Tuesday, October 30, 2007

National Candy Corn Day...

Yup, that is what today is! I heard it on the radio...it must be so!

I think the best way to celebrate this day is to eat as much candy corn as possible!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Grief Is The Price We Pay For Love...

Yes, I truly believe that grief is the price we pay for love.

After reading that sentence, you may think me cynical. Not so. That sentence pertains directly to my beloved dogs. I love them completely. I know that someday I will face life without them. It is inevitable that I will mourn their loss. The time will come sooner for some...sooner than it should. Sooner than I am...or will be...ready for.

Grief...part of the healing process...is so very difficult.

When Cruiser died...when I made the decision to end his time with me, I knew it was the right decision...for him. I could not ask him to stay with me any longer when he was so sick and losing more & more of himself. I feel no guilt. Only a deep-down and abiding sadness. After 8 months, I still cannot say more than a few words of Cruiser without my eyes overflowing with tears. I miss him so. I feel an emptiness that is with me always...still.

Grief...the act of grieving is a very complicated process...and a very individual one. I surprise myself with the amount of pain I feel with his loss...the length of time it is taking me to get ‘over’ losing Cruiser. Surprise...because of my profession as a vet tech...my practical nature...because I knew the day was coming.

It takes time...am hesitating to say this because I do not wish to sound trite...but it is oh, so true. Time does heal all wounds. At least to the extent that we allow them to be healed. The day does finally arrive when it becomes easier to tuck the memories away. A day when every breath taken is not filled with sadness.

Tammy, an online friend of mine, had to make the difficult decision to end her beloved Truvy’s life this week. She is in my thoughts and prayers...I know what she is going through.


Empathy inspired this doodle of my mind.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

...gettin' carried away ~ available to PRE-ORDER



YAY...My number 1 project is about ready to go! Time to start getting the word out!


I have been mulling this over for several months and finally decided to go for it! So...


What I am offering is a selection of Melinda Watson's primitive designs...6 in all, with one of them being a design that was available for a very short time on my website and has not been seen since 2003!
"...gettin' carried away, part 1" is available to
PRE-ORDER until November 1
when I list this in my eBay store.
First shipment will be November 2.
These designs may be hooked, punched, stitched or painted.
The booklet is priced at $13.00, which includes
shipping via USPS First Class Mail.
If paying with PayPal, send money to browndogprims@wildblue.net.
If you'd like to pay with a personal check,
please email me for my mailing address.
All pre-orders will receive a bonus pattern.


I am so excited to have finally finished this project...and to be able to offer it to all my rug hooking, needle punching, stitching and painting friends!

Raising Sand...

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss...a seemingly unlikely pair.
Click on this link and see what this collaboration sounds like!
I am very impressed, for sure!!!
This is supposed to be the just the one song, but it continues on!
I love their voices...and this music...awesome!!
The album came out on the 23rd and is Amazon.com's bestseller!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Happy Birthday to me...

Okay, my birthday isn't for a few months, yet. BUT, I did buy myself a gift! OH MY GOSH...this is great!!! Kelley showed this on her blog (With Hook and Needle) a while back and I was fascinated! It was sold out for awhile, but is now available! I found the best deal on eBay...and it arrived today! YAY!!! I tried it out already and WOW! Cannot wait til I actually run out of bobbin thread on my machine so I can use it again! haha.

SIDEWINDER™ THE PORTABLE BOBBIN WINDER
For more information, click on this link: Sidewinder

Monday, October 22, 2007

Kashmir

Yup, the name of a song (need I say whose song it is?)...but also, the name of my favorite background dye recipe. My 2sheep background is hooked with this!

With this recipe, one makes a solution, and then takes whatever amount one desires per 1/2 yard wool. I threw a bunch of woolens into the pot last night with varying amounts of the dye solution...here is what I ended up with...


The two pieces on the far left were previously overdyed with something like dirty snow, only not grays but tans, and seemed to have a bit of pink undertone (still do, I think). The next one, 3rd from the left, is a dirty white texture from Rebecca Erb. Cannot for the life of me think of what she called it, but I am going to see if she has more! The 4th and 5th pieces were Fraser natural wool. I used more solution on these 3 middle pieces than I usually do and I am very happy with how they look. The end two on the right were pieces I already had overdyed...so they sat on the cupboard and waited for their mates. The piece across the bottom had been overdyed with Kashmir at some other time and, for some reason, which I find hard to believe, had almost no mottling. I threw that piece into one of the pots after the vinegar had been added and almost all of the color was taken up...it has mottling now!

Did some hooking Saturday night and yesterday, but am not happy with all of it, so am in the process of reverse hooking.

Dancing With the Stars is on soon...YAY!!!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

It's Been a Long Time Since I Rock & Rolled...

And, it appears that it will be even longer. Apparently, my name was not drawn in the first drawing of names for the Led Zeppelin concert at the O2 in London. Drat it! There will be a second drawing (or has it happened already?) of those tickets not grabbed up by the first batch of names...not holding my breath (like I ever was?). There is no word that the concert will be recorded...perhaps it will be and I'll see it then. Course, one can always hope that the boys will be so inspired by their reception that they'll do a U.S. tour. Yeah, right. {sigh}

Saturday, October 20, 2007

...gettin' carried away

Still working on my number one project. ~saltbox, sheep, pumpkin, crow, acorns~
7 more days...I'm excited...are you?
My number two project is going on at the same time. WOOL all over the living room...
covering one sofa and several totes full. Dyeing/marrying...planning to put together some woolen bundles. Awesome colors...especially reds and darks. Some pretty great-looking browns, too!

My number three project - which is the hugest and most exciting of all - is on hold at the moment. Take my word for it...it will be well worth the wait.

AND, even though I have not finished 2sheep, I AM GOING TO START on my next rug!!! I am just too excited to be able to put it off any longer. ~abc's, dogs, pumpkins~ rich fall colors ~ Something totally different for me!Took a page out of Brenis' book today...with a million things going on and to do, I visited a quilt shop this a.m....bought a bit of fabric to make a curtain for my bathroom window. Currently, it is bare...no shade or anything. Just gonna be a simple little tabbed curtain on a spring tension rod.The leaves are finally showing some beautiful colors, so will try to get photos one day soon! It's sunny outside...too bad I have so much to do indoors!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

...gettin' carried away

I tell ya...life certainly can get in the way of those creative juices. Moving really put a crimp into my plans...don't get me wrong...I absolutely LOVE living here!! Who wouldn't benefit from living in the country versus a crime-ridden neighborhood???? At any rate, it appears that time/energy/creative juices kicked in all at the same time and I am overflowing with ideas!!! So, that means that I am FINALLY putting the finishing touches on ONE of my projects!!! This is something I've been mulling over for all of this year...not a HUGE project...but I seem to put way too much thought into each thing I do, lately...wonder if it's my age...being a perfectionist (read anal)...or what??? HA!

The Final Countdown!!!! ...in 9 days you will see what I am talking about!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Paul's Family Visit...

As I said in my previous post, Paul & family stopped by when my sisters were here. I don't see them much, so it was a great surprise!

My son, Paul, with his fiance, Rachel...they're watching a video of cousin Tony.


Great Aunt Joyce immediately took Kaylynn Marie and held her on her lap. Kaylynn is now 2 1/2 years old...she's wearing the apple hat that Great-Gram knitted for her. Isn't it cute?

Devin, Rachel's son, loves Tango!



Kaylynn and Devin think giving treats to the dogs is great fun! The dogs had just finished eating when they came...they were out of their crates and playing together with the kids before long.





This picture is a bit blurry...but I love having a photo of me cuddling with Kaylynn!


Too short, but a nice visit! Come again, soon!!


Saturday, October 13, 2007

2 Days with my SISTERS...the Visit!

As the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end"...but what a good visit my sisters and I had! I love my sisters...though we live apart from the others, we are all close in heart...and always so appreciative of the time we have together.

Here is the arrival of 2 of my 3 sisters in the late afternoon on Thursday. Joyce (14 mos older) is on the left, and Jill (7 years younger) is the driver. Julie, who moved to Colorado earlier this year, did not come.


After unloading the vehicle, meeting the dogs and getting settled...and after I showed Joyce and Jill my house, we sat down and chatted for a bit and then exchanged gifts. Our Mom had sent along a few things for us to open, too...and we called Julie (at work in Colorado) while we opened everything.

Here's Joyce on the phone with Julie...

Here's Jill on the phone with Julie...


She's holding up a framed sketch our Mom did of a piece of our childhood...the brick wall at the end of our driveway. At least 1/2 of us had mishaps which involved this wall...can you say, "OUCH"? Here's a better photo of the sketch. Good job, Mom!!


Jill has a longtime friend who sings & plays guitar in small venues (bars) and he was in Madison that night, playing at Babes American Bar & Grill. Joyce had never seen Tuck perform, so we went out for the evening. I call him a hillbilly, just cuz he's a good ole country boy. He sings some Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Badfinger...as well as his own music. He's pretty good and fun to listen to.

Here's Tuck - at the end of his night - with Joyce and Jill...

By the time we got home and went to bed, it was about 2:00...{yawn}. The dogs and I got up at 5:30 and spent a very quiet time together until my sisters got their lazy butts out of bed around 8:00. I made breakfast and we spent a nice chatty morning together until it was time to get moving and ready to go SHOPPING! We went to Kohl's, which is one of my most favorite stores...


Jill wanted to know, "Does this color look good on me???" Joyce and I both thought so, so she bought this jacket...


We ate at Perkins, a favorite place to eat...we all had the famous BLT Chicken Breast Salad.

Though none of us needed it, we split a chocolate malt 3 ways...ohyummy~





















We were so full, we could barely smile! haha!

Yes, this is the only picture of me with either of my sisters.


After rolling out of the booth and getting back into the car...Joyce wanted to buy souvenirs. Off we went to Wisconsin Active Sportswear where she bought t-shirts and sweatshirts and magnets, keychains and a shot glass! Good job, Joyce!


One more stop...Harley Davidson! Jill and Joyce have long been associated with Harley Davidson bikes & men.



Finally, we are DONE with shopping! YAY! We came back home to my house, chatted while they got ready to leave and then Joyce and Jill had a quick bite to eat. Just before they were ready to go, my son showed up with his family. Joyce and Jill had never met Paul's fiance, Rachel, or her son, Devin...or his daughter, Kaylynn, so it was good that they had some time with them before taking off for Jill's house. (more about Paul's family in another post)

Great Aunts Joyce and Jill with Kaylynn...





Joyce and Jill must get going...



BYE!
I love you~
and miss you already~

Thursday, October 11, 2007

2 Days with my SISTERS...

This is for those of you who don't know the story behind the annual SISTERS weekend that I mentioned in my previous post. Perhaps you've noticed that on my list of favorite books, I listed 'everything by Nicholas Sparks'. I eagerly await each new novel (in fact, his newest, "The Choice" is available now!) and am not sure if I have a favorite! At any rate, my story starts with the arrival of his book, "Three Weeks With My Brother", which came out in the spring of 2004. It's a story of Nicholas Sparks and his brother, Micah, who took 3 weeks to travel around the world together in early 2003. Here is what Nicholas has to say about this time in his life...

"...This, then, is a story about brotherhood. It’s the story of Micah and me, and the story of our family. It’s a story of tragedy and joy, hope and support. It’s the story of how we’ve matured and changed and taken different paths in life, but somehow grown even closer. It is, in other words, the story of two journeys; one journey that took my brother and me to exotic places around the world, and another, a lifetime in the making, that has somehow led us to become the best of friends."

To read more, click on this link: Three Weeks With My Brother

This story moved me entirely more than I thought possible. It's not an exciting, suspenseful book...but a book of discoveries and of time spent together. It inspired me to try to find more time with my family...special time. Not the usual 'all the relatives for a special event' get together. The majority of my relatives, including my Mom and her husband, live about 3 hours away in Eau Claire. I have a sister (Joyce) in Alaska, my baby sister (Jill) a few hours away here in Wisconsin, and Julie, who lived in the apartment next to mine for several years but moved to Colorado earlier this year. I see my family a few times a year...usually when I travel to see them. So. I decided that it would be great to have Mom down to Madison for a visit....just her...just time alone with me Mum. She came that early summer (YAY!) and again the next year. Course, I had to share some of that time with Julie, since she lived right there, but Mom and I did have time alone. Mom didn't come last year...I was planning to spend a week in Eau Claire...but that's when Cruiser was having problems, so I didn't go. And, of course, if you are a faithful reader of my blog (who isn't?), you already know that Mom came for a short visit in early September...just a month ago.

At the same time, back in 2004, I decided that it would be nice if my sisters & I could have time alone...without Mom...without kids...without friends and relatives around...just the 4 J's (Joyce, Jacque, Julie, Jill). Joyce travels to Wisconsin once a year, so we take a few days for our SISTERS weekend when she is here. It is a great time! We do nothing special...just be with each other. We usually bring small gifts for each other, but that is not a requirement. We shop, eat, talk, laugh, eat, talk, laugh...it is a very special time for us! Mom keeps asking if she can come...ummmmm, NO! {grin} Julie won't be with us this year, but we shall chat on the phone with her. (She'll be home for Christmas.)

In preparation, I am a cleaning fool this a.m.! Joyce hasn't seen my house in the country, and Jill had just a quick run through, so I want everything sparkling! I groomed the dogs last night, so they're looking good. I do not enjoy cleaning at all, but I do enjoy a clean house!

And, there you have it...the story behind SISTERS weekend. Don't worry, I'll take lots of photos to share!

Sunday, October 7, 2007

2Sheep

I worked on my 2sheep rug this weekend...it's getting pretty close to being done! The border is finally up around the corner and the background on the left side of the ewe is done! YAY!

BUT, I am almost out of the border wool! OHNO! I dyed some today but it's not quite the same, so I guess I'll have to start hooking it here and there into the already done border so I can use what I pull out. Geez.
I probably won't be hooking for the rest of the week. Two of my sisters are coming at the end of the week for our annual get together - SISTERS Weekend. YAY! I'll write more about that later. At any rate, here's how far I got...


Eyes are still undone and I see a few more things I need to correct. One being the upper left corner leaf. The original pattern used that leaf as the outside corner, but I added 2 rows...may have to rethink that. I have another photo with all of my 'to be tweaked/fixed' areas circled! There are a lot of circles, that's for sure! Do you have that going on when you hook? Photos are great, cuz they allow you to see what you're doing from a distance and all kinds of things show up!
I just want to be done with this so that I can start my next project! I started pulling woolens out of my stash...am most anxious to start it!
Tomorrow is Monday...and no mail. I only work 3 days this week. YAY!

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

Now that the flowers are turning a bit more rusty colored, I lopped a flower head off a Sedum plant. As I said in a previous post, this color reminded me of a piece of wool I had dyed. Took photos...see? I LOVE this color and will definitely name it "autumn joy". Watch for it to be used in my next project!

Monday, October 1, 2007

2Sheep

I'm getting there...slowly. Here is the entire rug. The eyes are yet undone and I have about 5 other areas I need to tweak or just plain do over.



Here is a closeup of the border, which is a yummy black/brown...



Hook ON!

Doodling...on Words.

My favorite word of all time is perspicacity.
Disparage
ranks a close second.
Do you have favorite words that you use (or overuse?) on a regular basis?
Here are a few of my favorites...
perhaps
apparently
regardless
doofus
Am sure I will think of more, but that's all for now!