steve the cat . . .

Steve is sort of an odd cat . . . I appreciate that about him.

He always seems to be there in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. 

You will always be lucky if you know

how to make friends with strange cats.

                                                  ~ Proverb

 

celebrate every day . . .

Celebrate!

Every day is a special occasion!

Life has been stressful, busy, and ever changing.  What's new - right?

Life has also been amazing, full of happy, and a blessing.

Life is like that I guess.

I am making time to create and play everyday.  I need that.  I think we all need that!

What you think, you become.

What you feel, you attract.

What you imagine, you create.

~ Buddha

painting . . . playing . . . and Tatum

I'm sharing a couple of paintings I started. 

I still have  more to do on them, but wanted to share what I have so far . . . 

Hopefully I will get a chance to pint later tonight.         

This one discovered painting this past weekend. 

Rather she discovered slopping in the paint water.  

She tends to get messy . . . this one!  

 

 “Do small things with great love.” 

~Mother Teresa

paint and doodles . . .

 We made a little more progress . . . primer on the front fence and the roof is started.

I have a lot of painting still to do . . . but I am happy to have it started. 

Avery loves to paint . . . I have a bunch of small canvases and lately she wants to use them.

She paints with the freedom of a child. 

 I love watching her . . . and I love how everyone of her paintings turns out.  (It's a grandma thing.)

 I decided to do something with her latest painting . . . just for fun.

Avery's painting and Amma's calendar doodles.  

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world

around you because the greatest secrets are always

hidden in the most unlikely places.  Those who

don't believe in magic will never find it."

                                                   ~ Roald Dahl

good things today . . .

GOOD THINGS TODAY . . . 

A beautiful sleeping baby (she is a sweet one)

Progress on the fort we are building

Starting a new doll

A FaceTime visit with Avery Rose (so I could see her walk on her balance beam)

Not letting my grey hair bother me . . . the time has come to just go with the grey!  (It will take some time, but I am really excited about this change.  It just feels like it is time.)

A new llama pool float 

Squirt guns

Living Simple . . . 

Finding my JOY . . . 

Spring 2020 zombie dolls swap . . .

Yarnigras decided to host a zombie doll swap this Spring.  She hosts her regular swap in September/October . . . in time for Halloween.  

I am excited to be part of this Spring 2020 Lock Down Zombie doll swap.  

I have to get a few things ready to add to my package, as well as come up with a name and a story for this little beach zombie.

Right off I decided this doll should have boobs . . . when you google "making a doll with boobs" (which I did with some hesitation . . . not knowing what was going to pop up) - you actually get quite a few ideas on how to make a doll with boobs.  I was somewhat surprised.  LOL

This may not have been the best way to go . . . I can't say she looks very good from any other angle, but once I added her top - she looked okay

The look on Richard's face when I showed him what I was doing was priceless. . . it was even better when I told him my zombie doll actually needed a boob job.  :)  

He constantly shakes his head at me . . . but he gets me.

 I think I may need to do something more with her eyes . . . I will have to think about that.

" I myself am strange and unusual."
~ Lydia, "Beetlejuice"

JOY . . .

I truly believe that you can find JOY in every day . . . and in doing that life is a bit easier.

Still working on this - (the painting and doodles - not finding joy) . . . I do that every day!

We celebrated my mom's 90th birthday this past weekend.

Not exactly as we had planned - but it was really nice.  My brother decided to make the trip to celebrate her birthday even though we postponed the full party.  (We now have to find a date where we can use the taco truck we had arranged . . . maybe we will use that to celebrate the day we can get everyone together again.)  We were able to get most of her grandchildren and great grandchildren to participate in a "Zoom" birthday party?   We all sang Happy Birthday and she blew out her candles.  I had baked pie for her birthday, but Avery she had to have a birthday cake - so thanks to Avery - she had a cake also.  

Talk about JOY . . . it was the kind that brought tears to our eyes.

Clay being Clay - he didn't stay long, but it made the weekend so special for her.  

I asked people to send mom birthday cards.  This was really fun!

She ended up getting more than 70 cards!  It took her awhile to go through them all.

There were fancy cards, old cards, handmade cards, recycled cards, photographs, cards from family, cards from old friends, new friends, and people she didn't even know.

JOY!

I love this photo of Mom and Dad on their wedding day 70 years ago

April 15, 1950

A lot of life lived in 90 years.

The secret to living well and longer is: 

eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.

good day for a good day . . .

I made these a few weeks ago - just never posted a picture. 

They are small bags filled with rice.  They can be microwaved for 2 minutes to use as a heating pad, or put in the freezer to use a an ice pack.  

My granddaughter Avery loves them when they are cold . . . just to cool off when she is hot.

I have made larger one also that you can actually put around your neck, but I like these smaller ones better.  My scraps of fabric are now being sewn into masks . . . but this is a great way to use up fabric.

Our little Tatum Mae out for a walk.  She is growing so fast.

I could watch you for a single minute

and find a thousand things I love about you.

GOOD THINGS TODAY . . . 

Sunshine and temperatures over 80 degrees

Walking every day

Taking pictures

Flip Flops

Staying up late 

Feeling rested

Binge watching shows with Richard (presently we are watching Ozark)

Planting sunflower seeds

button love . . .

"Be the person who can smile 

on the worst day."

~ Cate

just because . . .

"I am learning to find JOY

right here in the mess of things."

                                                ~ mhn

I am pretty sure I was the cause of this stain on the driveway.  I get a little

sloppy sometimes when I am having fun with a project.  

Then I hate that there are stains on the driveway.

Oh well . . . I will go with a fun project any day . . . and the stain turned out to be fun also

Richard sent me this the other day . . . just because!

GOOD THINGS TODAY . . . 

Another rainy day

Flowers blooming everywhere

Logan giggling like only a one year old can giggle

Richard seeing the face in this stain . . . 

doodling . . . sewing . . . reading

Schitt's Creek . . . I love shows that make me both laugh and cry

The creative mess that is still going strong in my house

. . . and not letting that mess bother me

Being able to stay in touch with my family and friends through this "lock down"

My orchid is getting ready to bloom

Happy Birthday Logan!

How can he be ONE already?

ONE cute boy!

Happy Birthday Logan!

How wonderful life is

now you're in the world.

good things today . . .

Richard made this shelf to hold the kid's are work for me and we got it hung up today.

There are some definite perks to this working at home.  I have been busy with work all day, but

it is nice to be able to get some things done at home also.

These painting are by Charlotte, Lily and Avery and were done a few months ago.

  I am excited to finally have them displayed.  

I liked this idea better than hanging them . . . so I can change them whenever they create 

something new . . . and also not having to put a lot of nail holes in my wall.

GOOD THINGS TODAY . . .

Art work by my grandchildren

Talking to my brother

Breakfast Burritos

Working from home . . . and getting a lot done.

Sunshine and flowers

Working on some dolls

Hearing from old friends.

"I don't know if time heals, but perspective does." 

                                                              ~ Steve Maraboli

Good Morning Lily . . .

I have the joy of keeping Lily during the week . . . since her mom still has to go to work.

Since it looks like our schools may be closed for awhile, I thought Lily should have her own space while she is doing her school work. 

An old table we sanded down and threw some stain on is working out perfect.

I surprised her yesterday by  hanging up some tapestries.  

She has trouble staying focused at times - and this seems to have helped. 

"Children are not a distraction from more important work.

They are the most important work."

~ John Trainer

today . . .

2019 came to and end . . . 2020 arrived with everything life is going to throw at me.

I have decided to handle it the best way I know how . . . still trying to figure what that is on some days - but I always seem to figure it out.

I believe I posted a picture a Steve when we first brought him home.  I thought I would share a Christmas picture of him . . . which pretty much describes his personality. 

Just trying to get back to this blog . . . I miss what it does for me.

"Dearly beloved,

we are gathered her today

to get through this thing

called life."

~ Prince

Happy Tuesday!

Just a reminder . . . 

Find JOY in the everyday stuff!

BE HAPPY

"Be happy in the moment, 

that's enough.

Each moment is all we need, not more."

                                                                                   ~ Mother Teresa

This is one of my favorite pictures from Avery's birthday.   

Be Happy!  

It may not always be that simple . . . 

Be happy anyway!

jelly, paint, and doodles . . .

"Don't wait for everything to be perfect

before you decide to enjoy your life."

                                               ~ Joyce Meyer

Charlotte's guinea pig came to live with us after her mom found out that she was allergic to him.

I wasn't too sure how I would like him - but he is so much fun.  

He loves to eat . . . squeals when he hears the refrigerator open . . . and makes us laugh.  

If it make you laugh - it's a good thing!

Paint and Doodles on a rainy weekend.  

I may add something more to them . . . not sure yet. 

I have had such a busy week and another busy week ahead of me, but I made some time to play with some paint . . . I made some time to read . . . I made some time to pray . . . and I took some time to rest.  Richard has a crock pot full of goodness cooking. (Korean Beef Zoodle Bowls) 

It smells delicious!  My house is sort of a mess . . . but I'm really not caring today! 

Just enjoy today!

I love love . . . .

“Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. 

Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE.” 
― Joss Whedon

 Still doodling on this one.  I spent more time reading than anything else this weekend, but I am trying to find some time each day to MAKE.  

I think I am letting Winter get the best of me.  My goal this week is to put an end to that and get myself in a creative uproar . . . but then I may just pull out a blanket, get myself a cup of tea, and continue reading the book that I can't seem to put down.  

It is an older book by Stephen King - Bag of Bones.  I have read Stephen King for years - not because I enjoy horror stories . . . but I like the way the man tells a story.  

Last Friday was my 60th birthday.  

Everyone kept asking me what I wanted to do.  Did I want to have a party?  Where did I want to go to dinner?  I chose to stay home, turn the living room into a fort by hanging tapestries from the ceiling and have a sleepover with Lily.  I tend to like things simple I guess.

Then we ate in the fort, read in the fort, watched movies in the fort, slept in the fort, had the whole family hanging out in the fort . . . 

and then decided to leave the fort up so Charlotte can see it later this week.  

Am I really 60 years old?  

"Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage

of opportunity and strength." 

~ Betty Freidan

journal prompts . . .

 I started using these wonderful little scraps that I cut out with quotes, sayings, and ideas on them for prompts in my journal.  It's a fun way to pick something to write about.  Sometimes I find one that seems to fit my mood . . . other times I glue them in a few pages apart . . . and when I get to that page that is what I use to write about that day.  I usually try to keep them positive . . . but I also can't resist something like the one with the picture of Wednesday Addams.  :)

Happy Friday!

Happy Weekend!