CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS YEAR ROUND

HURRY! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!

2012-02-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

Hello. My name is Kai and I am a TV addict.

It's something I do to escape. Oh, yes! I READ! I'm truly a voracious reader! And I 'make stuff'. (Please, note that I NEVER refer to myself as an artist. I LOVE creating my little messes, but I know my limitations and I'm very realistic.) At any rate, tv is what allows me to get involved in stories and situations which I don't have to WORRY about, deal with AFTER I watch the shows, etc. Pure mindless pleasure! I record HOURS of programs and watch them when I can't sleep. I rarely sleep. So I watch a LOT of tv.

SURVIVOR! It's the ONLY show I ALWAYS watch 'real time' and I've never .. NEVER ... missed a single episode. EVER, EVER, EVER!

This was Survivor All Stars! See the guy in the last row, second from the right? That's Rupert Boneham. He's been my FAVORITE Survivor since the minute he first appeared on screen. I adore him.

If I HAD to pick an all-time favorite show, THIS would be it. Hands down! THIRD WATCH. I know WAY too much about this show, about the actors, etc. I also happen to be pretty darned good friends with one of the actors. But that has NOTHING to do with WHY I love THIRD WATCH! I can QUOTE dialogue VERBATIM from ANY episode of the 6 seasons. Go ahead. Test me! I REALLY CAN. Do YOU know what a smoovah is? I DO! AND I know who SAID it, who laughed over it, and who used it in the final scene of that episode and WHY. I know who said, "I have to quit falling on my head." AND who said that cows are OUTSTANDING in their field! Stick me on a game show featuring this program's trivia and I will WIN! Sad, huh?

Ahhhh ... and my beloved Law and Order SVU! Always a twist, or two or three. Always lots of action mixed with some great humor. And, I mean - really! WHAT could be BAD about the combination of Benson and Stabler? NOTE: I cannot stress ENOUGH how badly I miss Chris Meloni (Stabler) this season.

I also watch - don't laugh - Judge Judy.

She's my HERO! Judy does NOT suffer fools! She tells people, "Stand up straight! Stop fidgeting. Uncross your arms. Stop trying to talk over me." She CORRECTS GRAMMAR! (SEE? MY HERO!) "It's NOT 'she borrowed me her car.' She LOANED me her car!" She does 'helpful and astute evaluations' of people. "There's something WRONG with you! Are you on medication? You're an IDIOT!" And she loves giving advice. "Don't marry him. He's a moron. Stop having babies you cannot support. You have ENOUGH!

Get off your behind and go to work!" Judy says what I'd LOVE to say, but I'm just Kai and I have to be polite. She gets PAID to say what she thinks. I should have been a judge!
Oh, I do love my shows. But there's one thing I DON'T love, and THAT is the reason for this post. It's ... THE FREAKIN' SO-CALLED 'HOLIDAY' COMMERCIALS!
Every single channel HAS them. I HATE every single ONE of them! Okay. Hate IS a strong word. But I'm better off using 'hate' than using up all my cuss words in one blog post so I'll stick to 'hate'. I GET Christmas sales! People buy gifts! I understand VALENTINE sales. Candy, flowers, even jewelry. Fine. But HERE'S what irritates me beyond reason: Furniture salesman hollering at us via the camera, "DON'T MISS OUR COLUMBUS DAY SALE!" Uhhhh ... reroll that, please. Don't miss WHAT? Was there EVER a rhyme reading, "In 14 hundred ninety two, Columbus bought a loveseat - BLUE"? I THINK NOT! Two commercials later we have CAR salesmen jumping around insisting we all rush over to their lots to buy their COLUMBUS DAY CARS! For crying out loud. THIS week it's PRESIDENTS' DAY furniture and cars! THEN it will be ST. PADDY'S! And EASTER! HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED A **** CAR OR LIVING ROOM SOFA? And while I'm AT it, let me complain about the WAYS they 'try' and entice us. They hop up and down and SCREAM. They use their entire (ugly) families and have them doing totally stupid things! (NOTE: Not ALL children are adorable, folks. Some of the ones they show would seriously scare me AWAY from their car lots, furniture stores, etc!)

Get on over here and buy your (insert holiday) car or I'll haul out ever' one of my 27 ugly illegitimate brats and have
'em sing and jump around and annoy the hell outta you! So come on by, folks!

      I LOVE the mute button. I use it during 99% of the commercials IF I happen to be watching a show REAL time. Otherwise, I fast forward. Love THAT button, too!
    To wrap this up (Quit applauding. If you don't settle down I will use a Judge Judyism on you.) I repeat that I LOVE watching tv. I DON'T love the loud, stupid commercials! (I HEARD that! You said I'm being repetitious. Nooooo. I'm CONCLUDING, and making my final point. And I WARNED you I'd use a Judyism: THIS IS MY PLAY PEN! We do things MY way here! (HEEHEE!)
   Moral of this post? TV - good! Stupid so-called holiday ads - useless! Fun I had WRITING this? LOTS! Now go have a great day, watch some tv, mute those ads and make up your OWN dialogue (or scream at the tv and TELL those furniture and car salesman how idiotic they are and how UGGGGGLY their KIDS are.) Next post? Perhaps it will be about LAWYERS doing commercials. Stay tuned!

SORTA BEING STEVIE WONDER

2012-02-14T04:42:00.000-08:00

I JUST 'BLOGGED' TO SAY I LOOOOOOVE YOU!
...
AND I MEAN IT FROM THE
BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

OOOOOOH!!! WE HAVE A BIRTHDAY GIRL IN BLOGLAND!

2012-02-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love to celebrate my friends! And tomorrow - February 12th - we bloggers can celebrate a birthday girl that many of us know! I featured her on my blog once so you may recall this happy, (and extremely talented) little person!

That's RIGHT! It's Jen aka Jingle from http://justjingle.blogspot.com/ ! If you are new to my blog and DIDN'T see my post or don't already KNOW this adorable lil' elf who eats CANDY for breakfast (Oh, yes she does!) then DO go and get acquainted. She'll make you smile. Or laugh. Probably BOTH! And whether you know her yet or not, DO visit and wish her a big ol' HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Jen, if you're reading this, this is for YOU:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE JINGLE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUU!

SOOOOOOO 'SHAMEY-ED'

2012-02-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

My daughter used to say that when she did something naughty: "Soooo shamey-ed, Pia." She'd heard me say, "Aren't you ashamed to have (insert infraction)?" And that became her apology. Well, folks - tonight, I am sooo shamey-ed for my self-serving, whining post of yesterday. I RARELY get THAT grumpy. I mean, we ALL get tired and frustrated, but I can't stand myself when I host a pity party. And yesterday I hosted a BASH, didn't I? Sigh. Thank you to each person who so generously commented and sympathized and offered (very excellent) advice! I appreciate it more than you know! What I NEED to do is what my sweet friend, Beth, at BY HOOK BY HAND suggested: If I need some time, MAKE IT HAPPEN. Thanks, sweety! You are RIGHT! And that's actually exactly what I DID today. I came in here and went through all my yarn (very comforting to me to sort through the bins of colorful, soft yarns) and I did a bit of creating as well. I plan to take some time EACH day and play a bit. That way I won't get to the point where I have a meltdown and humiliate my fool self for all of Blogland to witness. LOL! Anyway, I'm over it, I have my big girl panties on now, and I'm planning to MAKE this a super good weekend! I wish you all the same! HUGS to you bunch of sweeties!

I AM NOT A NICE PERSON!!!!

2012-02-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

Lately I've begun to think something is off with me. My internal CHECK ENGINE light is FLASHING! No, no! I'm not ill. But I feel ... I don't know ... mean somehow. If you read my last post, you know I had planned on a bit of rest and playtime. As it turned out, I never GOT it. In fact, I received a HUGE batch of editing that wasn't supposed to be here till the 13th. It arrived last Saturday RIGHT after I'd taught two classes, was tired but HAPPY because THAT was supposed to be the beginning of my designated 'fun' week. I am anal. You ALL know that by now. If I have work or a duty, THAT comes first. So, of course, I tackled it. And as the 'old story' goes, "If you give a mouse a cooky he's going to want a glass of milk ..." - I ate the cooky, drank the milk, and went through the cycle. By the time I'd completed the editing (several days later) it was already house scrubbing day. And EVERYDAY is cooking day because my housemate has the NERVE to insist on EATING. (How RUDE, right? LOL!) Why don't I suggest HE cook his own food? HA! He offered once, three years ago, to peel potatoes for me. I am STILL finding peel pieces (dried out/blackened/gross) in OTHER ROOMS. HOW????? I don't even want to THINK how. So he was banished from 'cooking' or prep work. I tend to follow the old ones' words of wisdom, "IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT, DO IT YOURSELF!" Well, then he offered (once) to wash dishes. First of all, it took him around 35 minutes. All we'd HAD was a bowl of SOUP. I'D already washed the soup pot! Two bowls, two spoons. THIRTY FIVE MINUTES. And one bowl was not clean; one spoon still had dish detergent residue. (That's because he squirted about a half bottle IN that ONE spoon. Sigh. See? I'm NOT A NICE PERSON. I'm FUSSY. I don't like 3-year-old fuzzy black potato peels appearing in places like my SHOES. I don't APPRECIATE having my meal taste of Dawn dishwashing liquid. I'm hateful that way. So I continue to be the chief cook and bottle washer around here. I ALSO do all the bills. Why? Said housemate, at age 71, cannot for the life of him, write a check. Seriously. He JUST DOESN'T GET IT. I filled out ALL his paperwork 3 years ago for social security. What a PAIN. I do his taxes. I TELL him when his car is making a strange sound because he never NOTICES. (I don't drive but I DO know when a sound isn't 'right'!)He's a GOOD person, and we are great friends. He worked from age 16 to age 68 and missed only 12 days of work in ALL THOSE YEARS. But when it comes to household ANYTHING he is like a child 99% of the time. Arrrgghhh! I didn't share that for 'being funny' purposes, or to put HIM down. (As a long ago tv detective would have said, "Just state the facts, ma'am!" And I WAS. Stating the facts, I mean.) I was setting the scene for why I am a bad person. You see, now and then, I crave, actually ACHE FOR, some time to myself. I'm 61 and I've (seriously) NEVER had a vacation. Yes, I've gone to MaryBear's LOTS of times. And I LOVE going. But trust me, it's a fun nuthouse over there! NOOOOO peace and quiet. I don't want to get away. I have this huge, marvelous craft room with all my bins of 'stuff' to make things. I have a big table to spread things out, a tv and goodness KNOWS how many dvds I've YET to watch. I have BOOKS - wonderful shelves of them; stacks and STACKS of them. MY dream 'vacation is simply this: I would love 1 week - 7 short days - of complete solitude. I would read, rest (I'm SO exhausted) look at all my unwatched foreign films, live on Breakstone individual serving size lowfat cottage cheese, yogurt, Lean Cuisines, water, and coffee, peek at blogs but not write a single email, and NOT SAY A WORD. Heaven. It will never happen. Not in MY lifetime. Yesterday my frustration overflowed. I wanted to cry or scream or have a full fledged temper tantrum.

But I don't DO temper tantrums. I couldn't JUSTIFY tears. So I cooked and washed clothes and held in a BUNCH of resentment. Wrote a HUGE whining email to my poor lil' friend, Chirp! (Nat, feel relief - I ALMOST wrote to you, too. I will TONIGHT but sans the grumbling.) I'm over it anyway. There's no point in being frustrated about something that won't change. But I do want to play - I want a WEEK. I feel so guilty because people always tell me I'm 'sweet' or 'helpful' or 'goofy'. Yep. I'm goofy! But I still think I must not be a nice person because I NEED a week ... ALL TO MYSELF. Sigh.

BECOMING A BUM AND EXCITED ABOUT IT!

2012-02-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hear ye! Hear ye!

On this, the 2nd day of the 2nd month in the year 2012, I do declare that KAI NACONI has decided to become a bum! This decision shall be put into practice at precisely 5 P.M. on Saturday the 4th and remain in effect until precisely 10 P.M. on Sunday the 12th. During said time of BUMMINESS, Kai will decline any and all work deemed anything short of emergency status. She will turn the dust bunnies loose in full force, look at her computer only to check blogs, and - when her housemate declares his hunger (which is usually upward of 5 times daily) she will stick her round head out a window and holler, "LET THEM EAT CAKE!" - oh, wait - someone already SAID that - DARN! - she will point toward the door, indicating the fact that he has a vehicle which WILL carry him to fast food establishments. (Okay. MAYBE she'll cook a couple of things in advance & freeze them for said housemate.)

She will furthermore, spend hours in her craft room making all manner of fun and messy projects, or in her bedroom with her nose stuck in a book. Her ONLY to-do list will look like THIS >

So if you do not hear from Kai via email during aforementioned time, kindly do recall that she is vacationing in her favorite resort place - her house - and will be back to emailing as soon as her week of BUMMINESS has ended. SO SAY IT I! AND SO SHALL IT BE!

HELL IN A HAIR SALON or WHY I NEVER COMB MY HAIR

2012-02-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

Let me begin with a definitive statement: I NEVER COMB MY HAIR. Yes! You read that correctly! I WASH my hair, of course! I get my hair shaped when ~~it gets so thick and heavy I start thinking someone is following me~~ I absolutely can't do a thing with it. But I don't brush or comb it. I have STRANGE HAIR, folks! It's CURLY. No, I didn't say PERMED. It's just curly. And THICK. I haven't colored it for about 5 years now - maybe 6. Can't recall. But it's been a long time. I LIKE the natural color. Kind of Dead Bark Brown with grey streaks. Now, WHY, you ask, am I telling you this? Because I need to set the scene. I'm dramatic that way. See, Monday I had to go for my dreaded hair shaping appointment. It's an ordeal. Seriously. Steve, my hairdresser, air kisses me on either cheek and says, "My, it's been A GOOD LONG TIME since I saw you." (Sigh. Here we go.) "Yes. It's been a few months." At this point, he stands back and stares at my bedraggled front curls and reaches to feel ... THE LUMP. The 'lump' is the heavy - HEAVVVVVY - thick crown of my head. I don't know WHY my hair grows the way it grows, but it DOES. The crown - which SHOULD be cute and curly and give a lift to my hairdo (such as it is) - instead grows like a mohawk gone bad. It travels straight down the middle back of my head, pulling my head backwards with its weight. You think I'm exaggerating, don't you? I'm NOT. I have all these springy-to-saggy curls in every OTHER area of my head and that single 3 inch wide strip of heaviness growing downward. Steve picks it up off my head and TSKS. Ugh. I HATE tsking! But I wait it out and when I don't react to his theatrics, he says, "Let's go get you snipped, Honey." (Honey my Comanche a**!) But I follow dutifully and sit in his chair while ~~he throttles me with~~ ties a towel and a cape around my neck and says, "What are we looking for today?" I pull out a picture and say, "This."

My hair does this naturally. All it NEEDS is to be trimmed and shaped. I even let him know he could take several inches off the length. (My hair touched my shoulders.) He looked at it and enthusiastically said, "AWESOME! AMAZING! PERFECT! I think your hair should do this!" (Really, Steve? You think so? Well, of COURSE you do because you've SAID that every single time I've BROUGHT you this freakin' picture over the last three freakin' YEARS.) I just smiled. He said, "Let's go get you shampooed!" I vigorously shook my head. "No," I argued. "It's clean. I washed it an hour ago. Please, cut it dry so it won't draw up." He poo-pooed my suggestion and insisted it be washed. Crap. We did the wishy-washy routine and the cutting began. I won't go into detail but I will say that:
1. My hair drew up. A lot. I knew it would. STEVE knew it would.
2. Either MY one sighted eye is WAY worse than I knew or HE can't see worth you-know-what. Arrrrggghhh!
When he finished, he insisted on putting some 'product' in my hair. "I don't USE 'product'!" I reminded him. Again. "Oh, honey! THIS is just a VERY lightweight 'Glace-smells-real-good-curls-your-hair' product. You'll LOVE how it makes your hair feel." I just want it to feel like hair. Then he reached down at the side of his station and pulled out his ... gasp! - blow dryer! AND A COMB AND BRUSH!!!!NOOOOOOOOOOO! I do NOT blow dry my HAIR! OR use a brush or comb on it. THAT MAKES MY HAIR FRIZZZZZZZZ!I got it cut so it will just air dry and curl NATURALLY. I WANT my curls. "RRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Too late. The sound of the blow dryer. When he finished, he handed me a mirror, whirled my chair around (HE said so I could see the BACK of my hair - I say to make me too dizzy to know WHAT I was seeing) and, with a happy flourish, sang, "TA-DAAAAAAA!"
I don't like conflict. So I swallowed the vomit forming in my throat and - with a sick smile - nodded and told him, "Awesome. Amazing." (Sigh.)

MY CURLS! SOMEONE STOLE MY CURLS!!!!!!

Who IS that? And where are the curls? Do I look HAPPY? If I DO, I really AM a great actress. I hopped down from the chair, gave him a TIP, (How much of a wuss am I?) and paid the front desk lady an outrageous amount of money. Then I came home, washed my hair (I HAVE to have the cleanest hair in Houston, Texas!) and, with a flourish of my OWN, shook my hair like a wet dog and walked into the kitchen to make myself a big pot of conciliatory coffee (It had been a ROUGH morning!) while my hair dried NATURALLY sans 'product', combs, brushes, or blow dryers. It IS shorter than I wanted. And it DOESN'T look like the picture. But I'm satisfied because the downward growing 'mohawk' is nicely layered, and my curls are doing their springy lil' things. Wonder how long I can go without having to do this hair appointment garbage again? Maybe I should consider growing it long enough to wear braids. It's a thought!

Doesn't look like the photo I took, does it?

SNOWBABY LEARNS TO PLANK AND REALLY, REALLY EXCELS AT IT!

2012-01-26T06:20:00.000-08:00

Good Morning! My name is Snowbaby. If you read Kai's blog on a regular basis, you will know that in 1982 Kai rescued me from my previous family who abandoned me on the ... sniff, sniff ... trash heap. She took me to her home and gave me a VERY nice bath in a big old tub of water, then dried me in a fun tumbly thing. I've lived with her ever since. Usually I stay with my other snow friends and Christmas pals in the lil' room (Kai calls it a CHRISTMAS CLOSET) and come out to visit Kai only the day after Thanksgiving (I think it's called that because I'M so thankful to be out of that crowded room) until Christmas day. But THIS year Kai decided I was way too adorable to go back! YAY!!!! (Actually, I've been TELLING her that for 20 years - she's kinda dense sometimes but - shhhh! - it's okay 'cause she's got a good heart.) Anyway, today, besides giving all of YOU a chance to KNOW me, I wanted to show you what I do when I'm NOT just LOOKING cute! Have you noticed the photo of Kai's grandson, Jacob over there to the right of her blog? Go ahead and take a second to look at him. He's an Army officer and really a nice and fun guy. I've known him for years. But he has become sort of confused about one of his abilities. See, HE thinks HE is the MASTER PLANKER. True, he planks pretty well. But he ISN'T the champ. Huh-uh. THAT would be ...

ME, ME, ME!

I DO have the pictures to prove it. And for your viewing pleasure, I will post some photos of moi planking. (See? I'm also good at other languages. A multi-talented Snowbaby!) I DEFY the odds, don't I? I mean, come ON! Can any of YOU plank on an alarm clock? How about a computer? Okay. MAYBE if you are SEVERELY anorexic or you've been training 24/7 with Jillian Michael's. But let's get real here. NO ONE - I repeat - NO. ONE. AT. ALL. besides Snowbaby can plank on a roll of toilet paper. Plank on THAT, Jacob! I DARE you to try. And now I will leave you to enjoy my WORLD CHAMPION planking. It was VERY nice to meet all of you! Bye-bye!

THIS IS ME!!!!! AREN'T I CUTE?

PLANKING ON THE TINY ARM OF RAY'S DESK CHAIR

REALLY???? I AMAZE MYSELF!

ON THE ARM OF THE LOVE SEAT

ON THE BACK OF KAI'S ROCKER WHERE SHE SLEEPS

ON THE BACK OF KAI'S FOLDING CHAIR

ON - CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS - THE ALARM CLOCK

ON TOP OF RAY'S COMPUTER

ON THE TOWEL RACK - LET'S SEE YOU PLANK UP HERE, JAKE!

ON KAI'S SPICE RACK

ON THE SHELF

ON THE AFRICAN STATUE LADY'S LAP

ON THE KITCHEN WINDOW SILL

AND ON THE ARM OF THE RECLINER

A NERVOUS WRECK!!!

2012-01-25T05:40:00.000-08:00

Does everyone recall a couple of weeks ago when we here in Southeast Texas (in my case, specifically Northwest Houston) had BIG lightening storms, straight-line wind damage, several tornado touch downs, and EVERYONE had street flooding? Well, it is currently 7:16 A.M. and guess what? TODAY we are getting an instant replay just in case we didn't have enough LAST time. I HATE, LOATHE, DESPISE, CAN'T STAND ... and am ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED OF storms. I never USED to be. Then Hurricane Ike (which, for those of you who didn't know me then) hit Houston on September 13th, 2008 at EXACTLY 12 A.M.! It was my 58th birthday. Happy birthday to me. I had lived through PLENTY of hurricanes. It's HOUSTON - we GET the hateful things! But Ike came in ANGRY, winds so strong they immediately knocked out power and left us to sit in the dark listening to the wind snapping power lines, BIG trees, etc. We couldn't see a thing so we had no idea what was breaking around us. We had to shove VERY heavy furniture against the front door because, even securely locked and bolted, it would NOT stay closed. The daylight hours brought the ability to SEE the mess. Not good. Ike left trees down EVERYWHERE, things from all over which had landed wherever the wind spit it out, and no power. Anywhere. We had no power for exactly 30 days. It was hot, dark, all the food spoiled, stores were closed (no power) NOTHING was open. That storm did something BAD to my head. To this day, 4 years later, I tense at the weather folks predicting bad storms. I try - I REALLY TRY - to just not THINK about or WORRY about it, but I do. Can't concentrate enough to create or read or THINK. Today we already have immensely powerful winds. And the storm itself isn't slated to arrive until around 11 A.M.! That will bring with it heavy rains, worse winds, dangerous lightening, and possible hail and tornadoes. I'm a wreck. In a bit I will turn off and unplug my computer. Won't turn it on till all the mess is over. It was my INTENTION to write about something I found SO FUNNY yesterday. I will. But not today. I don't FEEL funny. I feel nervous and unsettled. Almost sick to my stomach. I don't fear a lot. I fear storms. Yes, it's an irrational fear because there's absolutely nothing I could do to prevent them. My HEAD knows that. It just doesn't accept it. Did I mention I really, really, really HATE storms? Thanks for tolerating this ridiculous post. I think I just needed to 'write out' my fear. Back asap to post something ~~crazy~~ more typically Kai. Hope YOUR day is AWESOME! And if it IS, please may I borrow a cup of good weather?
These are photos from SOME of the damage done by tornado activity today.

NOTE: We FINALLY got those cursed storms here and GONE. I was NOT happy during them. We could have RIDDEN a few of those huge lightening strikes down to the river that was our street, then allowed the 60 mph winds pick us up and carry us away. I HOPE tomorrow is clear and cool.

HAHAHAHAHA! THANKS TO RAVELRY, I MADE A ...

2012-01-19T15:58:00.000-08:00

GIANT Q-TIP! Isn't this hysterical? I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! It took almost NO time to crochet. And check out the REAL Q-tip NEXT to it. This sucker is BIG.

Now, why on EARTH, you ask, would I want to crochet a giant Q-tip? Well, here's the story behind that! When my daughter was in the 6th grade, her first year in middle school, she had just started wearing a bit of makeup. She was constantly running out of the Q-tips she used to apply or smudge her eye shadow. So that year, for Christmas - a year she got a LOT of loot, I might add, including a new stereo system and a BUNCH of clothes, - I stuffed her stocking as well. In addition to some jewelry, a bunch of Hello Kitty things she still loved, and some odds and ends, I also added a bottle of lotion and a big old box of - you guessed it - Q-tips. Ummm ... she has NEVER let me live that down. Did she focus on all the OTHER gifts? Huh-uh. She held up that box of Q-tips and said, "Mom, are you SERIOUS? Q-TIPS???" She brings those up STILL at every opportunity. LOL! Her birthday is March 22. I am sending her $$ or a gift card, a Smurf hat (she LOVES all things Smurf - always has) and ... yep! A beautifully boxed and wrapped crocheted Q-tip! Hope she LIKES it! BWAHAHAHAHA ... GASP!
P.S. THIS IS MY SECOND POST TODAY. SEE POST BELOW IF YOU CAN TAKE ANOTHER DOSE OF ME.

I RECEIVED AN AWARD AND YOU GET STUCK WITH 7 OBSCURE FACTS ABOUT ME!

2012-01-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

My long time friend, Anita, passed along a really cool award to me. It's called the Versatile Blogger award. Now, admittedly, I don't know just how versatile I AM. But Anita is a sweetheart AND a VERY brilliant lady! So I will say only that perhaps she knows something I don't know about myself. LOL! And while I am THRILLED to receive ANY award, I am sorry to say that my getting it presents YOU with the short end of the stick. You see, part of my receiving it requires that I post seven obscure facts about myself. See? You DID get the short end of the stick - especially after you JUST endured my LAST post. However, there IS an upside to this! You have the ability to say, "Is Kai NUTS? I'm not reading anymore of her craziness!" And - click - you can be outta here! I'll fulfill my duty as a recipient tho' and give you the 7 obscure facts. I promise (if you're still here - Are you?) to do it quickly and painlessly. No references to virginity, either. Scout's honor!
1. I found a little snowman in 1986. Someone had thrown him on the curb next to their trash can. I saw his cute face, picked him up (I was on my way home from the store - I walked back then) and took him home where I put his dirty lil' snowy self in the washer. Since then, every year he has made an appearance for the holidays. THIS year, I decided he was too adorable to put back in the closet, so he stayed out and my housemate (who also thinks he's cute) and I drag him around from room to room as though he were a child. How nuts ARE we? But LOOK at him! Isn't his face adorable?

2. I always wish I could be on a game show where my questions ALL centered around the tv series Little House on the Prairie, and anyone who could answer a certain number of questions could win a million bucks. I'd WIN. I SWEAR I would. I LOOOOVE trivia of any kind but I KNOW nobody knows more about that show than I do. Isn't that pathetic?
3. I was not allowed as a child to use the Comanche name my grandfather gave me (I use it NOW) and I swore I'd give any child or children I had Comanche names so THEY could PROUDLY use them. I did give my only daughter a beautiful name. She never used it. GRRRR!
4. Wandering through the fresh produce section of my local grocery store makes me so happy. I get excited when they have pattypan squash or beautiful figs or celery root. I'm SUCH a weirdo.
5. I become very stressed when my routine is disrupted. Most Bipolar folks LOVE routines and I am no exception. Because I'm medicated (since I was diagnosed in '93) I am not QUITE so attached to stringent routines, but I DEFINITELY have my own way of doing things. NOTE: I HEAR you, People! You are saying, "Ohhhhh! She's Bipolar! No wonder she acts so goofy! And HOW can she so easily TELL people that?" I tell it easily and freely because Bipolar is a chemical imbalance of the brain and that is nothing I caused so I'm not ashamed! Besides, the meds REALLY helped and while I will always have a certain degree of ups and downs, no one can detect them because - thankfully - they are under control.
6. My sense of smell is my most acute sense. (Otherwise I HAVE no sense! HAHAHAHAHA ... a joke, folks! A JOKE!) Certain things - most especially Christmas trees, Lauren cologne, and Baby Magic lotion make me SOOOOO happy.
and ... (See? I'm ALMOST finished!)
7. If I could do only one 'fun' activity for the rest of my life and give up the rest, I'd READ.
So thank you, Anita, for the award!!! Her blog link is as follows - http://kirbanita.typepad.com/take_joy/ in case you would like to visit her! She's a sweetheart! Now! Come back tomorrow (if you dare - BWAHAHAHA!) because I will show you what I just finished making! And there's a funny lil' story behind it.

THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I TURN SIXTY-TWO

2012-01-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

First of all, I swiped this idea from Natalea so I DO want to give her credit. Next, I want to make CERTAIN she knows to apply the disclaimer I'm offering so NO ONE will think HER goals are ALSO crazy. Hers, in fact, are quite sensible and achievable. Finally - before I actually BEGIN my list - let me remind you that I'm getting a rather late start. I turned 61 in September and didn't THINK of listing my goals till I saw Nat's post. So I have only slightly over 7 months to achieve an entire YEAR'S worth of goals. NOTHING like putting pressure on myself, huh? Being the ~~anal~~ organized person I am, I will break my goals down into groups. I like breaking stuff down. It's a Virgo thing, you know? Anyway, here goes!
TOTALLY DO-ABLE GOALS:
1.   Continue exercising my upper body 6 mornings a week for 2 hours per session. (Sometimes I hurt a bunch and want to skip days but I am a harsh taskmaster when it comes to pushing myself.)
2.   Do more of the creative things I LOVE to do (crocheting, counted cross stitching, and free-style insanity) instead of worrying that I'm NOT keeping up with artistic trends.
3.   Go to Facebook ONLY once per day to see what my daughter and grandkids are up to.
4.   Take more time to read (before I am completely BURIED in this excess number of unread books!)

5.   Watch my large collection of foreign films instead of being lazy and heading over to the Food Network or reruns of Law and Order SVU where I can actually SPEAK most of the dialogue throughout every episode.
IFFY GOALS:
1.   Keep my craft room neat enough so that I don't trip over anything and break my fool neck, find glitter up my wazoo, or have to lie to guests and tell them my craft room was broken into and the police insisted I leave it as is until they can further investigate.
2.   Not talk on the phone. Ever.
3.   Learn to use this phrase without so much as flinching or altering my facial expression or tone of voice: No, I'm sorry but I cannot (let you come over and live here for 6 months rent free while you get yourself together, edit your manuscript within the next 45 minutes, let you borrow another $500 BEFORE you pay me what you already owe me.)
4.   Tell people who 'critique' my unruly (but CLEAN) hair, ADVISE me on how I COULD lose weight, continuously ask me why I ALWAYS wear sandals (because I loathe wearing ANY shoes and that's the best alternative as far as I'm concerned, in case you were wondering) or chide me because I don't act my age, that they ~~can kiss my Comanche ...~~ need to worry more about the environment, world peace, and their OWN choices before addressing MINE.
5.   Refrain from making a SINGLE BREAD PUDDING so I won't be 'forced' to eat it all myself when my housemate insists he dislikes bread pudding. (Also I need to repeat this mantra: Bread pudding equals butt padding!)
HIGHLY UNLIKELY BUT VERRRRY DESIRABLE GOALS:
1.   Lose 100 - oh heck, let's make it 140 - pounds. (HAHAHAHAHAHA - gasp!)
2.   Go to South Africa, find out that Henry Cele (my personal dream guy) DIDN'T die three years ago but is right there in Durban, just WAITING FOR MEEEEE!

Kai, my love! You have FINALLY arrived. Come here and let me spear - uh - kiss you!

3.   Win the lottery or the Publisher's Clearing House $5 million a year for life prize so I could travel around and see everyone of my bloggy friends, my daughter and grandkids who I haven't seen in 9 YEARS as of this month, give everyone I love a big old wad of $$ and say, "ENJOY YOURSELF!", travel to Spain, Portugal, Italy, India, Japan, China, Africa (stay a LONG time there - FOREVER if Henry really IS still alive) then buy myself a nice home in either Seattle or Portland and live comfortably.
4.   Have plastic surgery to get rid of everything that even REMOTELY jiggles. That would include about 95% of my body parts.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST - THIS PART MAY BE TOO MUCH INFO SO DON'T READ #5 IF YOU ARE EASILY SHOCKED, SQUEAMISH, OR ALSO HAVEN'T BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP IN SO MANY YEARS YOU ONCE AGAIN QUALIFY AS A VIRGIN:
5.   Lose my virginity! (After all, I DID lose it before or I wouldn't have a daughter, you know, but I DO still have the box it came in. BWAHAHAHAHA!)

Well, my sweet lil' Bloggy friends, that's it! My pre-age 62 goals! And should you notice that I'm not posting as often or emailing as regularly for awhile, you will know that I'm diligently working on achieving these goals. If I disappear completely, it will simply indicate that I DID achieve #s 2 and 5 of the Highly Unlikely but verrrrry desirable goals!

I HAVE BEEN TOTALLY INSPIRED!

2012-01-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

I ADORE my Bloggy-Friends! You all crack me up, make me think, give me creative ideas, teach me things, connect me to so many OTHER people, and - most of all - INSPIRE me! For REAL! Example #1: Note the righthand side of this blog. See the quote from MLK I just added a short while ago? I ~~stole~~ borrowed it from my good friend, Susan, at http://blackberrycreek.typepad.com/blackberry_creek/ ! But, I did TELL her I borrowed it. I think it's so relevant, and a thing to which we can ALL aspire! THEN I 'visited' my NEW friend Anna (see post about her a couple of days back to find her link) and found myself laughing my head off. (You THOUGHT I was going to say laughing my A** off, didn't you? Well, okay. I WAS. But (a) I TRY to keep this blog G-rated, and (b) NOTHING - especially not just LAUGHING - would get rid of MY a**! Anyway, next I hopped over to my 'sister from another mother's' blog (that would be Natalea at http://kandeland.typepad.com/ ) where I read her post-birthday list of aspirations for the coming year. THAT inspired me to think about what I could reasonably hope to accomplish before my 62nd birthday in September. I will post THAT tomorrow! (NOTE: If you are faint of heart, easily shocked, or under the ~~delusion~~ impression I'm a nice, innocent critter, skip upcoming post! HAHAHAHA ... BET $100 you WILL come back and read it after I wrote THAT. Am I right?) Back to inspiring bloggy pals, Jen Ingle of http://justjingle.blogspot.com/ reminds me to LAUGH and FIND JOY in EVERYTHING EVERYDAY! I love that candy corn eating little thing! And then there are Viv, Jan, Pam, my lil' Chirp, Anita, Carolyn, Colleen, Beth, Jo James, Chris (someone who is as goofy as I am) Sandy ... so many more. THANK YOU, Blog World for giving me all these really cool people who add such richness to my life on a daily basis! To EACH of you I say: I am truly grateful to you for letting me come and play in YOUR blog space, for inspiring me, teaching me, sharing with me, making me smile, keeping me from being lonely sometimes, and accepting me for EXACTLY what I am:

A SWEET LIL' LADY

2012-01-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

The other day I posted a picture of the Chinese New Year's gift I made for my sweet landlady (who has become family to me.) Today she came over to visit and I gave her my gift and we had a great talk plus some tea and a piece of the yummy fruit tart she brought. I asked her if I could take her picture so I could show everyone what a doll she is. She said, "Yes, you can take picture. But I am ugly to look at and will scare your friends, I think." NO WAY!!! I think she's a teeny, tiny Taiwanese sweety! And here she is. Mei-Chin, if you look at this, you will SEE what a cutie you are!

DO YOU TRUST ME? BECAUSE IF YOU DO ...

2012-01-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

... you are SOOOO going to want to visit this blog I happened upon.
http://mylifeandkids.com/

Why, you ask? Well, first because I have FINALLY found a person who actually rivals MY insanity! Second, because it's so blasted funny I have to make sure I pee BEFORE I read her posts! FOR REAL. I don't KNOW Anna. I mean, I JUST discovered her blog. But I know I cannot get enough of her humor. She's totally certifiable! I mean that as the HIGHEST kind of compliment! Go on. Go over there & take a peek. I DARE you. But (1) do NOT - I repeat - NOT - read anything she's posted if you are drinking coffee, tea, water, ANYTHING because you will spew it everywhere! Jingle, if YOU go visit Anna's blog, NO CANDY while reading it! PLEASE - I couldn't take it if I were responsible for your choking! (2) Don't plan on leaving her blog till you've read at LEAST most of it! And (3) don't say I didn't WARN you if you didn't hit the potty BEFORE you go. HAVE FUN OVER THERE. I SURELY DID!!! (Oh. And if you leave a comment - bet you WILL - tell her Kai sent you. That will most likely initiate a post about old lady blog stalkers. BWAHAHAHAHA ...!)

OMG!!! AN ACTUAL CRAFT POST????

2012-01-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

My sweet little landlady, Mei-Chin, is from Taiwan. I absolutely ADORE her! Yes! It's true! There ARE wonderful landladies! LOL! (Note: There are ALSO - despite fairy tales - wonderful mothers-in-law! I KNOW because I HAD one!) Anyway, I'm on a kick I call jar-art. Translation: I use clear jars and, deciding on that jar's theme, add appropriate stuff in, on, and around it. Yeah, I know! Kai is a weirdo, huh? Grin! Anyway, I wanted to do a small thing for Mei-Chin so I made her a Happy New Year jar. The actual DATE of Chinese New Year is January 23rd, by the way. I found a graphic I really liked - an old-fashioned Chinese little girl - and cut her out. Needless to say, I used a LOT of red. Nooooo! NOT because it's MY favorite color! It's the color of prosperity and good fortune in China. Also green and gold are lucky colors, so I included those. Birds are considered good luck as well, thus the Cardinal. (Didn't hurt that it was RED, too!) And I had a lil' charm I thought was appropriate! Now the back of this jar has the words: LUCK, JOY, and LOVE around the outer bottom part. And inside, the word in Taiwanese for JOY. But you can't see that. Huh-uh! NOT because it's secret. I just couldn't get the cursed lighting right in the house and it refused to show up well enough. (NOTE TO SELF: Find a better place to take photos. Grrrr!) Anyway, I HAVE been making things - not just jar-art, either. However, the items are for birthdays and I can't SHOW them. But I haven't posted anything 'crafty' in awhile and I wanted you to know I AM making things! Crazy old KAI things, but none the less, THINGS! Now I need to go put some houseshoes on 'cause we've cooled down around here for SURE today and my FEET are cold! 'Bye!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

FEAST OR FAMINE!

2012-01-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

In 2011, we had the worst recorded drought in Houston's history. Actually, that applied to ALL of Texas. Seriously, folks. It was B.A.D.! Water was being conserved via resticted watering, and trees were dying EVERYWHERE. Grass was brown all OVER the city, and farmers - also home gardeners - had very little in the way of plants and veggies. Fireworks were STRICTLY banned for the 4th of July. We ALSO had a horrendously HOT year. 100-plus temps became the norm. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we all were to see the first cool front arrive! But we STILL had an enormous water deficit. Over 25 INCHES short of the normal annual rainfall. NOT GOOD. Not good at all. And then, there is today. We are a city of feast or famine; a city who has to regularly 'pay the piper' if we want to dance! Today we feasted. Today we danced. But, oh how we showered that old piper. Showered. Hmmm ... a decided understatement. We had a tornado touch down in one part of town, a HUGE amount of very heavy rain all OVER, WAY too much scary lightening, flooding almost everywhere, at least 20,000 power outages at one point - still around 16,000 with no power. People being rescued from crazy cars that attempted to swim instead of drive their owners. FREEWAYS under water. People IN BOATS on their own streets - some fishing. Really? Oh, yes. Fishing. Garbage cans and all MANNER of loose items floating merrily along. (Shall we sing, "Row, Row, Row your Trash?") And we are not quite finished. I understand we will probably get more between now & the rest of the overnight hours. Perhaps not the copius amount we had earlier today, but more. In fact, it's raining again right now. And, besides the water that we 'earned' toward the deficit, what is our reward for all this piper-paying? Well, we will, after today, and for a few days to come, say goodbye to our unseasonable 75 degree temps and return to our 'normal' January temps. That darned old piper is so expensive. "... merrily, merrily, merrily merrily! Life is but a dream!"

A PICTURE REALLY IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!

2012-01-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

AN OVERLOAD OF JOY!

2011-12-31T11:53:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I'm feeling so happy and EXTRA sentimental because of a lovely thing my youngest granddaughter (Jessica) did for me. She wrote last night and told me to go and check out her Facebook page. Before I could DO that, my DAUGHTER wrote and said the same thing, adding, "You'll cry, Mom." So I RELUCTANTLY went, not quite sure what I'd find. Oh!!! Look what Jess did! She said she wanted people to KNOW she carries her grandma in her heart AND - LOL - on her FOOT. See the tattoo? The feather represents our culture, and Kaku means Grandmother in our language. WOW! Double wow! (My daughter was RIGHT. I cried.) She had JUST finished getting the tat - you can see how red her lil' foot is. Later she sent me a new picture of her son Bradley aka Lil' Man. Look how happy the lil' squirt is. Why, you ask? Well, he's pretty much ALWAYS happy. But he was especially proud of himself because he had casually walked past his Dad and helped himself to a piece of pizza! (Where's Grape Gamma's piece, Bradley?) That's what he calls me, by the way. GRAPE Gamma. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that! My older granddaughter, Megan, was recently married to her sweetheart/soldier, Tony. They hadn't planned on children for a bit but sometimes it just sneaks up on a person. I very well MAY be a Grape Gamma AGAIN in a few months. Maybe a GIRLIE this time!!!! HMMMM - doesn't matter. I'll love ANY great grandchild! And finally, being TOTALLY unwilling to leave out my wonderful grandson, Jake and his sweet wife, Vanessa - not to MENTION their adorable son, Neo - I added a Christmas photo of the three of them. AND a recent photo of my daughter, Leah with Jake at Megan's wedding. (Jake walked Meg down the aisle.) Yeppers. Kai is in Happiness overdrive. And I HOPE that's where I stay 'cause I LOVE it!

STARTING FRESH

2011-12-30T12:22:00.000-08:00

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind ..."

I'm a bit early but I want to wish all of you a VERY Happy New Year! While I don't do the midnight celebrating or the champagne drinking (or ANY drinking - LOL!) or the fireworks watching, I DO quietly reflect on the year just completed. I always say a fond goodbye to those I've lost and remind them that love lives on even when the 'shell' is gone. I look back at the mistakes I've made (there are generally far too many, I'm sorry to say) and resolve to try and NOT make those same mistakes THIS coming year. I think back to anyone I may have inadvertently slighted or hurt in any way, and ask myself if I apologized. If I believe I may NOT have, I do that. I look back at things I accomplished - both large and small - and applaud myself. I also look back at what I found fun or amusing and remind myself to revisit them because it's SO good to laugh! I let the people I love - family and old friends - KNOW I love them and feel immensely grateful for their presence in my life. And I don't ALWAYS get to do this to every individual, but I DO visualize the new friends I've been lucky enough to make through the year, and send them gratitude and love. If you are an old friend reading this, I've already told you. In fact, I hope I can honestly say I tell you ALL the time! My Jan? Chirp? Viv? You KNOW, right? If you and I recently became 'specially close, believe me, I'll TELL you how much I care till you're ready to scream, "ENOUGH ALREADY, KAI!" Nat - (Oh, am I EVER grateful for you!) Chris. Pammy. If you are in this category you KNOW who you are! To those of you who -like me - tend to disappear a bit - Anita, Jude - I think of you each day and you can run but you can't hide! LOL! And last of all (please, hold your applause 'cause I'm still not QUITE finished chattering) the thing I REALLY look forward to at this, the old year's end, is the hope and freshness and possibilities of a clean slate. Twelve MONTHS of new opportunities to be happy, to do good things for people, to laugh till I fall over, to meet those I have yet to meet and reconnect with old friends, and to BELIEVE - which I always DO - that THIS year will be the BEST ONE EVER! Much, much love to ALL and a TRULY Happy New Year!

A COMANCHE KIND OF GOOD TIDINGS!

2011-12-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

Wanted to let you know I just had a very impromptu (and welcomed) invitation to my sister-friend MaryBear Kicks-the-Dog's house! YAY! Some of our kolas got into town earlier than expected, now we are all heading there for several days of relaxing, dancing, singing, eating, laughing, talking ... FUN! I will be gone till Thursday night of the 22nd, when I absolutely MUST return because I have 30 (or possibly more) Christmas guests coming here, starting the 23rd. Eeeeks! Some are ones who I'll be with over the next few days! But I can go to MB's and STILL get the rest done! I'm telling you because some of you may wonder why I don't answer your emails. MB has no computer. Even if she did, I doubt I'd be on it! Too much non-tech fun to have! If I DO already have an unanswered email from anyone, I will most likely delete it and start fresh the week AFTER Christmas. (I KNOW there's nothing 'pressing' because I checked.) On the 23rd or 24th I will pop in and check blogs or possibly post a short thing. That way I can 'Merry Christmas' EVERYONE! Have a WONDERFUL week, and cram every single PIECE of holiday joy into your days! HOHOHO - off I GOOOOOO!

P.S. The photo of my daughter Leah and her cousin, Gary Many Feathers, is NOT a new one. I'm sure MOST of you have seen it. Just thought the post called for a kola touch. LOL! Okay! Off to throw some stuff together because MB is on her way!

DASHING THROUGH THE ... FOG?

2011-12-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!" That may be a quote from a carol, but it's a TRUE one, for certain! Even though our colder weather has come and gone, and we are now warm (going to be near - gasp! - 80 today) and VERY foggy, I have my Christmas spirit on and buttoned up tightly! I finally got myself into the kitchen (UGH) and my craft room (YAY! My fave place to spend time!) and kicked out small gifties for the local folks at all the places I regularly patronize. FUN! I admit, I did VERY easy things. For all the 'boys' (I'm OLD, ladies! Anyone under 40 is a boy to ME!) I made peppermint bark - lots of it - and fudge with cherries and almonds. Decided that was not enough, so made the peanut butter/Hershey kisses cookies I made last year. Only THIS time I made a whopping 20 dozen. Why? Because I took 6 dozen last year and the little ~~vultures~~ dears ate them in record time so not everyone GOT cookies. This year I was smarter and PACKAGED the cookies along with the candies rather than taking the cookies separately on plates for sharing. Ha! Below is a picture of last year's cookies (the ones I saved for here - two are missing because my housemate and I HAD to do some quality control) and here is the recipe:

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix, bake at 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes, and IMMEDIATELY (before they have a chance to cool) poke a Hershey's kiss on top. DONE! Where's the FLOUR, you ask? There ISN'T any! And they are SUPER delicious. Crunchy and chewy yumminess. The recipe makes 2-3 dozen. Mine (because I want substantial cookies) yields 2 dozen. But the 20 dozen cookies took only 12 cups of peanut butter, 12 cups of sugar, and 12 eggs. Sounds like a lot but I could feed a nation with all these cookies! LOL! Anyway, that's what I made for the boys. For the girlies, I made something I saw SOMEWHERE on line. Darned if I recall where, but it wasn't my idea. Credit and gratitude for the person whose idea it WAS!

NOT ONE OF MY ORNIES. THE ONE I SAW ON THE INTERNET! BUT MINE LOOKED JUST LIKE THIS!

I made 25 of these. Okay! They ARE easy. But I confess they gave me a VERY hard time. As you know, I have ZERO feeling in my hands. Picking up fragile glass ornies, getting that cursed little top off, filling them halfway with beads (without beads going from here to Timbuktu) getting the top BACK in the ornie, then tying a presentable bow? Took me FOR.EV.ER.! But I LOVE the way they look. So delicate and girlie! I have 25 MORE glass ornies and want to experiment with fillings for those. Someday. Definitely NO TIME SOON! Crocheted 2 of the hooded scarves I've made a few million times over the years. Here are two from the past.

One - for my lil' friend at UPS who takes good care of my packages - was sparkly red because she LOVES Christmas the way I do! I made her 3 year old son, Gary, a wooden 'G' for his room. It had cute lil' toys attached to it and the red and blue theme of his bedroom. The other scarf was a soft, soft pink for the sweet lady who works at Church's Chicken. I confess to a deep and abiding love affair with their spicy chicken, and MUST have two drumsticks once a month. MUST. Really. Or I have Church's drumstick withdrawal symptoms. LOL! Finally, I finished those and got started on January birthdays! YAY ME! And last NIGHT I indulged my silly self and made a big cup of chai, then watched (for the millionth time) SCROOGE. I've seen so MANY versions, but THIS one - the one starring Alastair Sims in the lead - is my forever favorite!

It put me even DEEPER into the holiday mood! And, to THINK, I still get to see White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street! WOOOOOHOOOO! With that said, I still need to go do a few MORE holiday things. So I will send you all HUGE CHRISTMASY HUGS and, as Professor Hinkle from Frosty the Snowman said, "I've got to get BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!"

MY GOODNESS MONDAY: JINGLE ALL THE WAY!

2011-12-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

It makes me SO HAPPY to introduce you all to this month's MY GOODNESS MONDAY artist! Her name is Jennifer Ingle yet we know her as JINGLE! Some - in fact, MANY - of you may ALREADY know her. But I think EVERYONE should know her! WHY? Because ... well ... look at the first three pictures below. The top one is exactly what you see when you arrive at her blog! Just LOOK at that little grin! Isn't she adorable?

Then there's THIS photo! Jen is not only creative ART-WISE, she's THE most fun spirit EVER. And, trust me, it shows in everything she says and does. Check it out: COOOOOOOL BLUE HAIR! Love it!

And how about her current look? Spiked WHITE hair! I just want to make her come to Houston, stand her in my living room, toss a few rounds of garland and (of COURSE) some jingly BELLS on her, and have her be my CHRISTMAS TREE! THAT'S how bright and fun and WONDERFUL she is!

Jen is known for her card making! That girl is so proficient, and I swear she's a card making machine! Except that her wonderful cards NEVER look machine made! NO WAY! She puts so much love and detail in each one! Of course, there IS a price to pay for all her frenzy of creating. Check out her workspace. I THINK she's BURIED under some of that. LOL! But seriously, how CAN one create without all the bells and whistles? Proof of GENIUS!

Also, check out just these few of her cards! WONDERFUL, right? I LOVE 'EM! (And I OWN one - a GORGEOUS pink one - she sent it as an extra in her swap to me when we were partnered! YAY!!!!!)

Now, Jen is not JUST a card making whiz! Huh-uh! She also makes all SORTS of other things!

See what I mean? Amazing, right? She's on a number of design teams including one belonging to Retro Cafe Art. So she gets to try out all SORTS of cool new stamps and other products, and let US see how they look and the things we can do with them. (She even got me SUPER hooked on twine. OMG! I had to buy a LOAD of that stuff 'cause she REALLY had some darling ideas for using it!) Okay, so you KNOW she's talented! You KNOW she's diverse. You know she has a CRAZY CLUTTERED WORK AREA! LOL! But, besides all that, HERE is what I NEED you to know about Jen:
1.She has a sweet (and DARNED good looking) husband who she blatantly adores! I LOVE that!
2. She eat THIS for breakfast sometimes. Okay - LOTS of times!

3. She has a very wonderful (and equally fun-looking) family. Check out her choosing a Christmas tree post! Hysterical!
4. She has a nice home which she shares with her hubby. (Of course.)

5. She's REALLY brilliant! In fact, she is a huge reading fan just as I am! Yet ANOTHER thing I love about her.
6. And finally, she's genuinely, happily, hysterically enthusiastic. ALL. THE. TIME! It's such a joy to visit her blog each morning, KNOWING I will be blown away by her latest creation, and will leave with a big grin on my silly face from reading her post! Please, PLEASE ... don't wait another MINUTE! Go and visit Jen aka Jingle at http://justjingle.blogspot.com/ and get acquainted with this vivacious, REAL, funny, talented, and WONDERFUL little human being. I'm about to pop over for MY morning visit! I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN ME!

HOHOHOHOHO!!!

2011-12-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

Soooooo much to tell. Soooo little time! LOL! HAPPY SUNDAY to everyone! I'm AMAZED I'm able to blog because Yahoo (or as I 'fondly' call it - Yah-phooey!) has been acting crazy. I think the folks running it must have REALLY spiked their eggnog! At any rate, I can access my email then go check out blogs, Facebook, etc. But if I return to my emails, it looks as though I'm in some sort of warp-time disco club! Things are blinking and bouncing around and literally making me sick to my stomach! Cannot click on ANYTHING. However, I learned if I do this: finish checking blogs, etc., then Google and click on 'Yahoo Mail', it takes me back with no problem. See? YAH-PHOOEY!

At any rate, it's been a crazy few days - not BAD, mind you, just crazy - oddball weather, attempts (notice I DIDN'T say 'success') at getting Christmas gifts finished, and talking a LOT to my middle granddaughter, Megan, who called me about 5 million times to ask stuff about wedding protocol. (I never HAD anything CLOSE to a formal wedding, and I'm SO not Martha Stewart, so I just did the best I could to research and respond.) I could not attend (WAHHHHHH!) because (1) I can't travel much with this hateful leg - the trips to Washington State awhile back did bad stuff to me, and (2) the airlines are terribly hateful and wouldn't allow me to fly free! LOL! Seriously BROKE over here as far as having $$ above and beyond living expenses. It will be better after the holidays when business picks up but right now? UGH! Anyway, below are a couple of the wedding photos taken with someone's cell phone. I'll show you the photographer's photos when Megan and Tony get them!

You may kiss the bride!

Meg's dad died last summer so her big brother - my wonderful grandson, Jacob - did the honors and walked her down the aisle. He jokingly said he had TRIED to give his sister away for YEARS when they were little, but this time he was PROUD to be successful! Speaking of proud, that's my daughter Leah with him, looking VERY happy and proud!

Switching gears, but sort of staying in the same place, let me talk about Christmas. I finally managed to get my daughter's gift wrapped and ready to mail. Then I realized how horribly expensive mailing is now (it's outrageous, folks, believe me) and I decided to send my grandkids and great grandkids $$. I know. HORRIBLE. What's WORSE is that I realize there's absolutely ZERO chance of my doing what I truly WANT to do and mailing all of YOU sweethearts a small gifty. PLEASE, PLEASE forgive me. I DO know your birthdays and will either REALLY make it up to you then, or I MAY surprise you at random times all of a sudden between now and ... say July ... with an AFTER Christmas gifty! One thing I DO promise: NEXT YEAR I will do what I have always done in the past - have 99% of my Christmas gifts made or bought AND wrapped BY the end of July! That way, I can save my pennies and mail EVERYTHING on time for Christmas 2012! I hope with all my heart that you know I love each of you and am NOT just being lazy or thoughtless. I'm being - well - BROKE!
One last thing: (Stop that! I HEAR you applauding!) I did a very bad thing yesterday. Had to teach 2 classes (back-to-back) at Michael's, and when my housemate pickd me up afterwards, we decided to stop at the grocery store for a few things I wanted to include in this week's dinners. Well ... I saw something. Something I used to eat ALL the time when I was in my 2os. Something I STILL wear on my thighs and behind to this DAY: a Boston Cream Pie. O.M.G.! How I DOOOOO LOVE anything with custard. I haven't had one in almost 35 YEARS. I bought it. (Ray HATES them, by the way. I bought HIM some oatmeal raisin cookies from the same bakery. I won't eat ANYTHING with raisins! UGH, UGH, UGH!) Anyway, I am thoroughly ashamed to tell you that between 1 P.M. and 10 P.M. when I finished watching "It's a Wonderful Life" I had managed to eat THE. ENTIRE. FREAKIN'. THING. But you know what?

I'm being crossed OFF Santa's 'NICE' list, for SURE. BWAHAHAHAHA! Have a happy day everyone and come back tomorrow to see who's being spotlighted in my long overdue MY GOODNESS MONDAY! HOHOHO!

TO THE NORTH POLE!

2011-11-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

WOOOOHOOOO! I'm going to take a little trip! Where, you ask? Why, to Santa's WORKSHOP! Yes, indeed. Well, not EXACTLY to the North Pole. But I AM going to take a few days and hunker down in my OWN lil' workshop! I realized I am so behind because (1) I just didn't manage my time well this past year, (2) I've not had as much $$ coming in - sloooow economy, you know, and like every OTHER business, my editing business has been affected somewhat, so I didn't SHOP for gifties and (3) it's GOOOOOOD to take some creating time for oneself now and then! With that said, I have decided to use every spare MINUTE between tomorrow and Monday to create like the crazy person I am! So emails will not be forthcoming UNTIL next Monday, tho' I WILL check blogs daily. I've also decided to put both my second blog AND my 'My Goodness Monday' posts off until after Christmas when I can start fresh and get my slow behind organized again! With that said, I'm going to find my elf hat and get busy getting busy! ... and to all, a GOOD NIGHT!

HAPPINESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: THE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE BY MELISSA ANN GOODWIN

2011-11-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

You all KNOW what a book lover and avid READER I am! If it's slipped your minds, please peek below at the pictures of SOME of my UNREAD books. The ones on the floor are the next stacks (14 at a time) which I will take in my bedroom and put on my next-to-read shelf. (I read them in order of the way I have them stacked - remember, I'm an anal Virgo - LOL!)

See? I wasn't JOKING. And that doesn't count the 17 LARGE boxes of ALREADY-READ books I have in the garage, waiting for a new home. EEEEKS! HOWEVER, that doesn't stop me from ~~losing my mind in the bookstores and online and buying even MORE books~~ buying a new book now and then, especially when it's something that I can just TELL will be wonderful! As was the case when I saw this:

I saw it on my friend Jingle's blog and wrote to Melissa, the author. Ordered it directly from HER! Now, besides being a book lover, I'm (obviously) a Christmas lover! And I love time travel! Also love young adult books EVERY bit as much as I love adult books. This one? Fits every single category! First of all, I did something I rarely do. I 'allowed' it to jump ahead of the books I was supposed to read next. THEN I read it in one sitting, NOT because it was super short, but because I didn't want to STOP till I finished it! Below is the email I sent Melissa last night!

Hi, Melissa!
Just a quick note to tell you I started (and FINISHED) THE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE last night, and LOVED IT! Seriously! It caught me and pulled me in from the very beginning, and did not let go until the last word! I will be blogging about it tomorrow and spreading the word to friends here in Houston! If you should find yourself selling it at Barnes and Noble, count on me to pick it up and point it out to both shoppers and STAFF! You are a VERY gifted writer! It takes a special author to write something which appeals equally to children AND adults! This will! I think it's going to catch on and become a Christmas classic! I'm SO glad I bought it. Even MORE pleased I read it right away. It made my Christmas happier! CONGRATULATIONS! With hugs and hopes that you have to get a 2nd and 10th and 100th printing! Kai

Does that tell you what I thought? Barnes and Noble is now selling it online so I intend to go over and do a review there later this evening. Below is an 'official' synopsis, and below THAT, a reader's review.
Book Description:
When Jamie Reynolds comes to his grandparents' Vermont home for Christmas, he just wants things to go back to the way they were before his dad disappeared. Time and again he is drawn to Grandma's miniature Christmas Village, where he imagines that life is perfect. Late one night, the village comes to life before Jamie's eyes, and his fantasy of escaping into it becomes very real indeed. He discovers that the village is called Canterbury, where the year is 1932. Jamie becomes fast friends with Kelly and Christopher Pennysworth, and is taken in by Ida, who runs the local boarding house. But he also makes a dangerous enemy of the mysterious and menacing Jim Gordon, whose return to town is nothing but trouble. As Jamie desperately races against time to find his way back home, he is suddenly faced with a terrifying choice: to go ahead with his plan to leave, or to stay and help his friends, at the risk of never going home again. The Christmas Village is an adventure the whole family will love, filled with suspense, secrets and surprises to the very last page.
This is a MUST READ! Highly recommended, destined to become a classic.

And here is the review by a reader:

What a wonderful book! It will take you on an adventure filled with surprises, it will make you smile and bring a tear to your eye. It's a children's book, yes, but the kind that grown-ups wil love too, for its positive messages about family, friendship and forgiveness. When you reach the end, you'll want to read it all over again! And, the ending is ... fantastic!! This is a book you'll want to bring out year after year - a new family Christmas tradition. The Christmas Village is a delightful holiday story about a 12 year old boy named Jamie. When his dad left them Jamie was unhappy because everyone talked about them but not to them. So his mother decided that a trip to his grandparent?s house in Vermont for the Christmas holiday will be better. When his grandmother showed them a miniature Christmas Village Jamie is drawn to it. Later that day, Jamie imagined how perfect life would be in a perfect little village like Canterbury, and he made a wish ?I wish I could live in Canterbury,? and tiptoed to bed. Late one night the miniature village came to life before Jamie's eyes. Is the Christmas Village really what it seems? What secret does the miniature Christmas Village hold? This book will take the readers on a rollercoaster ride to a place in time full of excitement, suspense and twists that will surprise you toward the end of the book. What an interesting read - am still smiling. I highly recommend this book.

Am I getting paid for this? LOL! NOOOOOOOO! I just firmly believe in promoting writers. And in MY opinion, this writer, Melissa Ann Goodwin, is a writer well worth promoting! Just for the record, we've now emailed a number of times and I can tell you she's also a VERY nice human being! If you get a chance, pick up a copy and FORGET that it's categorized as YOUNG ADULT. Just open your mind, read, and FEEL the Christmas magic wrap you in a big, warm hug! I did! And I'm GLAD!

FA-LA-LA-LA -OUCH!!!!!

2011-11-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, after I scrubbed the house top to bottom, some of my expected Thanksgiving guests (they now total - gasp - 46) called to tell me what they are bringing or what time they're coming, and in the course of the conversations, asked if I would have the house decorated for Christmas. I said, "Nope! I ALWAYS do that the day AFTER Thanksgiving." A couple of them said, "Oh." as though they were disappointed. I thought about it and realized almost everyone who's coming either HAS no family or will be far FROM their families both now AND for Christmas. Sigh. Never let it be said that I intentionally disappoint anyone. LOL! Three guesses what I just did these past 3 hours. Yeppers. But HOLY HOLIDAYS, Batman! HOW did all that CHRISTMAS stuff get in my CLOSET? Honestly, it seemed I'd never get it all into the front rooms to sort and distribute. I still have to put my gingerbread collection out tomorrow EARLY (pre-dawn) but tho' I have a TON of gingy things, I know where they all go so it SHOULD be easy enough. Then I need to clear my 4 glass front kitchen cabinets of the everyday ware and put in my Christmas dishes. Finally, while my housemate does his ONE decorating task - putting up the tree - I'll do some more cooking with the senior ladies who insisted they'd come over and 'help' me bake then spend the night. (LOL! The lil' stinkers.) Once the tree is up and the lights on it, the ladies and I can decorate it. I think that will be a good way for the three NEWLY ADOPTED ladies to get better acquainted with us. Then - ta-da! - it'll be FINISHED! The pictures above are from LAST year, by the way. It's just a tiny bit of the kitchen stuff. Have I mentioned I LOVE all things Christmas? Have I ALSO mentioned this old Comanche is sooooo exhausted? I think it's time to rest a bit before someone talks me into decorating for Easter! HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ONE AND ALL! (Feels SO odd having Christmas stuff out already!)

PRESSIES!

2011-11-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

AH-HA! You caught me! But that's okay because it's good that you see I am doing SOMETHING semi-creative and NOT just jabbering! I attached photos of two very recent projects. Neither was what I'd originally intended, and you all know how THAT goes! But lack of time and - sigh - TALENT did me in, and these are my alternate results.

Below, is the lil' pillow I made for my wonderful friend, Ria! She loves Tigger! I WANTED to crochet her a really super cool pillow for which I do have a pattern. Sadly, the pattern is EASY but VERYYYYYYY time consuming and I was pretty sick with the flu when needed to work on it. So I scrapped that idea and went for a counted cross stitch pillow. It's NOT (duh) washable because of the glued on decal, but I DIDN'T have a chart for him so I couldn't stitch him. (Some things one can improvise in counted cross stitch. Most things, NO! Tigger was a DECIDED no!) Ria received my box more than a week ago (ANAL, ANAL VIRGO KAI) and opted to open it on her bd which is TODAY!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIL' RIA! I LOOOOVE YOU! She said she likes it and I KNOW she is kind because my hand sewing is atrocious. I made the pillow. Eeeeeks!

This next picture (my lighting in this room has been BRUTAL RECENTLY - sorry!) is another gifty. She's a little fairy girl sitting in her butterfly bubble. She is on her knees, and peeking out. She's dressed in her warmest jammies. Her hair is colorful - pinks, blues, yellows. And she has a beaded headpiece which doesn't show up well in this picture. I added beads and baubles to the inside of the bubble. See the pink ribbon attached to her arm? It holds a little silver charm with the word, 'Love". You can KIND OF see the flowers on either side of the butterfly, but the pictures are WONKY, so I decided to skip adding more.

Hopefully, I'll still be in my friends' good graces after these two gifts! Ummm ... I TRIED! So my HEART was in the right place! Does THAT count? NOTE: I am SOOOO tired. Just realized I had written DOS that count? Arrrrgggh! I DO (or should I say 'Dos') know how to spell. Honest Injun. LOL!

WHAT A SUPER IDEA!!!!

2011-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Black Friday. To ME the very EXPRESSION is ominous. HUGE crowds everywhere. People shoving into stores the very instant they open, grabbing for bargains. Nothing WRONG with getting a good deal! But that frantic, chaotic atmosphere is SOOOO not for this old girl! Huh-uh!!! It's LONG been my tradition to decorate for Christmas the morning after Thanksgiving. I drink my coffee at 4 A.M., then start around 5. It generally takes me until somewhere around 10 to finish. Then I drink MORE coffee (I like to do a lot of what I do BEST, and I drink coffee VERY well! LOL!) and watch my first Christmas dvd of the season! It's most often either The House Without a Christmas Tree or the original version of Miracle on 34th Street. (NOTE: You all DO realize that Edmund Gwenn really IS Santa, don't you? Shhhhhh!)

Then, I pull out the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner and ~~gorge myself~~ eat a bit of this and that. The decorating and the food, having put me into a stupor, leads to a quiet afternoon of working on Christmas gifties! Well, today on her blog, my lovely friend Beth (she was featured in my last MY GOODNESS MONDAY post) had a SUPER idea! She put out the suggestion of a WHITE FRIDAY! That would be for all of US who create and do a lot of our own gifts for people! So I decided to post that HERE and see if we can get a movement going! I mean, bargains are awesome, but handmade is WAY better! What say you? Shall we designate our OWN holiday tradition? I vote YES! Speaking of Christmas gifties, I need to get my big Comanche booty in serious gear! See ya' later!
P.S. Look for THIS month's MY GOODNESS MONDAY on the 28th! Ooooooo! It's going to be a GOOD one!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

2011-11-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

Today has been all about storms! UGH! Luckily, ours weren't so bad. Once again, we dodged a bullet. Tornado sighted not all that far from us. AND it's still H-O-T! Anyway, I was off the computer a lot of the day, but did manage to get on several times for short periods. At 6:15, I 'collected' all the names of those who left comments for my giveaway. Some of you got in early, and some late. One made it just under the wire! LOL! I printed out the names on little tags which I folded and put in a deep bucket for my housemate. At 7, he reached in and pulled out ... drumroll ... SYLVIA! Girl, you BARELY made it! I haven't heard from you in a YEAR (REALLY?????) and suddenly, POW! At least I KNOW your address is still the same because I just heard from another friend a month ago who said you two did a troll swap. And hurry up and start your new blog! I miss seeing your awesome dolls! I'll be mailing your box Thursday morning at UPS. Thanks to EVERYONE who left a comment! I wish I could afford to send gratitude boxes to ALL of you 'cause I am DEFINITELY grateful for you!

SLIGHT DELAY!!!!

2011-11-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

EEEEEKS! These posts are getting more ridiculous every moment! But they are necessary! Wanted you to know I will still draw a winner for my gratitude box tomorrow at 6, and mail it to the winner Thursday morning! HOWEVER, there's a good possibility I won't get to announce the winner until Wednesday afternoon. We are expecting big old storms AGAIN tomorrow! This Tuesday storm stuff is SO not funny! Last Tuesday we had a BAD storm but nothing like the ones that JUST missed us and hit the county right above us. They got TORNADOES! Shudder!!!! I don't LIKE storms. Also - not doing so great tonight because, as most of you know, I have neuropathy in my hands and feet (meaning I often have no feeling) and this morning I was dusting and my foot got tangled in the cord to my Ott lamp. BAM! Lamp (EXPENSIVE lamp - grrrrr) flew on the floor. The lamp was okay! Whew! I wasn't. I have a sprained left hand which hurts like ... well ... and 3 broken toes on my left foot. Lovely. I'll live - it's just annoying. Whole DAY has been a series of uh-ohs! So I do believe I'll limp into my little room and finish reading my book. Expect an announcement of the Gratitude Box at some point Wednesday IF we get the storms; tomorrow night if we DON'T. Pleasant dreams to all!!!!

DON'T FORGET!!!! 'K?

2011-11-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

This is going to be just a post-it-note post! LOL! I want to remind you to go to my CHANGES IN THE AIR post and leave a comment so I can enter your sweet selves in my lil' GRATITUDE GOODY BOX drawing. I'll be doing it sooooooon, so GO NOW!!!! I'll announce the winner the same night as the drawing - around 8 P.M. Tuesday the 15th - and mail the box on Thursday the 17th via UPS so you'll have it before Thanksgiving (even tho' technically it ISN'T Thanksgiving stuff.) Okay. My post-it-note is full. Go leave a comment. (NOTE: Michelle, my dear lil' niece, if you happen to be picked in the drawing, I will need your mailing address so email it to me, okay? Besides, I neeeeed it! Aunty Kai LOVES you!)

A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

2011-11-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

   I LOVE this time of year! Even though Houston is CRAZY as far as weather goes (we are at 83 right now and hideously humid) and it feels Autumny only about 2 days out of each week, I feel Autumny! (Uh-uh-uh! I heard that! It is NOT because I look like a round turkey!) Actually, it's because I am really allowing myself to FEEL the gratitude for so many things!
   For instance, today I went to my favorite grocery store. I could set up a cot and LIVE in there, folks. Truly. Fruits and veggies so fresh and yummy it's heavenly, a wonderful sushi cart run by a family from Japan who make the BEST sushi fresh to order daily, a bakery I have NO business even WALKING past much less sampling, and just about ANYTHING I could imagine needing or wanting. I know pretty much everyone who works there - and it's a HUGE store - and I get HUGS from almost all of them. I LOOOOOVE hugs! Happy Kai!
   After that, I learned this nasty old heat and humidity will be RAIN tomorrow (we SERIOUSLY need it) then COLD Wednesday through Saturday! YAY!
   To top it off, I have some good programs recorded to watch later, my craft table is fun-in-progress, and the book I'm currently reading ROCKS! GOOD STUFF!
   Most of all, though, I'm feeling Autumny and grateful because I genuinely love so many of my blogger friends! Each day when I get the chance to check your blogs, it feels as though I've been to your house for a short while to have coffee and yak a bit. Thank you for letting me visit you. You ALL amaze, impress, and touch me ALL the time!
   I wish I could show you what I'm working on right now (I CAN'T; it's a birthday gift for one of you) because I'm LIKING it a LOT! I'll show you once I've mailed it and KNOW the birthday girl has received it.
   For now, that's about it. BIG HUGS TO EVERYONE FROM THIS SENTIMENTAL, MUSHY, SILLY, OLD TURKEY! And tell me - what is making YOU happy today?

CHANGES IN THE AIR!

2011-10-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

   This was supposed to be another My Goodness Monday, but - as the blog title hints - there are changes coming!
   The first is my decision to do the My Goodness Monday ONLY on the last Monday of each month. That way, I can gather more info about the person I'm introducing to you. So look for November's artist on Monday the 28th!
   And there are MORE changes in the works! A short while back I began a second blog which I haven't announced till now. I've posted to it a few times already. WHY haven't I mentioned it? In all honesty, I began it out of sheer frustration toward some of my grammatical pet peeves. You know - the things that make you feel like you're being forced to listen to nails on a chalkboard! Remember, I EDIT for a living. I see millions of mistakes. But it's the things I hear on a daily basis (particularly on tv) that make my blood pressure elevate. Admittedly, I have been reluctant to tell anyone I was blogging my peeves because I didn't want friends to think I'm editing them in emails, on their blogs, or anywhere! I'M NOT!!!! I make typos ALL the time. Hey! I'm human! Still, I LOVE language so I began the blog. I figure maybe someone will have a question I could answer or - if nothing else - either get a good laugh out of my ranting or decide I'm a pompous a**. (I ask that you PLEASE not believe the latter. I'm truly NOT that!) At any rate, the blog is http://thisgrandmaknowsgrammar.blogspot.com/ Feel free to check it out and see the nerdy side of this ridiculous creature!
   Finally, while everyone KNOWS I adore Christmas over every other time of year, what you may NOT know is that I love Thanksgiving TREMENDOUSLY! It's such a QUIET holiday, yet it's one I treasure because of the gratitude aspect of it. As corny as it sounds, I really DO always appreciate and feel such thankfulness for the people in my life. But I make a point to LIST those people at the end of October - yes - ALL of them - and each day of November, I literally (yet quietly) celebrate each sweet person ON the list. Every year my list grows bigger. For THAT, I'm ESPECIALLY grateful. It's awesome to love people; my favorite thing to do! I had originally planned to host some sort of Thanksgiving swap or something as I did in the past. Then I decided to do TWO things instead. First, I'd like to challenge each one of you to at least LIST the people special to your lives. It can be 2 or 200. And each day, look at your list and PICTURE each of the names on it. Think about why they are special and how they enrich your lives. No one has to know. No one will laugh. YOU will know. And I promise you, if you do that all 30 days of November, you will cherish these important people even more! Second thing I decided to do is this: Starting today until the 14th of the month, anyone who leaves a comment on THIS POST will be entered in my giveaway drawing. I will give a gratitude box to the winner, to be chosen randomly on November 15th at 6 P.M. and it will be mailed on the 17th! So there you are! Changes abound! New blog is revealed. Gratitude runs rampant. How's that for a post? I know - typical Kai, huh?

NOTE: After reading some of your comments (Viv - LOL!) I have to add, or rather reiterate, this - I NEVER 'edit' any of your emails, blogs, blog comments, etc.! HONEST INJUN! (Hee hee!) I don't care HOW you write to me, just WRITE to me! I LOVE you all! Yes, I truly do! My grammar fixation stems from my anal need to control. Seriously. Without going into detail, I will say that, as a child I had ZERO control over ANYTHING in my life. The 'structure' of words, grammar, language gave me some strange sort of control over SOMETHING that my parents couldn't do anything about. So I enjoyed it. I still do. I would 100 TIMES rather you ignored my other blog entirely than have any of you EVER think I'm 'editing' you! Just wanted to say that so you'd know! (Viv, go stand in the corner for even THINKING it! You give me such joy I couldn't do WITHOUT you!)

MY GOODNESS MONDAY

2011-10-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

GOOOOOOOD MORNING! And welcome to My Goodness Monday! Today I would love to introduce you to someone I discovered only a couple of months ago. Her name is Beth, and she crochets (and now also KNITS) BEAUTIFULLY! I admire lovely crochet work, and her crocheted cowls and dolls are just wonderful! Please, see her below, modeling one of her awesome cowls. It can be worn in a number of ways! The reason I decided to spotlight Beth today is this: not only does she create and show all her dolls, dollclothing, etc., she gives links to EVERY SINGLE PATTERN - FREE - so her lucky readers can make these lovelies! Isn't that generous? YES! I thought so, too! Not only that (I sound like those stupid tv ads: But WAIT! There's MORE! LOL!) but she offers FREE tutorials. And among the many wonderful handmade dolls and things, she gives us a peek at her beautiful surroundings!

Isn't this pretty AND functional? Love the soft colors!

Now! Look below to see SOME of her crocheted dolls! Are those not 100% ADORABLE?

And how about the dolls below? Readers, this lady JUST taught herself to knit, and ALREADY she's producing something so precious! How cute is this lil' doll?

Last of all, I see to the left of her blog, that Beth is a very caring person. How do I know this? The first thing I always notice is her list of Disaster Relief sites. That tells me she has a giving heart. Besides, who WOULDN'T love someone who can make dolls as sweet as these? Sigh! Please, DO go visit her at http://byhookbyhand.blogspot.com/ and say hello to this talented lady! Tell her Kai sent you!

SHE'S ALIVE! WELL, SORT OF!

2011-10-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

It's Day 37 of this 'Creeping Crud' but I am FINALLY feeling quite a bit better! Have times during each 24-hour period where I am stuffy-headed, coughing, and still operating on about a quarter of my normal energy. But I see a LOT of improvement, and I am SO GLAD! I really loathe being ill. Those of you who know me, know I have quite a laundry list of ongoing health issues. Those I do NOT let defeat me. I just keep going. This 'whatever it is' has knocked me on my butt. And THAT'S where having SUCH a well-padded butt comes in handy! (Thank you, bread pudding. Thank you, cheese! LOL!) At any rate, I want to say how much I appreciate each and every kind lil' person who wished me well! You are the SWEETEST! In addition to giving you a health update and ~~warning you~~ letting you know I'll soon be emailing full force again, I wanted to show you something. My friend Jan was trying to convince me that my 'art' (gag) is innovative. She has - for all the years I've known her - encouraged me, told me not to put myself down, etc. I LOVE her, but I don't harbor ANY delusions about my crazy creations. I truly just 'make messes' and love every MINUTE of it! SHE is the genius and the talent! Me? I have FUN! Anyway, I started looking back at some of the goofier things I've made over the past 10 years and I had to laugh. It certainly gives credence to my mess-making theory! Please, take a peek and then you will understand why this old girl does not take herself any too seriously!

Bag lady lunch time.

One of three RED-THEMED ATCs. Mine all centered on Lizzie Borden.

An old lady goes to market.

Hoochie Mama

Kai does aerobics. (I used to have DYED red hair in the early 90s.)

Kaipie

Now, WHERE are my teeth?

WHO IS YOUR DADDY?

A REALLY DEVOTED COUPLE

Okay - I confess. Stupid tho' it may well be, THIS is my fave thing. It was for a competition to make altered Bendi dolls. I took TWO Bendis, cut the legs off one, and feathered it. Viola! Redbird. On the other, I removed the head and used eyelash yarn to make cat fur. Used an old birdhouse and stuck the decapitated head in the round opening. Covered the rest of the body with fur and placed it behind the birdhouse. Made clay claws for the cat. The 'scene' is a mama redbird's nest and cat is encroaching. Mama bird came prepared! Check out what's in her mouth. No one messes with a mama's children! LOL! Did I win the competition? Definitely not. Did I have FUN? Oh, yeah!

This is an image attached to a brown bag. I made paper arms. Dipped her in paraffin. Viola! Wax puppet! Kinda creepy, isn't she?

My JUST-FINISHED skelly with bling, and a duded up birdy settled inside her empty head. The bird carries a coffin (complete with body) on its head. The base of the skelly reads, "I'm too sexy for my bones!" This is for someone. (Poor someone!)

And, yes! I am certifiable! HAHAHA! But for ME, that's pretty normal! Now aren't you sorry you wasted time reading this nonsense?

ARRRRGGGHHHH!

2011-10-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for blogs! Easiest and quickest way to let everyone know something. Remember I said I was feeling better? NOT NOW. Darned stuff just won't let GO of me. In all fairness, I DID overdo a bit yesterday, but not THAT much. Anyway, I have decided to be invisible to the world for the next week and really TRY to get well once and for all. I know I'm stubborn about sickness. It ANNOYS me to be ill because it's wasted time. LOL! Seriously. That's what I think. But I ALSO know I have a pretty crummy immune system compliments of Lupus. So - rather than get any sicker - I s'pose I'll be good. No work. No teaching. No editing. No playing on the computer. NOTHING. Reading, watching some tv, resting. Hopefully, I will get totally well FAST. I LOVE this time of year with its promise of cool weather, holidays, and MAGIC! GOT to be well for all that! Right? I MAY peek at blogs off and on through the week. But if I owe you an email, it will be at least a week till I answer. Have a happy week! HUGS TO EVERYONE!

CAROLYN, SISSY, AND TOBIAS

2011-10-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I read my friend Carolyn's blog post about people felting with cat hair. (Now, you quit that snickering! I mean, THINK about it! Anyone with cats KNOWS you can collect enough cat hair off a skirt, a chair, a carpet, etc. to make the world's biggest furball.) Here's Carolyn's blog link so you can read HER post: http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/ Actually, I'd suggest you go visit her blog even if you aren't into cat hair felting! She has - well - ELEGANCE - something I am sadly lacking. I read her blog not ONLY for the lovely (and often really quite simple) projects, but because it's so peaceful and lovely. And TASTEFUL! Now you folks who've gotten to know me, know that all MY taste is in my big MOUTH! LOL! Anyway, do go visit her! You'll like her! I DEFINITELY do!
Back to cat hair. I saw the post and smiled because years ago, my sister - she was 6 years younger than I - knew how much I love Silverback Mountain Gorillas. Sissy (actual name Shoshobi but even though we are Comanche, we DO live in Texas where sisters are SISSY and brothers are BUBBA) decided her Sissy-Pie (that would be ME, blush-blush) NEEDED her own gorilla. Having absolutely zero training in anything art-related, Sissy had a natural flair for creativity. She had three cats, Diggle, Dasher, and Dodobirdy (don't ask - LOL!) and she used all the fur she collected from their 3 constantly shedding lil' selves to make me one. This was WELL before I had a computer, and she NEVER had one. She looked up Silverbacks in an old encyclopedia and learned about their habitats and how they looked and ate and so forth. With that info, the cat hair, some sticks, Elmer's glue, and a little of this and that, her fingers gave birth to my gorilla. She placed him in her version of his habitat, added a dusting of snow to the leaves, named him Tobias (why, I don't know, but that's his name) and said, "Sissy, here's you a friend."

I loved him THEN and I love him even more NOW because my sister died several years ago from complications of Lupus. She was a year away from passing in the photo below.

My Sissy, looking all serious because - like most of our folks - she HATED having her picture taken. I caught her completely off guard. As a rule, she was always smiling!

I so admire people who can make something wonderful out of pretty much nothing! Carolyn's post reminded me of that long-held admiration I felt for my baby sister, and prompted me to share this post, and Tobias, with you! Tell me: What have YOU created out of something unexpected? I'd LOVE to hear! If you email me a photo and a brief description, I will compile them and do a post about it! There MAY just be a prize for the most creative!

BIRTHDAY BOY

2011-10-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my great grandson Bradley's 2nd birthday. Oh, how I DO love this good-natured, always smiling little guy! And I thought I'd indulge myself and post some pictures of him on his special day.

Here he is with his mommy whose birthday was on the 17th!

Driving his brand new tractor!

On the slide!

POOL TIME!

BLOWING BUBBLES!

WITH AUNTY MEG AND UNCLE TONY!

And ... sigh ... GIVING NEW MEANING TO THE TERM WEARING NOTHING BUT HIS BIRTHDAY SUIT. Or should I say, "THE END"?

Could this be the beginning of the dreaded TERRIBLE TWOS? UH-OH!

MY GOODNESS MONDAY NUMBER THREE

2011-10-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

It's MONDAY again, and that means I am HAPPILY featuring another wonderful artist! This time, it's my amazing friend, Pam, who you can visit (Wait! Where ya' GOING? I meant AFTER you look at this - LOL) at http://creativdawnzdolz.blogspot.com/ I've been extremely lucky to be in a number of swaps with Pam (including a couple I hosted) and she NEVER disappoints! In fact, she goes above and beyond! Not only that, she's one of the most caring people you'll ever meet! Now, Pam's specialty is doll making. I envy that because I am a slap-and-dash, make it up as I go along, then stick it together with glue kinda doll maker. She, on the other hand, not only follows a pattern and does it beautifully, but puts her own spin on each doll. (I desperately need some classes from her!) I'm sorry I don't have a picture of this sweet friend (Hint, hint, Pam!) but I DO have pictures of just a FEW of her lovely dolls which I was naughty enough to lift from her blog! And, I must add that the first doll is one I received in a swap where Pam was my partner! Can you BELIEVE the detail? Just look at those gorgeous big-lashed eyes and those delicious shoes! Sigh. Fern. (I named her that because something about her reminded me so much of my favorite music teacher, Fern Morse, from 7th-9th grade. YES, I can remember that far back - LOL!)

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

Scroll down sloooooowly to savor each of these wonderful ladies Pam has created. (I wish you could see one up close. I was so impressed by the amount of detail she adds to her beauties!) Then, when you've gotten this sneak peek, DO go and visit her blog! Get to KNOW her and you will consider yourself genuinely blessed by a really nice friend! I know I do!

See what I mean? I don't know how she does it!

Are you all still HERE? Well, I THANK you for stopping by, but SHOO! Go see Pam now!

THANK YOU TO ALL MY SWEETIES!!!

2011-10-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday night - about 5 till 8 - and I'm just popping in to thank all of you for your sweet, caring comments and get well wishes! THEY ARE WORKING! (Insert happy dance here!) And MAYBE the antibiotics and that stinkin' shot that burned helped a little. JUST a little! LOL! Seriously, I really am feeling quite a bit better right now. I loathe being ill 'cause, to me, it's such wasted time! I've rested (slept) more than I've slept in longer than I can remember, and I can tell the congestion is breaking up somewhat so I am safe from another hospital stay! Wooohoooo! Take THAT, you hateful old pneumonia! You didn't QUITE get me this time! HA! I'm still planning to take it veeeery easy in the next few days, and stick to soup (I had only broth and other liquids until today, but I ate a bit of actual chicken soup this afternoon) and continue drinking lots of juice, water, ginger beer (it's NOT alcohol!) and hot tea. By this time next week I should be 100%. Again, THANK YOU to every single person who wished me well either via my blog, email, or even THOUGHTS (I felt some of you!) I just love you all to pieces and appreciate you more than you could ever know! For now, I'm going to peek at emails and decide if I can answer one or two, then head back to my ~~dungeon~~ room and read till I fall asleep again! YAWWWWNNNN! Nighty-night!

YUCK

2011-10-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

I HATE, HATE, HATE THE FLU. Trying my best to be stoic about it and work through it so I can get this editing finished. I've completed exactly HALF the manuscripts and if I didn't feel so weak, I'd pat myself on the back. But I AM weak, so I think that would knock me over. LOL! Earlier, I ended up at the doctor because my chest hurt so badly I was having trouble breathing. I knew what it meant. Been there, done that a bunch of times over the years. With Lupus comes the added risk of pneumonia. So far, it's what they call 'walking' pneumonia, meaning only that at any given time I could STOP walking and fall on my dumb face. Oh, okay. Not really. But it FEELS like that. I was given a shot (one that burned like crazy - go figure) and prescribed heavy-duty antibiotics along with strict orders to REST and go straight to the hospital if the breathing became more difficult. A large percentage of us with Lupus (as well as other autoimmune illnesses) actually die of pneumonia. I don't intend to be a statistic. So I AM going to follow the doctor's orders. Lots of liquids - hot tea tastes especially good right now and soothes my sore throat - finish the antibiotics, rest, rest, rest. I'm SO glad I have over 3 weeks left to complete the editing. I can DO this. I keep reading about lots of YOU who are suffering with colds, allergies, and flu-like symptoms. Dr. Kai is about to save YOU some $$ that you otherwise may have to spend on a GENUINE doctor. Stay in. Sleep. Eat lightly, but DO eat something. Take Nyquil or anything that will alleviate stuffy heads and fever. Drink tons of liquids. (Uhhhh ... put that vodka down! I mean non- alcoholic drinks!) And if you feel your symptoms getting worse, SEE THE DOCTOR. There. I just saved you upwards of $100. Now I am going to take my OWN advice and see about getting some sleep. I feel as though I've been dragged through stinging nettle. Nighty-night to all. And my new mantra? DOWN WITH FLU SEASON! I'll make a sign tomorrow. Too tired tonight. YAWN ...! (Anyone seen my box of kleenex? Sniffle, sniffle. I KNOW it's around here someplace.)

FOR ME????

2011-10-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

Just when I was ready to flush myself down the toilet today 'cause I haven't slept in DAYS, have 7,200 pages of editing to complete by October 31st, and have NOOOOO time to create, PLUS realized I do NOT have allergies, I do NOT have a cold, I have the freakin', feverish, achey muscles, sore throat FLU, someone rang the doorbell. ARRRRRGGHH! But it was a delivery lady, bringing me FLOWERS! Aren't they PRETTY?

They are from my youngest granddaughter, Jessica. She wrote on the card, "To Grandma Kai, who always makes me feel special and loved, from Jessie who thinks YOU are special. You are my best friend and I love you." OMG! Crybaby over here just LOST it. It meant the WORLD to me. And I had to share my happiness with all of YOU! Below is my Jess.

MY GOODNESS MONDAY NUMBER TWO!

2011-10-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my second MY GOODNESS MONDAY where I introduce you to artistic people I've been lucky enough to encounter! Today, I would like those of you who DON'T already know her, to meet CHRISTEL HUTSON! I discovered her not THAT long ago when someone steered me to her blog:
http://christelhutson.blogspot.com/ ! Now, I looooove working with clay. But my sculpting is right up there with my paper art and sewing. IT SUCKS! LOL! No, really! It DOES. I took one look at Christel's blog and ended up reading and viewing everything she had posted since DAY ONE. Chris, who's just about the nicest person ever, makes tiny, PERFECT creatures she calls her FaeWees. OMG! They LOOK life-sized, but she often holds them in her hand or places them next to a small item to show their actual scale. My question: How the heck does she DO that? This is Chris - the picture I 'lifted' from her blog (don't kill me, Chris!) Isn't she a doll? And speaking of DOLLS, just LOOK at some of the miniature beings she's created. I also included a shot of some of her most-used tools. Simple things but - in HER hands - MAGIC MAKERS! I won't continue jabbering! I'll simply let her art speak for itself! Please, take a peek at these few samples, then DO go visit her blog! SHE ROCKS! She truly DOES!

BIRTHDAY GIRL!

2011-10-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

Here she is! Isn't she a doll? VIVIAN NERONI, birthday girl, and the QUEEN OF HALLOWEEN! For REAL! If you don't KNOW her, go peek at her blog and you'll know I'm serious! LOL! Most of you who read my blog DO know her, but here's her link for anyone who doesn't!
http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/
Hope you will take a minute to visit this lively, SUPER-FUN, talented and WONDERFUL friend, and wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And don't be too surprised if you see her again sometime on one of my MY GOODNESS MONDAY posts. This lady makes some DARLING things! Okay - whatcha' waiting for? Go see her!

MY GOODNESS MONDAY!

2011-09-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and I have decided to do something new! Each Monday I will feature an artist I think is absolutely amazing, and SHARE that artist and his or her work with you! What inspired me to do this is, of COURSE, all of you and your wonderful and diverse talents! You all inspire ME, so I would love to share that inspiration. Gotta pass around the love, right? On this, my first MY GOODNESS MONDAY, I am spotlighting an artist who is just incredible! Not only is she talented and creative, and always trying (and mastering) various genres of art, she is vision impaired to a degree. I can't believe the things she accomplishes with limited sight! Who am I featuring, you ask? Well, she's a lady whose work I know well because I am lucky enough to own a number of her beautiful pieces! She's also my other best friend! (I have TWO best friends.) Her name is Jan Demetralis and the lovely woman below is my Jan! Her blog is http://jandeesthisandthat.blogspot.com/ Some of you may be familiar with her, but if not, NOW you WILL be! I have a LOT more pictures of her artwork. I'll just give you a small sample here! Jan has been featured in magazines for her winning Gypsy dolls. You wouldn't believe how real they look! One of the many things that blows my mind is how she can take the simplest components and create a lovely doll! Her techniques are unconventional and actually make a great deal of sense because they are easier to execute once you understand what she did! She works with everything from clay to fabric to metal to sketching materials and paints to - well - everything! My Jan doesn't like being in the spotlight but that's honestly where she deserves to be. She is so generous with her mini-tutorials to her stupid friend (that would be me - LOL) who has never DONE half the things she knows how to do! I would give about anything to have her here at my craft table with me to drink lots of tea (I'd make you cookies, my Jan!) and just WATCH her make her magic. Please, go and visit her blog! Go way back because you will have your socks knocked off by how many kinds of things she has created. Now I have to go TELL her I wrote this post. She's so modest I have a feeling I may get my over-sized BUTT kicked! It's worth it though to have all of you SEE my beautiful friend and her TERRIFIC art!

I'M MELTING! MEEEEELLLTING!

2011-09-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, not really MELTING! Just disappearing into a sludgy mess of 'too much to dooooo'! LOL! I've been pretty darned good about answering emails! I've answered EVERYBODY who'd written, and have even responded to some of the responses. I still owe YOU a response to MY response, Rebecca. I will get to it sooner or later, I swear. But Thursday morning I will be mailing you the book I promised! It's wrapped and ready. And I owe you an answer, Nat, but you know I'll get to it. And Jude, if YOU are reading this, where the heck did your BLOG go? Is your brother working on it again? I MISS YOU! Christel, I need to 'visit' with you soon as I catch up! Chirp, remember you are special. You understand that, right? LOL! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I'm up to my curly hair in editing, classes to prepare (I'm in teaching OVERLOAD) and normal day-to-day stuff. Also October's a busy birthday month. Seriously! Between family, long-time friends, all of my sweet bloggy friends, and people at places like Barnes and Noble, Target, McDonald's, and other places I frequent, there are EXACTLY 59 birthdays! Trying to do what I can. Too poor to do much! I'm GETTING there but not yet quite where I would like to be. Soooo, for a few days - well, no more than a week - I will MOSTLY be keeping up with all of you via blogs - mine AND yours. Forgive me if I don't ALWAYS comment. I WILL be reading each post of each blog! You can quiz me later! HAHAHAHA! I swear what I would REALLY love to do is go settle in at my craft table and play forever! Wouldn't we all? Been so tired lately I am also way SLOW in reading my books. I generally read at LEAST 3 books a week - often more. But this old eye is protesting that right now. So my big behind is dragging the ground and I am going to hunker down and kick out all this work so I can start Autumn with some FUN stuff! I'm HERE if anyone needs me for anything! Truly! Just may be slooooooow about answering most emails. Viv, YOU write 'cause you KNOW I need to learn how Frannie's doing! And Susan, I'll be checking in to see how doggy's vet visit went and if she had a chip. Keeping my fingers crossed that Andy can freely take her! Okay! For someone with so much to do, I surely am stalling, aren't I? Hugs to everyone! Toodle-oooooo!

PIECE OF CAKE! NO, REALLY!

2011-09-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I was finished bugging you all with my birthday silliness. And, after THIS post, I truly will be! HONEST INJUN! (Bwahahaha!) But I HAVE to share this with you! Last year, made an off-hand comment about never having had a birthday cake. I THINK originally it was in response to someone's asking me what KIND of bd cake I prefer or if my housemate was going to make or BUY me one. Anyway, I said I'd never had one and never gave that another thought. But someone DID. One of my sweet friends was bothered by that. SO much that she planned (I was unaware) for the entire YEAR to see that I'd receive a bd cake THIS year. And yesterday, the mailman arrived at my door. Now I KNEW my friend (Ria Johnson of http://craftyria.blogspot.com/ ) was sending me a package through someone else because she TOLD me.) But I had NO idea what it was. When I opened the big old box, I pulled out a smaller box that was sitting atop a larger one. IN that box was the loveliest teacup & saucer EVER. I LOVE teacups!Believe me when I tell you that I'm as big a hot tea freak as I am a coffee freak! IN the cup were three tea bags (yum) and a pretty drawstring bag with ... birthday candles! Need I tell you what was in the BIG box? I didn't think so. Just LOOK at the darling & lovely cake! Ria's friend had opened a cupcake shop awhile back and she made, wrapped, and mailed the cake! OMG! I have to confess that I have YET to eat any of it! I mean, it's my FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE, folks! I know I have to, but ... well .. I feel like a cannibal. My housemate watched as I opened it and could NOT understand what the Sam Houston I was blubbering about. (Yes, I did. I cried. I'm VERY sentimental, and this GOT me!) Anyway, I realize I'll HAVE to eat it (Noooooo!) but I wish I didn't have to! I took photos of it this morning. I set it out on my countertop to keep it room temp. Isn't it the prettiest lil' cake? I LOVE IT!!! And I have to say that Ria's surprise rates right up there in my 5 best EVER favorite surprises! THANK YOU, RIA!!! When I blow out my candles, I will wish for something AWESOME for YOU!

THANK YOU TIMES A MILLION AND A GUILTY LIL' PLEASURE

2011-09-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

   GOOOOOOD MORNING! I wanted to post and let all of you know how truly special you made my birthday! THANK YOU for EVERYTHING! The last few birthdays have been either HORRIBLE (Hurricane Ike hit us at exactly midnight on Sept. 13 in 2008 - UGH) and the next two were BETTER but ...! This one was birthday perfection! Seriously! I got TONS of hugs from the kiddos at Barnes and Noble (I crave hugs like most women crave chocolate! LOL!) and didn't have to pull out my $$ even once for cappuccinos! Ahhhh! Luxury! One of the guys brought me a HUGE piece of cheesecake drizzled with chocolate syrup. I thanked him and when he left I pushed it over to Ray. (Too early for sweet stuff AND I'm allergic to chocolate. But it was SUPER nice of him!) I received 8 books the staff KNEW I was thinking about buying. I'm NOT allergic to BOOKS! Bwahahahaha!
   Later we went to lunch (which I DEFINITELY ate) and I got home to phone messages from my daughter, grandkids, and - YAY! - Bradley, my almost two year old GREAT grandson who said, "I LOVE you, Graygramma Kai!" I LOOOOVE that! GRAYgramma! How perfect! He's just now speaking in actual sentences and it makes me even MORE in love with that sweet-natured little boy! 'Course THEN he had to crack me up by adding, "I'm a MONKEY BUTT!" and laughing hysterically! That's what his mama calls him 'cause he loves to climb.
   Anyway, in addition to all that, and all the AMAZING messages from each of you, I had a looooooong talk late into the night with my best friend, Mar! AND - best of all - the firefighters got the big old wildfire relatively near us here in Houston contained. They are, however, still watching it carefully this morning.
   Finally (Are you applauding because I'm about to stop chattering? LOL!) I SWEAR I will get to each email that you have sent me and have all of them (currently a whopping 35) ANSWERED by Saturday at the LATEST, hopefully by Friday.
   And, oh yeah. What, you ask, is my guilty pleasure? And what does it have to do with thanking you? Tonight is the 2-hour season premier of ... SURVIVOR! WOOOOOHOOOOO! Yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm a moron. But I have NEVER missed so much as one episode - not even five MINUTES - of any Survivor season. Even when Ike knocked out our power for 29 days, we bought batteries for an OLD and TINY tv we had in the garage and I watched my Survivor and SVU! What an addict, huh? And THAT means I will lose 2 hours of emailing tonight because I have a standing 'date' with Jeff Probst and a tribal council.
   For now, just PLEASE know how very much I truly appreciate each and every one of you! You made my birthday wonderful and you ALWAYS enrich my life!

THE TIMES THEY ARE A'CHANGING! (AND OBVIOUSLY, SO AM I!)

2011-09-13T05:07:00.000-07:00

It's a jolly good thing I'm comfy with my age because - guess what, folks? I'M OLD! LOL! Today I am 61. And, with the exception of the physical limitations (not from age, actually, but from illness/accidents/etc.) I genuinely love being older! Why, you ask, would you LIKE being old, Kai? Okay, I'll tell you! It's FREEING! Yes, it really IS. Here are things I can now do without giving them a second thought!
1. Proudly wear COMFY shoes. HEELS? Bah! NO WAY!
2. Toss OFF even THOSE comfy shoes plus my bra the MINUTE I get home from anywhere. (Oh, now! Stop looking horrified. HAHAHAHAHA! I HATE bras!)
3. Give younger folks unasked for advice! Sometimes, give ANYONE unasked for advice!
4. Say outrageously silly things.
5. Walk right up and tell cute guys how hot they are. (They just look at me and smile indulgently because they think I'm a lil' old lady and I'm (a) not SERIOUS and (b) totally 'safe'.) NOTE: That's what THEY think! BWAHAHAHAHA... hmmmm.
6. Fit SO comfortably in my own skin, I no longer worry about being ANYTHING besides crazy old Kai! And, with that said, let me give you a progression of pictures - ages almost 3 to now (right after the last chemo when I finally got hair again.) Yeah, I know. It's not pretty, huh? But it's me. And I LIKE who I am ALMOST as much as I LOVE who all of YOU are! And, with that, I am going to get myself together (bras, shoes, and - sigh - even makeup) and go to Barnes and Noble to ~~aggravate~~ talk to the kiddos who work there, MAYBE go to Michael's a bit, and finally get some sushi because my housemate promised to take me to lunch today. Wish all of YOU could be here! (You DO like sushi, right?)

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

2011-09-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

I LOVE this book but I confess I FOUGHT getting it. For some reason, I thought it was going to be a mushy romance. I don't DO romance novels. Romance WITHIN a novel is okay as long as that isn't the main purpose of the book. But mush? Huh-uh. Not for me! So I told several author friends who kept insisting I read it that I'd 'think about it.' Finally, an author friend I respect tremendously said, "Kai Naconi, you'd BETTER get a copy of that book!" So I did. I could barely STAND to put it down, and desperately wanted to read it cover to cover in one sitting. My great aunty who thinks books are nothing more than a recipe for 'forgetting the oral stories' (sigh) would find me some more work to do every single time I'd get into a chapter. Grrrr! But I finished it despite her disapproval (no disrespect meant, Aunty, to you or to oral tradition) and - OH, how I loved it! It was beautifully crafted, heartbreaking, and one of those stories I hated to see end, yet I wanted to know what happened so I couldn't WAIT to read the ending. I DO hope some of you will pick it up in a store or library and give it a chance! It will be worth your time!

.

SOME HAPPY LIL' PHOTOS

2011-09-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

It's Friday at about 1:30 P.M. and my sighted eye NEEDED a teeny break from the editing. So I decided to take a one and ~~annoy~~ uh - ~~bore~~ - hmmm - ENTERTAIN you with a few pictures that make ME smile! Also making me smile today: sweet comments on my other post (thank you!) MY yummy coffee (as opposed to my great aunty's traditional 'Indian' coffee - YUCK!) a touching surprise birthday gifty from my daughter, and a REALLY surprise invitation and KISS (any invitation and ESPECIALLY any KISSES at MY age and size are a surprise - LOL!!!) Told you I'm feeling more myself! (Happy dance over here!) And, with that, I'll head back to the editing! HUGGRZ to you ALL!

Granddaughter Megan and her 'intended', Tony

My crazy housemate with his birthday gift from my friend, Jan

Beautiful Jessica, youngest granddaughter

Grandson Jake finding new uses for his beach towel and ways to make everyone laugh - naughty boy!

Jake's stepson, the adorable Neo, as Scooby-Doo!

My daughter Leah

Silly granddaughter, Megan, with her 'wedding savings' thus far! LOL!

Great Grandson Bradley aka Lil' Man who will turn TWO next month!

The lazy, VEEEEERY HAZY, crazy LAST days of Summer!

2011-09-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Houston LOOKING like a fire zone but it's smoke from a county some distance away. Air is oppressive!

One HORRID fire in Magnolia, WAY too close to Houston.

Fire and smoke mar the sunset.

I'm baaaaaa-aaaack! In fact, I'm back 2 or 3 days earlier than I intended because I needed to check on the fire situation in Houston. We are NOT in a good place here in Texas. Our relentless drought and strong winds have cause massive fires which have destroyed SO much of our state and so very many homes. Thus far, except for random grass fires, Houston has been spared. Still, we are reminded by the oppressive and heavy smoke how close the fires are. But counties around us have not been spared. What a terrible and frightening thing to be given a mere 5 minutes to evacuate a home. That, I understand, is the case with hundred and hundreds of familes in the line of fire.
On the rez, we had only a sporadic account of what was going on here, and I knew it was time to return. Besides, I've kind of gotten a second wind, so to speak, and am once again more myself. This summer has NOT been a particularly happy one, but I'M happy again. I worked HARD on the rez, helping my great aunt do a lot of things (that little old lady KEPT me busy - LOL) and digesting my recent losses while healing my heart with family. I returned to an early arrival of some BIG editing jobs, a housemate glad to see the chief cook and bottle washer back (for you youngsters, that's an old tag for the one who handles most of the house stuff) a messy house (grrrrr!) and plenty to keep me good and busy for awhile. Also, some relief in the way of a cool front which ended (for NOW) the 105-109 degree temps. I have peeked at a few blogs since I returned earlier today but not had a chance to comment. Will get to it soon! As for emails to those of you I generally write, expect at least a short one by the end of the weekend! I've MISSED everyone. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate your sweet, caring comments and your friendship! THANK YOU! Now I will post this and see if I can't get back into my normal routine! HUGS TO YOU ALL!

POST BY A GHOST

2011-08-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, it HAS been a while since I posted. And it isn't really KAI posting right now. It's - for lack of a better description - the GHOST of Kai. I loathe being 'droopy' and as I look back at some recent posts, I have been EXACTLY that. Forgive me. Please. A lot has happened. Little, annoying things. Bigger, troubling things. HUGE, painful things. I have, since Thursday of last week, lost 3 very dear and special friends. First my friend Laura, one of the 4 senior coffee club ladies who met at Barnes and Noble daily. I have seen and interacted with all 4 every Thursday for the past 3 years. Laura had been feeling ill for about 2 weeks but thought it was a 'bug'. It was a very fast growing cancer, and now she's gone. Yesterday, I got a call from Mavis, one of the three senior ladies I 'adopted' last November from 2 nursing facilities to share Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those 2 holidays turned into pretty much every other weekend. What characters - wonderful, funny, loving characters. Mavis called to let me know that Rosa died suddenly - a heart attack, the doctor said - at 9 A.M. Two hours later, Martha tripped going to the communal room and somehow managed to hit her head really hard. They took her to the hospital immediately, but she was in a coma. The doctors don't REALLY know why, but when they took her off the machines at about 12:45, thinking she was lucid, she went into cardiac arrest and died. Two unrelated heart attacks. Two precious ladies, close as blood family, gone in a blink. I am SO beyond sad. My first thought was that, despite being pretty depleted right now (I'm having a bad Lupus flare brought on AND made worse by all the other stuff that's been going on) Mavis was going to need me right now. But she said she is going to visit a friend of hers in New Mexico. It had already been arranged. Didn't even know she HAD a friend there. I checked with the nursing home to be certain that was true (I was worried that she may not want to burden me right now) and it IS. Apparently Mavis goes there EVERY summer. So, I am going to de-stress the only way I know how. I'm leaving for Oklahoma to stay on the rez with my great aunt. Will go Friday morning and return September 11th. Truth is, I'd LIKE to stay longer, but I'll have editing coming in on the 13th (an unwanted but needed birthday present - whee) so I have to come back then. My great aunt has no internet (almost NO one there has it) and no phone. I'll have to go to the tribal council building to call and check on my housemate twice a week. I hope this will calm me enough that I can return in just under 17 days with a genuine smile, a sense of peace, and a plan to continue unstressed. Lupus and stress are NOT a healthy combo. I wish each of you a wonderful couple of weeks, and I will miss you!

GIVING AND RECEIVING: IT'S A GOOD THING!

2011-08-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

Recently, between my already pretty busy daily routine and the unusual chaos around here (nothing major - just a lot of STUFF) I haven't been able to create a lot. Now, for those of you who DO create things, you KNOW that can dampen spirits. We HAVE to get some 'play' time! So I thought I'd at least make a small gift for a friend's birthday. My friend Lee, one of the senior Coffee Club Ladies who meet at Barnes and Noble 7 days a week for a chat over coffee, is going to celebrate her 80th birthday on August 25th. I happen to know she LOVES knitted and crocheted things, and collects scarves. Sooooo ... because she's an absolute doll, I took a deep breath, pulled out the yarn, and dealt with the misery of hot yarn on my lap as I crocheted her the scarf below. She prefers white, so I'm afraid it doesn't show up as well as I'd like. It's a mesh pattern, quite long, and has ruffles along one side and roses scattered halfway down. The roses are made and added after the scarf is completed. I know she will look lovely with it and will take a photo of her for posting if she chooses to open it at Barnes and Noble while I'm there on the 25th! Below are a few pictures of it rather scrunched up around the unattractive white head. NOTE: There IS no blue in it - just the bad lighting.

But what I REALLY want to spotlight is the AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS Goth doll I received yesterday from my swap partner, Kathie. OMG! I wish soooo much you could all see her up close! The detail work on this lovely lady is stunning! Kathie named her Ciera, Gaelic for 'Dark', and said she is a Shadow Walker who roams the night in quest of catching nightmares! Over her left hand (check out those fabulous FINGERNAILS, please!) she carries a dreamcatcher. And her companion? He's a fox who is also her spirit guide. Sionnach, she told me, is Gaelic for 'fox'. What she DIDN'T know is this: My sister's name was Shoshobi. In my language, that means 'Fox Child', and I believe Kathie has channeled my sister's spirit into this piece, making it EXTRA special to me. If you look carefully through the photos below, you will see that Ciera's cloak is reversible! The black side, worn during the evening has moon dust. The purple side she wears to blend in as she sleeps among purple flowers in the daytime. I love her story so very much! And this beautiful, beautiful doll is going to have a very special place in my house where I can see her ALL the time! What I love the MOST is the care and kindness and thought that went into creating her! Kathie, if you are reading this, a HUGE private thank you is coming as SOON as the electrician leaves later this morning! But I wanted to post this early because I'm just so thrilled to be able to spotlight Ciera AND Kathie's talent! In a word: WOW!

Don't know if you can see it, but the fox has a leash so Ciera can connect to him.

VIVIAN ROCKS!

2011-08-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

LOOOOOOOOK at this!!!! Amazing or WHAT? Yep! Amazing!!! I received this wonderful swap package from my friend, Viv, in yesterday's mail, and despite having a broken A/C in 102 degrees, it made my day! Viv wrote me the sweetest message saying she knows I'm not a beachy, outdoorsy kinda girl, but she thought she would entice me to the beach via her Vacation in a Matchbox swap goodies! And she DID! I mean, REALLY? All these fun things for me? Kai is smiling big time! Just check out all the thoughtfulness & fun she packed into the box! WOW! Viv, you are the ULTIMATE sweetheart, and I am having the best time playing with all these goodies! THANK YOU TIMES A MILLION! LOVE YOU BIG OLD BUNCHES!

Box is beautifully decorated with pretty paper, a pink flower & shells, and a gossamer ribbon. It's filled to the brim with lovely seashells! Then there's the card (which I cherish because of what she wrote to me) a COOOOOOLIO notepad, pen, & note cards in beach theme, a BEACH BALL - yes! How fun is THAT? Also the cutest pin cushion you could ever imagine in seawater blue, with a pink flamingo & seashell pins! And - try not to be tooooo jealous - LOL! - raspberry lemonade mix with a whisk AND ... get ready ... TAFFY! Yummylicious! I adore, adore, adore taffy! Below, you will find close-ups of everything! ENJOY!!!

YAWWWWWWNNNNNNNN!

2011-08-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

Today is Thursday, but it FEELS like it should be AT LEAST Sunday! LOL! It's been a VERY busy week, and one with a whole BUNCH of extra have-to-do stuff. Yesterday, I had to accompany my housemate to a late-afternoon appointment with the eye specialist because I knew they would dilate his eyes, and I figured I'd better be available to help him get home in the rush hour traffic. The heat - it was well over 100 - was NOT our friend in that unairconditioned car, and by the time we got home after 6, we were both about half sick from it. Good side of that - neither of us even CONSIDERED eating, so no cooking! YAY! At any rate, today I'm PDT! (Pretty darned tired!) Soooooo ... I am planning to indulge in ... well ... a little self indulgence! HAHAHAHA! I'm telling you this because, altho' I caught up with ALL my emails last night, including those from clients, I JUST finished scrubbing the house up one side and down the other, and came to cool down while I checked the computer. Eeeeeks! I think my email EXPLODED overnight because I was STUNNED to find exactly 81 NEW emails in my box - all asking me at least 1 question. So here's what I am going to do. I HAVE to answer clients (23 of the emails) and I will (OF COURSE) respond to my best friend because she's still grieving and needs me right now. To all others who read this and may have asked me something, I would like to beg your forgiveness because I am going to give myself a break and - unless there's a question that really NEEDS answering asap (and I didn't see any but I'll check once more) I'm going to delete them. Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by life and need to play. I think a LOT of that has to do with the fact that my housemate is retired & underfoot 24/7. Even after 3 years of BEING retired, he has ZERO idea how to entertain himself. Don't get me wrong - Ray is the sweetest guy ever, and I'm GLAD he got to retire!!! Sadly, I'm NOT retired and I work at home (editing) often for up to 14-plus hours a day. So I have to be on the computer a lot. And most of you know, I have a real problem sleeping. At any rate, I'm just saying that if I fail to answer someone and you REALLLLLLLLLY need an answer, write again, and I will reply! Otherwise, I've decided that until - well, until you SEE me in your inbox - LOL - I'm here, checking blogs (and commenting) and being a bum. My editing IS caught up and I won't get any new 'scripts until Monday (YAY!) so here's my plan: finish crocheting a cotton cover-up sweater for one of the coffee club ladies at Barnes and Noble who will turn 80 on the 25th of this month, read, read, read some more, catch up on some of the umpteen tv shows I've recorded but not yet had a chance to watch, work on family cookbooks for my sweet new granddaughter-in-law AND my older granddaughter who's getting married in December, and NAP whenever I WANT to. Lazy, huh? But the truth is, usually when I 'take a break' of sorts, it's to go somewhere where I'm needed for some reason, or to concentrate on editing. I SAY it's to rest, but I rarely end up resting. This time, I AM going to! I have to. I've been passing out quite a bit lately. Okay. More than quite a bit. Lack of sleep - HEAT! Now I think I'll go check some blogs because I have FINALLY cooled off after the cleaning marathon! Again - forgive me if yours is one of the emails I don't answer. I waited to do this until all my swaps were done and I was sure everyone was going to GET a swap box. I WILL ask my Goth swappers to remember and send me photos of their dolls (Chirp and Jen already did) so I can PROUDLY post them on my 'picture parade' next Friday the 12th! And with all that said, I will leave you with this link (below) to a video which had me laughing so hard! I hope for those of you who haven't yet seen it, it will crack you up, too! BIG HUGS FROM THIS TIRED OLD COMANCHE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RP4abiHdQpc

VACATION IN A MATCHBOX BRAG PARADE

2011-07-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here, as promised, are pictures from my Vacation in a Matchbox Swap! I already posted my own swap stuff to Viv earlier, so I won't add that here. And I don't yet have photos of the other 4, but will soon. When I DO, I'll add them to the parade! I'm just SO PROUD of everyone! Each swapper did a MARVELOUS job, and was generous to a fault! THANK YOU, LOVELY LADIES! I LOOOOOVE my swappers!!!! Do come back to peek at this post periodically so you can see the OTHER sure-to-be-terrific swap packages! 'K?

KATHIE'S WONDERFUL BOX TO PAM

PAM'S TO KATHIE

DOLL FROM PAM TO KATHIE

REBECCA'S BOX FOR R'CHELLE

DOESN'T THIS LOOK COOOOOOL!!!!

A TRIP IN A BOOK FOR R'CHELLE FROM REBECCA!

JUST LOOK AT ALL THE GOODIES! REBECCA IS AS GENEROUS AS SHE IS CREATIVE AND REALLY, REALLY SWEET!!!!

RIA'S BOX TO CHIRP! AS ALWAYS, RIA WENT ALL OUT. ALSO, LOOK VEEEERY CAREFULLY AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT A WICKED-GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR RIA HAS! BWAHAHAHA!

FROM CHIRP TO RIA - WOW!!!!! TOTALLY AMAZING ART!

THIS PICTURE WAS BEING VEEEERY NAUGHTY AND WOULDN'T SHOW UP! YAY! FINALLY! AND ISN'T IT GORGEOUS!!!!

AND LOOK AT ALL THE EXTRAS! UNTIL THIS SWAP, I HADN'T KNOWN UTAH IS THE LIME JELLO STATE! HOW ABOUT THAT FOR A FUN FACT TO KEEP IN YOUR BACK POCKET!

WOOOOHOOOOO! CHIVALRY STILL EXISTS!

2011-07-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday - as I do EVERY Thursday - I went to Barnes & Noble at 9 for a couple of VERY relaxed and happy hours. I adore the staff there, and in the three years we've lived on this side of town, I've gotten to know them so well - who they are as human beings, employees, when their birthdays are, all about their families. They are my dear friends! I always love being there. But yesterday was special because I was there with my best friend in the world. Today she will be leaving at 1 P.M., and our hearts are close to breaking because she's moving to Canada (where her family is and where she was raised.) She and her hubby were planning on the move just before his death. We both are well aware that this will most likely be the last time we ever see each other. Neither of us is even remotely rich, and travel's not cheap. Plus, technically, I'm NOT supposed to fly because of this horrid leg and the increased possibility of blood clots. Same with her! Yesterday we were trying NOT to think of that, but instead concentrating on how much absolute JOY we were having at that moment. The kids who work at B and N teased us about finishing each other's sentences and both a having wicked crazy sense of humor. We LOVED that! We had gone up to the counter to get a third cappuccino (no lectures, please - it was a special occassion - LOL!) when a customer came up behind us. Both of us automatically said hi to her and smiled. She actually backed AWAY from us as though we had some contagious disease. Okay - we ARE both plus-sized women. We WERE wearing very similar clothing - me, a turquoise dress with white flowers, white sandals, and a headband with white flowers. She was wearing (my) light purple dress with dark purple flowers and a headband with dark purple flowers. Did we think we looked awesome? Uh, NO! We are old and heavy - not delusional. HAHAHAHAHA! But we were fresh and clean, summery and comfy. Well, this woman sort of SNORTED for lack of a nicer term, and said, "Someone robbed their plus-sized granddaughters' closet, I see. Did you two wear those headbands on a dare?" I sort of blinked (mostly because unwarranted rudeness always startles me) and said, "Nope! These are mine, and they didn't have an age mandate on the tags." I smiled, thinking she'd realize how rude she'd been. Huh-uh. She added, "Well, you know I could help you by writing a list for you of more appropriate clothing." I'm pretty tough-skinned and frankly don't really CARE what people think of my 'fashion' choices. Still, I was personally miffed at that point, but I noticed my best friend's shoulders had slumped and she looked as though her day was ruined. I wanted SO MUCH to tell that woman off but that's just not me. Instead, I hugged my beautiful best friend and turned around to pay for our cappuccinos. About the time I turned, I heard a voice - my wonderful friend, Matt who used to work in the B and N cafe but is now one of the managers. He came up behind us, saying, "There's my gorgeous girl!" I turned back to smile at him and saw the smile on his LIPS but the FURY in his eyes. He kind of STARED (okay - he REALLY stared) at the rude woman as he passed her and came up to us, giving me a big hug as always. Then he said, "Is this your twin sister?" (He already knew who she was.) "Wow! Beauty runs in your family. If I were a couple of years older, I'd have to decide which one of you to marry!" (SILLY BOY.) But it made us both shake our heads and laugh. Matt and I are tremendously close! He spends many holidays at our house, he and Ray are buddies, and he loves the 3 ladies we adopted last holiday season. I've watched his 11 year old son for him twice on weekends when Matty had to work late at B and N. And, while I know he is the gentlest soul anyone could meet, he CAN be rough around the edges. The rude woman didn't say another word. And my best friend perked right up. Thank you, Matty. Chivalry is SO not dead!
------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: It's now 4:46 P.M. and I'm here TRYING not to feel sad that my best friend had to leave. Thanks for everyone's sweet comments! Truth is, the ONLY reason I kept my big mouth in check is because I didn't want to spoil the day for Mar. Chris, I have a sharp tongue when I need to. LOL! I just RARELY use it if someone is trying to insult ME. I'm actually pretty at ease in my own body (and there's lots os ROOM to be at ease - LOL) plus I LIKE my crazy clothes! I've also got a BIG collection of buttons - you know - the ones you pin on and they have crazy stuff written on them. I wear the ones that aren't TOO raunchy - like my one that reads: I'm a graduate of the Thelma and Louise Finishing School and the one that reads: You can't bother EITHER of us - we're BiPolar! People kind of look at me funny, but THAT'S my GOAL! I don't wear the REALLY naughty (I lost my virginity but I still have the box it came in) ones TOOOOOOO often. HAHAHAHAHA!!! I'm just saying - the woman didn't bother ME except that I never understand rude people. It just bugged me that she upset Mar. And I had to brag on Matty who sees EVERYONE heart-first! By the way, I see ALL of YOU heart-first! Bet you already knew that, huh?

A WEDDING IN MAUI

2011-07-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted earlier, but I wanted to show you all a few wedding pictures. My grandson got married a week ago today in Maui & below are some sneak peeks of him and my sweet, beautiful new granddaughter, Vanessa! Makes a grandma proud!

I SEE DEAD PEOPLE ... KINDA.

2011-07-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

GOTH. DARK, MYSTERIOUS, SPOOOOOOOKY. BIG, BLACK-LINED EYES. LOTS OF PIERCINGS. LONG BLACK HAIR IN A MYRIAD OF STYLES. BORDERING-ON-DEAD-CHALK-WHITE FACES. PRIMARILY BLACK CLOTHING. FAMILAR CHARACTERS LIKE MORTICIA ADDAMS AND ELVIRA ...

But what, I asked myself, would KAI look like if SHE were a Goth female? Let's see ... take a basic shape (of sorts) ...

Well, that's a START, but that's WAY too generic. Oh, I KNOW! I'd be WELL-ROUNDED! Add some PADDING, Kai! Yes! There you go!

NICE BIG TUMMY AND HIPS, A THOROUGHLY SAGGY BOSOM ... YES! WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS!

UH-HUH! SIDE VIEW IS JUST RIGHT!

AND LET'S NOT FORGET HER BIG OLD BOOTY!

Now, THERE'S the shape I'D be if I were Goth! ROUND! After all, that IS my shape, Goth or not! HAHAHAHA! Okay - let's see what else ... I'm also OLD. Older folks have wrinkles which tend to swallow makeup, leaving us looking as though we're holding ONTO our powder and so forth in the crevices for later!

YEAH!!!! THAT'S SOME SERIOUS OLD-GIRL GOTH MAKEUP THERE!

And how about the attire? Let's see ...

THAT'S IT!!!! As a final touch, I HAD to give her a name and include her favorite friend by her side! Meet Expira (BWAHAHAHAHA) and her pet white rat, Bloodthirsty who has his OWN Goth bling.

I can't TELL you how much fun I had doing this! My partner is the amazingly talented Cherie Day, and we love each other to pieces so she'll KNOW I did my best! I made sure to include a lot of my leftover giggles in her package so she can save them for a rainy day! THANK YOU, CHIRP, FOR BEING MY PARTNER! Kai LOOOOVES YOU!!!

Goin' back to Houston, Houston, Houston! AND DON'T LOOK YET, VIV!

2011-07-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Not only am I back in (hot, steamy) Houston (whee) but that blog title is an old song sung by Dean Martin! AND it's a sneaky kind of segue into the actual TOPIC of this post: my Vacation in a Matchbox Swap photos. I have to confess that I'd wanted to join one of the many matchbox swaps I've seen over the last year or so. However, I was really terrified of disappointing a partner because I'd never TRIED one and I don't do paper things very well. (Okay, okay! I also don't do SEWING or PAINTING or CLAYING - new word there, folks - well either.) But paper and I are NOT friends. I thought, "Hmmm ... maybe if I HOST a swap, I can get away with trying this." So I did. I challenged my swappers to send their partners a vacation in a matchbox - something that is representative of where THEY live. I've seen lots of the swappers' results (will post the picture parade on Saturday the 26th) and I have to tell you, the ladies OUTDID themselves. Me? I did my paper-challenged best! But below is my box to Vivian. Yes, THAT Vivian! The one who can make absolutely EVERYTHING! Uh-huh! The one who can take a bit of spackle and turn it into a masterpiece. Sigh. Wouldn't you just KNOW my housemate would pull HER name for ME???? I worry that my best ATTEMPT is probably her worst NIGHTMARE. But Viv is my friend as well as a sweetheart to the nth degree so I believe she will understand that I TRIED! And, with no further stalling - 'cause that's EXACTLY what I'm doing, you know - please, look below to see my Texas-style vacation!

HERE IS THE BOX, AND 6 THINGS THAT WOULDN'T FIT IN THE BOX.

A VEEEERY TEXAS-SIZED COWGIRL ON A REGULAR-SIZED HORSE! LOL!

THE COWGIRL'S REACTION

THE BOX FRONT WITH - OF COURSE - A YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS!

THE BACK OF THE BOX

MESH ON THE ENDS OF THE BOX

WORDS/MUSIC TO THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS INSIDE THE BOX

INSIDE: COWBOY RIBBON, SPACE SHUTTLE MAGNET, TEXAS SHAPED RUBBER BANDS, COWBOY BUTTONS, KEYCHAIN, AND TEXAS COWBOY RANGER BADGE

GOTTA HAVE A FUNNY BOOK OF TEXAS PRONUNCIATIONS, AS WELL AS POSTCARDS AND A PIECE OF HOUSTON TEXANS FABRIC

THIS BOOK IS WAY TOO FUNNY

I forgot to take a picture of one last thing! I had bought some darling little rose jewelry containers awhile back! I painted one of them yellow (Significant, right? LOL!) and, inside it I put a silvery kitty charm 'cause Viv's a kitty person like I am! Viv, I HOPE you like it! What fun getting to be your partner! Even MORE fun being your FRIEND! LOVE YOU! (Psssst! Do you all think she will notice how crappy my creating is after all that distraction? No? Whew!) NOTE: If I could have figured a way to package ALL of Houston's heat and dry conditions, I would GLADLY have shared that with Viv! I mean, I'd HATE to skimp on anything Houston-y! BWAHAHAHA!

A MILLION AND TEN THINGS - OKAY, OKAY! A COUPLE OF THINGS! LOL!

2011-07-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday - 9:02 A.M. and I just got back from the grocery store and got everything put away. This will probably be one of my only quiet/free times until late this evening or overnight so I thought I'd post now. First, I have to say how HAPPY I am today! Yeah, I know! I'm pretty much ALWAYS some degree of happy. Just EXTRA happy today! Here's why! First, my Jan (Demetralis) is back home from a long (well, it SEEMED long to ME 'cause I MISSED her!) visit with her mom. NOW we can email again! (No computer at her mom's.) Next, my best friend will arrive in a few more hours and will be with me until Friday the 29th! YAY!!!!! Our friend, MaryBear will pick us up THIS Friday at around noon and we'll head out to her place (about 35 miles from here) until Monday afternoon. All the kolas will be there for a 'family' pow wow and FUN time to see Mar and paint MB's house! I can barely WAIT! And remember I said I just returned from grocery shopping? THAT made me happy, too! I have a FAVORITE store I just love going to. We go only once every 2 months now 'cause it's a bit of a distance considering we have one a couple of blocks from here. But I am CRAZY about this store! It has EVERYTHING! THE best fresh produce section EVER! I could LIVE in that department. I know pretty much everyone in the store and it's like a party! Plus they have all the 'specialty' stuff I'm so fond of - certain olive oil, ALL sorts of WONDERFUL international foods, any and everything I can THINK of! Ahhhhhh! Luxury! LOL! (Doesn't take a LOT to please ME, does it?) AND they have a yummy, yummy, yummy area where they make fresh sushi all day long, and mouthwatering sauces to go with it! Japanese is one of my fluent languages, and the folks there are ALL Japanese and speak very little English. Three years ago when I first moved over here, I realized they weren't all fluent in English, so I spoke Japanese to them without giving it a thought. It freaked them out 'cause I guess they don't get a lot of Japanese speaking customers. Hahahaha! Well, I made some marvelous new friends, and they always stuff my Spring rolls with LOTS of extra veggies! AND give me extra spicy wasabi sauce. I got some today! Life is made up of so many small pleasures, isn't it? Finally, on the HAPPY list, with the exception of one of my fairy swappers, everyone has received a beautiful fairy! I'm hoping the last fairy is on her way and flying toward my friend Anita's house as I write! So! There are MY bits and pieces of joy for Tuesday morning! I wish ALL of you HUGE pieces of joy! And a LOT of grins, giggles, and tummy-hurting LAUGHS! Here is a photo of MOI from a couple of years back to get you started laughing. Hopefully, it won't make you ill! BWAHAHAHAHA ... HUGS!!!!

TALK ABOUT AWESOME!!!!!

2011-07-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

Just LOOK at these pictures of the stunning fairy I received in today's mail! O.M.G.!!!!! I HAD seen it, of course, but TRUST ME, pictures do NOT do it justice. This beautiful piece of art was made by my sweet friend, Cherie Day aka Chirp! I tried and TRIED to get a picture from the side so you could see how she enclosed it, but the hateful glare from my lights just gave me grief! Even THESE - the best of all the photos I took - have SOME glare (for which I apologize, Chirp!) Her fairy is paper & has a clay face and GORGEOUS red roses with bright green leaves! RED AND GREEN, folks. WHOOOOOO do we know who's a red-and-green freak? Someone who LOVES Christmas, perhaps? YES! Me, me, me!!!!! And see the silver piece at the bottom? Birdies! I LOVE birdies, and CHIRP is my lil' birdsong! As they say on those tv ads, "But, WAIT! There's MORE!" Yes there IS indeed! See the back of this charming piece? A TROLL! A tiny, adorable, pink-haired, holding his arms out to hug the world TROLL! And PLEASE, note the amazing FLOWERS! I am going to email my dear friend tonight and thank her (OF COURSE!) but I just had to show all of you the thought, the detail, and the love she puts into every single thing her lil' hands touch! I LOOOOOVE my fairy and I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY love my Chirp!

THE FABULOUS PETITE PAPER FAIRY SWAP PARADE!

2011-07-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

When I got the idea to host a paper fairy swap, I wasn't certain anyone would sign up. And I wasn't sure where I was going with MY fairy idea. But I put it on my blog, and THE MOST WONDERFUL people joined! YAY!!!! Because there were an uneven number of swappers, I assigned each person a send-to name but DIDN'T tell them from whom THEY would receive a fairy! Fun, huh? And today I would love to show off the terrific results of this swap! Our swappers consisted of: Susan, Pam, Jen, Jan, Cherie, Kathie, Anita, R'Chelle, and me! I do not yet have ALL the pictures, but I promised to post what I had on the 12th, and so I will! However, I will most DEFINITELY and most PROUDLY post the remainder as I receive them! NOTE: Those I will be adding to THIS post so be sure to come back often and check for updates, okay?) Now, without any more of my chatter, I give you the fairy parade!

Kathie's darling fairy - WITH EXTRA CLOTHES! - to Jen

And the home for Kathie's fairy! Isn't this the cutest?

Cherie's amazing work of art which - YAY!!! - I will be getting! I'll have to upload the other photo later - it doesn't want to work for me. But it's soooooo cute and clever!!!

Pam's gorgeous feminine fairy for Cherie!

And just LOOK at her garden home! How pretty is THAT?

This is Jen's (aka JustJingle) beautiful fairy for Susan! Got to LOVE the bird!!! Jen definitely has a way with paper!

The TWO fairies by Anita for Jan! The homes they are in are CANS, folks! HOW CLEVER, huh? And I love the way the wings extend!

Isn't this the most clever lil' button fairy by Susan for Pam? She makes me SMILE!!!!

And the button fairy lives HERE! SO HAPPY!

My Jan is amazing! Look at her beautiful fairy for R'Chelle! There were extras too, but Jan is out of town so I'm not sure what they were yet! I don't want to post the wrong stuff.

You've already seen this - my fairy for Kathie!
And there you have it! What I have so far of the FABULOUS FAIRY PARADE! I'm thrilled with every one of these wonderful, artistic sweethearts and their creations! THANK YOU for joining this swap! And don't forget, everyone! Come back and peek at this post again throughout the next 4 or so days because I WILL add pictures as I receive them!

SAVE ME! SAVE ME! I'M BURIED IN PAPERWORK AND CAN'T GET OUT!!!!!

2011-07-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

THIS is pretty much what I have waiting for me to finish this week. STACKS & STACKS of manuscript hard copies - not to MENTION just as many 'scripts I'll be emailing to clients. There are 2 competitions going on and everyone wants to submit. Actually, so do I, but THAT'S not happening! It's cool though because once I finish all of these things, I THINK I will have earned back most of what I spent going to Washington 3 times AND the last couple of doctor bills I paid. TA-DA! So while I AM buried, I'm pleased. Still, I thought I would let everyone know I may not get to do a lot of personal emailing these next 4-5 days. I will do quick blog posts - especially once I get photos of the last few fairies - so I can show everyone how freakin' AMAZING my swappers are! I'm like a proud mommy! I LOOOOOOVE the sweethearts in all THREE of my swaps! Besides a post here and there, I will also answer any questions re: the ongoing Vacation in a Matchbox AND Goth Doll swaps! I PROMISE! But if I owe you a personal email, it may be several days till I get a chance to answer. Don't give up on me, okay? Pretty please!!!! And now - without further ado - off I go to grab a glass of water and come back here and edit some more! Do me one favor, all of you? Have some FUN on my behalf! And leave me a comment telling me what 'I' did that was fun! LOL! Besides, your comments go toward my THREE giveaway drawings when I reach the 300th post and THIS is 295. HUGS TO EVERYONE!

FEEDING THE TROOPS

2011-07-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is a multi-purpose picture. Yep! See, I am doing the 31 Days of Photos challenge on a Flickr group and Day 16's topic is supposed to be 'Dinner tonight'. This weekend (in fact, yesterday through tomorrow night) I have the three ~~terrors~~ ladies from the 2 nearby nursing homes as my guests. LOL! Actually, they are DOLLS. But Mavis, the oldest of the three (shhhhh - I don't want her to know I told you that because SHE thinks she's still quite young!) is a PISTOL! She likes to be entertained 24/7. She ALSO likes to seriously chow down! I was trying to think of something filling and easy and decided to make an old 'friend', Chicken Tortillas Crockpot. Only I don't make it in the crockpot because when I DO make it I make two pans in the oven, and freeze one for a future time. That's exactly what I did today. If you can open a can, you can make this! And the ladies are happy campers! So's my housemate! AND ME because I made a smaller pan for the 16th - next Saturday - which Ray and I will have for dinner and I will have a legit photo for the challenge! TA-DA! Here is how it looks after I pulled it from the oven:

And HERE is the recipe!
Ingredients:
4 cans of chicken breast meat (I use Swanson all white meat) drained (You CAN use freshly cooked and boned chicken, of course.)
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes (original, not extra hot)
4 cans of cream of chicken soup (do not add any water)
16 oz. of shredded cheese (Okay, I use MORE. LOTS more.)
12 corn tortillas, cut into strips about the size of your ring finger.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix EVERYTHING in a big old bowl.

Heavily spray a big (bigger than 9" x 13"!!!) baking pan with vegetable spray.
Put mixture in pan and cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes COVERED, then remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes UNCOVERED to allow the edges to slightly brown.

This is GOOOOOOD by itself OR served with avacado slices or guacamole, and/or sour cream, shredded lettuce, or any other topping you like! Not too shabby with a Margarita either! And although I don't drink, I have been known to make my guests a big pitcher of them and ME one drink sans the tequila. Today, it will be iced tea all around! LOL! OH! This IS technically called Chicken Tortillas Crock Pot, so if you are not inclined to feed an ARMY, you can cook it on HIGH in your crockpot for a couple of hours, then finish it on low. Truth is, the cooking is MUCH more even in the oven! Let me know if anyone tries it. I promise you, es muy delicioso!

FABULOUS PETITE PAPER FAIRY (WITH A STORY, NO LESS!) FOR MY SWEET PARTNER

2011-07-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

I am a Virgo. We are known to be somewhat ... errr ... anal, if you will. Okay, a NICER way to phrase it would be routine-oriented, extremely organized, rule-following ... never mind. I was right the FIRST time. ANAL! Lol! I am hosting three swaps - the Fabulous Petite Paper Fairy Swap being the first. When I thought of this swap, I'd intended to go in an ENTIRELY different direction. In fact, I actually completed the original fairy. And I HATED the poor little creature. She was, to ME, too 'trendy/cutesy'. Nawwwww. Not what I wanted. Because I tend to be a serious follower of rules (I will forego any more use of that 'A' description) I decided I wanted my fairy to LITERALLY be 99% PAPER. Okay - the first fairy fit THAT criteria, yet I just didn't feel that she was RIGHT. So I gave it some time because I was pretty sure my intended fairy would make herself known to me. And she did. I was talking to my friend, MaryBear, last week and, in reference to something we were talking about, she said, "You know, Ijapuh, everybody sees that you attract shapeshifters. It's because you're such a dog soldier. I say that's good." My reaction to her comment was to holler, "YES!! Shapeshifters. Dog soldiers. Spirit women." MaryBear suggested I drink a LOT of water 'cause she was sure I was dehydrated and having a minor heat stroke. LOL!!!! At any rate, her words brought my paper fairy straight to me. I know she is vastly imperfect. But I love her. I UNDERSTAND her. And she is most certainly 99% paper! With that said, I'd like to introduce you to Eka-Nape. In my language, that mean Red Foot. I chose to name her that NOT because her FEET are red but because she is a Human Being who walks the Red Road, believes the old ways, LIVES the life of a traditional Comanche person as much as possible. Eka-Nape is a spirit woman who attracts Shapeshifters - mysticals who can be human, animal, or even plants. Here is how she was constructed. I made a thin-wire armature (part of the 1% non-paper construction) and covered it with paper floral tape. Next I painted the tape a burnt sienna. Made her a mask-face of paper clay and let it dry before sanding/painting THAT. While the mask dried, I took paper bags and cut her a dress and knee-high mocassins. The mocs I painted a brown mix and added beads and cut paper fringe. The dress I sprayed with a suede-texture paint. I love that paint! Her wings are heavier corrugated paper painted blue and black, the colors in the (obviously non-paper) feathers I used as part of her wings. And her hair is plain old typing paper painted black and lightly corrugated for texure, then molded to look like flowing hair. Suede strings became her choker. A few very small seed beads adorn her choker and boots and also serve as earrings. In keeping with the paper theme, I used a paper mache letter K, painted red with black and stamped with symbols indicative of the culture. And using a paper mache dog which was as close to a wolf as I could do, I gave her Esa - WOLF - a shapeshifter friend who has a beaded shield and glittering eyes. Eka-Nape rides her Shapeshifter wolf deep into the woods where he may or may not become his former self. And when the pair stop to rest and feel the spirits of their surroundings, they lean against the K. That is my story and I am happy with what I made. I hope SO much my swap partner likes Eka-Nape and Esa 'cause I have a TRULY amazing partner and I DEFINITELY want to please her!

NOTE: My partner, Kathie, will get her fairy tomorrow and I warned her not to read today's post. So Kathie, STOP READING! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! No, REALLY. Quit. NOW - before you see the photos.

PAT, PAT, PAT, PAT - OUCH! - PAT, PAT, PAT ...

2011-07-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

OUCH! I'm soooooo sore, but I can't seem to STOP myself. Pat, pat, pat ...!

Huh? What am I doing? Oh. I'm ... ummm ... patting myself on the back. BWAHAHAHAHA! Guess what I DID today? I FINISHED, yes - COMPLETED, DID ALL OF, WRAPPED UP ... FINISHED my Vacation in a Matchbox Swap! Wooooohoooo! And, shock of all shocks, I LIKE it! Now I can begin my Goth Doll. Ohhhhh, am I planning to have fun with HER! Ideas and plans for her are doing AEROBICS in my head! I guess my 4th of July 'celebration' hasn't been exactly what one would expect. But then, there's not MUCH I do that anyone expects. (Okay. Except act like a nut. And I'll have you know, I'm not ACTING! LOL!) I spent my day creating, watching a few of the shows (such as Next Food Network Star & old SVU episodes) that I had recorded, serving my housemate a meal of yesterday's leftovers - ham, potato salad, and baked beans plus a homemade lemon cream pie, and talking on the phone with my best friend. (This is her first holiday of any kind since her husband lost his battle to cancer last month.) I enjoyed this day. I think I'm going to celebrate it again tomorrow! Wonder if I can get away with serving that meal one more time ... errrr ... guess not, huh? Hope all of YOU lovelies had a maaaahhhhhvelous 4th!

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

2011-07-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

SWAP, SWAP, SWAP!

Tonight I sent my GOTH DOLL SWAPPERS their partners. They will send to ONE person, and another person will send to THEM. (That's because we had an uneven number of players. AND it's FUN!) I LOVE hosting swaps! I love participating in them, too! They make us THINK - often outside the box. And THAT, in turn, makes us sharper creatively. (Okay, okay. In MY case it just means I do something a bit crazier than the LAST thing I did. LOL!) So I wanted to say to any of you who've NEVER done a swap because you're not quite certain what they are, how they work, if you can do it 'right', etc., to jump in and participate in one soon. Even if it's not one I'm hosting or one I'm IN, if you have questions and want to join in but are nervous, write to me at kola54@sbcglobal.net and I will answer your questions! PROMISE! I've been online since 2004, and I was SO computer illiterate, so scared, so DUMB those few short years ago. Thank GOODNESS for wonderful people I met along the way. People like Judi Wellnitz of Alaska who was the FIRST friend I met online, saw me through a dozen or more computer dilemmas and introduced me to groups and so forth. Helen Grossman talked me through WAY too many computer breakdowns. Generous artists shared their tips and techniques. In so many cases, online people became online FRIENDS. Some have become lifetime friends. I'm grateful. And being a SOMEWHAT seasoned old online gal by now, I'd truly like to give back. So if you are reading this and would like to know about swaps or, for THAT matter, anything else related to interacting with other artists, I'll do my level best to answer you. I'm a bumblehead - everyone KNOWS that - but sometimes a bumblehead is pretty good at explaining stuff! LOL! And finally, going back to the wonderful ladies signed up for my three ongoing swaps I say, "WOW! Do you girls ever ROCK! LOVE YOU!"

RED, WHITE, & BLUE - HAPPY FOURTH TO ALL OF YOU!

2011-07-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here's wishing all of you a wonderful, SAFE 4th of July! I hope you experience parades, summertime activities galore, and yummy food, be it bbq, picnic fare, or whatever YOU like! Stay cool, drink LOTS of water, and RELAX. As for me, I'm giving a special shout-out to my favorite (and ONLY) wonderful grandson, who is serving his 3rd year in the Army. Thank you, Jake-Man, for what you do. I love you more than coffee!

Sgt. Jacob Joseph

SECRETS

2011-07-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

THESE THINGS HIDDEN blew me away. I read it - all 337 glorious pages - in a single night. That was a week ago, but I'm just now getting to tell you about it. I'd already read and loved Heather Gudenkauf's first book, THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE. So, naturally, I had to check out her second one. I have the 'official' synopsis below the cover photo, but let me just say that it doesn't begin to do this book justice. Kudenkauf's characters are wonderful, terrible, sympathetic, frustrating, recognizable in some way to EVERYONE, and heartbreakingly REAL. It's a mystery, but it's so much more. I hope you'll read it. And I will add it to my 3-days of giveaways - one for each 100 posts - when I reach my 300th post. That should be VERY SOON because this is my 290th! For three consecutive days I will choose a name from those of you who comment between now and that time, and will send each of the 3 winners a little goody box. If this book appeals to you, DO let me know so I can be certain it's added to the box of someone who wants it! And whether or not you WIN it, you really SHOULD check it out! This author can write!

When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn—shy, quiet Brynn—who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.

But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.

Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

See? Aren't you intrigued? Yep! KNEW you would be!

TAKING A LITTLE BREAK

2011-06-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

I realize that I am absolutely TIRED TO THE MAX. Last night I 'published' a poor-pitiful-me kinda post but removed it first thing this morning because it sounded like I was being a little whine-tail. And I DO NOT admire whining - ESPECIALLY when I'M the one doing the whining! LOL! It finally hit me that I have not yet given myself a chance to STOP, BREATHE, AND RELAX MY MIND since I returned from the several back-and-forth, out-of-town trips. Instead, I just came home and got busy getting busy! I've finally finished my editing, the house is clean, my housemate who's been ill & VERY pitiful, is well enough to NOT be waited on quite so much, and I don't have to teach any classes until the end of July! So I think I will give myself a little gift and take tomorrow through Saturday OFF. I'm going to work on my swap things and go to Barnes and Noble (tomorrow) for cappuccinos and conversation, nap a little here and there, and read a LOT. At night, I will watch 2 hours of mindless tv. Ahhhhh. And WHY, you ask, am I telling you all this? Because I can. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Not really! I just want you to know I AM here if anyone in my swaps needs something answered (email me) or needs me for anything else that requires an immediate answer. Otherwise, I am going to don my invisible shield and ... POOF! ... disappear until Sunday. I hope all of you stay cool and do at least SOME self-indulging! It really IS good for us now and then. Don't believe me? Well, come back and read the post I'll write Sunday. I suspect it's going to be so relaxed you'll think I'm in la-la land. (Huh? EXCUUUUUUSE me? I'm ALWAYS in la-la land???? Who said that? WELL???? Not talking, eh?) That's okay! Just THINKING about relaxing is making me smile! LATER!

SWAP INFO UPDATES

2011-06-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

GOOOOOOOD MORNING!

I want to update everyone on the three - COUNT 'EM - THREE swaps I have going! For more detail, you can, of course, go back to the original posts about them, but here's the quick version of each for your viewing pleasure! HAHAHAHAHA! (Good thing I'm feeling happy and fiesty today! I have to teach three classes at two different places between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.! Yikes! But I LOVE doing it!) Anyway, here's the 'rundown':

Fabulous Petite Paper Fairy Swap: Everyone has a partner but DOESN'T know who will be mailing to HER. FUN, FUN, FUN! Fairies SHOULD fly out your doors NO LATER THAN July 5th! IF you feel you will be a bit late, PLEASE let ME know so I can alert your partner. 'K?

Vacation in a Matchbox Swap: I have JUST finished sending all swappers a partner, and I have to say, my housemate Ray pulled some AMAZINGLY great matches (hahahaha - matches for a matchbox swap) for each of you! Don't forget to represent YOUR state and/or city and show your partner WHY they are having a GREAT TIME when they open that box! I'm having a BLAST doing mine, especially now that I know who will get it. She's as fun as they come! You should mail your packages no later than July 25th!!!!!

Goth Doll Swap: I will assign partners by July 3rd. Right now the swap is STILL OPEN for SIGN-UPS!!!!! I'd LOVE to have more people join, but even if no one else does, we have some super swappers! Still ... c'mon and join, everyone! I mean - you get to make a GOTH doll of ANY size or style! Fun and stress-free! (La-di-da-di-da ... I'm WAAAAAIIIITING!) Anyway, THAT package needs to be mailed by August 1st!

NOTE: For ALL three swaps, I ask that you PLEASE send me a picture BEFORE you mail your packages! That way, I can post them to my blog after the swap and brag on ALL OF YOU!

So there it is in a nutshell - which is pretty darned appropriate considering who's hosting all these swaps! And this post will give all you swappers a good, quick reference point for the particulars. But of COURSE I am always going to answer any questions if you email me!

HAVE FUN, DON'T STRESS, SEND EXTRAS IF YOU CHOOSE BUT NOT BECAUSE YOU MUST AS IT'S NEVER REQUIRED, AND PLEASE, PLEASER, PLEASIEST DO NOT DISAPPOINT YOUR PARTNER BY FAILING TO MAIL THEM A SWAP ITEM! IF YOU FEEL YOU CANNOT, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL DO IT. (But I KNOW all of my lovely swappers personally, so I don't worry about that.)

Okay! I'm off to teach! Have a MAJORLY wonderful Saturday!

ALL FOR YOU!

2011-06-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

I'm blowing millions of kisses to EACH of you tonight because I think you - yes, YOU, my Blogland friends - are JUST FREAKIN' AWESOME! Earlier, I was thinking about how many wonderful people I've come to know since I started this blogging endeavor, and it blows my mind! Some of you, I've known since 2004. Some, I've known for a matter of months. Some, I met just recently. But ALL of you teach me, reach out to me, enrich me. And I'm so grateful to and FOR each one of you! I hope, over the years, to actually MEET some of you in person, and hug the daylights out of you. (Oh, YES! Kai is DEFINITELY a hugging kind of person!) In the meantime, tonight, please catch a whole BUNCH of the virtual hugs & kisses I'm sending your way! THANK YOU for giving so much to me. And thank you for allowing me to be a lil' virtual piece of your lives!

COULDN'T BE BETTER IF IT HAD COME TIED WITH A BIG RED BOW!

2011-06-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-DE-AY,
We had some RAIN today!
It wasn't much, but still,
It got us wet! FOR REAL!

Each flower raised its head,
And saw it WASN'T dead!
Brown grass sighed with relief,
As did each leaf!

Ta-ra-ra BOOM-DE-AY!
No scorching HEAT today!
The wildfires raging fast,
Are now things OF the past!

Our sky was nice and gray,
No blaring sun today!
Instead it felt so great
at 78!

Yeah, I KNOW! RIDICULOUS, CORNY, METER IS OFF, ETC. But, can you guess that I'm SUPER happy about today's weather? Ohhhhhhhh, yesssssss!

VACATION IN A MATCHBOX SWAP PLEA

2011-06-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today, besides getting my HAIR CUT WITH SOME CUTE LIL' SPIKIES - LOL! , I also bought some VERY neat things to add when I do my matchbox! Are you curious? TOO BAD! BWAHAHAHAHAHA. (Bad, bad Kai. Spiked hair makes me even SILLIER!) Anyway, so far, I have 7 people signed up & I really WOULD like an even number. Sooooo ... anyone reading this who may be interested, you all have till the 25th to sign up. C'mon! Just ONE MORE SWEET PERSON. If you ARE interested, scroll down to my swap info post or email me at kola54@sbcglobal.net and I'll just sign you right up! And while I'm begging ... errr ... talking about swaps, There's LOTS of time left to sign up for the Goth Doll Swap! You KNOW THAT'S gonna be a BLAST! I mean, REALLY! Goth is just F.U.N.! The Fabulous Petite Paper Fairy Swap is WELL underway, and by the 5th of July, all you fairy swappers should have mailed your darling fairies! Don't forget to send ME a photo BEFORE you mail so I can show all of them on my blog after everyone has received her package!
Okay. I've driven you crazy enough with swaps. But let me SHOW you something I made before I stop jabbering. My beautiful, wonderful friend, Chirp (Cherie Day) wasn't in Cindy's bug swap. However, I decided to send her a mini-bug box, too! Just for fun, dontcha' know? Here is the bug doll I made for her. I called her Ant Tenna! HAHAHAHA ... ooops. Sorry. Anyway, I had a great time making her! And, yeah, yeah, yeah! I DOOOOO know my sewing abilty is ZERO!

Note: When I finished her, I added a wicker roll for her to hold on her way to - what else - a PICNIC! It had a tiny milk bottle, and some plates and forks. Alrighty. I'm outta here!

BUGGIES ON THE LOOSE!

2011-06-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

What's THIS? Why, it seems to be a little pear. And it IS. But why am I showing you a pear? Well, you see, it's what I sent to my wonderful BUG SWAP partner, Cindy Owens, the sweety who HOSTED the swap! Huh? I was s'posed to send a BUG for the swap? Uh-oh! My bad. Or perhaps not ...

Why, whoever is this little guy peeking out from that pear?

Oh! It's a small snail with a lil' orange shell! He's kinda CUTE for a generally slimy sorta critter, isn't he? And he really DOES love living in his pear!

My Amigurami snail was accompanied by a variety of EXTRA buggy critters in lots of shapes and materials, but I took photos only of the snail. Cindy said she likes him because he isn't a REAL snail. (Shhhhh! HE thinks he IS! LOL!)