and forth back and forth in this heat. They love that man.





John has primed the walls and is now putting on a coat of paint. He is even going to put trim around Hank's doggie door to match the sliding door trim. (Exit stage left) I am not making this up people. Now he can run in and out of his customized door when the big dogs try to kick his spoiled, rotten ass. I can see Hank now in his little smoking jacket by the fireplace, mixing up a batch of martini's and entertaining a pomeranian while I'm at work.

John has finally come to terms with a stain he can live with on the bookcases. I had no idea this sort of thing could stress a guy out so much. Maybe it's like knitting a sweater and finding out your last ball of yarn is a different dye lot.














And Astro could give a shit about the whole damn thing. He snored so loud awhile ago he woke himself up and I swear he looked embarassed.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Felting Fever

I've been thrift store shopping with Terry and Sandy and I have a new addiction. Lucky me! I've been buying up all the 100% wool sweaters I can find, felting them and either making purses or cutting squares (and myself) for an afghan. I got the idea from
  • Alterknits

  • Well that's no entirely correct. I got the idea from Terry after she read about it in Alterknits. She actually reads this stuff, people! Whereas I've been more like a man with a Penthouse and I drool over the pictures while fantasizing about what I'd do with that yarn. Yeah, baby.

    So my friend Monica in Minnesota sent me this doohickey made from an old whiskey barrel. I put it in my yarn room right away.













    In return I'm sending her this purse made from a thrift store sweater. I still have to put the pocket on though.














    And I made anther one to stash my grandson Eli's toys in. He always leaves them on the floor and invariable somebody eats them.

    Monday, July 17, 2006

    Home Improvements



    So I went out Sunday to Cheryl's for a bbq with the girls and we all had a wondeful time. So when I got home John surprised me with some more home improvements.

    He made me another bookcase for my reading room. I already have two in the works, one on either side of the fireplace he designed to match the travertine pattern on the floor. He still has to stain it and he's going to add shelves, but I thought it was ingenious that he made it at an angle so the far shelves will be for knick knacks. He's so smart.















    He already did a great job on my yarn room. Hand made shelves for my yarn and books and he did all the molding himself so it has a craftsman look to it.


    So now I can't wait for when it's cold and rainy outside and I can have the girls over and we can knit by the fire or have a slumber party!











    Sunday, July 09, 2006

    We Blazed a New Trail

    Bubba and I went out today and we blazed a new trail. This is not the trail we blazed, although we did walk on it for awhile.

    No, the trail Bubba and I blazed wasn't a trial until we got done with it. That's the whole point. To go somewhere where it is obviously not a trail and see if you can get you horse to cooperate and create a new one.

    Bubba did get a bit uppity with me at first, because he likes to throw his head around and snort and make it known that he doesn't like this at all. He even turned around on me and tried to go home. But I was persistent and he gave in which means he trusted me. He's a flight animal so he would rather run away than face the unknown. I do it to build his trust in me. I gently force him to do something new and then he realizes it's not so bad. I'm not going to take him somewhere that he is going to get hurt and he can trust me as his leader. And he showed me that he did by going.

    Then we came across more bones and this one in particular caught my eye as it was huge. We wandered around for awhile trying to find the skull because I want to know what the hell it was, but we never did find it. Maybe another ride we will though.
    When we got back Bubba had a much needed bath. Then he had a snack.




    And then he found the right spot.

    And then Bubba had a good role in the dirt. It was another great ride together. We conquered fears and Bubba sure seemed happy to be home.

    Saturday, July 08, 2006

    What color is your aura?



    Matter is energy. Energy is light. We are all light beings – Albert Einstein

    I had my Aura (my electromagnetic field) photographed today and it was a great experience.

    The knowledge and acceptance of auras has existed around the world for thousands of years. Aura is Greek for halo and holy persons are often depicted with a halo in the form of a golden, yellow or white circular glow around the head.

    As you can see I am surrounded by green (my favorite color) and yellow. Green is the color of healing, teaching, endurance, resistance to change, sensitivity and compassion. It reflects growth and calm. He said I enjoy learning (which I do) and if I were sat down among others and given a picture to look at (a boat, for example) I would write the most as I would wonder where the boat was built, was it ever attacked by pirates, etc., which made me think of my post about the bones on the trail.

    It represents the power of ideas and awakening psychic abilities.

    The yellow means I approach the future with a sense of joy and excitement. The yellow signifies happiness and he said I am most often always smiling and laughing. I tend to overanalyze and think too much, though.

    If you ever have the chance to have your aura read, I strongly encourage you to do so.

    Tuesday, July 04, 2006

    July 4th, 2006

    I went for a ride with Bubba today. It was such a warm calm day that you could smell the fragrance from the wild flowers wafting through the air.












    And since it was Independence Day I decided we’d try a different trail today. So, after much debating, cajoling and flat out bribery, Bubba agreed. We rode for quite awhile and then we came around the bend and there on the ground were the sun bleached bones of some unidentifiable animal. I noticed the bones were scattered about and then I wondered if it had lived a good life and had died of natural causes and its’ remains were eaten by coyotes or did it die fighting for its’ life and Bubba and I were standing in the killers kitchen uninvited?

    And then I thought maybe it wasn’t eaten at all, but had died and its’ body returned to the earth and come next spring it will resurrect itself into a beautiful flower. (Did I mention I think a lot out there alone? It cleanses my soul to be alone in nature. Perhaps that’s the same feeling some people get when they go to a church or a synagogue.) So, anyways.

    For some reason this train of thought led me to think of Independence Day. The remains of that animal made me think of the remains of humans who came before me, and those that are laid to rest even today, who fought and still do, for my freedom. So that I can ride a horse, feel the warmth of the sun and the wind on my skin, enjoy the beauty of nature and ponder life’s mysteries out alone on a trial. And I felt proud to be an American.

    Then I fed Bubba and gave him a bath. When I put him in his stall he had a good roll,


    and then a long drink of water

    and then he chatted with his neighbor.

    So I left for home knowing he had had a good day. But first I stopped at a liquor store to get me a Dr. Pepper and I had the most fascinating conversation with an Arabic Christian. The conversation started over a t-shirt I was wearing that had a quote. He read it and we got to talking about religion which led to women in the Arabic world. Don't ask me how this happens, but it always does. He shared a story with me about a woman who was beheaded in a church because she was a stranger. “In a church,” he repeated. He told me that the citizens of the Arabic world," live in fear of men, not God and that women are treated worse than slaves." " We could not even be having this conversation in my country" he told me.

    I left there feeling grateful to be an American.

    Saturday, July 01, 2006

    Okay, Time to Vote


    Who looks better pregnant and naked

    Leslie Nielsen?











    or this chick?