The Colors are Upon Us

Things must really be progressing on the yurt. Yesterday the hubby took me into "the big city" AKA Missoula so we could go pick out paint colors. Woo hoo! I had a basic idea of where I was going but certain colors were up in the air until I knew what was happening with things like the bathroom floor and kitchen counter.

I thought we were going to tile the bathroom floor but while we were in the paint store we were introduced to this cool eco product called Marmoleum. It is made with linseed oil and jute and it is totally environmentally friendly and MUCH easier to install than tile - ie: no grout. Hubby was thrilled at this as he has never installed tile before and the thought of it was not making him happy. I found my whole thought pattern for the bathroom changed. We are now going with this cool grey Marmoleum tile called Eiger. Sounds totally rugged, eh? But this is where it gets a bit girly. The wall color is the raspberry with the yellow going in the linen closet and in the toilet area. It will be a WAKE UP bathroom.



Don't they look cool together?

The hallway and bedroom are also being done in the yellow with the bedroom closet being painted the raspberry. Obviously I am not afraid of color.....

It gets better....

My craft room is being painted in this delightfully relaxing color. I really like it! It's greener in person. The computer really messes with color.

And the stairs leading up to the hallway and the back of the wall to the hall closet and to the craft room are also being painted in the green with the yellow on the upper walls. I know this sounds too confusing for words right now so you will just have to wait the three years it is going to take to get this all done for the photos. heh heh

My kitchen is going to be this nice subtle color.




It is a rather saturated red in person.

The living/dining area is truly going to be a subdued color. It's about time I suppose. Here it is...it will go well with the navy blue woodstove and grey hearth. All of our light fixtures are energy star and are stainless steel so I think this color will look good with them. Plus this room is mostly windows and has a ton of natural light.

The kitchen and the living/dining area are really one big room so the two colors will meet. I think they will look nice next to each other.

So here are my colors. Anyone who has seen my jewelry or who had been in any of my other houses is not surprised right now. I love bright colors!!!

UPrinting is Cool

I am sure you have noticed my blog sponsor UPrinting. I have to say they have been just wonderful to have as a blog sponsor. They are very responsive when I have questions and I have been through their site and have found their product line to be quite thorough and well priced. Last week they had the very nice blog photo contest which I wrote about here. I love the photo of little Kevin that I have entered. It ends on June 29th with the winner notified on the 30th. Keep you fingers crossed for me....

Now the wonderful folks at UPrinting are offering all their sponsored blogs 500 FREE business cards. This is just great for me as I was just getting ready to order some and was just last week looking through their site to figure out which ones I was going to get. Don't tell them that though...

They offer many options for cards and I am going with the 2 x 2 I think because they are slightly different than a standard business card. But who knows I might just change my mind by the time I get there....

But check them out...you can find all of your printing needs!

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I Won a Sexy Apron!!!

Remember this post where I blogged about the brilliant Julia at The Apron Goddesses? I told you about the sexy green apron she was giving away...well, I won! I am so very excited. Now I just have to wait to get my sexy apron. Part of the prize conditions include having to take your photo in said prize and send it back to the site. I am going to pose with Pricilla. Since Pricilla wouldn't WEAR an apron for me she will just have to pose WITH an apron for me. She did wear pearls for me in this memorable shot...

So stay tuned for me and Pricilla in our next joint photo shoot. And a big thank you to Julia and Modern Myrtle for such a pretty apron.

A New Kid for the Farm

Well, Abby delivered last night. Not the doe or does we were hoping for but our new little buckling is adorable. We have named him Harry after my father. I sincerely doubt this would please him but I suspect he would laugh all the same. He knew I wasn't going to have children so this would be the next best thing, right? I figure the little guy was born so close to Father's Day it was the logical choice. I have two nephews left who don't have goats named after them and they are rather young. At their ages if I picked one and not the other I would just have a fight on my hands and it's not worth it. So without further ado, may I present Harry the goat...

Although that does sound rather like a mob name, doesn't it?

He is a little cutie pie though and he looks just like his daddy, Luke the goat. This is a photo of Luke at two months. That is when Luke came to us. We bought him from a farm in Spokane, Washington.

This is Harry today after he has, uhm, dried off a bit. It's also natural light instead of the stupid flash.

It will be interesting to see if he is going to be a hopper like Kevin.

I Would Love to go to......

Just about anywhere to be honest. A little vacation would be heavenly. But it's not in my cards. But a girl can dream, right. So I learned of this neat new travel site called FatPassport. You head over there and it lets you plug in different parameters for YOUR kind of vacation based on location, budget and what you want to do. Then it gives recommendations for places to visit.

I thought I would give it a whirl and dream a little about getting away from the goats since I doubt the goats would even be allowed in coach. So I plugged in sightseeing budget trips in North America for couples as I thought it would be nice to take the hubby along on my virtual adventure. I'm that kind of girl. It came back to me with a boatload of suggestions for sightseeing opportunities and having seen quite a few of them I can say that they are truly GREAT places to visit.

For example, it suggested Haleakala National Park on the Island of Maui. I have been there and it is a glorious place. Especially at sunrise. I was younger when I visited and getting up at ungodly hours to see the sunrise was not as hard as it is now. I strongly recommend seeing this park. It is seriously gorgeous.

It also suggested Waimea Canyon on the Island of Kauai. Again, another slice of heaven on earth. I have seen this from eye level and helicopter and it is S.T.U.N.N.I.N.G. Grrr. Now I want to go back to Hawaii.

The Statue of Liberty and The Golden Gate Bridge were also on the list. Patriotic and dramatic to say the least and the food in both New York and San Francisco can't be beat.

The next was Chichen Itza in the Yucatan. Now this one I haven't seen so maybe this is the best place for my virtual trip.

There were MANY, MANY more recommendations including my favorite place in the whole wide world Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hmmm, theme going here? I am one of those people who just LOVE volcanoes and the smell of sulphur. I can't tell you how many times I have been to that park - it draws me like a magnet. The helicopter ride over it was an experience I will NEVER forget. Maybe I should work for the Hawaii Tourism Bureau.

But I would suggest you all go play over at FatPassport. I had a blast learning about new places to see and reminiscing about the wonderful sights I have had the good fortune to visit in my life. It's a great place to plan a trip, virtual or otherwise.

Happy News!

My goat Abigail is in labor. We are, of course, hoping for a doeling or two but will be thrilled with whatever pops out. Baby goats are just the cutest things! Last time she kidded she gave us Nora.

Nora is now living on another farm with Pricilla's Sarah but here is her baby photo.

Isn't she just the cutest?

Summer Fun

UPrinting (my really great sponsor) is holding a terrific summer photo contest. First prize is $250 and a 16 x 20 Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print. Now both of those are things I can use. Some day I will get into the yurt and I will have walls to decorate! So here is my entry. Of course it includes a goat 'cause my life is just full of goats!

I call it Sweet Kid of Summer.

UPrinting.com is a leading online provider of business cards, color brochures and mailing postcards.

Happy Father's Day

I want to wish all the wonderful father's out there a wonderful, Happy Father's Day.

The boys around here are celebrating with some extra apple. What better way for a goat to spend the day?

What Would YOU Like to Win?

Isn't that an interesting question? What if you had the choice of five cool prizes? Would it be easy to pick...or difficult?

Well, I can let you find out for yourself! Just head over to BluFrog and you can enter their contest with the chance to choose from FIVE different prizes. I went and looked them over and while they all look tempting in their own way I think I would pick the BluStreak Orlando not so much for me but for my hubby. He just loves NASCAR and I KNOW he would love to have another chance to race one of those superfast cars again. Once upon a time, long long ago I did give him a birthday present where he got to drive around the racetrack at Dover, Delaware but it was not nearly as intense as this would be. So I think I am going to enter and try to win this for him. I suspect it would make a very cool present. Don't you?

It's easy to enter and you have three opportunities to do so:

You can leave a comment telling which package you would want to win, and why.

If you have a Twitter account tweet away being sure to include #bluworld and http://bit.ly/UiiJy in your tweet.

Use the power of your blog and write a post about the contest. Just be sure to comment HERE
with a link back to your blog.

Now isn't that an easy way to get three entries into the contest? Full rules are HERE so be sure to check them out before you enter.

I can just picture my hubby now speeding around that track at Daytona.....

Good luck everyone!

The Garden

"I'm going to pick some spinach", he says

"OK", I reply expecting tonight's salad.

He returns with a Hefty bag full of spinach. A FREAKIN' HEFTY BAG.

I guess you know what I am doing.

*sigh* So much for my plans for the day.

I Love Hummingbirds

Those tiny, flitting, flashing, shimmering streaks of color that appear every Spring. They are such delights to have around the house. Or trailer in my case as the yurt...I won't go there. Back to the hummingbirds! When I lived in New Jersey I had hummingbird feeders out so I could enjoy the little fliers - back there I only had Ruby Throated hummingbirds. Little did I know of the hummer glory I would find when I moved West.

The first summer we were in Montana we were camp hosts for the Forest Service in a small campground in the Lolo National Forest. I put out my bird feeders and soon they were over run with hummers. I had to buy a second and soon third glass hummingbird feeder . There were so many colors out there it was amazing. I found that I had three different kinds of hummingbird; the Calliope, the Black Chinned and my favorite, the Rufous. I was in hummingbird heaven! It got so I could go out there and they would land on my fingers or even my head while I was changing out the feeders. It was so cool!

The second year we came back to the same campground and we hadn't been in place for 10 minutes and a Rufous hummingbird was pecking at the window of the trailer! I guess he was hungry. These little birds have turned into my favorite hummer due to their AMAZING, shimmering orange color. On the male of course. Their behavior is very entertaining. If one male Rufous is on a feeder a second male will "dive bomb" the feeder to discourage the other male from eating there. It is something to watch!

I am also happy to report that I have my Rufous buddies here with me on the Happy Goats Farm. I hear them buzzing around as I go about my chores. They make this call during mating season that sounds just like a kazoo. They flit, they flash, they fly right by my head. I love those birds!

I love having my feeder out and I love to watch "my" hummers. I gave my brother a glass hummingbird feeder one year for his birthday and he (and his kids) was thrilled. It's a gift that keeps on giving - to the recipient and to the birds. So think about it. The next time you are having trouble thinking of that perfect gift for someone why not give them a glass hummingbird feeder . They will thank you and so will the hummers!

Bzzzzzzzzzzz

For some reason we have mosquitoes this year. While the mosquitoes in Montana are laughable to the mosquitoes in New Jersey - often called the state bird - they are annoying the poor goats.
This is the first year we have had them in the quantity we are experiencing this year and it is a bit of well, an itchy question. We have no standing water, there is usually a breeze and we have lots and lots of swallows. In fact the swallows are nesting in the eaves of the house. The river is 150ft down and in constant motion so that is really not a factor. It's a puzzlement as the King of Siam would sing....

The worst part is in bed at night. You lie there and then you hear it. The bzzzzzzz sound. That's OK. It's when the bzzzzzz sound stops that you worry 'cause you know someone is gonna get bit. You hope it's the cat but you know it's really gonna be you. *sigh* You would almost rather hear the bzzzzzz sound all night.....

Fun in Vermont

I know I live in a Mountain wonderland but that doesn't mean I haven't seen and enjoyed other beautiful states in this glorious country of ours. In fact there was a bit of decision making between the glory of Montana and the beauty of some of the New England area before we finally settled down.

My hubby spent 10 years of his schooling life - graduate and post graduate - in Vermont and he took me up there a few times. I'm glad he did; it is a beautiful state with friendly people and scenery to awe your senses.

Of course if you go you will want a nice Family inn Vermont for a base to see all you can see. The beauty of a state like Vermont is there are attractions in all four seasons. Of course with Winter there is the skiing - both downhill and cross country. I am not the skier but that doesn't mean a nice sleigh ride wouldn't be up my alley. In Spring the glory of all of everything coming back to life is a sight to see. The farms, the flowers, the sunsets, aaaaaah. Summer can't be beat with cool mountain breezes and plenty of hiking trails - and Ben and Jerry's ice cream! Then there is Fall. The astounding beauty of Vermont in the Fall has to be seen to be believed. The golds, reds, and oranges of the leaves in vistas that go on for miles are just awe inspiring.

Why not make your visit there extra special? Vermont weddings are special occasions to be sure. Just imagine your guests skiing with you and your new spouse or talking about those leaves for years because of YOUR wedding and all of the fun it provided. Destination weddings are all the rage so why not go where there are so many options for year round activities.

And for all of you needing to plan a business convention, well why not Vermont? Vermont meetings offer you great venues for large or small meetings in an atmosphere that is both relaxing and exhilarating.

My memories of Vermont are all happy and I hope to get back there some day.

Oooh, Sexy Apron!

Well, Julia - The Apron Goddess - is at it again. She has another gorgeous apron available on her site for a few easy steps. Her giveaways are so much fun! I think you should all head over there and check it out. This beauty is the prize

Now of course I would like to win so maybe you shouldn't head over there.....

I am thinking I will look good in that baby while cooking up a storm. But, go ahead. Go to The Apron Goddess and enter. It really is easy...

Surrounded

The day started out nicely enough...I was basking in the glow of a very nice result from the first Superior Farmer's Market. There weren't a lot of vendors but it was the FIRST day EVER. Those of us that did show to sell our wares were all generally pleased with the turnout of customers. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. I sold 33 bars of soap and 2 pairs of earrings. So I was a happy vendor. The Farmer's Market is going to be held every Saturday throughout the summer excepting 4th of July weekend. It would be nice if ALL of the days were that profitable but I rather doubt they will be. I really don't care. I had a lovely day - I got out of the trailer and was able to spend some time with friends.

But back to today...as I said the day started nicely. But then I was out taking photos for Pricilla for what will be her blog post on Tuesday and I looked up at the sky. I wasn't happy any longer. This is what I saw to the west

and to the east

and to the south.

And to the north

Uh huh. I was surrounded.

It wasn't long until the booming started. Then the rain. The goats HATE the rain. Jillian and Mallory claimed the big goat house, Abigail the smaller one. This is Pricilla looking at me as I watched out the window...

...NOT a happy goat! So of course who then was running out in a cold rain amidst the thunder and lightening to put the goats up in the warm, safe barn?

Uh huh.

Needless to say I didn't get my sheets on the line to dry as I had wanted. Let's all hope tomorrow brings me the sunshine so I can have those nice crisp, sunshine smelling sheets that are so very heavenly.

Uh huh. It's booming again now. *sigh*

It Was a Labradorite Kind of Day

Well, I finally had a day where I was hit with some creativity. For whatever reason they have been few and far between lately and this is very frustrating to me. Designing and making jewelry literally saved my sanity after I got sick and now I am struggling. I suppose all creative types go through these stages and I will get back to my former self ... I just hope it's soon.

I decided to just sit myself down and make something to see if that would help. I pulled out one of my favorite gemstones thinking that it would make the process easier and it did. I had a very productive day; three necklaces, one bracelet and three pairs of earrings. My photography didn't go as well so I only have pictures of the necklaces right now. Labradorite is tricky to photograph anyway and I guess I had used up my creative skills for the day. I will have to have another go at the earrings over the weekend. And the bracelet. The stones are gorgeous so I really want to show them off. I have been sitting on them for almost two years. It really was time they became jewelry.

I had basically two strands; a full strand of 9 x 6mm and two half strands at 10 x 6mm and 11 x 7mm. I had bought them with the intention of making a graduated necklace. They are smooth, flashy rondelles. For the first necklace I strung them by size with sterling spacers and marcasite beads. I also used a gorgeous marcasite clasp. My hubby took the photos with me wearing the piece as it is 30" long and just looks better on a human rather than my form. It can be worn long or doubled up as a choker.

The second necklace showcases the gemstone's fire. I took one bead in each size flashing the three most common colors; red, blue and gold and put them on a feathered pin. Simple but lovely.

For the third necklace I used some bold 20mm labradorite coins I had leftover from another piece I had made and sold. They are not perfect but they are very flashy. Again, simple in design but it will attract attention with all the fire in the stone. This one is not listed yet, but it will be soon :)

It did feel good to accomplish what I did. I am truly hoping I will find myself creating more in the next week. The garden is starting to produce and I know that once it really comes in there will be no time for anything but processing so I want to use the time I have 'til then well.

Tomorrow I will be at the first Superior Farmer's Market with Pricilla's soap. It is supposed to be a very nice day and I am looking forward to getting out and just enjoying the day.

Great Bead Giveaway!

I was visiting blogs today while dropping my entrecards and I read on Split Rock Ranch's blog about a great bead giveaway at Silver Parrot. She is doing a major...and I mean MAJOR destash of her beads and is giving them away!

You just go over to her blog and comment to be entered. How cool is that? Now if Split Rock wins she is going to give the beads to her daughter so she can start a jewelry business to help her pay her college expenses. I think this is a great idea. The last thing I need are more beads so if I win I am going to give them to Split Rock to give to her daughter!!! It's the llamas. I love llamas. I wonder if they ever get all "friendly" like my boys do? Hmmmmm.....

But you all should go check it out. There are A LOT of beads. I am not kidding....

Uhm, EWWWWWWWWW!

So, my bucks are still trying to, uh, attract my attention. Why they are focusing on me I have no idea. Perhaps it is because I actually ENTER their pen whereas the does do not. They stay in their pen far, far away from the somewhat questionable - at least to me - methods the boys employ.

Goat sex is uhm interesting to say the least. The doe will come into heat and "stand" for the buck on one day in her cycle. In the case of my Nigerian dwarf goats they do go into heat all year round. Some goats do not. The heat gets stronger as Fall comes on and this, as with their cousins the deer and the elk is call the rut.

It seems my boys are in the rut a bit early. How can I tell? Number one is the lovely odor emanating from the buck pen. Mmmmmm, there is nothing like the smell of a buck in rut. I can't begin to describe it because it is a perfume all to itself. And for now the focus of this rut is *sigh* ME.

I don't look like a goat, at least I don't think I do. The last time I looked I was walking on two legs, not four. I don't have a beard. I DON'T!

To attract a doe a buck will uh, pee on himself, drink it and then curl his lips. This is called flemming. TMI? Well you can't fully appreciate my life without knowing this.EVERY time I walk by the buck pen both boys do this. In fact this morning I commented to my husband that Luke the goat was not just spraying but moving his little goat head up and down in the spray, with a look on his face, luxuriating as if he were at the spa. My husband just laughed at me. Some support system, eh?


This is what I get from Michael the goat:



Ooooh, sexy! If you're a goat.....

They are both now trying to jump on me. I AM NOT A FREAKIN' GOAT! I shower. I am clean. *sigh* Luke I can manage as he weighs less than me but Michael is about my weight so he is a challenge. Then there are the horns - I am most times glad they are there as they make great handles. But sometimes they just hook those suckers around my knee; one of these days I'm gonna go down and that's it. The hubby will find me, on the ground topped by a goat....or two.

One of Life's Dreams

Every girl/woman dreams of the day. It's one of those fairy tales. The ones that are put into our heads by the romantic novels and silly movies we watch. Two males fighting over us. How dramatic. How special we feel. Why me, we ask? But does it matter? No, we just love the feeling that there are two of them and they both want us.

It has finally happened to me. Who would have thought that at this stage in my life this fairy tale fantasy would become my every day reality. I mean I turn 50 this summer. I would never presume to be turning heads this way. My hair is turning grey. Parts of my body are not where they were 20 years ago. Granted I am thinner than I ever was before but it is the skinny of age not the tautness of youth.

I know they fight daily. I don't always understand the argument. I suppose I should be flattered. Perhaps it's my new perfume....

Which one would you pick?

My bucks think I am a doe and they want me. *sigh* My life is reduced to a farm comedy. My husband thinks it's hysterical and just eggs them on. It must be the eau de doe that clings to me from when I take care of the girls.

There are time when I seriously want my old life back.

ETHICAL Hackers?! You Betcha!

These are uncertain times. Not only in the economy but also security wise. It seems that whenever you turn on the news you hear stories of identity theft and computer viruses. How can companies keep things safe? I am not an expert, but there are experts out there that can help. If you want your IT Security department to be its strongest? Hire a hacker. WHAT?! That's right, hire a hacker; an ETHICAL HACKER. And what might Ethical Hacking be you ask? Why training people to get around the bad guys by knowing all the tricks.

How can you learn more about this? Well there are a series of online, instructor led classes that can lead to EC-Council Certification. Think of the possibilities for job retraining here. This is something that is not going away and the demand is only rising. If your schedule is difficult there are options for classes at different times. You need a computer with a high speed hookup, a microphone and headphones. Not much to help advance your career, learn about the latest in IT security and help save the world. Well, maybe not that last part but who knows....

Classes are offered on a variety of topics including:
Security Fundamentals
Ethical Hacking
Penetration Testing
Computer Forensics

Disaster Recovery
Secure Programming

If you would like to learn more here is a link to articles to further educate yourself about this vital and growing career choice. Just think you could totally change your life and become a Certified Ethical Hacker .

My Goats. The Wicked Witch of the West - Same Gene Pool?

I ask this not because of evil traits - although there is Abby - but rather due to their reaction to rain. Yes, rain. My goats hate the rain. They not only hate the rain they will refuse to come out of the barn in the rain. As if the rain will somehow kill them. Did they have access to The Wizard of Oz? Is there a band of flying monkeys hiding in the barn that I have not noticed?

This is how today went.

I woke up and it was raining. I said, "oh crap." For more than one reason but mainly the goats. As I head up to the barn to get the boys down to their pen there was a lull between showers. Woo hoo! But the bucks are funny; they will come out in a raging downpour for their grain and realize only AFTER the grain is gone that it is raining. I have said before that grain is crack for goats and at least for the bucks this is my proof. So the boys are in their pen.

It starts to rain again. The boys are now bellowing as if someone is ripping their fur out piece by piece. Slowly. And this is a warm rain. Almost a drizzle. I try to get Jillian and Mallory down to their pen knowing it ain't gonna work but hey, I'm an optimist. One goat nose peaks out the door and two goats run to the furthest corner of the barn. Ya, that went well.

I decide that since the showers seem to be passing I will clip their hooves. It needed doing anyway. I put Mallory back in her pen, clip Jillian's hooves, reverse this process and lo and behold the rain has ceased. Out the door we go and now I have four goats in pens.

I milk Pricilla. It is raining again. *sigh* Pricilla and Abby will not leave the barn. I pick up Kevin and put him outside on the concrete. You would have thought I had put him on an electrically charged pad. He hopped, jumped and screeched like a banshee.....and ran back into the barn. I put leads on Pricilla and Abby and drag them out. While trying to get Abby into the pen Jillian and Mallory escape and run back to the barn.

At this point I gave up.

All goats are now in the barn. They are mad they are in the barn and not outside where there is grass to eat and space to roam. BUT THEY WON'T LEAVE THE FREAKIN' BARN. And, apparently it is all my fault. The rain, that is.

All I keep hearing in my head when I look at their little goat faces is a chorus of".....I'm meeeelllllttttiiiiiinnnnnggggg."

Stupid goats. Welcome to my life. The chickens don't seem to care.

Oh, So Much Fun!

It is a rainy day today after weeks of sunshine. One of the things I like to do when it gets like this is browse through my photo albums. Yes, I am a dinosaur, I still have photo albums. I love watching the progression of my nieces and nephews as they age from tiny little newborns to the beautiful children/teenagers they are today.

Before my husband and I moved to Montana and left all my little kiddies behind in New Jersey I was lucky enough to have lots of fun adventures with them. More with the four older children than the six younger but still, I have lots of happy memories to recall as I laugh through my photos.

Sitting in today's gloom the photos from my trip to Orlando with my goddaughters were particularly appealing. It was the first time I took a trip all by myself. I was meeting my girlfriend, her husband and "my girls" down there. They were going for ten days where I was joining them for four. I flew by myself, rented the car by myself (this was before I stopped driving ) and actually managed to navigate my way to the hotel by myself. I was so proud.

It was sooooo much fun! I am of an odd age where I had never been to Disney World or its attractions as a child. It was built when I was teenager and I had never had cause to go before. But I suppose it shouldn't have mattered - my brother and his wife honeymooned there! But back to my tale...The first day we went to one of the waterparks; Blizzard Beach. We all had a BLAST. But it was the second day that really rocked. That was the day we went to Sea World.

I LOVED it. I got to pet dolphins. I got to look at all manner of fishies and sharks swimming in the aquarium. And best of all I got splashed by Shamu! That's right. The girls and I went to the big Shamu show and we sat right up front. We knew what was coming but we didn't care. We laughed so hard we were crying. I think I could watch the Shamu show over and over and over again and not get bored. Wet yes, bored no. My memories come and go as I have discussed but I remember Shamu. I also remember we had a delicious dinner in a restaurant that was also an aquarium. Tell me that's not cool? You sit there eating your dinner as your dinner swims by.....

I have to admit to being sorry it took me so long to get down there especially since at the time I lived so close. And now there are sites where you can get cool discount Disney World Tickets like orlandofuntickets.com where you can find some of the best deals for all of the parks.

New Jewelry!

My muse has been very hit or miss lately. Granted I have been busy with all that is going on around here. But I did manage to get a few new things made before the "two week sick" descended. Which is nice; I truly enjoy designing and creating new jewelry. It is something that I miss when I leave it dormant for too long. It felt great to just pull random bags of gems out of my bead boxes and just create with what was in front of me rather than have some grand plan. In fact I did a piece for The Artisan Beaders Blog on just this style of mine.


One day I pulled out my chalcedony. I hadn't played with it for a while and the gorgeous, glowing colors are so very perfect for summer. These are not all I made that day, but a sampling. The earrings feature deep fuchsia cubes and soft, icy blue rounds. While the bracelet is a riot of color!



















Another day I pulled out my turquoise. I don't have a huge supply of turquoise and it is not a gem I use often. But when I saw the Kingman mine nuggets next to the Sleeping Beauty rounds - that was it! Stones I had been hoarding for over a year became a modern, asymmetrical necklace and bracelet. I called them Great Mines Think Alike.....






















And the day before the sick came I sat down with my London blue topaz. I love to pair it with peridot. The rich blue and bright green just marry so well. I added some keishi pearls and a lovely pair of earrings emerged. Everything is available in my shop. Any blog readers who make a purchase and put "blog" in the notes to seller can take advantage of a 15% discount. I will either send a new invoice or a refund by paypal, whichever you prefer!





Hopefully I will find time for more creation before the full weight of the garden comes down on me. Once that happens it's just me, the vegetables, my stove and my canners. I am grateful come winter but question my sanity in the moment.

Here a Watch, There a Watch

My husband is very hard on watches. Well, maybe not on the watch itself but on the band. He manages to break them somehow. So I am again looking for a new watch for the man. It has been a theme throughout our marriage. In fact, my wedding present to him was a watch. I can't remember how long that one lasted...

Right now I think I will try and find him a nice strong, sturdy steel banded watch, maybe one like one of these really cool Seiko Diver watches. He doesn't dive any longer but that doesn't mean he doesn't get wet. In fact in his job as Fire Chief he is often around water. They look tough and strong and able to stand up to the beating he gives them. I think any one of them would make a perfect gift for him. A watch is always a timely gift - no pun intended. My husband has many appointments as he goes through the day and he also needs to time training exercises.

I also think that a good quality watch might last a little bit longer than the ones he buys himself. That's what a wife is for, right. To class a guy up? So don't tell him I'm looking OK - it will be our little secret, OK?

Bleh!

I have been feeling beyond lousy the last few days. I always feel poorly; it's a fact in my life. I live with a constant headache. It just goes up and down in intensity. I also have a myriad of other problems that strike without warning. Well, a bunch of them struck on Saturday and I found myself incapacitated. Saturday was a total wash. I really don't remember it at all. I didn't get out of bed except to throw up or go to the bathroom room. Sunday was a LITTLE bit better. By Monday I was able to eat some saltines - woo hoo for me. Today I actually got some chicken soup down. And it is still down. I fear I am in what I call "the two week sick." It is something that just descends upon me without warning and completely takes over for - you got it - two weeks. I get very little done and I feel like I have been run over by a truck. I can't wait for my husband to get home with some popsicles - they are comforting to a sick stomach.

The cats are great. They seem to know I am not well and they all cuddle up with me. The spent the whole day in on Saturday, on the bed with me. This is unheard of in the warm weather. They love to be out frolicking and catching grasshoppers. When I lie down on the sofa they are there. This is not as sweet as there is not as much room on the sofa...but I love them just the same.

The goats are even being gentle as I took over their care again today. They gave me no hassles, no problems. I think they are happy I am back as I give them more treats than my hubby does.

Well, I am now going to go back and lie down again. If I haven't been as "chatty" on your blogs or dropped as many cards this is why. Hopefully I will be back to my kind of normal soon. PLEASE! I truly hate the two week sick....