Ocean Sapphire...

Sarah's friend got a Siamese Fighting Fish(betta) a few weeks ago and she's been bugging us to get one too. I resisted because of the cats, but finally gave in today. He's GORGEOUS!! (click to see larger images)



I wish his irredescence showed up better in the photos. He's a dark blue with slightly lighter fins.


Here he is backlit, showing off his greenishness. You can see a few of my needle-felted balls behind his bowl too, an nice foil for his coloring.


This is the truest picture of his color.


We already had the bowl and red marbles, a perfect habitat for such a beauty. However, we will be looking for a bigger container. They do better in 1-2 gallon tanks, this one is probably a half gallon. Why yes, that is a C3PO standing in the corner!

In other news...

I'm taking time this weekend to go through a newish(acquired last year) old cookbook, Rodale's Naturally Great Foods Cookbook by Nancy Albright(published in 1977). Is it ever full of good stuff! Not just recipes but instructions on everything from making yogurt, sprouting sprouts, and even grinding flour from pumpkins! Wowza!!! There are soooo many recipes in it that I'm dying to try out, like Alfalfa Sprout Gazpacho, Avocado Banana Dressing, Grainburgers, Millet Meatloaf, Broccoli Timbales, Yogurt Cheese, Sourdough Rye Bread, and the list goes on and on and on!!! I'm also reading another goodie called Cooking Vegetables the Italian Way by Judith Barrett. Lotsa good stuff there too.

We are supposed to be taking the last bits of wallpaper down from the dining room tomorrow. The paint we've decided on is called Caramel Cream, a rich, bright orange. All the playing I've done at Valspar's online room painting thingie points to this color. I think it will be perfect.


I'm sure it looks garish on your monitor, kinda looks washed out on mine too. Trust me, its really a rich, goldish orange with depth and a nice warmth. In fact, if you'll scroll back up to the third picture of Ocean(his true color pic) and look directly above his tail you can see a felted ball of red, yellow, and orange. The orange in that picture is very close to the wall color. I can't wait to get it painted!!

Guess that's all the goings on for this weekend. Hopefully I'll be able to blog more next week. Having a working teen who is also very social is demanding more of my time than I ever thought possible!!

Perks....

So Mark was talking about football with one of his new co-workers yesterday. Mark told him about how they used to bring a tv to work on the day after Thanksgiving and hook their cable(for internet) up to it so they could watch the college games. The guy looked at Mark like he had two heads and said, "we don't work the day after Thanksgiving". HAHAHAHA!! WOOOOHOOOO!!

Then, later in the day, he came and asked Mark how much more paperwork he had left. Mark showed him and asked why, thinking they were going to go on a delivery or something. The guy said, "we like to close up shop at 4 on Fridays". And again I say, WOOOOOHOOOO! I like those kinds of perks.

In other news...

Mark and Ryan tried to go fishing last night but suffered a blow-out on one of the trailer tires. Luckily nobody or boats got hurt and they were only 3 miles from home when it happened. So, they drove to Gladewater Lake so the worms wouldn't go to waste. They did not see the bear but the girls and I had to go jump them off because the battery went dead on the "white jeep". Sigh. And now we're all back and the girls want to go to Hobby Lobby so I imagine we'll have a trip there and to Goodwill in a while.

So far my antibiotic has not kicked in. I still feel the same, can't hear, tired, etc. I'm so ready for this to end!

And finally, kitty pics. Still no names that I know of.


(baby boy on the hunt)


(baby girl under the couch)


(Prissy on guard)


(Sissy lounging in the bedroom)

This Just In...

Puppy-girl rolled in stink bait. I'm gonna have to fumigate!!! UGH!!!!!

Thank God all my quilts are off the floor!

A Working Weekend....

Actually, I started on this project earlier in the week with the sanding and painting but Mark and I hung it up this morning. We spent all day yesterday deciding on the perfect glass shades for it, we are both very pleased with our selection. This was the easiest hanging job we've ever done, it went fast with no hitches!


(light fixture from Goodwill: $10)


(spray paint from Lowes:$5, this is a satin finish and isn't nearly as reflective in person)







(glass shades from Lowes: $30~ lol, we are not using those kinds of bulbs, that was our tester bulb to make sure of the wiring)

Last night(saturday), Mark took Ryan and his friend Kyle to Lone Star Lake to fish. They'd just backed down the boat ramp when they noticed about a dozen boats suddenly headed for them from across the lake. Mark pulled up to let some get out and they figured out a storm was on the way. He called me to look on weather.com and I confirmed that a very big, very nasty storm was literally upon them!! They drove all the way home in it at about 35-40mph! Our lights flickered several times and the wind was just crazy. I am SO glad they didn't get out there earlier and risk getting caught on the water. It rained steady til after 1am and then again much of the late morning. They were disappointed so I agreed to "let" them try again tonight in exchange for some major honey-dos.

First, I cleaned off and sorted(repackaged) my fabric boxes on the 4x6ft metal shelf. Mark carried the boxes to the kitchen and the boys brought the shelf to the utility room. I'm not sure this will be its permanent location or what, but it frees up a whole lot of space in our bedroom! We had to move the smaller plastic shelf from behind the door(next to the washer) in order to have a place for the litterboxes. If the shelves stay in this room, we'll put a kitty door on so we can keep it closed. We may also move the freezer to the garage or a corner of the dining room. Or the plastic shelf might go to the garage, we haven't decided what yet.



Next, I started some pinto beans simmering, that will be a late supper for the guys. I'm debating making cornbread for them.

Then Mark and Ryan cleaned the coils on the back of the fridge and the floor underneath(no picture, it was GROSS!).

While they were doing that, I was able to do a little, long overdue, mantle decorating.



My mom did the dutch dolls. The candleholders were on 80% clearance at Hobby Lobby, aren't they cute? I'm not sure how well the pattern shows but they are kind of a paisley bandana pattern frosted kinda on the inside of the glass.



I'm on my way to the garage to spray paint my desk. It is a trial thing, a "free" fake wood desk from Mark's office, left by an ex-employee. If the paint works fine, if it doesn't that's fine too. I'm kinda hoping it does, at least mostly, because I'm typing this from the floor of my dining room and it is uncomfortable to say the least(a mosquito has bitten my forehead at least 4 times now)..***updated, that was a flop. Now I'm without a desk***

After painting I'm going to sort through the cabinets above the washer and dryer, there is a TON of junk up there destined for Goodwill(or the trash). The more I can get done this weekend, the more we can "not do" next weekend. Mark will be off Friday so it gives us an extra day to fart around. Hmmmm, maybe we'll finally paint the bedroom!! Wouldn't that be amazing! I'm betting we will!!

Suffice to say....

The Clark W. Griswold family has NOTHING on us. We are tuckered out to say the least and I feel like I'm still in the boat. Here are some lovely images from our latest camping endeavor(fiasco). We had a super time despite the set backs. Maybe I'll be able to talk about them someday.

This time we camped at Lake Bob Sandlin and we'll definitely be going back. This is a nice campground with clean facilities and large sites. Somehow I managed to miss the cemetery information so we didn't visit this time.

Around Camp:





We pulled into camp at approximately 9:40 on Friday night. It had rained so everything was pretty soaked. At this point I was ready to drive back home. Seriously. After setting up tents and blowing up air mattresses, we were in bed by midnight.

When we camp, my one request is that we get close enough for comfort to the bathrooms but not right next door. We pulled onto the loop to discover that the facilities were on the left of the road before the actual loop started so we turned right and took the first site. So, it was actually across the road from the bathrooms and down a few hundred feet. Yay! There is nothing I hate more while camping than to have to walk down the road a quarter mile to the bathrooms in the pitch dark(especially when some fellow campers killed a large copperhead in that same road-at night).



Instead of canned soft drinks, I bought two liter bottles. We rarely get soft drinks at home so this is a special treat for the kids(and Mark this time). These lasted much longer and didn't attract bees like cans do. I made Zen tea for myself.

We always pack plenty of good food. This time I made ranch dip with bacon bits to eat with chips and veggies. It ended up being the perfect condiment for our breakfast burritos on Sunday morning too. Our Saturday morning ham and pancakes worked out just fine too. I ended up bringing the dry mix in a zip bag and the milk in a small tupperware container and mixed it up in my tea pitcher(this was before I made tea obviously). We also had chili dogs, Chicken Noodle Stew(Ramen, mixed veggies and grilled chicken with spices), trail mix, homemade brownie muffins, and other snacks.



To keep from being bored, the girls brought their drawing stuff. It was hot in the tent so Sarah didn't stay there long. You'll notice the brownish blob near the entrance to the tent. This was the queen-sized air mattress, used only once before, that developed a leak(we can't find) and lost 90% of its air during the night. The second night it only lost 80% of the its air. Sigh. The good news is that we were quite comfortable with our thrifted pillow cases and sheets.





The kids enjoyed relaxing in their camp chairs.



Mark spent a lot of time at the boat doing various repairs and equipment overhauling. He lives for that kind of thing.



This was the spot I chose to practice a new craft and enjoy the wildlife and scenery. In a few days I'll reveal what I learned and hopefully show you a finished project! I also taught the girls how to do it so it isn't anything hard.



Saturday afternoon we went to the swimming area but didn't stay long, I also forgot my camera. The area consists of two concrete brick retaining walls with a sidewalk at the bottom(at water level) that's about 15 inches wide. The water is about 2 feet deep right off the bat. The lake bottom has the consistency of raw wet biscuit dough with small chunks of broken concrete mixed with it. For future reference, next time we'll pass on this experience.

On the Boat:





After we made our way through the dead trees(which I wanted to take home), we were captivated by this enchanting sunset.









Then it was time to get down to the business we'd come to do.

Last Two Words...

From Anet's wonderful project.
Volacious- apt or fit to fly
Maven- a person who has special knowledge or experience; an expert


Our wildlife sightings included volacious cormorants who nest in dead trees.





Mark is such a maven when it comes to all things to do with fishing. He rewired the lights on the boat trailer, restrung fishing reels, navigated across submerged trees, and backed the boat up at least a dozen times without batting an eye.

Shades of Inspiration...

Something in the creativity book that I took to read while camping must have sunk in because I'm just bursting with things I want to try! First, I have to finish hand binding a full-sized quilt. Then, I'm getting to work on my tote, made from that bright thrift store fabric in the previous post. I told my mom that I wanted to use a drawstring closure but now I'm thinking of making it with those wooden dowel rods that go all the way across the top and serve as handles. That seems like a very simple method but I haven't looked online for directions.

We took the kids fishing to Lake Gladewater last night after Bevo's new owners claimed him. We were out there for about 3 hours, part of the time in the dark. Now when I look at the computer screen it feels like I'm rocking in that durn boat and I'm SO seasick. Also, I swear(and I don't like to swear) that I saw a baby alligator. It was going between two groups of cattails about 20 feet from our boat and was about a foot long. I saw its nose, head, back and tail in the water, then it just submerged in one move, straight down like a submarine. Our fishing was not productive, Mark is the only one who caught anything and that was two tiny perch. We'll not go back to that lake even though its close.

Later last night, while waiting for the boys to unhitch the boat, I made a bold move and issued a challenge to my quilters who homeschool email group. We did these a few years ago where someone would come up with a theme and we all did our interpretations of it(supposed to just be a block but I did wall hangings). This is how I got my "Horse of a Different Color" wall hanging(look in my finished objects links on the left), from a Wizard of Oz challenge. Anyway, this new challenge was inspired by Sister's Choice participation in a Two-Color Challenge.

The challenge I issued is currently just for our yahoogroup but if anyone wants, maybe we can do one in September for the fall quarter(or you can play along here, I can create a flickr group. If anyone is interested just let me know). The rules for my group's challenge are that you must make a top(any size from candle mat to king) out of just two colors. You can use as many shades and varieties of the colors as you want or just stick to two fabrics period. Pattern doesn't matter either, you can do whatever you want. Progress will be secret, we're only going to post our fabrics. Then we'll post our results on September 1st. So far I have 4 maybe players but hopefully they'll commit for reals soon.

Last but not least, I found this wonderful flickr group over at Blackberry Creek and decided to play along. I, like several others, missed out on the "seeing red" part, but have picked up with the green week. You can click on the link to your left to visit the flickr group for this fun play-along. Meanwhile, here are my reds(good thing I didn't get in on "seeing red" because this is all I got! And some green photos for you to enjoy.


(my parents barn, my brother lives in the loft, where the itty bitty window is-and that is him walking away from the barn, just noticed that)


(one of my first crocheted purses, I really need to line this and start using it because I LOVE it!)


(my brother's childhood quilt made by my grandmother, I love this too)


(Amy's Sea Dragon)


(one of two quilts I made for a neighbor, remade from the nursery set she'd made for her girls 10 years ago, plus denim from a thrifted dress-this was in progress, not finished)


(the kids at Roaring Falls, a hiking area near my parents' home in North Carolina)

A New Meme(because I have no real content)...

(more on these ruffians later)

Borrowed from Knits Galore

1. One person who made me laugh.

My friend Lisa. We met in the 5th grade when we were both new to the same school. That was 30 years ago and she has always had the most acid wit(oh we were just horrible in school)! She's still the most hilarious person I've ever met even though I don't get to see her often. When we run into each other at the grocery store or somewhere, we can sit and gab for hours and just laugh our fool heads off.

2. What was I doing at 0800? What time is that? I know I woke up around 7ish this morning, does that count?

3. What was I doing 30 minutes ago? Eating a snack.

4. What did I do in 2006? Not a whole lot of anything.

5. Last thing I said aloud? Ryan, Vernon can't come pick you up so you aren't going to Willie's house today.

6. Beverages? Yes, frequently when I'm thirsty. Most often, green iced tea.

7. What colour is my hairbrush? Light frosted lilac.

8. Last thing I paid for? Raw milk from our co-op.

9. Where was I last night? Grocery shopping and then home.

10. Front door colour? Very dirty vanilla yellowish. UGLY.

11. Where do I keep my change? Change? What is this "change"?

12. What’s the weather like today? Hot, windy. weather.com says, "94, feels like 99".

13. Best ice cream flavour? Peppermint.

14. What excites me? The end of the day!

15. I want to cut my hair? Nope, I'm letting it grow out again.

16. Am I over the age of 25? Slightly.

17. Do I talk a lot? Not often.

18. What colour socks did you wear today? No socks, just shoes.

19. Do I know anyone named Steve? My next-door neighbor goes by Steve but that's really his middle name.

20. Do I make up my own words? All the time.

21. Am I a jealous person? Not at all.

21. Name a friend who starts with the letter A. Amy

22. Name a friend who starts with the letter K. Kathy

23. Who’s the first person on my ‘Received Calls list? We don't have this feature.

24. The last text message I received? I don't have this either, no cell phone.

25. Do I chew on my straw? Alfalfa or timothy?

26. Do I have curly hair? Underneath it is very boingy spiral curls, on top it is stick straight.

27. Where’s the next place I’m going to? Homeschool park day is at 9am tomorrow, hopefully nowhere before then.

28. Who is the rudest person in my life? MIL

29. What was the last thing I ate? Triscuits and laughing cow cheese(french onion).

30. Will I get married in the future? I got married once in the past and still am so I'm guessing not.

31. The best movie I’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Oh geez, I haven't seen a movie in 2 months, maybe longer! I did see the NG Stonehenge special a few nights ago, fascinating!!

32. Is there anyone you like right now? Yes, most everyone.

33. Why did I answer and post this? Because it is easier than coming up with a post at the moment. I'm lazy today.

In other news...

Mark's job is going at a wildfire pace, he hasn't been home earlier than 8:30 yet this week and likely won't, and he goes in at 6:30am, ugh! One of his drivers is on vacation so he's having to make deliveries and pick-ups. It is crazy!!!! And, they have a potential good thing in the works, can't post more about it yet though. It would be a REAL good thing if it happens, expanding their territory and patient load by a lot. His hand, btw, is doing great! I had him take some Olive Leaf Extract and the next day it was barely swollen. I failed to mention in my post about our trip that he was barbed by a catfish the morning after his accident so it was also potentially infected. Currently it is still sore but only from the bruising.

I have been working hard on divesting myself of more books. I managed to get three shelves worth out to the garage(headed for Goodwill). The kids don't care to read them so there is no sense in hanging onto them. Hopefully I can get this little project overwith by the weekend. It would be nice to get my bedroom painted finally but I don't think it will happen that soon, especially with Mark on call this weekend.

We haven't heard or seen the pool man since May 24th when he brought a sump pump to get the last of the water out. I'm really losing faith in him. It is one thing to be busy, but quite another to not keep a client informed. We have no idea when he might come back to do the repairs or how much extra he will end up having to charge. GRRRR!

We have a potential home for Bevo finally! I advertised him on a local pet exchange list and another homeschool mom answered. She said her daughter has wanted a guinea pig for a long time. I'm even throwing in a cage! I really hated to do this but he's just so mean to his cage mate(whoever it happens to be), he's better off being an only piggie.

Oh, speaking of pets...

The dogs knocked down a section of our rotten privacy fence today. They were running after a squirrel and jumped up on the fence. A whole 8-foot section came down along with the post. Ryan and I took parts of their kennel and fixed it so they can't get back to that area of the yard for now. I have no idea when it might get handled. As long as our neighbor(the one from the meme) doesn't mind waiting we're ok.

Guess that's all, the kids are hounding me for dinner, the little brats.

More Camping Pics...

Not sure I have time for a story though.



Sarah caught a fish! We didn't have the greatest fishing experience at Wright Patman Lake, not nearly as good as we thought. The boys went out several times and caught lots of fish but most of them were very small catfish(about 10 inches long or so). On a lake so big, it is hard to find the perfect spot.



This is the hill between our campsite and the boat ramp. I lost count on how many times the kids went up and down this monster! I only did it twice and that was plenty.



Our first time in the boat was Thursday afternoon, after we'd set up camp. This herron was completely ignoring us. They must've been having a convention or something because we probably saw 20 or more different ones.



Here is Sarah, about 2/3 of the way up the hill to our tents. The leaf litter was about a foot deep which made it very slippery to walk in. My feet are still aching from all the weird walking we did.



The majority of our campsite time looked like this.



Our neighboring campsite was home to several squirrels. We saw this guy trying to blend in with the scenery. Didn't work too well for him.


Today I'm working on decluttering our living room. Things have gotten stacked up again on the book shelves. I'd thinned them out a few weeks ago but didn't take the books to the garage like I should have. If I have time after all the cleaning, I plan to work on the binding for my Trip Around the World quilt(pic in my sidebar under unfinished section). While we were camping I read a cool book, Boost Your Creativity, by Robert Allen. It has advice and exercises to help with creative thinking. Most of the exercises were boring, I mean, if I sat there long enough I could probably do them but I didn't want to. There's a big part of me that doesn't understand doing something if I can't see the benefit. So, anyway, it did help me get a fire lit about finishing some projects and starting some others. I'm definitely thinking outside my box on these, can't wait to show them off!