It’s cold here (34 degrees F.) but sunshine-y this morning. We will go get groceries some time today and get our mail, but that’s it for errands. I’m hoping for a quiet day. Lots on my to-do list.
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Yesterday my husband had an eye appointment – an annual checkup due to his Type II diabetes (he denies this and describes it only as a ‘sugar problem.’) We had to wait a few minutes to see the doc and my husband was like a cranky 3-year-old. He was threatening to leave in the middle of the appointment. I was embarrassed. We got through it, but I apologized to the doc and the receptionist. It makes me dread future appointments for him. End of rant.
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I did a good job with my new ‘chair-abdomen’ exercises yesterday. SO good that I’m sore today. I think the combo of the exercises with weights, the chair abdomen exercises, and my yoga stretches is a good way to keep this old body moving. It’s like the quote from Helen Hayes is flashing, neon-like in my head, “If you rest, you rust.”
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We’re going to have breakfast for dinner tonight – one of my favorite things. It’s a comfort food type dinner. My husband is determined to learn to cook fried eggs. They are quite interesting-looking (he has real trouble turning them over) but taste wonderful. :0)
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Enjoy your Friday, and I hope your weekend is a good one.
Please remember to stand back and enjoy all the preparations for your holiday. No rush. No worries. It will be wonderful.
As we begin the countdown to Christmas, the town of Greenwood AR is putting on her fancy clothes. Banners are up on light posts, decorations have been added to Memorial Park in the center of ‘the square’, some lights are up, Santa’s House is receiving children, and more. It’s spirit-lifting.
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I received flowers from my husband yesterday! It has been a while since he’s done that. He used to do it, having them delivered to wherever I was working to make the other women jealous. It was never for an anniversary, birthday, or anything. It was a “just because.” I’m thrilled with the flowers. There are several different kinds in this bouquet. :0)
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I’m hoping for a quiet day. We have errands this afternoon that will keep us busy, so I’ll be extra busy this morning and after we get back, trying to get things done. This is a busy time of the year for everyone, quiet Christmas celebration or large one with big, wonderful family.
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I hope that your plans for the holidays go smoothly. BREATHE. Take one day at a time. Remind yourself that things don’t have to be perfect to be absolutely wonderful. ENJOY.
Yesterday I tried and failed to get the smart bulb installed and working. I did get a bunch of exercise going up and down the ladder on the front porch, trying to follow the directions, having to hold my phone up to the bulb over and over. It was a frustrating and unpleasant day for both my husband and me, suffice to say. I’ll tackle it again today, hoping for better results.
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I’m still walking several inches off the ground from the compliment I got yesterday when I was hugging my friend Linda at the retirement place. A lady called me over, saying she liked my shirt. I opened my jacket a bit, telling her it was one I had painted. She was quite nice about it, and then I had to admit that I painted several of my plain tees because I had spilled food or drink on them and couldn’t get the stains out, so had to paint over the stains… It really delights me when someone likes something I’ve created. :0)
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Credit: brandwayart-Vecteezy
After a couple of grim-looking cloudy days, the sun is shining brightly, bringing up my spirits. I would like to make the time to get outside today – other than for working on the front porch bulb – and cut down and mulch some stuff in our planters. Fingers crossed for all kinds of things today.
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Pure Wow
I hope the Christmas spirit has grabbed you and holds you tightly throughout the season. Such a beautiful time of the year with a lot of opportunities to spread joy.
First, our ice maker in the fridge is on the fritz. It’s going VERY slowly, grudgingly spitting out a few cubes a day. We changed the filter, checked the water, made sure the ICE OFF button is NOT pushed, so I’ve now arranged for a repairman to come look at it. He can’t be here until the 30th, so we may arrange for some ice trays in the meantime.
Second, I’m going to TRY to get the smart light bulb my husband bought to work. I’m the most non-tech-savvy person you’ve ever met (although I DID get my smart watch to work again-HOOORAAAAAY), so I’ll give it my best shot.
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Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
We tried the recipe by Vered DeLeeuw of the Healthy Recipes Blog, and my husband pronounced it, “YUMMY!” wanting it to be added to our wonderful dinner list. I’ll make twice as much next time so we have lots of leftovers.
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Since I gave the memory boxes I painted to the residents of the retirement place yesterday, I now have room on my shelves to spread out what I’ve listed for sale on my Etsy site. I’ll reorganize that this afternoon.
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Big Stock Photo
I’ve told you, ad nauseam, possibly, about my efforts to lose the lard and get what’s left more healthy, flexible, and strong as possible.
I’m doing sessions of exercises with 3 lb weights in-between blog posts, trying to strengthen my arms and shoulders. I also do sessions with the weights to music provided through YouTube Videos of women doing “Fit Sticks,” exercises to catchy songs with drum sticks and humongous exercise balls to beat the sticks on while moving to the beat. It’s a fun thing for me to do, making me feel I have company. :0)
I found some chair exercises to try to strengthen my abdomen. I can do most of them, and am now doing at least one session of the 6 exercises daily. There are TWO exercises, though, that call for more strength in the arms than I have. I’m hoping the WEIGHTS exercises will one day enable me to do the remaining CHAIR exercises…
Finally, my half hour or so yoga practice daily allows me to relax (unless Monster Cat attacks my feet), and really stretch things out. I’m not folding myself into a paper airplane and flying across the room. I’m concentrating on stretches and breathing into each one, increasing my flexibility, throwing in a few exercises for my stomach, and hoping to strengthen my core.
I want to continue living in as healthy a fashion as I can. Low carb eating, losing the lard, and moving what’s left of me as much as is reasonable seems a good way to go about it.
When I arrived at the retirement place for my massage this morning, the lobby was jammed full of people, so I waited in the parking lot in my car. My massage therapist, Lynn, and I waited for several minutes, discovering that the reason for the ‘jam’ was local school kids singing Christmas carols to the residents! As they came out, there must have been over 100 of them. What a wonderful idea for the teachers to have and carry out. The kids were obviously pleased at the reception they got and learned how important it is to give joy to others.
I saw my dear friend, Linda, and her son, Jeff, who had flown in for a visit from The Villages, FL. I hugged both of them, relieved to see that Linda recognized me and was able to stand and be thoroughly hugged – several times. We healed the broken parts of each other. She liked the personalized bookmark I had made for her. I also gave her a hand-painted memory box to store her keepsakes. I left, not seeing her again after my massage, not wanting to encroach on her time with Jeff.
Lynn gave me a wonderful massage, as usual. She handled the parts I told her were hurting, and found several others I didn’t know I had, and fixed those, as well. I was limp as a noodle when she finished. If she had let me, I would still be asleep on the table there. I gave her a bookmark and a special check, and she gave me a beautiful, delicate glass flower and butterfly piece which is sitting beside my keyboard on my computer counter as I type. It makes me happy each time I look at it. She also gave us a gift certificate for our favorite restaurant in Greenwood.
I talked to the lady who runs the retirement place, explaining that I wanted to give the bag of memory boxes I had brought to the residents, putting them on a table so people could choose one they liked. She was really pleased with the idea. She said they were having a Christmas party next Wednesday and that she would make sure the boxes were put out at the party. :0)
While I was talking to Linda and Jeff, a lady complimented me on my tee shirt. I told her I had painted it. I also had to admit that, since I was a slob and tended to spill things on shirts and then couldn’t get the stains out, I had started painting my plain tee shirts. (Embarrassing, but true.)
When I got home, I found a package had been delivered by UPS. I didn’t remember ordering anything, but opened the package. I knew in a second that this was a gift from my wonderful sister-in-law because it was a painting of sandpipers on a beach.
It’s called, “Rockhampton Sandpipers Beach Ripples” and is by artist P. Brent. Can you see me grinning as you read this? I AM THRILLED. My cheeks hurt I have grinned so much. I had to decide where I wanted to hang it. I wanted to be sure to be able to enjoy it every day, maybe even several times each day. The decision was between my office and my art room. I opted for the office because there are days I don’t make it up to my art room and I spend about half the day, on and off, in my office, as I am now, typing this to you.
It’s on the wall to the left as I sit at my computer. I’ve been grinning ever since I opened the package. What a great present! An instant trip to the beach for me. Instant memories of when we drove down Highway 101 and I got to stop and watch the sweet birds skittering across the sand on their long, long legs, moving super fast, making me laugh. Instant memories of the nice video she took when she was at the beach, trying to give me vicarious enjoyment of her vacation. I kept the video and play it again each time I need an escape. THANK YOU, MARYLOU.
So, it’s 5:01 pm now, and I’m just writing my second blog post of the day. Sorry for being late, but I’ve had such a good day. I wish you could have been here to share it with me.
I’m having my December massage this morning. AHHHHHH! I’m taking my massage therapist a gift. One of my good friends lives at the retirement place where my therapist does the massages, so I’m going to try to visit with her after. I removed memory boxes from my Etsy site recently and am taking a big trash bag full of them to the retirement place with me to ask if we can let the residents there choose the ones they would like to keep.
When I get home again, we’ll have lunch, gather our trash and drive it down, get our mail, and that’s it for outside errands today.
I told you about the smart bulb my husband couldn’t get to work. That made a light bulb go off in my head this morning. :0)
My smart watch stopped working a few days ago. I remembered suddenly that I had downloaded a software that came with it onto my phone and that maybe I could use that to make my watch “come alive” again. I THINK the watch is now recharging after showing signs of life. :0)
I am going to see if “I” can get the light bulb to work on MY phone this afternoon. It’s worth a try. I called the company this morning and they refused to give me an RMA#. Since we’ve already paid shipping once, I’m teed off. If I can make it work on MY phone we will ‘win.’ If not, I’ll add this company to my list of people who stand behind their products. Wish me luck. I’m NOT a tech-person – smart watch, smart light bulb, dumb person…
Need to get ready to leave on this rainy morning in Arkansas. It’s quite warm, at 66 degrees F., with a cold front coming with the rain. Roller Coaster! Hold up your hands and scream! :0)
I’m feeling dumb. My ‘smart’ watch died a cruel death suddenly and wouldn’t recharge no matter what I did. I ended up getting out my old ‘dumb’ watch again. The trouble is, it’s not only the WATCH that’s ‘dumb,’ it’s ME! I’ve set the day and date several days in a row now, but then it’s wrong when I check it. I THINK I’ve found where I can specify ‘a.m.’ or ‘p.m.’ this morning, but ‘time will tell.’ hahahhaahhha – I guess with all the problems in the world, this one ranks pretty low…
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freeimagesslive.co.uk / creator
It’s foggy and surreal here this morning, but it’s supposed to burn off by lunch time. It’s pretty to look out behind the house at the valley below us. I’ll try to get a couple of pictures.
Top of our driveway looking down toward the road. Behind the house, almost to the easement.
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This is the parrot I’ve been working on in my art room. It is wood-burned and hand-painted on a fairly thick piece of wood. My husband’s reaction when I showed it to him was, “It’s – – – – – – – colorful.” Hahahahaha. He keeps me grounded, although I DO think I’m learning. I’m having a lot of fun trying new things with my wood-burning tools.
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Hoping for a quiet day here. I’ll try my new “Keto Cheeseburger Casserole” tonight. I’ll put the casserole together after lunch and then get it into the oven about 6:15. Fingers crossed.
It’s amazingly warm, dark, and rainy this morning. A quick blast from the past with “spring,” and a high around 60 this afternoon, rather than the cold, brisk mornings in the 20s with a high of 40 we’ve been having lately. The roller coaster ride is amazing and a bit difficult to keep up with. If the rain stops, I’ll try to work in the yard this afternoon.
I’m still feeling a bit groggy and fighting the pull to go back to bed and sleep the day away. :0)
The Organized Mama
I had a great time in my art room yesterday. I cleared the decks a bit, got some orders ready to mail, and then worked on my newest piece, a “parrot in a jungle” wood-burned and painted piece. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve tried yet with the wood burning, and I’m really having fun. I finished the wood-burning part of it last night and hope to start painting today. I still have no idea how it will turn out.
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Freepik
It was a full-circle moment yesterday. My husband is trying to write a computer program and is frustrated with it. I’m absolutely useless in this area, so I just tried to be supportive and stay out of the way with my mouth shut. :0) When he was grousing about it, I finally suggested that he chat with our son about it. (My husband started when our son was very little, teaching him about computers, programming, logic and stuff. Our son is now living across the world from us, happy as a clam, with clients in the U.S. for his computer acumen.)
I looked on our chat program, as I do every morning, to see if our son left any messages. There was a huge, long, back and forth with our son trying to help my husband with the program. Full circle. :0)
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My husband ordered some kind of smart bulb recently to add to our home security system. It arrived and my husband tried to install it. It is meant to partner with your phone, and phones are a challenge for my husband these days. After lots of flailing around, asking me to come help, lots of bad words, etc., he has decided to return the bulb. Of COURSE he doesn’t remember when he ordered it, has no email about it, no order number, no paperwork. I managed to find a return address for the company and a returns number to call, but I’ll have to wait until Monday to get the required RMA# – IF – they can figure out the order number from our address…
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We’re having leftovers tonight, but I found a low carb recipe for “Keto Cheeseburger Casserole” that sounds good. I’m planning to make it tomorrow night and will share the URL for it with you if it’s good. (My husband says my doing it this way is, “try it on the dog” behavior.) So be it. “Sit. Stay. Eat. WOOF!” :0)
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I hope that your weather is nicer than mine and that you’re able to get outside and enjoy the day.
and balloons last night on the chat program he set up for us, since there are 12 hours between us (13 when we’re doing Daylight Savings Time). He is finishing his birthday now.
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Awakened-Woman
This are quiet around here so far. Shhhhhh! My husband is still asleep. I woke early (for me) and went ahead and got up, so I’m on my second cup of coffee now with the morning chores finished.
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Lowe’s
This will be an uneventful day, I hope. We’ll do some errands and I have regular stuff to do, but I’m looking forward to spending time in my art room this afternoon. I’m working on a “parrot in a jungle” wood-burned and painted piece – hoping it will turn out all right and that I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew. I’m having a lot of fun working on it, and am wood-burning in my dreams! :0)
My day is starting off pretty nicely. My scales weren’t smirking at me quite so badly this morning, and it was satisfying to break into ‘new territory’ on the numbers. It gives me new motivation to lose the lard and move what is left. :0)
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The Home Depot
It’s 27 degrees F. right now, but it’s supposed to get up in the high 50s or low 60s this afternoon. Woo HOO! I’ll plan on using the opportunity to blow the leaves away from the front porch (buried now) and the sidewalks front and back.
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Inspira Health Network
It’s a good thing you can’t actually see or hear me right now. I’ve sneezed 47 times (more or less) in a row. And, at a certain point, I started saying bad words in between sneezes. I’ve gone through a bunch of kleenex (I should have bought stock in the company). I don’t have ‘allergies’ as such, but occasionally I’ll have a bout like this. It lasts so long and I sneeze so hard, my poor stomach muscles are sore for a day or so afterwards…
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My husband liked a new recipe so much lately that he asked if I would make it again. So right after lunch I’m going to put some chicken in the crock pot. The recipe is called, “Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon & Cheese (low carb & keto). It’s from Kasey Trenum.com. I’m going to make twice as much as I did the first time so we have some good leftovers.
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Bablands
I started a new piece in my art room yesterday. It will be challenging. I’m going to try to wood burn a “parrot in a jungle.” I have no idea how it will turn out, but I’ve been dreaming about it for several days now. I got the basic layout done yesterday and hope to get upstairs to work on it more today. :0)
This morning I FINALLY met my interim weight loss goal of 45 pounds off. To be honest, I had almost given up, bouncing around with 3 pounds up and almost off over and over again. I had to weigh myself THREE TIMES before I finally was able to believe it. :0) Now I’ve set my next interim goal. Onward and downward! Measurements at the end of December.
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We’re doing several errands this morning, pretty much using up the morning, but after lunch I should have some time to get some things accomplished.
Tales of a Mountain Mama
It’s 32 degrees F. here right now and is only supposed to get to 45 this afternoon. I hate to put the fall behind us. I love to LOOK at pretty snow pictures, but I really prefer the other seasons when I can spend more time outside. If it warms up enough, I really need to blow leaves away from around the front porch and off the sidewalks at the front and back of the house.
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I had a nice chat with our son this morning. (It’s right before bedtime where he is, but we had a few minutes.) He is a bit upset about being 46 this coming Friday. I told him I was SO glad he was in this world and that I was bursting my buttons over what a GOOD man he is. I also reminded him that his parents are both older than dirt, and he has THAT to look forward to. :0)
I’m grinning this morning because I have a more-than-full day today, doing fun stuff.
I’ll be up in my art room in a minute, finishing up things I’ll add to my Etsy site, hoping people will find and buy things they like for the holidays. A happy time of year for me. :0)
I’m looking forward to steak sandwiches for dinner tonight. I’ve recently found Lewis Healthy Life Keto Sandwich Bread so I’m grinning like a nut because I can again enjoy real sandwiches instead of using zero carb tortillas! Zero net carbs per slice. I’ll use our slicer to cut the leftover broiled steak from last night so the sandwiches will be easy to eat. Can’t wait!
I’ll write more posts later, after I come back down from the art room. I hope YOUR day has some fun in it, too.
I had a really nice day yesterday. I wrote posts for the blog with short sessions of exercises with weights in-between in the morning, ate lunch and rested a bit, then spent time in my art room, did a session of yoga in the afternoon. My husband and I watched the KC Chiefs/LA Chargers football game after dinner – the closest win yet, with the final kick for a field goal carooming in the right direction off the left goal post for the score in the last second of play.
I LOVE really close games. In fact, I KNOW I would be maimed or killed if I attended a game in person. Usually I tend to change allegiances, rooting for whoever is behind, just so the game will be close.
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Latest group
Today I’m going to try to get the bookmarks I’ve finished so far onto my Etsy site. I’ll list them in the “Small Unique Gifts” section. I’m hoping for a ‘what-passes-for-normal’ day around here.
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The Anchor-Hope College
I hope that you have plans for the holidays that include family and friends. This is such a beautiful time of the year. One of my favorite things is driving around at night looking at the Christmas lights. Our square in Greenwood has more decorations each day. They’ve put decorations up and down the main streets off the square, too, and a Santa’s House for the kids. I’ll have to find out when our parade is scheduled. I might be able to convince my husband, the Grinch, to go this time.
I think we can all use a good, strong hug these days as we face challenges personally and world-wide. Here is mine to you.
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Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
I’ve been having a busy, happy time in my art room. I’m going to add personalizable, hand-wood-burned, hand-painted bookmarks to HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy at the beginning of next year. I’m trying all kinds of different techniques, grinning as I enjoy listening to music and experiment. Here’s a sample –
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I’m working on getting our Christmas cards ready to mail in the coming week. My husband had no interest in dictating a Christmas letter this year, but he wants me to write a note in each.
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Voyagers K9 Apparel
We’re still in a drought situation here, so I’m happy that we might get some much-needed relief here this afternoon. We’re supposed to get “light rain” from about 10 this morning until around 5 this afternoon. Hope the forecasters are right!
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We’ll watch the KC Chiefs game this evening. Every game so far has been a nail-biter, not knowing who will win until the final moments. I LOVE it when teams are evenly matched. I wouldn’t even THINK of ever attending a game live. I tend to switch allegiances over and over during a game, rooting for the underdog so the game will be close again. I’m sure die-hard fans would squash me like an odious bug. :0)
We’re having a sunny, cool day today. (22 degrees F. this morning) We’ll do errands in a few minutes, bundling up. This sudden cold will take some getting-used-to!
Freepik
We had a nice chat with our son yesterday. There is 12 hours time difference between us, so usually we just leave messages, pictures, questions, etc. knowing the other will check each day. To actually see his face, seeing his smile and trying to make him laugh lifts my spirits for days afterward.
If you’re thinking about custom Christmas cards this year, this is a reminder that December 10th is the last day to order. Here is a link to my Christmas section on Etsy. (There are 5 choices)
We’re having a normal day. I’ve learned that ‘normal’ is a truly wonderful word. I hope YOU can use it, too. :0)
I hope you’re doing well this morning. It’s cold and a bit windy here today, making it feel a lot colder than the 38 degrees F. that is showing on the thermometer, particularly after the much warmer temperatures we’ve gotten used to lately. 60s yesterday, 44 for a high today. A good wake-up call that winter is coming.
I’m going to add wood-burned and hand-painted bookmarks to Etsy starting next year. This is a sample of one I’ve made for the site –
This one will be an offering for a ‘custom bookmark,’ with a name on one side and initials on the other, with decorations around them on front and back. I’m working on 3 more other designs now, and having SUCH a good time!
AP News – Lake Effect Snow in NY
I’m super glad we aren’t dealing with this. I can’t imagine this much snow, much less having to dig my way out. My heart goes out to the people who are in the middle of this.
I hope the weather where you are is good and that you’re able to make this a great day.
Do you realize that Christmas will be here before we know it? As I age, the time whizzes past my head faster and faster. I barely begin the day and it’s gone. Same for the week, month, and year!
I’m spending a lot of time in my art room. I’m having a blast, working on orders from my Etsy site, gathering finished things for orders to mail, making presents for my friends, working on new things to list on my Etsy site, and more. It feels as if I just get started up there and then it’s time to come down and fix lunch, dinner, do errands, etc. I love this time of the year, but I’m a bit concerned that the time is passing SOOOO fast!
ABC News – New York
I was looking at some pictures of lake-effect snow that is happening in some parts of our country now. I’m very thankful I’m not in the middle of that. We would NEVER be able to get down our steep driveway. We would just have to ‘survive’ (hopefully) until the spring thaw…
When we first adopted “Monster Cat,” (aka Jet) I got out a woven ‘bread basket’ and put it on the counter to the left side of my computer monitors so that we could hang out together and she could be comfortable while I worked.
As you can see from the 2nd cat photo above, she sleeps when and wherever she wants to, regardless of my ‘plans.’ I was going to add something to my desk calendar a minute ago, and found her sprawled across the whole thing. I’ve now made my note on a sticky and will transfer it to my calendar when the cat has decided to move on…
The Spruce
Today it may get into the 60s! To celebrate that, I may spend some time this afternoon working in the yard, trying to neaten some things up for the coming winter.
Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne – illustrated by E.H. Shepard
I’m feeling ‘animal happy’ this morning. We had another deer in the driveway this morning. I went out on the deck and saw a road runner streaking across the yard, and then a rabbit!
Amber came and threw my arm up with her nose while I was trying to type. We looked at each other a minute. I finally said, “What do you want?” “Do you want to go OUT?” She grinned at me and barked, so she’s out now. (It’s cold enough, she just barked to get back IN.)
Monster Cat stole one of my husband’s knot-tying ropes out of the canister on his shelf and was playing with it. It is now becoming HER toy. I threw her pom pom ball and she bounded after it – but didn’t bring it back, of course. Suddenly, she was on the floor behind me, with her pom pom ball! I threw it again. Do you think I might have a cat who likes to play, “Fetch?” ‘Rich in animals,’ for sure.
We have a few errands this morning, but mostly will stay in. I’m spending a lot of time in my art room, having a blast, playing with painting with alcohol ink.
I hope you’re having a fun Tuesday, staying out of trouble, and embracing the new month!
I just love this lady’s artwork. She makes me smile from the inside out.
Season Watch – University of Minnesota
Our driveway detector went off this morning while I was sitting at the computer. It only made one sound, an indication of an animal, rather than a vehicle coming up. I grabbed my binoculars on the way to see. A white-tailed deer stood regally toward the bottom of the driveway. (Only one that I could see.) We looked at each other for a minute and then she crossed the driveway and jumped into the wooded area to that side. What a beautiful sight!
Raising Children Network
I’m having a lot of fun spending time in my art room lately, either making things to list on my Etsy site, filling orders from there, or – most recently – making some Christmas presents for my good friends. I lose track of time up there, totally engrossed in the project at hand. I listen to some of my favorite music while I work, grinning happily. Unless life gets in the way today, I’m planning to enjoy time up there this afternoon.
The only things getting us outside today is gathering our trash and driving it down for pickup tomorrow, plus getting our mail. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know our driveway is long and steep (650+feet). We had it worked on recently, both with tractor work and gravel, plus a wonderful guy who cut back trees on either side for us, so it’s about as nice as it gets. I also got some ankle boots with better soles, so I get a bit more traction when I’m trying to drag the humongous trash can from where it lives to where the truck comes to empty it, and then back again the next day. I still have to really concentrate not to slip and fall on my head, but these boots help.
Jet – aka “Monster Cat”
The weather is really changing here the past week or so. We’ve gone from fall to a definite taste of winter. I THINK we’ve done all we can to get ready, but the forecasts are showing that we’ll not only hit freezing, but get down to single digits overnight soon. Then we’ll need to drip water in two of our bathrooms to keep pipes from freezing. (One of those is the cat’s bathroom downstairs. I’m still trying to figure out how to rearrange things in there to leave the cabinet door open under the sink – with an automatic heater in there- and leave water dripping in the sink with the cat in there. We haven’t gone through a winter with her yet, so this may be interesting.)
I hope December is starting off well for you. Things are calm here, and that’s a wonderful thing. Have a fun day.
Yesterday my wonderful hair stylist, Michael Remillard from Tangles in Greenwood, performed a miracle and I now look more like someone had a plan. My hair is thin and fine. Michael cuts it so that I can wash it and blow it dry in the mornings, just perfect for our lifestyle.
BoredPanda.com
That took up most of the morning, though, so I missed the time I normally do sessions with weights between blog posts. (I didn’t finish my posts for the day until around 3pm.) I did, however, do 45 minutes of yoga stretches in the afternoon and felt good afterwards. An added bonus was that Monster Cat didn’t attack my feet with teeth and claws as I relaxed and stretched. :0)
Keto Chili – Suzanne Ryan – Simply Keto
Today I’m hoping is a more regular day, with no drama, so I can indulge myself in my routine of blog posts and exercises with weights in the morning, get the makings of keto chili in the crock pot after lunch, spend some good time up in my art room (trying to make Christmas presents for friends) and do a good session of yoga before dinner.
Kiddipedia
I hope that you have a super nice day today and that it’s only the beginning of a stellar month for you.
Hahahahaha. I laughed out loud when I found this. This is so ME many mornings before my coffee.
Imperial College London
My hair looks like a dandelion-gone-to-seed, so I’m off to see if Michael Remillard, the resident miracle worker at “Tangles,” can make it look as if ‘someone-had-a-plan’ by the time I leave. If you are in my area, call him for an appointment. You’ll be glad you did.
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Yesterday my plans were blown to smithereens. I helped my husband finish putting together his birthday/Christmas present, a new welding table, in the shop. It took two of us to get it from its upside-down position on the floor to an upright one. We’re both sore this morning from our efforts to do that.
Sometimes I wonder if we could advertise for a live-in ‘do-everything-guy’ who could help us with heavy lifting, cut up tree limbs that fall in the driveway, change LED fluorescent light bulbs while up on a ladder, and the list is endless. Things we used to do separately or together easily and now are a real problem. Of course, if we could get one, it would be nice if he were eye candy, too… :0)
The rest of the day was either checking to see if my husband was okay and in one piece or helping him with whatever he was doing so he wouldn’t have any accidents. He was having an ‘I’m-still-in-my-20s’ type of day. I was still doing laundry at 10pm last night. I was exhausted.
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I’m determined to do my exercising and play in my art room today. I may have to tie my husband to his chair in order to do this, but… :0)
WHINE-MOAN SEGMENT – Even though I tried to be quite moderate in our food celebration of Thanksgiving, the scales scoffed at me this morning, starting my morning off with its smirk and my frown. I’m ready to whine and moan over a NEW interim weight loss goal, but the current one isn’t finished with me yet. It would be really NICE to have the new goal for the new month…
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WEATHER –
Screw-on Sytrofoam Faucet Caps
Our weather has changed pretty abruptly. It was 22 this morning! It’s a balmy 29 right now and the high is supposed to be 48 this afternoon. Right after lunch I will go out and unhook our hoses and screw the winter faucet caps on, making sure, also, the house vents are closed. This really snuck up on me this year. I’ll also check the house vents.
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ART –
I’m looking forward to spending time in my art room this afternoon. I’m working on an idea for Christmas presents for my friends, plus I’d like to start on some wood-burned and/or painted bookmarks to add to my Etsy site.
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HOSTILITY –
CROWDS- I think I’m a reasonably nice person – at least most of the time. Crowds, though, make me hostile. There is almost nothing that makes me hostile more than having to fight my way down aisles, squeeze through tiny spaces, crawl over things to get to what I would like to buy. Like today – officially “Black Friday” – I don’t want ANYTHING badly enough to get out today.
And on that happy note, I wish you a happy Friday. :0)
This is so true for ME – since ideas for art projects rattle around in my head – waking or sleeping. Sometimes I wake up exhausted from having “painted” or “wood-burned” in my dreams all night. :0) Right now it’s ideas for trying to wood burn and paint wooden bookmarks. Makes it a bit hard to concentrate sometimes, but it’s definitely entertaining.
Speaking of entertaining, Monster Cat has been particularly active lately. The photo shows Monster Cat (aka Jet) sprawled out on the shelf top beside my computer chair. She’s on there now as I type, but she’s in a ball sleeping. Shhh!
Her favorite toy (other than the big empty box in the middle of our living room floor she jumps in and out of) is what I call a “pompom ball.”
Imagine small poms like this fashioned into a ball. That’s the closest mental pic I can give. She carries the ball around in her mouth like this –
BBC
She plays ‘soccer’ with it first, batting it around over the tiles or carpet, and then picks it up and carries it like a trophy. I throw it for her and she LEAPS to get it – but won’t lower herself to actually bring it back, like our dog, Amber, does. She’s above plebian activities like that.
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I know you’re thinking about Thanksgiving right now, and I hope you’re surrounded by friends and family, now and into next week, but I hope when this holiday has passed, you’ll consider going to my Etsy site to see if anything looks good for Christmas gifts. Lowest prices of the year right now and as always, I handle the shipping charges.
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We’ll shop for groceries and get our mail today. That’s it for errands for us until after the Thanksgiving holiday. I’m hoping to spend time in my art room this afternoon, as ideas for Christmas presents for my friends are making their presence known.
This art takes you into a whole different world. I just love it.
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Good morning! I hope you’re feeling sassy today. It’s 28 outside right now and we’re due for a 59 degree F. high for the day. We’re definitely turning the corner to the winter season now. I’m trying to get warm weather stuff OUT of my closet and cool weather things IN. It’s going slowly.
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I had a wonderful massage yesterday. I tried to see my friend Linda, who lives at the retirement place where I get my monthly massage, only to find out she was in the hospital with a blood clot! I contacted her daughter when I got home. The ER was its usual frustrating self, making them wait hours while Linda was in pain, finally doing some tests, giving her a blood thinner, and telling her to follow up with her family physician, which she’ll do today. Her daughter kept her from Friday, when this happened, until yesterday afternoon, when she took her back to the retirement place. The staff there is great, and will keep a close eye on her.
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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS – 2.5″ long dangle earrings with French ear wires and marshmallow cushion backs. These are very light weight. Use this LINK to see this pair and other dangle earrings. Stud/post and Clip-ons available, too. $10.00 a pair with Free Shipping at HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
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ZIXNEXKOO
My husband ordered a roll-around table for a MIG welder, plus another welding table that has a lot of flexibility for his other welding projects. Both have come recently. I’ve been helping him, being a good “go-fer,” “holder,” second pair of hands, reader of manuals, etc. He finished putting the MIG welder table together a couple of days ago, after we put in about a million screws, give or take a few. I went out to see it yesterday, in all its glory, ready for his next MIG project.
Harbor Freight – (I don’t have a pic of the one my husband got, but this is the idea.)
Yesterday we received the fancier welding table. It is HEAVY! We got the dolly from our shop in order to get it from the garage where the delivery guy left it out to the shop. It took both of us to get the box onto the dolly. We rolled it across the yard and out to the shop, having some real trouble getting the wheels to go up and over the ‘lip’ of the shop doorway. We just left it there yesterday because my husband’s legs are hurting from his efforts the other day. I have encouraged him to go slowly trying to put it together. and I’ll make myself available to help. He’s like a kid at Christmas. The two tables are a combination Birthday/Christmas present.
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Kids Academy
I had fun in my art room part of yesterday afternoon and evening. Wrapping things up on a couple of orders, grinning like a nut while I work. :0)
I’m going for my monthly massage this morning. My body is creaking a “thank you.” My massage therapist (the best one on the planet) is Lynn Moody. If you’re lucky enough to be in our area, you can reach her at 479-629-7601 to arrange an appointment. She will find sore places you didn’t even know you had and fix them, plus handle the ones you tell her need special attention. Ahhhhhhhhh!
I’ll do other errands while I’m out. My husband and I will gather trash after we eat lunch and drive it down to the bottom of the driveway.
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Tanglewood Moms
I’m looking forward to working on a couple of orders from my Etsy shop this afternoon. It brightens my whole day to be creating something that a nice person has ordered. I simply can’t keep the grin off my face!
Please remember that the last date to order custom hand-painted Christmas cards for this year is December 10th. They can be personalized. A package of 6 is $14.00 with Free Shipping. See the designs using this link on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
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I tried the recipe for “Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon and Cheese” (low carb and keto) by Kasey Trenum two nights ago. It was really good. My husband pronounced it “Yummy!” and already wants me to make more. We’ll put this recipe on our “keeper” list and I’ll include it in our rotation. I did this recipe with 3 chicken breasts and we had enough for some leftovers. I’ll use 4 next time. Here is a link to the recipe plus Kasey Trenum’s website.
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HDRcreme
It’s 60 this morning and quite cloudy. I can’t find any of my weather sources saying we’ll get rain, but it sure looks like it. It’s 8:30 and is quite dark. What they DO say is that we’ll have a series of cold fronts coming through today. We’re at our high for the day and it should be in the 40s with gusty winds by this afternoon with freezing temperatures overnight. BRRR!
I hope the weather is manageable where you are and that your day has lots of fun in it!
This is our dog, Amber. As I was working at the computer this morning, trying to wake up, she came up beside me, threw my arm up with her nose a couple of times and then, when she had gotten my attention, brought her ‘football’ over. Usually, she only wants to play ‘tug-o-war,’ wanting to rush back and forth, as if she wants to play ‘fetch,’ but not wanting to let me HAVE it to throw it for her.
Today she looked at me with the ball in her mouth and then said, “PAH!” and dropped the ball on the floor at my feet. We actually played ‘fetch’ for a couple of rounds before she again was more interested in showing it was HER ball. She smiled at me the whole time – grinning around the ball and her eyes lighting up. :0)
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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS – Hand-painted, one-of-a-kind, 5.5 x 7 spiral-bound journal with lined pages and some pockets for mementos, pictures, lists, reminders and more. $7.00 with Free Shipping. See this and others here on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
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Yesterday I had what I call a perfect day. My husband and I went to replenish grocery supplies and did a couple of other errands, and then we were in for the rest of the day.
I wrote my posts for the blog and then headed up to my art room to paint. I spent about 3 hours or so, having a wonderful time. I should be able to finish the painting today and start letting things dry. Then I’ll flatten them and should be able to mail them mid next week. So I spent the whole day grinning, doing what I love to do most. :0)
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YouTube
Our weather continues to be a roller coaster as we near the winter. Today we have super warm weather, with highs in the low 70s and a blustery afternoon with some watches about wind gusts. Overnight into tomorrow, we have a cold front, bringing freezing temperatures in the morning and highs down to the 40s by the end of the week. Wearing layers just doesn’t seem to be enough…
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Reddit
I’m HOPING that my exercising is the reason for my plateau on my efforts to lose the lard. (I’ve been told that muscles weigh more than lard and HOPE I’m building some.) I’ve been aiming for the same interim goal for a long time now. I’m just a ‘bit’ away from it, but it’s flirting with me, just out of reach.
I’ve been doing exercises with weights between blog posts, averaging 3 sessions in the morning and then doing a half hour of yoga stretches in the afternoon. I’m trying to walk as much as I can work in, weather permitting, daily. And so I sit on this precipice…. UGH.
The artwork of Karin de Haas makes me smile from the inside out every time I come across another piece. Absolutely JOYFUL.
pexels-pixabay
Our roller coaster weather continues. We’re having a warmer-than-normal weekend to be closely followed by colder-than-normal temperatures by the end of the week. A good reminder that winter isn’t far off. Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons, so I wish we could simple toggle back and forth between the two and skip the others.
My day yesterday was a happy one. I wrote my blog posts and then I got a notice I had an order from my Etsy shop! I danced around the room a bit and then went upstairs and got busy. This will take me a couple of days or so to create, so I’m in Heaven trying to do the best job I can. I LOVE IT!
Now is the time to order in plenty of time for the upcoming holidays. Lowest prices of the year.
Wood-burned key chain, initial or name can be added on the back at no extra charge. $7.00 with Free Shipping. See this and other designs at HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy.
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Kasey Trenum
I’m trying a new low carb slow cooker chicken recipe tonight. I’ll put up a link to it tomorrow if it’s a keeper.
Meet “Jasmine.” As you can see, she’s ready for a walk in the rain. I’m biased, but I think she’s one of the cutest dogs on the planet. Her family is my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. I’m not sure, but does that make ME her ‘aunt-in-law?”
Synergetic Play Therapy
I had a great time in my art room yesterday. My waking (and sleeping) hours are a-buzz with ideas rattling around. Right now my focus is in trying to create some wood-burned and painted wooden bookmarks. I’m going to list some on my Etsy site when I finish the first batch HandmadeHavenbyLinda . Quick reminder than everything on my site is on sale with the lowest prices of the year until the end of the year, plus, as always, Free Shipping. I hope you can find things for people on your holiday list. Here’s a sample –
1.25″ Purple, Turquoise and White hand-painted, one-of-a-kind 3D rounded disk earrings. French hooks and marshmallow cushion backs. Swingy, flirty, and fun, you’ll love wearing these. They are comfortable and light weight. $10.00.
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The jury is still out on this new social network. So far, I AM finding some wonderful photographers and some interesting people. I would like to find some artists, as well. I’m looking for wonderful things to share with you in the near future.
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We don’t have any outside errands we need to do today, so I can concentrate on writing to you (stopping to do exercise sessions with my weights between blog posts), spending time in my art room, doing my session of yoga stretches this afternoon, and spending time with my husband here, there and everywhere in-between. He completely melted me into a puddle yesterday by hugging me extra tightly and saying, “I’m so glad you’re with me.” Sigh. What can I tell you. He’s a keeper.
I’ll stop talking your ear off now and just wish you a happy, fulfilled day, with lots of fun thrown in.
We went to bed last night with our a/c on upstairs – plus the fan, since my husband likes to sleep as if we’re in a blizzard. I’m thankful for my electric blanket! When we woke up this morning it was much colder outside. I quickly turned off the a/c. I JUST turned on the heat on the first floor since my fingers are cold sitting at the computer, even with coffee on a warmer beside me. What a difference a night makes! I feel lucky we have a good geothermal heat and cooling system that has just been checked out by a good technician for the season.
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FAMILY-
If you’ve been reading the blog, you’ve met “Monster Cat,” aka “Jet.” Here she is sitting beside me on the computer counter in a bread basket she uses as one of her many beds. We’ve had her for several months now, but she is just now warming up to my husband a bit.
Yesterday she suddenly jumped into his lap in the recliner. She allowed him to pet her for several seconds and then jumped down. It’s a start.
I’ve never seen another cat who likes to play ‘Fetch.’ She has a pom/pom ball on a string that is one of her favorite toys. I can hold it up by the string, then throw it, and she goes bounding down the hall or across the room after it, grabbing it and holding the ball in her mouth parading around with her ‘catch.’ She does this on her own, as well. All of a sudden she jumps up on my computer counter, walks over my keyboard so she can get a quick pat, ball in her mouth. Then, when she has her fill of my attention, she continues over to get into her bed.
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MORE FAMILY-
I had a really good chat with our son yesterday. He lives across the world from us, but we enjoy visiting on a chat program or a conference call when we can arrange it. (There is 12 hours difference – right now it’s almost 10pm where he is and almost 10am where I am.) I feel lucky that we are really close (other than geographically). I can leave him a message and he’ll get back to me pretty much right away. We can talk about anything, and I feel so happy inside after we catch up.
He just finished building and old-style computer – a project where he started from absolute scratch, building the motherboard, and working his way through it, just for the learning experience. He was excited that it actually worked when he finished.
I have an inkling of how he felt because when we were first married, my husband guided me through building a display clock from a kit. I worked and worked, learning a ton about soldering, testing parts, etc. He warned me that it would probably take a lot of time to find the bugs and fix them before we actually had a working clock. I think he was a bit ‘disappointed’ that the clock worked perfectly the first time we plugged it in! We had it for over 40 years before the display finally got wonky. :0)
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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS –
Hand wood-burned and painted wooden key chain. Wooden fob is 2.5″x 1.5″ with wooden heart glued and painted on. Initial or name can be added on the back at no extra charge. $7.00 with Free Shipping. See this and other key chain designs on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
Other than not “waking up rich,” I’m doing pretty well this morning.
THE DAY’S PROJECTS –
THING ONE – I’m going to move warm weather clothes and shoes OUT of my closet upstairs and move cold weather clothes and shoes IN. This is a bit more work than it sounds. Because I’m finally being moderately successful in losing my lard, I have several sizes of clothes. I’ll need to gather warm weather clothes that are now too large for me to wear to give to the Veterans Thrift Store the next time we go. I’ll need to try on old cold weather clothes to see what is wearable and what isn’t.
THING TWO – I cook in batches, trying to be sure there is enough for at least two meals for my husband and me, and more, if possible. This results in a lot of storage and labeling of lots of individual meals in the freezer for us. My collection of plastic containers is stained with tomato-y stains. I’ve done everything, including sand blasting (just kidding) to get the stains out, but to no avail. Some of the tops are splitting. I finally ordered two groups of containers – one round, one square with lids that MAY arrive today. If they do, I’ll do a reorganization of at least two large pull-out drawers in my kitchen. Having new, unstained containers may not seem like a big thing to YOU, but it’ll be a real gift to me. Out with the old – in with the new! :0)
EXERCISING AND LOSING THE LARD –
India Times
I’m definitely starting to feel stronger and looser with my exercises. I’m using weights to gain upper body strength. I stop between blog posts, between emails, etc., to do a set of exercises with the 3-pound weights, and then go back to what I was doing. The fact that I don’t have to designate a time to do these results in SEVERAL sessions each day with the weights – some with videos with music – so I can bop along with ladies doing other stuff – all of us keeping time with the beat.
In the afternoon I do a good half hour of old lady stretches with yoga. I’m able to stretch farther and hold the poses longer than before. I still can’t fold myself into a paper airplane, like real yoga people do, but it’s good for an old lady like me. It’s making me more flexible, eases any pain I have, and having a strong core will keep me able to do what I would like for as long as possible.
Finally, when Mother Nature is smiling on us, I walk out to our shop and then around the yard, usually with a pruner and gloves so I can snip things as I go. I’m still on baby steps on walking, since walking a bunch tends to make my hips hurt until I sit a second, but I’m improving. My ‘kind-of-smart’ watch keeps track of steps and reminds me it’s time to exercise or drink another glass of water. Did I tell you my eyeballs are floating by the end of the day?
NEW FIND – I found a new social media site two days ago. It’s called “Blue Sky.” So far, I’ve found some interesting people. I’m reading a lot, following the people who interest me, chatting with some. It’s fun. You might like it, too.
LINDA’S CRAFTINESS – Hand-wood-burned and painted one-of-a-kind wood slice Christmas ornament. I will personalize it for you with the year and a name on the back to create a cherished keepsake at no extra charge. $14.00 with Free Shipping. See this and other Christmas offerings on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
Lowest prices of the year on my Etsy Site, plus FREE SHIPPING on everything you purchase. This is my gift to you, trying to make up for the awful time so many of us have had trying to pay for everything due to inflation.
Sample –
3-3/4″ x 5-3/4″ x 3/8″ hand-painted mini or pocket notebook. The outside cover is linen type off-white with nice texture. The inside has 100 blank pages for your thoughts, dreams, lists, reminders, memories. $5.00 with Free Shipping – see this and other designs on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
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Mother Nature is ushering cooler temperatures tonight, more fall-with-hints-of-winter temperatures in the coming week. We have pretty much finished our get-ready-for-winter list around the house and yard, but I’ll check it again carefully as the weather cools off more and more.
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Sunshine House
I have ideas rattling around in my head right now about wood-burned designs on earrings and the bookmark blanks I may receive Thursday. I was wood-burning in my sleep most of the night, though I don’t have anything to show for it but bloodshot eyes this morning. :0) I love it, though, when my brain and heart are fully engaged in new ideas.
creativeartworksblog 