Mother's Day 2015

Happy Mother's Day!

My day has been a lot of fun.  Otter and J came over for breakfast, we had Monkey Bread and assorted fresh fruit.  They stayed for a couple of hours and we had a nice visit.  Otter gave me kitchen towels, which I needed badly.

Bill gave me a set of craft blades, similar to X-Acto knives but they came from the store Otter works at.  It was also something I needed, I originally wanted another cactus but then I realized that I needed the craft blades so I changed my gift request to that.  I actually went and got that one myself, because I had to pick out the specific set I wanted.

Bill and I went to a couple of thrift stores today.  This is what I bought at the first one, it was a grab  bag (clear plastic bags, not a mystery bag) and it was $6.98.  For all of this:

It's on the couch with a blanket for background, but it was a very full bag.  The next picture is what I actually bought the bag for:

Yarn spools!  8 regular ones and one larger one.  And for what is a ridiculously low price, especially considering everything else that was in the bag.  I've seen these priced (and selling for) for upwards of $5.00 each, sometimes more since they have thread on them and the bigger one would probably sell for more than the entire bag.

The tag says it's a handmade purse, silk fabric maybe.  I'm not sure if it's a keeper for something craft related or it it's going to be sold or re-donated.  It's sort of evening bag size.  I didn't even see it in the bag when I bought it, it was in the middle of everything else but I grabbed the bag as soon as I saw the yarn spools.

These are small hats, hand crocheted obviously.  I'm not sure if they are for dolls such as an 18" doll, or if they might be dog hats.  Because also in the bag were three dog outfits.  (The hats are probably for dolls.)

The orange and pink/blue one are obviously hand crocheted.  The pink one is Martha Stewart brand, which I think is really funny.  I did try it on Maggie Moo so I could text a picture to Otter, but it's wool and I didn't even have to look at the tag to figure that out because I started reacting to it as soon as it came into contact with my skin.  The dog clothes are all in the donate pile.

The blue fabric has a tag from when it was purchased originally, I think it was somewhere around $4.00.  The cotton collar is probably not new, but I don't think it's been worn before.  It's very clean and still has that "stiff" feeling.  Not sure if it's etsy, donate, if Otter wants it, or what.

This might be hand-knitted or it might have been done on a knitting machine, but it is homemade and not professionally done.  It's a vest with a sash.  I thought it was an uncompleted cardigan style sweater but the sleeve openings are too big.  It might fit Otter, for a size comparison - I don't think it's anything she would want, but I might well put it on her and have her model it for an etsy picture if I decide to sell it.  The final yarn ends are still attached but they are tied off.  It has a button on the bottom.  It's clean and there is no smell that I can tell.

Froggy, got any idea what these are?  They are obviously holders for "tape" or ribbon of some type and I think they are sewing related.  Possibly etsy bound as well, but maybe not.

There were a few other things, a bag of small safety pins and some misc. stuff.

The next two pictures are from the 2nd thrift store.

2 square doilies which were marked 49 cents each but then they turned out to be half price so they were 25 cents each.  There is also a very long table-runner size doily, I think it was 79 cents.  It has a couple of spots I need to mend slightly and it also has a reddish stain but I think it will come out.  All three are bound for my doily curtain.  The reddish crochet thing is a hanging towel, it has a granny square front and a backing crochet piece.  Not sure if I'm going to copy the pattern or what, but it was somewhere around 70 cents or maybe less.

This is a clear ruler, used in sewing and also in things like crochet.  I'm not sure if it's an etsy item or if I'll keep it, as I frequently need something like this but I have a clear plastic ruler I use.

I keep talking about etsy, I think I'm finally going to start listing things in the store I set up a few years ago and then never used.  I have a few ideas for crochet pieces that are not scarves & hats, because the market is basically flooded with that sort of thing.

We also bought an old nut cracker that it mounted on a wooden board.  It was etsy bound at first, but now I'm thinking we may keep it.

After the 2nd thrift store, we decided to have lunch at Cici's pizza instead of cardboard pizza from wally.  We also went to a fabric store.

Speaking of flooding, we've had so much rain the last several days that there has been some street flooding in the area.  The ground is over-saturated.  We've had several instances of hard rains the last couple of days, yesterday afternoon (I got caught in it literally and got soaked) and this morning were very strong storms.  My back yard literally looked like a lake, the ground can not absorb any more water and it was beginning to stand - which is really saying a lot.  I've drained the potted plants a few times, Bill had to clean out one of the downspouts because it was clogged and the rain gutters overflowed.  The ground is so soft it's almost like walking in a swamp.  There is water standing in ditches and on the side of the road in places it never actually does, and we saw evidence of a few street areas that had obviously been under water at some point either yesterday or this morning.  Next week is supposed to be dry and warm, it's going to be very humid for a few days and then it will be mosquito season so I'm trying to get rid of any standing water I find.

I'm thinking that Maggie Moo might have another UTI or bladder infection.  She's "leaked" twice in the house in the last 3 days, I caught her at it in the hallway yesterday and she would not stop - even when I yelled at her.  I don't think she could really stop.  She's acting like she might not feel too good, she really acts like she did before when she had one.  She might also need to get her rear glands cleaned out, it's been 2 months since the last time and we did think that 2 months would be about right.  Or it could be both.  Either way, I'm calling the vet tomorrow to see if I can get her in there.  She's perky when I say the W or R words (Walk or Ride) but even when she actually gets to do either of those things (or both!), she's not acting like she's 100%.  I don't think she's moping around over Frasier not being here, she seemed to get over that and she acts like she doesn't feel too good.  She's finally sleeping on the pillow we bought to make her a bed out of, at least.

(I did give in the my asthma last Friday and stayed home.)

Time for ice cream now!

Mousketeers

It took three tries, but we got the mouse!  The first night, Bill baited the trap with peanut butter and birdseed.  I checked the trap the next morning.  It was still there, unsprung and also unbaited.  It's just one of those stories that mice like cheese, they really don't care for it, but Bill used it when he re-baited the trap because it would at least stay on the trap and not be as easy to take off without springing the trap.  Mice will eat it if they are hungry enough or if it's the only thing available, but the mousie was apparently not hungry the second night.  Last night, Bill left the cheese on the trap and spread a tiny bit of peanut butter on the cheese.  This morning, the trap was not where he left it.  Because when it sprung, it flipped off the shelf and took the dead mouse with it.  It was a male mouse, by the way.  Which is the best one to find, a female might well mean that there is a family of mice somewhere.  Mice are social animals and one might mean another is close by, but since it was a male mouse there is less chance of a lot of them.  Bill's probably going to place another trap on the shelf and we'll see if we get any more.  We haven't had them for a couple of years, but with the construction behind us and the fact that it's getting cooler I won't be surprised if we do have/get more.

 

We went to Ace Hardware earlier, Bill got pachinko machine repair supplies and I got more mouse traps!

 

Movie Review:  Monsters University.  We rented it yesterday.  Otter saw it when it was in the theaters but we never got there.  It was ok, better than I expected, but not great.  It was a lot longer than I expected and fairly predictable.  But it wasn't bad.  It also didn't have the Agenda we thought it might.  I'm waiting until the sequel to Despicable Me comes out.  Hopefully, it's as good as we've heard.

 

Froggy, I've gotten several rows done on your shawl.  I put three or four on it yesterday and two today.  It is a pattern that works up fast, it's just been a matter of actually finding the time to work on it.  I also have another pattern that I think I'm going to try, it's made with cotton yarn and is a heating pad.  Basically, it's a knee-high nylon hose stuffed with rice and the outer cover is crocheted.  I'm going to make one and see how it works, Otter is usually a willing guinea pig for my projects and I'm thinking she'll like this one.  Who knows, I might actually make a few and put them on my etsy shop!  The one I've had for over a year now and have never actually used.

Yard Work

Well, I guess it's still yard work if it involves digging holes and placing posts!  Bill started building the new trellises for the honeysuckle we're going to plant along the back of the house.  Three trellises, two of them will be separated by our bedroom window.   On the opposite end, the end and middle trellis will be separated by a fan-shaped trellis which will eventually have something else on it.  Possibly a climbing rose, I'm not sure about that yet.

This is a old picture of the rock garden, I'm not sure if it was before it was redone and enlarged or not but the trellis is the one that Bill built for Jessie.  It has morning glories on it but the honeysuckle we planted 1 1/2 years ago is now really taking off and may take over the entire trellis.  The ones Bill is building now are similar to this one.  The iris plants are where the trellises are going to be, the iris will be relocated.  Probably to around the redbud tree and probably around one of the trees in the front yard as well.

 

We're going to plant trumpet vine at the trellises on the back fence.  The ones that had morning glories that were doing wonderfully well.  Until the builder moved the fence, that is.  Although they actually bloomed the last two days.  Even though they have been pulled up!  They don't seem to realize yet that they are dead.

 

Otter's gone over to her friend's house, they have their regularly scheduled Dungeons and Dragons game today.  It's once or twice a month, depending on everyone's work schedules.  Otter worked out an alternating Sunday off schedule with her boss, which means that she'll be working next Sunday which is Labor Day weekend.  Already.  It still seems like it should just now be Memorial Day.

 

Labor Day weekend is when I try to get my flu shot.  That way, I have three days to recover!  Sometimes I need all three days.  Otter has to work Saturday, but we're still planning on getting the shots Friday afternoon.  She doesn't usually have the reaction that I do, she did have a bad reaction one time.  But that was when the Tulsa City/County Health Department stored the flu shot serum improperly and it went bad.  Otter was very sick all that weekend, but we didn't realize what it was since she'd never had a reaction before.  A few months later, she got the flu and was very sick again - along with probably 90% of the Tulsa area!  The reaction was probably because of the improper storage situation.  The only other time she possibly had a reaction was a couple of years ago, she was fine but suddenly threw up on the Saturday night but she'd also had a lot of allergy issues and that could have been the problem as well.  She may have some arm soreness at the injection site.  Me?  Well, I have the arm soreness.  And I have mild flu symptoms for a couple of days.  Not enough to really say that it's the flu, but it is the way I react to the shot and I will feel cruddy.  But it's worth it, if it helps me avoid the flu.  I did get the flu in January, but that was probably because they don't always guess correctly which strains will be dominant and it was a fairly mild case.  So mild that I didn't realize at first that it was the flu.  Otter got the flu a couple of years ago, but it was the same situation - the dominant strain was not one that the shot covered and that is probably the one she got.  But usually, it's for the right strain.

 

I have been calling Walgreen's on a regular basis, their ad has been saying for about a month now that the flu shots are available but the local stores haven't had it yet.  Today, they do have it.  So we're going this coming Friday.  Yes, Froggy.  We will get ice cream!  And it may well be from Braum's.  We'll also pick something up for dinner on the way home.  My reaction can start anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour after the shot, usually it's within about 30 minutes.  So, I like to make it as easy an evening as I can.  We'll get the ice cream before Friday.  Then, we'll pick up whatever we decide on for dinner on the way home.

 

While we were working on the trellis, I found the cutest little thing in the yard.  She had a very long neck and a shell, and I already texted pictures to Froggy.  Otter took a couple of pictures on her camera, but we haven't uploaded the pictures yet.  I'll get one posted in the next day or so.  We relocated the tortoise to the field behind the houses behind us.  Frasier would possibly have killed her, and we don't allow anything to happen to our tortoises if we can possibly avoid it.  Froggy, I know you are not a fan.  But they are very important animals, they play a MAJOR part in protecting our ecosystem.

 

Bill did something else this morning.  He started burning what was left of the limb pile.  He got about half of it burned, but then it started to get windy so he quit adding limbs to the fire and let it go out.  He stayed out with it until it quit smoldering.  He's not sure when he's going to get the rest of it burned, it depends on the weather.  I don't think we're supposed to get rain for a few days, but wind is not a good thing when you are burning anything outdoors.

 

Now, if my arms aren't too sore from the work we did this morning, I might attempt to crochet.  I'm back to thinking that maybe I do want to sell stuff on etsy.  I set up a shop months ago, but then I decided against actually selling.  But now I'm thinking that maybe I should.  I'll figure it out eventually!

 

Time to go make dinner.  Sloppy Joes, I think.

Just Sunday

It's cold, although it looks warm.  It was supposed to be in the 50's yesterday and then get cold last night with the possiblity of winter weather.  It started out warm yesterday morning, but it didn't stay that way very long.  It got cold, fast.  By mid-afternoon, it was below freezing.  We had firewood inside already, so we started a fire and kept it going until about bedtime last night.  It was rainy most of the afternoon and very windy.  It was well below freezing last night.  As a result, it was icy this morning and we had a little snow overnight.  Not even enough to coat the ground, but it did cover the deck a bit.  It melted off pretty quick, it's sunny but it is still very cold.

I didn't really want to get out, but we had to return the movie we rented on Friday so we got the car defrosted and de-iced and got ready to go.  Only to discover that the tire I've been watching for the last few days was pretty low.  Bill's compressor bit the dust a while back and the parts to repair it haven't arrived yet, so I had to drive it to the nearest convenience store that has air.  Which was about 3 1/2 miles awy.  I put air in the tire (it was very cold!) and then we got our errands done.  I've been watching it for about a week because I suspected it might have a slow leak and it apparently does.  I'll see how it is in the morning, it's going to need to be checked and fixed but I'm not sure if I'm going to work tomorrow or not so I don't know if I'm actually going to be going anywhere.  The movie had to be returned today, and we also went to the post office to mail a couple of things.  We stopped at Michael's, because I'm working on etsy stuff and they had the cotton yarn I needed on sale.  Also, Otter had a bunch of books to turn in at the used book store so I figured that we'd better get it all done while we could, in case the tire needed to be fixed today.  But it held up and got us home, it's still ok but I'll check it in the morning.

While we were at the book store, Otter also picked up a job application.  Because she's made her decision and she will not be going back to school at this time.  She intends to work for a while and then maybe at a later date she might go back.  But not now.

I'm feeling better.  But not 100% yet.  I was seriously concerned on Friday night that I might have the flu, but the muscle aches I had went away and I never developed fever.  I spent most of yesterday on the couch with a couple of blankets and I got a UFO finished.  I started working on my turquoise shawl a while back and then it got put aside for other projects.  I started back on it and after I'd done several rows I realized that I was using the wrong hook, smaller than the one I started with.  The stitches were a little bit smaller but not enough to really notice so I decided to just keep going with the 2nd hook.  It's a small-gauge yarn and very silky, but it took a lot more rows and a long time because of the yarn size.  At one point, I was about ready to just call it finished and toss it in the etsy or donate pile, because it was taking me forever and I really was tired of putting a row on it and then not being able to tell that it had grown any.  I got it out last week and decided to go ahead and finish it, and I did that yesterday.  It looks good, it's a very soft yarn and I am anxious to wear it but I'm not in a hurry to make anything else with that yarn for a while!  I will get pictures on the craft blog soon, I need to get my official photographer to take pictures for me but she's occupied with something in her room at the moment.

Anyway, I started the last paragraph out about the fact that I don't have the flu or at least I don't think I do.  I have been resting as much as I can, today's errands were not that long.  We were probably gone about an hour, they were quick and the video store was not something we could put off since I didn't want to pay an extra day on the movie.  I just figured that we should get all our stuff done while we were out, but I really didn't feel like doing much.  I am able to talk, but my voice comes & goes.  I had a sinus-type headache most of yesterday morning but it finally went away.  I am having some mild asthma symptoms, but they are not too bad.  I'm not sure yet about tomorrow as far as work goes, I'll see how I feel.  I'm just glad that it doesn't seem to be the flu.

Short Week Tuesday

Bill didn't make any progress on the garage today.  He might be trying to come down with a cold (of course, he's on vacation!) so he stayed inside the house and did some other stuff that he needed to do.  He still made progress on his list of stuff he wanted to do this week, just not the garage.  But I'm not complaining, a sick Bill is not a fun Bill!  If he stays inside and takes it easy, then maybe he won't get any worse.  Or at least that's the plan.

Read This

I decided to get a refill on the doggie tranquilizers.  We don't have to give them to Frasier most nights, but I wanted to have some on hand and the vet agreed.  So I picked up a refill tonight.

Otter and I had our Girls Lunch today.  We went to a local burger chain and then she went to the library for the afternoon.  I had to go to the library when I got off work, because the future librarian forgot her card and I had to check her books out for her!

Today was fairly busy at work.  I had a bunch of stuff that I wanted to get done, things that normally are done towards the end of the week and I theoretically would have had time for tomorrow.  But there is never, ever "normal" at my office and there are always last-minute bonfires that I have to deal with.  So, I got as much done today as I could and I'm really hoping that tomorrow will be calm.  But I'm not holding my breath.

I am really looking forward to a 4-day weekend.  I intend to get as much crochet done as I possibly can, and most of it is going to be destined for etsy.  Maybe we'll actually be able to get our shop stocked & running?

One of These Days, Eventually, Maybe

We'll have time to actually get our Etsy shop up and running!

We've already reserved the shop name and were getting started on it.  Then the mess with Fraiser happened.  One thing that is not conducive to crafting is stress, and we certainly had a lot of it.  But that was also when we had time (or would have if we weren't exhausted) and now that we have less dog-related stress, we don't have time.  I've done a little bit of crochet and Otter's gotten a little bit of crafting done.  But nowhere near enough to even begin to think about stocking our store.  I haven't shared the name yet and won't, until we're actually listing things, but it will eventually be on the sidebar with Blogs I Follow.  Just not yet.

Fun & Games

(While the link is a fun look at TEXAS secession, in all honesty we don't expect it to happen.  Although, also in all honesty, if it did - we don't really know what we would do.  But it might just mean that we pulled up stakes and headed south.)

Otter and I went to the grocery store today.  That's how exciting it's been around here lately.  And Billyboy might be coming down with the "cold" bug I had.  He was sneezy last night and couldn't get warm, then he went to bed about 8:30 and I piled about 4 blankets on him on top of the camo quilt.  He woke up at 2:30 because he was so stuffy he couldn't breathe, and then he just stayed up.  He's crashed out on the couch at the moment, attempting to stay awake so he can work on pachinko pins but I think he'll probably be calling it an early night.  He's also having a hard time staying warm tonight.  He's got all the symptoms I had when I was first coming down with it.  Let's all just cross our fingers and think good thoughts, please!  Bill's not a good patient.  But since he's about to be off work Thanksgiving week, it's about time for him to get sick.  He generally gets sick either right before or during vacation time.

Otter's upper left wisdom tooth has been bothering her, I may have already posted about this.  She wanted me to talk to the dentist, so I called yesterday.  Otter was concerned about it needing to come out now and not being able to wait until her December appointment.  The dentist thinks she's ok to wait, but we have to keep an eye on it.  If she has any bad pain or bleeding, if it hurts when she eats or anything like that then it's time and we won't wait.  But since it's just a month and she has not had much pain, mostly discomfort, the dentist thinks it should be ok.

But she's already placed her order for jello, pudding, ice cream, yogurt and Bill's Famous Mashed Potatoes with gravy.

Life in the Dust Bowl

This is actually a picture I found online and is from the Dallas area a couple of years ago, but this is what our sky looks like today.  All around Tulsa.  In the more western parts of the state, highways have been closed due to zero visibility and there has been at least one 30+ car pileup with injuries.

It's not a day to be outside, especially if you have any type of allergy at all.  Which we, of course, have lots of!

It wasn't too bad this morning, but the wind picked up early this afternoon.  It hasn't let up much, and it's still gritty & grey outside.  I really didn't want to get out after getting home, but I'm at my wit's end with Frasier and his licking/chewing of the surgical spot and that meant a trip to buy a spray the vet told me about.  Normally, I'd have stopped on the way home and got it but Frasier hasn't gotten as much exercise as normal lately, so he's been up at night a lot.  Noisily!  So, we tossed the dogs in the car and took them with us.  They enjoyed their outing, once they realized that we'd driven past the vet's office!  We were originally going to take the dogs for a walk this evening, but the dusty wind changed our plans.  Besides, some of the wind gusts could possibly make Frasier go airborn!

Otter and I are working on something.  We're going to open at Etsy shop.  Details later on, but it's on the way.  Among other things, it will give me another outlet in my destashing efforts.  Etsy is like eBay, it's an online store but it's for crafts and vintage items.  Vintage is over 20 years old in Etsy's dictionary.  So, along with sewn, crafted, crocheted, knitted, etc., items to infinity and beyond, there are also listings for things like Fenton glass and other collectibles.  Craft accessories such as craft supplies are available on Etsy.  And so are pachinko machines!  I fully expect that Pachinko Restorations (Bill's company) will probably want to list one on our store.  I think I'm going to make him grovel! :)

I haven't mentioned much about it, but Bill and I are working on losing some weight.  We are using a diet plan that we've used before, and had good results.  It's mostly a portion control adjustment, it's a healthy and sensible diet plan and we've been on it for about 3 weeks.  We're getting results, my jeans are outgrowing me!  He needs a new jacket, but he doesn't want me to get him one yet since he wants to be a smaller size.  We don't own a scale, so we don't really know how much we weigh although we have a general idea.  But we're 50 (me) and 51 (Bill), with a family history of heart and diabetes issues on both sides so it's time to get serious.  Also, my knee issues are affected by my weight.  It's an ongoing process, the diet plan is designed to ensure weight loss at a good rate.  It's not a crash diet and it's not a miracle diet.  It's just common sense and is pretty healthy.  Although I do have to jiggle it around a bit - it's not a low-carb diet (low carb is a stupid idea, anyway), but it doesn't have quite enough carbs for me.  Most people that have their gall bladders removed are able to adjust and not all need higher carbs.  But then most people don't have nearly fatal pancreatitis that has more or less permanent effects after it clears up!  We realized pretty quickly that I was going to have to eat more carbs than the diet calls for, it took me several days to find a good level without being so nauseated I could hardly move, but still eat less calories.  I think I'm there, but I still have moments when I realized I haven't had enough carbs.  Saturday is our "free day" but free doesn't mean we go hog wild.  It just means that we can have whatever we want - within reason.  It's working for both of us.

Movie Review:  Otter rented the new Dark Shadows movie last weekend.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The previews and advertisements when it originally came out made it look like a parody movie.  It wasn't.  It had some laughs, but not an excessive amount.  I was not a huge fan of the tv show when it was on, as I recall it was one that Mom did not want me to watch!  But I did see some of the episodes later on and I read all the books that were written in the series so I pretty much know all the characters, story lines, etc.  It did deviate some from the original story but not too much.  It wasn't exactly Academy Award caliber, but it was ok.  I do think that we would have been disappointed if we'd paid theater prices though.  It didn't do too well in the theaters, and part of that might have been because the fans of the original series are nearly as rabid as Star Trek fans!  (I do know what I'm talking about with ST fans).

Because, as we all know, Star Trek rules!  The rest of it (with the exception of the terrific Dr. Who) is just entertainment and some of it's pretty bad.