Busy Bee!

Caden, this afternoon

Well today has been another busy summer day. I think we are just running away from the humidity. We had our normal rounds of shopping to do, bu tonight we went out to pizza with Grandma. After that we toke a stroll on the beach. It was so beautiful by the beach, much cooler and nice waves in the water. Unfortunately Daddy had to work so it was Caden and the "girls" tonight. Paul just got home and it rushing the last bit of daylight trying to mow the lawns. He is working so hard. He has to go to California next week. He seemed excited, I, well, was not so excited. He is already gone so much, we will miss him so.


a quick painting in Caden's room, I though I would share a few...


horrible picture of this painting, but I painted this for our little surfer dude.


another aquatic theme.


Caden's favorite of this bunch, I made it because he loves his firetrucks!

and finally...

This is a picture I found on the camera from our boat trip on Memorial Day. We, and half the population of this state, will be going boating on the Fourth. I am excited.

Things I am looking forward to:
-transplanting flowers this fall, our yard needs more perennials
-getting a cute pugly wuggly soon
-going to the beach more

hot, humid and hurried

north pier recent boating excursion

the water out-put by port sheldon, it is like a big bubbly mass in the middle of the lake, kinda like a monster lurking under the water if you didn't really know why it was there!

paul and caden

a big boat in the channel as we were heading out, it was coming in, we felt puny!


That has been what we feel like lately. Hopefully there will be a break in the weather soon. There is actually a restriction on the water usage here. It is so dry, most lawns are fried. Luckily we have a well for water with and our garden is flurishing, especially the weeds. It seems like we are still catching up with things to get done ever since we got back from California.

I have been organizing the craft/office/spare bedroom. I have been inspired by the purchase of the sewing machine. I even have an "inspiration wall" where I post pictures of all things cute.

Paul has been very busy with work, even working until 11 last night. He sold he car, again (long sordid story). We are purchasing a Saab 9-5 station wagon to replace it. The wagon has a manual transmission, we were having fun getting used to it again! It is a fun car to ride in and will be a good commuter car. Paul has been putting on over 500 miles a week back and forth to work. The stick will make it have better gas mileage than my 9-5, plus mine has a little lower miles and has a little more bells and whistles. So, I will be keeping mine, Paul will use the wagon.

So much for rambling...

They just got another pug at the rescue...Mia. She is so cute, one year old. Also five pups were born...

isn't she beautiful. I hope we are able to adopt her. We will see. We answered the final questions. I think they want us to have a fenced yard. I hope that does't stop it. We are outside people and have a leash hook that is safe for quick trips to the potty. Besides, she will be an indoor dog.

Well...I got my x-rays done for my fusion. I will get the results next week.

We are going to the water park tomorrow. I am very excited. This will be Caden's first time. It will be a nice hot day for it! Woohoo!

It is a hot one here, so so very nice to have AC. Not much else new...totalu!!

Another Bob in the family

blog world...meet bob...
This is Bob, our new boogie-eyed black goldfish. He has a lot of personality for a fish. Caden adores him. He comes to your finger on the tank and swims around like crazy. He has made it right at home here. Caden apparently loves the name Bob, since that is what he named his bear and this fish. Somehow, though, the fish just seems like a Bob. If I cannot have my boogie-eyed doggie now (a pug) then I'll get us a boogie-eyed goldfish. ha!

we're back!

Well, we have finally made it home. Both Caden and I were surprised! Caden got a bunkbed!!

the bunkbed
And Paul picked out a new bed for us too. It is really nice, and beats the heck out of sleeping on the floor like we have been doing for the last few months.

our new bed

We are happy to be home. We got my Dad a George Foreman grill, which he has been wanting for a while. Paul worked on something gorgeous for his father, but we haven't shipped it yet, so it is top secret. Caden picked out a bear to make at that store where you build a bear. He named it bob. Bob says "I love you Daddy" in Caden's voice. This way, if we have to be apart again, Paul will have his very own bear to remind him of us. We went boating on the jet boat for a little while, but Caden had jet lag and was very grumpy. He lost his hat (we got it back) in the first few minutes and decided that he only wanted to go slow. That is not much fun in a jet boat. Maybe next time we will have more fun. We needed the rest anyway. After our nap, we did some yard work. We had a good Father's Day, I hope you did also.

the notorious B O B!!!

As I try to load the pictures I am finding that even our printer has changed. Our old printer would mysteriously shut off in the middle of a print, so apparently Paul got fed up with it. hmmm, now how to load the pictures....

While I try to figure out this newest dilema, I can tell you how much fun Caden had in California. Caden got even more close to Grandpa. They are two peas in a pod when it comes to eating. Grandma R. was able to come for a short visit and spoil Caden rotten. Auntie Cheryl got to come along too, she even brought a gift for Caden. He is so blessed with generous loved ones. We didn't get to see Grandpa R. or Uncle Allen even though we were only 13 miles away, they had to work work work. That was a big bummer for Caden. They will just have to travel out here and hang with us! We did get to visit with Christie and eat at Chevy's twice. (ours closed a year ago). Now I have had my fill of California and all the traffic and people in a big hurry. (Sorry for the stereotype, but it was generally how I felt when I visited, and I grew up there)

Caden is happily playing with his friend upstairs on his new bunkbed. He is so happy. He loves playing with all his toys at home, he has been stuck with a lowly suitcase of toys for two weeks. i think that it is good, though, he really appreciates his toys now. (for now I guess, I am sure that will not last that long) Grandma R. spoiled him with new toys and books for his leapfrog. Daddy also had a jeep toy waiting for him at home. Our child is so fortunate. (and so are we!)


oh, how I wish to adopt a pug soon!

How to have fun in the ER?

this image and many others are available for sale in very limited qualities at http://www.loobylu.com/midnightpicnic/index.html , Claire's blog is at http://www.loobylu.com I am a huge admirer of her talent and only wish I could obtain one of her prints, they will go quickly.

Well, we didn't go shopping. I had to go to the ER because of the unavailability of my medication. I had it special ordered and it didn't come in, so the only option was to go to the ER because I would get sicker without it. Needless to say, it wasn't a fun day. Caden was as good as could be expected. He made friends with a six year old. Caden was bigger than the six year old! The little boy was more interested in interviewing me, asking how old I was, etc. Caden got really jealous. It was not the most entertaining four hours of my life. But here I am, duragesic patch in place, doing better. (At least I am able to walk and care for Caden, so that is better in my book!)

Today we will see Grandma and Grandpa and also Aunt Cheryl. They will be coming later than expected, I hope Caden will be able to contain his ants in the pants that seem to occur when he doesn't have a nap. We can only hope ;) Oh well, a little hyperness never hurt anyone, I guess I am just jealous that I don't have one hundredth of his energy and enthusiasm for life. Having a child opens a whole new perspective and appreciation for life.

I have been sorting through my Grandmother's spuratic collection of pictures. I have already copied a few picture at kinko's on a CD, and now I have discovered a few more. We are going to go get them copied in jpg format at Kinko's in a few minutes. I put together pictures packets for the relatives. Grandma saved, cherished, and bosted every family picture she ever received. I think that our family would be surprised to see and remember all the shared memories that these pictures contain.

It is much cooler here in California and looks that it may rain again. I guess that it is 150% above normal in rain content. It is so unusual to have rain in California in June. What is with this strange weather?

summertime

I just love love love this picture by Penelope Dullaghan at http://www.penelopeillustration.com/journal.html I think that "summer" is the topic for Illustration Friday (http://illustrationfriday.com/). I just had to share it, I used to collect fireflies on hot summer days up north. They don't have fireflies here in California that I have ever seen....boohoo. I miss you guys!

Guess What...it is still hot and sunny....woohoo

If you like hot and sun, then California is for you. I don't. I guess that is i why we moved away so many years ago. I am jealous of my husband back in Michigan, although he says there really hsn't been all the much since we left. I am bored, Caden is bored. It is just too hot to do much. We will go shopping later today, but playing out at the park has to be well planned and in the morning. Well, I am just not that coordinated right now, so instead we go to the park for 20 minutes and run for the refuge of an air conditioned car.

Hopefully today we will have fun and Caden will not be too moody. Fun is always dependent upon the mood of the child. I tell him he is the center of the world, but truely he is, and he knows it. I am so happy to be going home, where there is more entertainment for an ever so busy four year old.

No other news, it looks like the pug that I wanted to adopt is on medical hold and also they would like to adopt her with another pug that she has been sharing a home with. I do not think that we can do two dogs, plus I have had my fill of male dogs for a while, I am tired of being the only female in our household! But isn't she cute anyway?

scrub a dub-dub

As I write this post Grandpa and Caden are scrubbing the cars. They are using a power washer. Caden was so excited to actually use one because we have been perusing them for what seems like ages. We would like one also. Everytime Caden sees one in a store he longingly looks at it and says something like "Daddy needs one, it's on sale, we need to get Daddy this". We are so frugal, our four year old has the term "on sale" in his vocabulary and frequently tries to persuade us to buy us him something because he thinks it is "on sale"!

Congratulations are due for my ever hard working and determined husband! He landed a job that will more than provide for our household. This assignment will last nine months or more, instead of the original three months that were anticipated. It was nice to hear the relief and joy in his voice. We miss him so much.

I think today is the day that Caden's bunkbed will be delivered, it will be so exciting to see his surprise when we get home on Saturday.

On another note, my Dad is continuing to throw stuff out. Now, for those of you who don't know, this is a huge deal. He has collected things for years. It is just the kind of stuff that you think you may use but instead sits on the shelf collecting dust for decades. It seems he is determined to turn a new leaf and make this household his own now. Grandma will always be remembered, but we do not need to keep all of her (and some of his) stuff laying around. It is being donated to many non-profits.


image via http://www.designsponge.blogspot.com design*sponge has cool new products on her blog everyday! These are from Michele Varian at http://www.michelevarian.com
I love visiting design*sponge's site every day, it is like shoppping without all the hassle, I can always daydream about all the neat designs! Tomorrow Caden and I are going shopping. I am excited. They have so much more variety of stores here in California. Thursday we get to visit with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Cheryl! Yahoo!!!!

more beautiful things...








all of the above are more of Michele Varian's designs. All who know me well, know I love pillows!!!

it's over!

Yippee!! The sale is over and the crap has been donated. We moved some furniture around in the living room. Tomorrow we are bringing Grandma's old chair and sewing machine (#2) to Goodwill. We are also looking around for maybe another chair, the furniture is all white and so uncomfortable and just not my Dad's style. The garage.....it's a garage! In the first time in the 21 years this house has been around, you can actually see most of the garage floor and you can actually put a car in it, who woulda thought that, huh? You could just see the sincere relief on my Dad's face, it was like getting rid of old mental baggage. He is now committed to a new, less cluttered life and is actually determined to organize the remaining stuff that is around here and there. Even his tools. Wow.

I feel happy that I was able to guide him and help him through this trial in life. It is hard letting go of memories. I told him he always has the memories, and that the stuff is just like mental clutter, just like a weight on your back, holding you back from feeling free. It really helps to streamline and organize, it just makes a difference in you life. I don't believe in waste, but if the stuff you have sitting around and never used should just be given to a better cause or someone that can put it to good use.

hmm..the dogs got professionally groomed, they are cute. They have really short hair now. I want to take Ben home, but he just is not comfortable with small children. He is pretty good, but gets nervous and grouchy.

We went to the park and sailed my Dad's model boats in the lake. Caden had a blast. It was so hot, we literally melted. We also discovered a huge bee hive. Isn't this so exciting? haha

Well, off to the spa we go. Only four more days till we get home.

Oh, if there is anybody in the Auburn, California area and would like two AKC shi tzu dogs, a mother and son 12 and 8. They are free to a good home, with someone who stays home most of the time. They are loving and just need someone who can stay home with them.

tutalu!!

last day!

Today is the last day of the utterly boring garage sale. One customer!!! Oh, actually two, but only one counts because we knew the other lady was coming today to see what was left. I sold the sewing maching, I was a little sad because I wanted to keep the actual sewing maching that my grandmother used, but getting it back to Michigan is a much different story. So, that's it, so far. We will pack up the remaining contents and stuff it into the back of my Dad's truck to donate to the Senior center and hospice and probably some to Goodwill.

Caden has been as good as he can be. It is tough for a four year old to be entertained during a garage sale. He loves my cousin Kim, though. It has been nice with her helping. It makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Caden has a mysterious spider bite that he is obsessed aboout. He will be fine, it is part of digging around things that have been stored for twenty years.

Caden thought that my Dad was faking his snoring in his lazyboy (which is a daily occurance, Caden just wipes him out), and jumped on him. To say the least, my Dad was a little peaved (sp?) Oh well, my Dad lived through the experience. I think even though he misses us, it is a little too stressful for us to be around, so the end of our two weeks will be a relief for my Dad.

Well, we miss everyone a lot. Caden is quite homesick and misses Daddy bunches. He also misses his bed. I heard that his bunk bed will be dropped off on Tuesday, that will be such a big surprise for him. I cannot wait to see his face.

That's it for now!!

boring!

The first day at the garage sale was ok. Today, no, it is painfully dull, absolutely boring, I think I need a drink! I am thinking about clawing eyes out just for a little excitement. We have even had one person stop the car, turn off the engine, look, and literally speed off. I think we frightened them. I told my father that I think his junk frightened them. (honestly it frightens me too, the multitude of junk collected by this household is completely horrifying)



On Sunday, after another grueling day at the sale, Caden and I get to visit with Christie!! Yey, at least something to look forward to! Tonight, Paul and my Mom are going out to dinner, apparently both of them are a little bored also. But I think not quite as bad as we are! Someone please rescue us! Please....

Let's see...on Thursday Caden gets to see Grandma and Grandpa Realini, I bet they will be so surprised at how big he has gotten. I think he is growing again, he is eating us out of house and home. Two boxes of waffles and two boxes of life cereal in one week. hmph.... He is still as skinny as can be!

We have been having fun scooting around on Grandma's scooter. We zoom around the block. Hey...that is also for sale...special price for you today ;) !!! I think Caden's endless energy has driven my Dad to the dark side. He is just not used to the boundless energy that a little four year old boy can display.


Holy cow, we just has our second visitor (if you count the first lady who sped off in horror) Surprise, he didn't want any junk either. We are in utter amazement that my dad has made $140.00 and it looks like we have more junnk than we started out with. I am just not a yardsaler, I haven't inherited the special patience to rummage through crap.

We, I must get back to making sure Caden doesn't drive my Dad completely off the deep end.

digital nation

image by penelope dullaghan you can see more by her at http://www.penelopeillustration.com/journal.html, she is an extremely talented artist.

Well, I think my Dad is going to think twice about us coming out again. We were just out here about two months ago and his microwave and ice maker broke. Guess what?! They both broke again, the microwave broke right away, when we arrived. Now my Dad thinks that I am jinxed or have some sort of psychic (or psycho) power that I have yet to tap into. Last year, there would have been an explanation for it, as I still had a spinal cord stimulator implant and it would do things like turn on the vcr or zap me when I walked through a walmart entrance (not other stores though, walmart has their theft detectors turned up high) Oh, by the way, just in case your neuro has suggested a spinal cord stimulator, think twice about it. They have been around for decades and do help some people, but for people sensitive to implants (say like people with breast implants) your body can reject them and put you through months to years or even a lifetime of additional pain and suffering. Oops, I got on my bandwagon again! Well, I don't seem to have this effect on our appliances at home so I think it is just a very strange coincidence.

Paul is bored at home. Sounds like he will have the entire house sold soon if we don't come back. He has decided to have a yard sale and has sold our couches, car, bed frame, and who knows what else. Can't leave him home alone, huh. (just kidding!) Our couches are really nice, but are awkard in this house, a little large and not a good use of space, a sectional would be so much more comfortable and a much better use of space. We found one that is about the same price as our couches are worth. We may be coming home to a few surprises.

Caden is getting a bunkbed. Paul is doing a web page for a client in trade. Caden will be so surprised. It is white, so it will give me more incentive to re-finish the furniture to match. I have always wanted to update it, as it was my furniture growing up and has a little too many frills for Caden. He doesn't care yet, though, he is only four.

Well, I suppose I am done with rambling. We had our first sale this morning from an early garage sale client, $6.50, wow, all this work was worth a little I guess :)!!!

slow going

illustration by tania howells

I wish I were too busy to blog because I was riding my bike, but, alas, no. We are cleaning out my grandmother's remaining effects on this earth. Not fun. No treasures. Just junk. Sorry, but I just cannot believe how much trash one person can accumilate in a lifetime. I honestly through away about 15 half used tubes of fixodent. Now I know why I am such a neat freak. I use one thing and through it away when I am done, then get another. I just cannot fathom having 15 tubes of something laying around different places. Ah, Grandma, we love you, but you know you were a collector of all things trash.

Caden has been a very good boy. All except for random bouts of jumping on my grandmother's shitzus. hmmm 10 lb dog vs 50 lb bouncing kid....who wins...not the dog. The poor dog even nipped at Caden(I don't condone this nipping, but come on the kid has been told 100's of times to stay off the dog, at some point I think I would nip him too) and Caden just thinks it is a joke. Thank god the dog isn't a pit bull. Speaking of which, pit bulls have gone mad here in California...there have been like six attacks in 2 days, one sadly fatal. A twelve year old boy was mauled by two pitbulls in San francisco, so sad, so very sad. We know that we are not coming home with the shitzu's, that is for sure.

We miss everyone in Michigan and are looking forward to seeing everyone over here.

power from pain

"Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!"

This is an excerpt from a powerful poem that Darrell Scott, the father of slain Rachel Scott who was slain in the Columbine tragedy, wrote to share with a government committee. What a powerful testimony he shared, to the shocked House Judiciary subcommmittee. Following is some more exerpts of his speech:


"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the
hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the
seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy
Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven
children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for
answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel
out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it
the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and
the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how
quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not
a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am
not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that
they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not
believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything
to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy-it was
a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame
lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves."

interesting.

more beauties

more beautiful things you can do with felt, can someone just get me a sheep already?


Lililamalice felted pouches

beautiful colors

My main obsession lately has been how to dress up my little black dress for the wedding I am going to tomorrow. I just don't want to wear black to a wedding, but the budget is not going to budge any more for another dress or accessories. I have been looking at cool things that can be easily crafted if you have the materials around. Unfortunately, I don't have all the things I need to make them, plus, I just have been to lazy, honestly.

Caden slipped off the back of the boat while we were stopped and I instinctively just grabbed him by the life jacket and swung him back up on the boat. Ouch...not really smart, he was fine and would have been fine (he doesn't go near the water without a lifejacket on) but I just panicked and grabbed him. (you have to understand that I cannot lift him normally, he is just too big, but mommy adrenaline kicked in and daddy was on the other side of the boat, so...it happened) So I have been gimping around a little more than usual. It is just so much easier to take a gander at all the internet goodness rather than sit down and do something creative. Ugh, promise to self: get more done after California trip, actually finish the pendants I have been working on.

more pretty things:



I wanted to get/attempt to make something like one of these for my dress
via www.goodmorning-goodmorning.com (for above two items)


something like this would dress it up, and it is wool felt!!! my favorite material ever!!




the above three samples are from www.flyingfrogglass.com

Almost there

We have been busy prepping for the California trip and a wedding tomorrow. Plus most of the pitures that we have taken are goofy, but I'll share one with you anyways. We have been having tons of fun boating in the evenings, but I have become this rosy weird color that is quite unphotogenic. (now we all need I need help in that area, the camera and I just don't get along) If I had my way, I would not be in any pictures, but Paul just won't have that, now wouldn't he?


Notice the raccon eyes? yep that's me, oh well I am either white as an albino or look like a racoon, I just don't have a happy medium. Luckily Caden has yet to burn, ever. He just tans a little bit.