A Not So Secret Pact

In almost every conversation with my friend Sue, we both bemoan the fact that we have too much stuff.... Not just art stuff, but everything. Mostly art stuff though. Yet we are constantly buying more. Having so much stuff means that some of it gets misplaced. So sometimes when we buy more, it is to replace something we already bought but can't find.

So, as we do often in every year, but obviously not often enough.. Ha Ha. We have declared February to be NO ART SUPPLY PURCHASE month! So if one of us is tempted by a coupon...or a sale at anyplace, we will call one another for support. Of course, right after making this pact once again, we started tossing in qualifiers.. What if Michaels or JoAnn's has a 50% coupon? What if we really do need another glue pot of some kind? Probably because we can't find the one we bought last month. OY How about a book we already "pre-ordered". Does that count? What if Tim Holtz comes out with a new die cut we cannot live without? We have come up with several excuses. We will just have to do the best we can. I know we can do it. Me more than her! Hear that Sue? Well, it's really only because she is exposed to way more tempting situations than I am.

Well, here is the plan. We will start today, and try to create something every day or two, using only what we have on hand. No new stuff! I think I could be locked in my art room every day for a year and not need anything new. Providing I could find it. Two examples are: I decided I wanted to carve stamps again. Can't locate my entire box of carving tools. Then I decided I really wanted to just do some old fashioned stamping. Found the embossing powders, and the pad and ink refill...Now where is the heat gun that I probably haven't used in 5 years? Nowhere to be found. Both a heat gun and carving tools are not lightly replaced because they are kind of costly. I probably don't need to mention how many other categories I went through before I found a couple that I actually can LOCATE everything I need for it. I can do some FELTING, because all my felting supplies are in one of those large plastic 3 drawer organizer thingies. But I don't really want to felt right now. I could do some stenciling, as all of those supplies are in one place. I'd really like to do some of that. Oh but wait, right now it is 28 degrees in the garage, and even colder outside. I can't do my stenciling without spray paint.

So...it's back to the drawing board. I may have to rethink the felting. Maybe a few small things just to get the feel of it. That's what I usually do with the felt stuff. Take it all out of the drawers, FEEL it and then put it back.

Hopefully I might have a project to show in a day or two.

Yesterday.....

On Sunday I had told Hubby I would bake something for him, but ran out of time. So yesterday around noon I decided to bake. It took me all afternoon to make a huge mess, bake, clean up the mess. I was exhausted by the time he came home. I was saved from cooking dinner by presenting him with this big plate of mincemeat empanadas. Actually he said he had a late lunch and wouldn't be wanting dinner. I probably could have only managed to lift a frozen din-din into the microwave. For some reason I was really tired yesterday. I had done ALL my physical therapy exercises, so I should have felt energized. Anyhow, a tall glass of milk and a couple of pastries were pretty good.

Building.


Cooling.


Finished.


Fortunately, I put a big bunch of them in a bakery box and sent him off this morning with them to share with the guys at his meeting. The rest of them I stuck in the freezer...after eating two of them. I do not do well at home alone with pastry in the house!!

12:57 A.M. 31 Degrees, Feels Like 20

That's exactly what the weather channel on my desktop reads. When there is a lot of humidity, they factor in what the temperature "feels like", or the wind chill. Since Hubby has the bedroom window open, it "feels like" pretty darn chilly. He's snoring, but the neighbors haven't called yet, so I guess it's okay. One day my neighbor was over visiting and mentioned that she hadn't slept at all the night before because of the snoring. My Hubby said..."I wasn't even HOME last night". So, all up and down the street, I can imagine the other snoring spouses, keeping other someones awake.

I just drank a glass of milk and ate 3 Ritz crackers. I hope I can get to sleep or I will surely need a nap later on today. Plus, I will be crabby to the one who kept me from getting to sleep in the first place.

Flight Delayed

It never fails! I hate winter travel of any kind, because it is "fraught with peril". Hubby is stuck in Chicago again. Every single time he or I fly to that part of the country(why does it always have to happen in WINTER). No one ever needs him to come there in the Summer!. I'm not sure it's weather issues in Chicago, or someplace else, but he made it from Ft. Wayne Indiana to O'Hare, and thought he would get out on time. But just e-mailed me about some kind of delay. He should still get home today, but it is just another part of the saga of winter travel.

Look what he found in the airport.

Wintery Road Trip

Hubby had to go to Dallas on business earlier in the week. I had made plans to go along and had alerted friends I'd be coming. When it got so darn cold I almost backed out and stayed home. Especially because parts of Dallas had 5" of snow the day before we left. Hub still had to go, so I promised not to whine, and went along.

This is a farmhouse along the way, that I have been taking photos of for at least 12 years. Every time we go to Dallas. So I have pics of it in every season. I do think this is the first one I have of it with snow on it. I'm really in love with this house. Someday I may just stop and knock on the door....



It was 22 the next a.m., which doesn't sound so bad if you bundle up...However, those of you who know about humidity and wind chill...It was DARN chilly. Hub was there to oversee an outdoor project, so he was pretty miserable all day.

My friend picked me up at the hotel early and we did a wee bit of shopping, but mostly just hung out and got caught up on things. I hadn't been up there since I had my shoulder surgery in October.
A great way to warm up for lunch. El Chico's chicken tortilla soup. I NEED to learn how to make it this good at home.


After a bit more shopping we needed a Cinnamon Dolce' Latte' to warm up again. Hub and I spent the night again and after a morning meeting, headed home, so he could re-pack and fly out again, to a REALLY cold place!

Are All The Birds Crazy?

Or is it just the ones in Texas? We have this phenomenon here that occurs every night about sunset. The trees are filled with birds that seem to come alive all at once. It looks like something from that long ago Alfred Hitchcock movie that scared the crap out of all of us. I have heard it from a lot of people who visit Texas. I know I have seen it in Austin, and in Dallas. I am pretty observant when I travel, especially about the birds, but I don't recall having ever seen it in other places, to this extent. If I'm wrong, please tell me, does it happen where you live?
At 6:52 beautiful sunset


At 6:54 crazy birds

These photos are a bit blurry. I am constantly trying to get good "bird on a wire" photos. I'm not always prepared, and those birds move fast.

01-01-11 Another New Beginning

My first post of the new year. How cool is this date? I love new beginnings, winding up the clock and starting over with the same numbers, but falling on a different day. Simply because of my love of all things paper, I also love fondling the new calendar and choosing the one that goes on the wall, the one that goes inside the kitchen cabinet door, the date book for appointments, the journal to alter, I guess that's about it. I know most people keep track of it all online, on their computer or hand-held. Well, what can I say, I still love the paper one. Even if I ever do start keeping an electronic calendar, I will still have to have a nice Cavallini calendar to hang on the wall. But here it is the first day of the year, and I haven't chosen any!! By this time I have usually bought 3 or 4. Mister bought a cow one from Chick-fil-A, it has free food coupons every month. I guess I will have to use it if I need to look at one in the next few days. I may have to buy a $1.00 one at Michaels if I get over there today.

Resolutions? NO, I don't make 'em. It dawned on me years ago that most peoples, mine included, were the same every year. Lose weight, be more organized, quit this or that habit, save money, etc. etc. Whatever it was, it was gone in a few weeks or months, and you were left with a feeling of failure. Yes, I do set goals, which I choose to think are different. I can look back on the goals I set for myself last year, and some I did okay on, some could have been better. But no guilt or feeling of failure has crossed my mind, yet. Well, the day is young...also it may be a result of the new Anti-depressant!!! LOL I gave up awhile ago on thinking I could function without one, so I have accepted the miracles of modern pharmaceuticals as something I may always have to rely on. Anyone who suffers from the evils of melancholy knows exactly what I am talking about. So, on with it I say. Today is a good day, and I expect tomorrow to be the same.


Did we really buy all this STUFF to leave out for SANTA? I think not!

Fortunately, most of it is gone, with the help of a friend or two. We've been eating the Rio Grande Valley grapefuit we were gifted with...TWO boxes. So we are combatting the sugar rush with plenty of natural sugar and some Vitamin C.

Happy New Year to everyone, no matter how you spend the day. Did you watch the Rose Parade? How about a ton of football? I can only handle about one game a day. Will probably watch the Rose Bowl with hubby later. My sewing machine is still out, so I may sew some more of those goofy little garlands. Have a grand day/week-end.