I'M STILL HERE

Hey everybody, I didn't drop off the face of the planet. I'm sure you don't want to hear my year long health report, so we'll just say I'm here smiling and enjoying rain falling and long naps.

We have three new Japanese Maple trees in our yard to compliment the four existing ones. Last year we planted four Vine Maples and next year we plan to plant more vine maples. On a big property, trees don't make much of an impact at once. Somebody asked how many trees we have on our property. We looked on one side of the driveway and saw at least sixty and that is the small portion of the property, but with smaller trees. Someday we may count, but suffice it to say that we live in the forest.

We saw almost all of the family over Thanksgiving and little Sam was chattering away all the time and the life of the party. His favorite phrase was, "ready, set, go!". His other favorite word is, "no" in a little whine. He's a pretty well balanced kid. It was fun to see him RUN down the driveway to get to the house. It was also fun to see him give everybody hugs on his way out to go home. Quite a charmer he is.

BABY STEPS

I have discovered the value of baby steps. When I take big steps I need a whole day to recover. When I take baby steps I gain ground. So lately I work for shorter periods of time and then rest. It seems to be helping. In a few days it will be a year since I got sick with what was thought initially to be H1N1.

Looking back over the last year I find that I have learned some things.
1. The body heals as fast as it wants to heal.
2. When the body is really sick, the brain shuts down to slow.
3. People really, really care about me. Thanks folks:D
4. When one doesn't use muscle it converts to fat.
5. When muscle converts to fat, one becomes very weak.
6. Baby steps are very useful.
7. I like to wear pajamas all day long if I'm not going out.
8. Bob likes to be dressed even if he isn't going out and doesn't feel good.
9. Knowing where your comfort zone lies is very important.
10. Staying thankful keeps one's attitude in the right place.

I've learned a lot more, but those are the things that come to mind on this particular day of my life. I'm so happy to be better even if it isn't all the way well. Better means I can go to church, I can drive myself to a doctor's appointment, I can go on short shopping trips, and I can have short work sessions in the yard. I'm still working up to going on walks and daily exercise, but the yard work counts as exercise, so I have begun some exercise.

The final thing I want to share that I have learned is that I am the one in charge of my life and that what I do ultimately reflects in who I am. Becoming stronger is a big goal for me because I want my life to last for a long time. Being strong and eating healthy are two important things that I get to choose. To choose something, one has to take action, and I'm taking action.

Thanks to everyone for all of the love and care over this past year. All of you are why I try hard to do my best, but especially for Bob and Aimee and John and Sam. I love you all.

TO MY FANS

It has been a long time since I've posted. I've spent much of it sleeping and not understanding why my body hadn't healed. The last visit to my doctor indicated that I had 10 times more inflammation going on in my body than the highest normal level. I guess that takes energy to heal which is why I needed so much sleep. Time will get me back to creativity.

We have planted a few new items in the yard, the most pleasant of which is a hardy gardenia. As we walk by the path to the front door or get out of the car near the garage the fragrance is overwhelmingly lovely. It seems to like its new home and is busy making new blossoms. It is evergreen which will be a nice change in the spot in which it is located.

I love you all - you already knew that- and especially to my niece Jennie I express condolences on losing her lovely pink hair because of a woman that doesn't understand the beautiful individual that she stands in authority over. May you shine pink inside Jennie.

YARD WORK

Whew! Yesterday was planting day. I know, August 1 is the WRONG time of year to plant, but this body couldn't do it before this. I began by digging up some Hostas and replanting a hardy Gardenia in a sunny spot. The Hostas on that side of the garage got too much sun and burned every year. Then I had Bob dig up more Hostas for planting three large Hydrangea bushes. They will be semi shade and should be a beautiful color for this time of the year for years to come. Then we headed to the back yard and replanted all of the Hostas into the shade around our back patio. We already had some there and wanted to fill in a lot of open space that was always invitation to weeds.

We have hundreds of Hostas in our yard and all of them need dividing. Fall is a much better time for that project. I also rescue baby Sword Ferns from the drainage ditch at the top of our driveway every year and transplant them to useful areas. With the right conditions they can grow into large shrubs.

Little by little we make progress in our yard. Cut back lilacs and rhododendrons. Cut down dying fruit trees, plant more trees that can survive the conditions, plant day lilys (hundreds of them free from Craigslist), divide Lily of the Valley, transplant ferns, cut back Camellias, sweep off the deck, sweep off the deck, sweep off the deck, rest a little, sweep off the deck again.

Today I'm going to paint some medallions on our front door that is plain Jane dark brown. I'll use some metallics to give it some punch and I'm pretty sure BLUE will be involved. For those who don't know, all of my planting pots are blue. I'm a blue freak. I always thought my favorite color was purple, but it is becoming evident that my favorite is blue.

This morning - sore muscles, but I'm getting stronger all the time. Thanks to all who have prayed for my recovery from a long illness.

CALENDAR

I looked at my calendar tonight and I have (for now) nothing scheduled for the next three weeks. NOTHING! That means I can garden and sew and do art to my heart's content. I could even start cooking again!

CRITTERS

We have lots of little critters roaming and flying and crawling about our property. It's God's property, not ours, but we live here and manage it for him. We always say the cats own the house, they just let us live here. Yahoo can open all of the cupboards and doors in the house, including the doors going outside. The only one she can't manage is the sliding door and she has been working on that one.

Back to the critters. Last week we had our septic tank pumped. I'm sure it doesn't take much imagination to know that it is a smelly and disgusting job, but somebody has to do it. I chose not to observe that process except from indoors. A day later another two guys came to put risers onto the tank so that next time we don't have to dig the space of two coffins. It was cool to watch, but I left when the smelly part got opened. So, we have these darling little centipedes that are black with yellow spots on their sides. I've held them in my hand numerous times and they curl up and then start crawling. It tickles but is not scary. In fact my 18 month old grandson held one. They are literally all over and I'm sure there is something wonderful that they do for the earth. The guy that took the smelly lid off saw them and freaked out. I mean he was moving back away from them and he got all hebe jebe from them. I think they are cute. He was going to step on them and I encouraged him not to. They just live here and don't harm a thing. This was a big tough septic tank guy afraid of a little centipede. He may be in the wrong business because centipedes are everywhere.

So far I haven't seen a snake, but I've seen ants both large and small, gnats and midges of all kinds, slugs and very few snails, butterflies, moths, spiders, bunnies, deer, bobcat, cougar and have heard coyote. We have had brief encounters with neighborhood cats and with raccoons. I've seen no evidence of opossum. There are numerous birds and we even had chickadees nest in our house this year. I'm pretty much a keep it natural girl. I don't like spiders snakes, but I can deal with them. I don't hold the fast moving centipedes because they are in a hurry.

So folks, who is the brave one here? The septic guy or the little grandma? By the way I saw a baby centipede today and when they first hatch they are pale green. Cute little guy.

THINK OF ME AS STEEPING TEA

I've been horribly absent from my website. My heart just hasn't been here. Thursday my cousin LeRoy Kreiger died. His wife has watched her brother die, her mother of cancer, her father of something unknown, her daughter of Hodgkin's disease, and now her husband of colon cancer that metastasised. I've known he was being overcome by the disease but to the end he remained hopeful. He was fine man, husband and father as well as funny, hysterically funny, kind, generous and fund to be around. So is Elaine. What a tremendous loss for her after losing so many of her family.

I have also been playing catch up on medical appointments that I was too sick to make last fall and this spring. There are usually two or three a week and by the time I drive there, wait for the appointment, get through with it and get back home the day is gone and I'm tired.

I always try to do my best to spread happiness and kindness throughout my life with the people I meet, but these last few months have taxed my positive attitude.

Our deer was back to eat the columbine seeds, but just one deer. Last time there were two. Mom must have sent the yearling out on her own.

The chickadees from the birdhouse outside our kitchen patio door have fledged, leaving one little dead one behind. I fear he suffocated because there were so many - at least five or six plus two parents. I also found a completely perfect robin's egg the other day. Nature always astounds me. We walk around the yard and find things that put icing on the cake that is our life. We have little black centipedes with yellow spots that are everywhere. They are so sweet and we can pick them up and they crawl on our hands. They seem like little friends.

Our spring has been so late this year because of the temperatures. I am still fearful to put my basil out. I may just keep it in my garden window. It gets plenty of light there. My orchid is putting on a blossom stem and I'm so excited. This has never happened for me before. I was just about to throw it out when I noticed the little bud. How cool is that?

So folks, that's my life in a nutshell for the last several weeks. I hope yours had more happiness and less tragedy.

I REMEMBER

Recently I read a friends blog and the words I remember triggered an exercise that I used to do for creative writing. It was writing about our memories.

I remember family reunions, both as a child and as an adult. As a child I was just the cute little tow head that everybody wanted to hold or twirl around. As an adult I began to realize the strong connection of family and how we change from year to year. Aunt Mary many times brought her amazing apple cake, somebody always brought a box of fruit, Dave and Dar were the experts at watermelon, carving ornate baskets from the rind. Over the years their skills have definitely improved. There were many times weddings that substituted for family reunions, and many times there were an enormous amount of people coming from long distances. Sometimes Fred and Ester were able to come all the way from Estonia (a Baltic nation of the former Soviet Union). We have lost two of Mom's brothers and a couple of years ago was the first time that Mom and Dad missed the reunion because Dad had fallen and broken several bones.

Family reunions aren't about all the good food everybody brings. They are about the love and fellowship and caring that goes on and on in a most wonderful family. It is about games and water play and sunshine and lemonade. It is about new babies and the joy of watching them play together and of course we also see wrinkles appear more pronounced on all of us. It is a snapshot of the passage of life. I'm so thankful for this family.

My family lives far away and most of the children live far away, so those family reunions are long between each other, but just as special because we see a toddler become a young man and a young man become a loving a patient father. Pay attention at your next family reunion and see the time pass in a snapshot.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Last night I went to a neighborhood meeting for our development. I'm a member of the Architectural Committee which helps to interpret infractions of our covenant and also reviews requests for homeowner changes. For 81 homes that can get to be a busy job, but fortunately most of it is able to happen by email. Last night was a very animated positive meeting where people expressed opinions in quite a civil way. A lot of progress was made on some very important issues and I am thankful for that.

I first volunteered for this committee when an all-neighbor request was sent out for members. I saw it as a way that I could do a civil duty and help make decisions that directly affect the value of our home. I also knew that I had the ability to look ahead and see if things could become problems in any in terms of our covenant. To explain a covenant; it is a legal document that indicates that each homeowner will comply with the rules of the document that they sign at the closing on their home. So, here I am in a wee bit of a sticky mess about a very large infraction to our covenant, but our job is just to interpret whether an infraction has been made. No legal action has to be made unless the homeowners want it to happen. At this point it looks like people want to go forth with the legal action. We will see how a vote comes out to be seen some time next week.

I encourage each an every one of you to find a way to help in supporting your community. There are a lot of small jobs out there and even people with lots of health problems like me can still participate. In the end the feeling of being connected to your community outside of church connections becomes very strong.

JUST AN ORDINARY DAY

Well, it really isn't ordinary, it is spectacular! The sun is shining, the thirty or so rhododendrons are blooming, the pink fairy colored columbines have begun to bloom and the birds are singing. Actually the birdsong has died down a bit, because everybody has babies to tend. I have about six birdhouses out on our deck wall, but of course they don't get visitors, but the hanging one at our back patio has chickadee babies in it.

We got a little patio table for two and I was proudly setting it up where I thought it should go and all of a sudden I was in trouble with the chickadee family. Oops! I quickly moved the table and two chairs to the other side of the patio. We do love the birdsong here and there are a few new ones that we didn't hear in Portland. This morning I saw a Rufus Breasted hummingbird. They don't go to Portland. They aren't territorial like Anna's hummingbirds so it isn't unusual to see several of them together at once.

I'm slowly improving. Currently the idea is that all of these episodes of flu have been Lupus like events. I'm to see a Rheumatologist soon. I've seen so many specialists my head is spinning and I can't remember all of their names. Hopefully someone will be able to explain what has been going on.

Beignet has suffered from my sickness. She gets bored when I have to sleep. I've begun taking naps on the couch now. She had a deformed feather that died and caused her some discomfort. From that one thing she began digging at her tail area until it was a scabbed mess. She had to have surgery again to close the wound. During two of the surgeries she has had breathing problems. During the first she had a complete respiratory arrest. During this one I noticed that her breathing was becoming shallow and they gave her drugs to help her ramp up her breathing. It is a tricky thing doing surgery on tiny things. Dosages have to be micromanaged.

I have been fortunate (some might not agree) to be able to be with her during surgery. The vets know that I have an interest in biology and I'm not wimpy about blood. They said when I was calm during her respiratory arrest that I passed the test for being able to attend surgery. I just want to know what is happening to Beignet and to be present for her. I think she senses that, because she doesn't act angry about the surgery. She just doesn't like the collar.

I've been hand feeding her for almost a week now. I think she milks the hand feeding routine because I've seen her eating on her own. The issue is that having a collar on makes her lose weight and it is already low. We have to keep caloric intake high for her. You can see that this is like having a child in terms of love and care.

AN IDEA

I'm done posting Ten Things Tuesday until my health improves. It is hard to think of how exciting my life is when I feel like *^#+!%! I am doing a few fun things, but they just sound really wimpy compared to what I think they should be.

A note for all of you who follow my blog: I have a new blog which has not real posts on it, but it will be solely for art. It is www.openeyedart.blogspot.com

I hope to be posting photos of some of my work and some of my doodles and even some sketches. I have to get that camera busy.

We had a bobcat, two deer, and a bunny all that should have registered on Bob's critter cam. Lo, he had a card in that couldn't be written on because a little button was in the wrong place. Drat! The deer that we have seen so frequently didn't have babies this year and one of her twins is missing. I'm afraid the cougar was hard on wildlife around here last winter.

Google slipped out the front door a couple of weeks ago and has been WAILING about wanting to go out again. We got the cat stroller down, but the zipper has a rip that needs repairing. Soon Google, soon.

A FEW NOTES ON TUESDAY

1. Beignet ruptured a small pin feather. Scared me to death.
2. It is so green here and I can see that warm weather is on its way, finally.
3. I've been knitting a hat for John.
4. Our dogwood is blooming.
5. I have seed packets lined up on the counter waiting for the right day to plant them.
6. Two deer were in the yard on Sunday and I walked within about 6 feet of them, then one of them lay down.
7. I want to lay down with a color book and be like a kid again and just color whatever I want. I can do that, I can.
8. We are trying to get Beignet to say Please. It is an awesome task and she is resistant.
9. I was at Macy's today buying unmentionables and saw the new styles in clothes. I think I'm in the dark ages, but I don't want to leave. It was hard enough the first through ninth times learning how to stay in style. I think I'll just keep this one.
10. I ordered henna powder and oils (terps) to make henna paste. I'm eager to do this, but have to practice some designs first.

A JUMBLED UP WEEK

1. Bob woke me up Monday morning, I got up and had breakfast and slept until he woke me up when he came home. My body is still healing.
2. Wednesday I had my weekly visit with my primary care doc. I'm doing better, but have to see a ear, nose and throat specialist and also a pulmonologist.
3. I've already seen the throat doctor and my vocal cords are severely swollen. I'll be back on antibiotics and we will try more frequent inhaled steroids. If that doesn't work, then it's the big stuff again.
4. I actually got out of the house twice this week.
5. I fell asleep watching a movie last night. I never fall asleep during a new movie.
6. I'm so thankful for the Indian gown that Samatha brought to me from India. I have been wearing it for a robe.
7. We have a mile high stack of laundry on the sofa and nobody has the energy to fold it.
8. The ENT doctor wants me to have gastric bypass surgery. I'm having a hard time considering it.
9. Beignet is always happy. It is nice to have that presence in our home.
10.Bob is at a place called "Fatburger" that makes the most marvelous hamburgers in the world. He is bringing them home for dinner. I get mine on a plate of lettuce with lots of veggies without the bun. Yum. And...the funny thing is that they pat the fat off the fresh lean meat burgers. The name is from the 50's.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. My peonies are about 18" high already.
2. The cherry tree is in bloom.
3. I'm still really sick. It's depressing for both Bob and me.
4. I have a yearning for homemade kettle corn.
5. I want to dance in the sunshine with great abandon.
6. Bob has been pulling up ivy. We're trying to get rid of it..
7. Goggle is finally mat free. That means the cats can get a bath.
8. I've been knitting a hat for John. I'll probably make two.
9. I wish I had a log of all of the hats I've ever made. It's a lot.
10.I'm ready to wear shorts and tank tops. I like the warm weather. Wait till July!

TEN THINGS

1. I can't talk and have had laryngitis for almost two weeks.
2. Because I can't talk I'm on self imposed voice rest hoping it will reduce the swelling.
3. My sister's whole family is sick.
4. Is this the universe's idea of a joke. Give us beautiful sunshine and flowers and make us too sick to enjoy it.
5. At least we have beautiful flowers and sunshine.
6. Beignet is absolutely gorgeous and is so proud of her feathers.
7. I'm happy to have my nephew Jeremiah home with his family. He's been overseas on duty.
8. I finally got my iPod to work. I won't ever buy an Apple product again. They don't have the heavy duty applications that are available in Windows OS gadgets. Their ads are good though.
9. I cut my hair yesterday. It feels so good.
10.Sam has become so cute. He is charming and I say that with reserve. In actuality he is a magnet. He does such cute things. His new word for the weekend was cha tsige.
Sausage.

I'm pooped today after two doctor's appointments. Prednisone is great to heal a person, but one day off it and you go back to reality. The doc says I need another week on it. Oh boy, no sleep this week.

Being sick for near on two weeks makes one a little sassy and caged. Cabin fever is at its high in this house. I want to go out and work in the dirt!!!!!!!!!!!

TEN THINGS THURSDAY

1. I've had a really bad asthma attack.
2. Have I ever mentioned that I really hate ER rooms and Hospitals. They help, but I had them.
3. I had great docs helping me. 911 told me I only had a little cold and left.
4. I learned about the kind of old woman I don't want to be when I get old (never).
5. The food was delicious at the hospital - like going out to a great deli.
6. I'm so happy to be at home after basically 5 1/2 days at the hospital. Too much to explain.
7. Did I mention I'm so happy to be home with my family.
8. Spring is really here. The peony's are growing fast.
9. It is so good to feel a lot better.
10. I'm thankful for modern medicine. The attack I had would have killed me before cortisone was available. Of course cortisone has been around for a long time, but I'm still so thankful for it when it is necessary.

ps: Thanks to all who prayed for me during this time. It always helps and is appreciated.

BUNNY

Sunday afternoon after working in the garden I went to leave via the west garden gate. My eye caught a little bunny but she did not attempt to move or even move her ears. As I looked I realized that there was a bulge coming from beneath her stomach and that she was laying on newborn babies. Bob came out and took a picture of her, but it was dusk, and didn't turn out well. She was gone the next night, having realized she was discovered. We have enjoyed these little tan bunnies so much since we moved here. We see them on a regular basis, but have never seen babies.

Bob said he saw Scarborough the deer about a month ago, probably pregnant. It is about time according to the plants for her to bring her young by to show them the columbines. I hope I get to see it.

Little by little we are planting things and thinning things, and picking up things that fall or are dead. It is a serious job, but we are dedicated to keep up at it. This past six months we have planted five new trees: one Japanese maple and four vine maples. We have also planted a lot of calla lilies and Stargazer lilies, day lilies and I planted sweet pea seeds that are all blue. We have so many rhododendron bushes that I think I'm going to plant one in my favorite deck pot. They have a small root system, so it should be able to live the pot for a long time.

EARLY TTT

1. I'm up early and going to get busy baking bread in a little bit.
2. Last night I put a big box of Mountain High Vanilla Yogurt into a paper towel over a strainer over a dish and covered it with plastic wrap. This morning I'm semi-rewarded with yo-cheese. It still needs to strain longer (at least 24 hours), but it is a tasty thing to have with toast and jam.
3. Friday Beignet's collar is supposed to come off. Hip Hip Hooray!
4. I'm going out later in the morning to Molbaks to get a candy tuft plant and perhaps some bare-root perennials.
5. And, I will be planting those this afternoon.
6. I finally feel like the flu is gone and my strength is returning. Hooray!
7. I wore my lei to church and a lady there said she missed living there so much and commented on the lei, so I gave it to her (this is supposed to be true Aloha style).
8. I drew a quick summary of the colors and looks of Hawaii to remind me what I saw.
9. In no way could I draw what the underwater world looked like. It was truly amazing.
10. I love you all and get so encouraged when you leave me just a wee message to let me know you were here. Thanks.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY AFTER HAWAII

1. We had such a good time in Hawaii. They said the weather was cool, but it was like Seattle summer with just a little more rain.
2. We went to the place that gets the most rain on earth. It was other worldly with so much green.
3. I found a teeny tiny baby gecko. He was darling, but quick.
4. We saw two chameleons and one big toad.
5. Chickens are a protected bird in Hawaii. They are everywhere and crow two hours before sunrise.
6. Snorkleing in Poipu was so fantastic. I didn't want to leave but we were both getting tired.
7. Philodendrons like we pamper in our households as precious little plants are a weed in Hawaii.
8. I got henna tattoos twice while there. They go away as your skin sloughs off so they aren't permanent. I'm looking into learning how to do it. The artist was very helpful in steering me toward the natural safe henna. There is some stuff on the market that will burn your skin. I'm really enjoying the tattoos.
9. Some people are going to be surprised when they see what I brought home for them.
10. Flying in today's time is like being a chicken packed into a tiny crate without the ability to move, having horrid food brought to you (I had to take my own) and a little cup of liquid brought to you at inconvenient times. The bathrooms would terrify MONK. On the trip home I took Benadryl to help me sleep through it. It worked.

11. Just an extra. When travelling put everything out on the bed and take twice as much money and half as many clothes. REALLY!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. I have an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner so I cleaned all of my jewelry last night. So pretty!
2. Don't know how they reached it, but my cats got into my yarn - not good. Correction, Yahoo got into my yarn. If anybody gets into something it is always Yahoo.
3. I gave up using a PDA or Smartphone and now I just use a plain old paper calendar like most of the world.
4. No luck on the roller ball pen yet. I think it is a loss.
5. Sam talks to me on the phone. It is so cute. I have talked to him on the phone since he was really little, but now he makes sounds at me.
6. I wish our family all lived closer.
7. All of my miniature daffodils are blooming outside our living room window. I love them.
8. I love that it is lighter at night. Equinox is only a short time away.
9. I look forward to everybody that writes TTT. It is always fun to know what is on their minds.
10. Beignet whistles all the time to me since she can't talk with the collar on. I love her so much.

MYSTERY

Okay, the mystery thing is beginning to drive me crazy!!!! I try to go to sleep and all I can think about is the plot of the mystery. I can't give any hints, but I'm really excited about it, or at least my brain is. It is now 12:15 a.m. and it is all I can think of. I think I need to start counting sheep or dollars or something like that. Anybody have any ideas???

ROLLER BALL PEN

I have a roller ball pen that I have really liked, but having had it in storage for the past nearly two years, it has dried out. I'm trying an experiment by soaking it point down in water for a number of days. I can see the dried out pieces of ink inside. More info later to let you know if it works. I try it every day, and it seems it shows more color each time.

I have also packed a tiny art kit for an upcoming vacation. Very small pieces of paper, a few pens and pencils and a tiny child sized 3x2" paint box with good paint in it. The old stuff was washed out and I put new stuff in it. I have three small brushes, a pencil sharpener, a tiny piece of sponge, and a wee bit of chamois and two stomps. It all fits into one little box and I love it. I've been using this kit for years now and it does everything that I want at a short notice. The small bits of paper make drawing or painting totally unintimidating and I always come away with something fun.

During a nap yesterday I had the visions for a REALLY good mystery. I've written down all of the details that I remember and begun an outline. I'm so excited about it. It is amazing what the brain does when at rest. Maybe that is why I don't sleep well.

SECOND TEN THINGS TUESDAY

This morning early I wrote all ten of my ten things Tuesday. Before I could post it, my computer did an automatic shutdown. Aargh! I just installed new software last night and it was part of the protocol that hadn't happened yet. I was just too eager to use the computer again. I installed Windows 7 and Office 2007 and updated Norton Security. There are a bunch of programs that I have to reinstall because my computer is older and W7 didn't save them. We still have them on a portable hard drive and I also have the discs..

1. I am so thankful to live in the Pacific Northwest where spring comes early. Some of the trees are budding out and I've seen trees in bloom, daffodils, one lonely tulip, and our hostas are starting to show their buds.
2. I am also very thankful to be healing, however slow it may be. It is still progress.
3. I am also thankful that Beignet is healing. I keep my prayers up that she will someday be able to have her collar off.
4. I give thanks every day for our two cats. With such distinct and different personalities, they are a joy to love and receive love from. Google thinks I'm a sofa. Yahoo drools all over me.
5. I am thankful for a warm and comfortable home, however small it might be. To many it is a mansion.
6. I am thankful for a warm, caring, thoughtful and loving husband and especially thankful that he understands my physical limitations.
7. I am thankful to have found a young but wise physician here in Redmond.
8. I love that the sun has been shining for many days and I appreciate the rain that comes and nourishes the newly planted ferns in our yard.
9. One of our goldfish (outdoor in heated pool) has started eating from my hand. He is always first no matter what. Red is his name.
10. I'm so very thankful for the people in my life that make it interesting and joyful. Hugs to all of you.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. It's my birthday this week:)

2. It's my brother's birthday this week:)

3. I like the look of the light as it increases in the morning from subtle to bright and how it dances off the leaves.

4. Bob and I are addicted to "MONK" dvd's. Tony Shaloub is the best at physical comedy.

5. I have Windows 7 and Office 2007 installed on my computer and love it. I previously had Vista.

6. I have found so many of my old friends through Facebook. I highly recommend it to those that don't use it. It has been great to reconnect with them. Just last night I reconnected with my college roommate.

7. Sam claps his hands for "more" and for "yes". He also says yes with an ssss on the end. It was so much fun to see him recently. He says cheese and toast. It seems the "S" words work well for him.

8. I am married to the most marvelous man in the whole world. It is so heart warming to be deeply in love with him after 33 1/2 years.

9. Beignet's feathers are slowly coming back, but there will still be more time in the collar. She hates it, but has become quite agile with such a cumbersome contraption.

10. I realized that on February 25 1976 which was 34 years ago, Bob proposed to me. It has been a wonderful journey.

This post got lost because my computer shut down unexpectedly. It was still converting new files after I installed Windows 7. I think I like the new program. I also use Office 2007 and love it. At the same time I updated Norton System Works, so my computer should be good for a while. Doing those things fixed all of the problems I have been having.

Time to go to bed.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. Yahoo and Google have been like Velcro since we got home yesterday. It is nice to know that they really, really, really love me. Pet love is so unconditional.
2. When we got home we could actually see how much things had grown.
3. The sun is out today and it is glorious.
4. I have a shiny red birthdays/anniversaries book that is oriental satin. If you want me to remember yours, tell me your dates. Friends or family count.
5. I crushed up Rice Chex for Beignet this morning. She took one taste of it and went for her own food. I guess that says a lot about Rice Chex.
6. Yum, I still love that first sip of "Homebucks" in the morning.
7. I am head over heels in love with my grandson Sam.
8. My orchid is putting on new blooms. The best part is that the cats aren't interested in it:).
9. I packed clothes for a four day weekend for two people into a tiny carry on suitcase. My skills have improved over the years.
10.Next thing on the agenda, figure how to pack that efficiently for Hawaii.

A NEW DAY

Every day comes to us a little bit differently. We do many of the same things, but each day has its own twist. Today I woke up early at 6:00 a.m. That was a little early for me, but it felt right. I made a big pot of coffee and drank it all. Yum, "HomeBucks". I much prefer it to that other "Bucks" coffee that costs an arm and a leg. I use Stevia to sweeten it, powdered vanilla by Cooks to flavor it and Silk Soy Creamer to make it smooth. I make my coffee strong from fresh ground frozen coffee beans (Millstone brand "Breakfast Blend"). If you are not a coffee drinker this means nothing, but that first sip is just heaven. I love the first sip and I love the last cold sip and everything in between. I can go days without coffee, but when I make it, it is a love affair.

Beignet is grumpy, angry, and stoic today. She gets her pain medicine twice a day and she would rather not have it, but it is necessary. Friday she will see the vet again. She knows this and is not at all happy about it. My necklace or zipper on my robe have become her current hated items and she grabs them as often as possible. Her beak is a powerful instrument and yesterday it inflicted a huge bite on my forearm. I have a 50 cent size angry red spot with a bite over it on that arm. She was on drugs at the time and quite rummy, so I can't blame her.

I noticed just how green everything is becoming. The bulbs we planted last fall are coming up with vigor. I keep looking for the seeds of last year's columbines and foxgloves. I'm going to plant sweet peas today if there is a break in the rain.

My fish in the huge urn outside my kitchen door almost eat out of my hand now, especially the little red one that we call Kid. His side kick is Spot. The other two are Butch and Cassidy. They are the bigger Shubunkin goldfish. The other two are just feeder goldfish that happened to get lucky.

Laundry is part of today. So is soaking stains from white washcloths.

Each day is different, yet still there are 24 hours and what we do with that 24 hours is our life.

LONG DAY

I don't usually like to complain on my blog, I'd rather write what is interesting. However, today I'm exhausted. I could hardly stay awake driving home from Beignet's surgery. I had a 20 minute nap and went on to my appointment with the doctor. I have an infection that used to be a virus. Healing wasn't complete from having H1N1 so bad in the fall so my immune system can't fight anything off. This is depressing being sick so much and then Beignet being injured. I have to give her medicine and she HATES it. I feel so sorry for her and the situation she is in. I'm also feeling a little sorry about my pocket book too. All these vet visits add up. Thankfully my cats don't go outside, so they can't get sick from anything but playing too hard with each other. Most cats are too smart to do that.

Okay, done complaining. Thanks for listening. I'm sure everything will be great by the time we go to Hawaii. I can hardly wait to get into the salt water.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. I woke up this morning and called the vet and my doctor for appointments. See last entry for the vet appointment; I've had a cold for more than 10 days and am not getting better.
2. The sun is shining and it is a gorgeous day. All of the trees have color in them.
3. I am SOOO sleepy today. It is hard to keep my eyes open.
4. I have a weird rock that I put under my computer when I put it on hibernate. Sometimes the computer turns back on and this keeps it from getting too hot.
5. My birthday is almost here.
6. The very last boxes have been unpacked excluding the boxes of puzzles and games.
7. We bought a new desk for my computer and I really like it.
8. My art studio i finally making sense to me and is functioning better.
9. I've been practicing the Aram Khachaturian Toccata for Piano almost daily.
10.Having less is feeling so much better. I don't miss the things I have parted with. Owning things just doesn't mean that much to me anymore.

COLLAR BACK ON

Last night I saw bad signs. There were drops of blood on the paper in Beignet's cage. I looked at her tail and she had been chewing on it. So this morning we went back to the vet, she had more surgery to fix the hole she had chewed and then got another collar put on. She is one angry parrot. It makes me really sad, but she will have to wear it until all of her feathers come back in so that she doesn't want to dig at her tail. She was doing so well up until last night. Poor baby.

THE COLLAR COMES OFF

Today Beignet gets her collar off. She has been really depressed with it on and the excitement is beginning to register with her. I'm planning to take a video of the event. I'm sure she will fluff up her feathers, and old feathers will go flying. It has been on about six weeks now. I hope to post pictures of her later today.

It was so beautiful outside today and I wanted to be out in the garden, but Bob and I are fighting colds, so we both stayed in and nursed our colds. He has been off work for two days now.

If you read my blog, please post that you did. Sometimes I think nobody in the world knows that I write anything.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. Beignet is almost healed.
2. I've been breaking in new shoes for our trip to Hawaii.
3. The work is NEVER done at this house.
4. I need a nap.
5. I played a trick on Bob's Critter Cam and dangled a fake mouse in front of it.
6. Things are growing like crazy outside.
7. I have a new great niece.
8. My favorite time of day - when the sun streams through my studio window.
9. I had real "HomeBucks" this morning. It was soooo good!
10.I can't wait until Beignet can talk again and say, "Oh boy, cracker!" Translated this means, oh boy cooked quinoa and flax meal - her favorite food.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. Today I WILL plant the ferns I dug up on Saturday.
2. I am so amazingly excited about the art I'm doing right now.
3. Can't sleep because I'm so AE about the art I'm doing right now.
4. Beignet sang today for the first time in weeks. I'm so grateful.
5. It is good to be feeling better and to be able to do something sometimes.
6. Bob made muffins Sunday night. Yum!
7. Avatar 3D is so beautiful.
8. Did I mention how amazingly excited I am about art??????
9. Bulb babies are up - my absolutely favorite event of the year.
10.I found a whole bunch of college pals on Facebook today.

May your Tuesday be as happy as mine has begun to be. It's only 12:50 in the morning.

FRIENDS

The last couple of days I have had calls from very good friends. I am so thankful for those who love me and want to spend their time with me, be it by phone, email, Facebook, or at our home. Friends are the fabric of life and I treasure every person I have ever met, even ones who are no longer a part of my life. Loving people on this planet is part of why we are here. I don't know what the other part is, because my life is pretty full of love for people and for my animals. Thank you to each one of you who read this and know that you are one of those friends that I treasure.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Today I had a dentist appointment. The card said 10:00 so I was there at the appointed time only to find out that it was 1:00 instead. Hmm...what to do with three hours. I decided to find the Bead World store in Kirkland. I found a place that said parking 2 hours and parked my van. There were no meters to feed. Hmm...that's odd! The store didn't open until 11:00 so I walked around looking for places to get my hair cut. I found a great place and they had just had somebody not show up so they said they could do an immediate appointment. I had planned to just make an appointment. They probably looked at my hair and thought "This lady NEEDS a haircut!" So, haircut over, and I'm at the bead store which is phenomenal. Then I go out to my car and there is a ticket. I guess the Kirkland downtown is known for its shady way of getting driver's money. It so happened that they called the parking 2 hours place a loading zone. No good information about that except for two cars down the track. I'm writing a letter along with my fee.

So, it was a serendipitous type day which was quite fun, and a frustrating one with the Kirkland Meter Maids.

ZENTANGLES

For those of you who tried to look up Zentangles I led you astray. It is www.zengangle.com
So sorry for the misleading information. It is a great newsletter.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

1. Finding a swimsuit in January is hard.
2. Beignet got her collar made a little smaller and she is a little bit more happy but still really mad at me.
3. Beignet hates getting her three medicines every day.
4. With my new unfortunately larger size I needed Hawaii shirts, so Beignet and I went shopping after her vet appointment and I found three really great ones at 50% off already marked down price.
5. I love finding a good deal, especially when it only takes 15 minutes.
6. The wind blew too hard today for me to do fern rescue in out ditch which will be cleaned out by the county tomorrow.
7. Google cried and cried at dinner time. His sister Yahoo was hiding under the covers on the bed and he couldn't find her.
8. I am hopelessly addicted to Zentangles (.com). Look it up. I bought the kit, but you can get the ideas online from the newsletter.
9. I'm still needing a daily nap four months after H1N1, but I was unusually ill with it.
10.I miss Sam and Aimee and John.