geisha card

I made this card for my nephew Connor's birthday. The background is some Stampin' Up paper I've been hoarding. On top of that is a scrap of washi paper I got at a stamp convention - it's wonderful, and I'm sad that I only have a tiny bit left. Trims are ribbon and a pre-made spray (I think from Michaels). The edges of the paper, as well as all along the edges of the geisha, have been highlighted with gold.

my sock monkey has sock monkey socks

Visited Wrenda and Rich's store - in Walton, KY - Sleigh Bells. A good portion of the store is Christmas, but there are tons of other items - decorative, kids' stuff, etc. I got these really cute sock monkey socks for my sock monkey! Actually, they're meant for babies, but I couldn't resist a little dress-up. My mom made me this sock monkey when I was a kid... started my sock monkey obsession.

new kitty pics

Thought it was time to post some more kitty pictures. They're all grown up now - especially Woody - he's a very big boy.

Here's Lily the laundry helper:  (click on the pic to enlarge it)

Last year when the kitties were little I posted this picture of them on my laptop:

That little area they're standing on is only about two inches wide. Here's Woody now, with the same laptop:

fish rider

Liz is also a fan of nudes, so I wanted to make her a special birthday card. The origami fish is made from a page of a libretto for Die Fledermaus that I got at a library book sale. The origami pattern is from a book my late sister Jeannie brought back for me when she stayed in Japan for a while. I think it was around 1970. She liked unusual things, and I know she would have loved this card. The water plants* at the bottom were done with a metal leafing technique. *Liz interpreted them as flames of hell - which is a very cool concept (wish I had thought of it!).

hello, spring

Bird party.

View from our front door - snowy Ricky.

Last week winter threw a last (hopefully) bit of snow at us. It didn't last long. Yesterday and today were beautiful, though. Sunny, mid-50's, light breeze. Perfect for running. Yes, I said running. This boot camp business has me doing stuff I never would before. On warmer days Mike and I have been going to a park with a bike/walking path that has 5K marked. He rides his bike around. I do a combination of running and walking. Today - except for about a 20-yard section of steep hill which I walked - I ran the rest of the 5K. Woo hoo. The old fart is getting healthier.

a farewell, boot camp, and flaming bananas

My poor, neglected blog. I dread posting sometimes because our computer is so old and so slow - everything I have to do to prepare photos takes forever. Frustrating.

A couple of personal notes.....

Jim's mom passed away a few days ago, three days after her 93rd birthday. She was an amazing woman. Drove her car until she was 90. Was sharp as a tack until the end. Avid golfer up until a few years ago. Warm and witty, with a terrific sense of humor - we always had some good laughs together. She was the perfect mother-in-law - easy to get along with, loved her grandkids with all her heart, and never pried or criticized. She and Jim's dad raised four wonderful human beings. She will be missed.

I'm still plugging away at the boot camp classes. The weight is coming off slowly - about 12 pounds so far. I think it's a little harder to lose weight now because of the cancer med I'm on - it messes with my hormones. Plus, I'm just getting older! Thank goodness for Goodwill - I can find smaller clothing at a small price. I'm hoping to drop more weight, but don't want to spend money on "in-between" pants sizes. Every Sunday is half price for seniors (which is me!). I got a couple of pairs of really nice jeans for $3.50 each - woo hoo!

Dieting sucks - I love to eat! But, I do splurge sometimes. Like tonight. Mike made us Bananas Foster - caramelized bananas topped with flaming rum, served over vanilla ice cream. O-M-G so amazing! It's something I've seen on cooking shows and have always wanted to try. The kid's been on a cooking kick lately, so I asked him to make this dessert. It was actually very quick and easy. We've decided that next time he makes it, we want to add homemade Belgian wafffles under the ice cream.

all-state 2013

Mike made All-State again. This year he was in the Symphony Orchestra - mostly strings, relatively few woodwinds and brass. It was a nice change of pace for him. The music selections were beautiful. Four students from his school made All-State this year - all in different bands... Mike in the Orchestra, one guy in Symphonic Band, one in Concert Band, and one in the Jazz Band. Congratulations to them, and all the talented musicians from all over the state.