A Birthday Bash for Gage

"The Man" and I live very quiet lives, so when there is a family gathering at my house its always a little stressful on "The Man" and me. My family get togethers are FUN, loud, rowdy, wild, and very busy. Gage's birthday was no exception.

Gage is my grandson who is turning 10. His real birthday is on the 29th of this month, but because he is heading back down to his Dad's for the school season, we had a birthday party for him here at our house.

I asked him what sort of food was his favorite and he choose one of my favorites too. ha SPAGHETTI!!! He must take after his mothers side, lol.........we all LOVE spaghetti. I cooked up a huge batch of sauce and noodles. Melissa made a very cute cake for him too. Here are some pictures from that WONDERFUL FUN DAY!


Gage is making a "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" game

Gage's Birthday CAke, Melissa made it.

Playing the Donkey game.


Opening up his camping cot

Couch of my dreams gone bad

After buying all kinds of furniture “The Man” and I decided to stop buying cheep crap and buy something that will last for years. We searched online and hunted in all the local furniture stores. What is the deal? Why are there so many sectionals, massive couches with a captain’s seat in the middle, and bubble like stuffing that makes them look like they are comfortable to sit on? NOT. You sit on these things and it feels like you are riding a camel. Not only are they hideous and uncomfortable, but they would never fit in our tv room, and they are also way over priced.

About that time a Lazyboy ad came in the mail. Hmmmm Lazyboy furniture?? They have always had good quality and reliable furniture. “The Man” and I decide to go to the Sacramento store to check them out. We find just what we want and need. They have a great couch in leather, its way more then we expected to pay, but you get what you pay for, right? We pay for it and now have to wait for 2 ½ months while it’s being built. Ok, it’s a long wait……..but I can deal with that. So two and half months slide by very slowly……….and I find a guy to haul off the old piece of crap. I can’t wait……. knowing my beautiful "once in a life time couch" is coming the next day.

I jump for the phone each time it rings, knowing it will be the couch people asking me what time to deliver it.

The phone rings……..IT’S THEM, IT’S THEM ……..but…………wait…………what??… what’s this I hear. They tore the leather, they want to fix it. FIX IT?? They want to send it back to the factory to reupholster the arm they tore??? Dye lots?? Two more months? Maybe it will match the couch? My mind is spinning, my hands are shaking, and I am getting very pissed.

Has it really been over 6 weeks since I have posted to the blog? Good DOG......where has the time gone. I try to think about what has happened in these last weeks, I come up with a few different things that I have done but most is just the same old routine of everyday life.

I am still waiting for my surgery. And still no date scheduled. I have times when I wonder if it will ever happen and maybe this is fate telling me to reconsider. I hope not.......I believe the benefits out way the concern.

I spent a week plus with my sister in Citrus Heights. She had her surgery and needed a extra hand around the house. Most of her chores where the same ones I do here, so that part was easy. What I found to be the most difficult is her 4 legged kids. She has three very excitable and energetic dogs. They are a lot of fun, but are so damn busy. It made me really appreciate my silly sleepy beagle boy.

I am looking for a new hair do. My hair is way too long and is now a chore to take care of. The ends are dry and I am loosing way too many hairs each day. I suspect it just looks like I am loosing more then I should because of the length of each strand........at least..........I hope that is what it is. I just might have "The Man" take the scissors to it. Hmmmm.......sounds like a great idea......at least until I come up with a "Do" that I can live with.

20 minutes later.............
"The Man" was very happy to help me with my hair trimming. He actually was more eager then I thought he would be, I guess that should have been a sign. His only comment was.......it will grow back.


I unfortunately have not been making beads. It has been horribly hot or I have been sick or just pulled in another direction. I am hoping Saturday will be a good garage day. "The Man" wants to wash the car and I want to make beads. Sounds like it could be a fun morning of jamming to music and imagination.

Distorted reality of youth or a River not so wide.

My sister came over the other day for a wonderful visit, she brought lots of pictures. She had recently gone back to our home state of Iowa to see our cousins and aunts. It has been over 40 years since she had been back there……..36 years for me. Her pictures and stories were incredible. It’s amazing to see the faces of our kin, so much older yet still very much the same.


Hearing my sister tell the stories of our relative’s lives and the town and country around them………..took me back to a simpler time.

I thought it was interesting how the decades had not changed the town that much. All the same land marks were there, but the one thing I did notice was how the dimensions had changed. Why is a child’s view so much smaller and distorted from reality?

This is what I remember…………. behind my aunts house was this great river, the Wapsipinicon, the Wapsi to locals. It’s wide as hell…….at least 1/2 mile wide, no doubt more. I remember that you couldn’t see the homes on the other side of the river……it was just too far across. Every chance we got we would fish in the river for sun fish and cat fish. When it rained we would run outside and grab up the huge night crawlers to use for bait. My uncle Ray would take us for boat rides on the river after much begging on our part. It would scare the crap out of us when he would let the boat drift; joking with us by saying if he wasn’t careful it would go over the damn. WE loved every moment of these visits and we still cherish those memories.


Now……….looking at my sister’s pictures….. reality strikes……. the river is only about 150 feet across, maybe less. It’s so strange to see it from an adult’s perspective. The fearful damn is about ¼ mile from my aunt’s place, once again I remember it being a huge drop……….at least 50 feet. (Reality is it really a good thing?) In the pictures the damn is maybe 10 feet tall……….very small, very unassuming, and not what I had remembered.

What I wouldn’t give to go back in time, to be a child again and feel the excitement and magic of the Iowa vacation. To feel small again, to see things with the distorted reality of youth………..to fish on the river and visit with my relatives who are long gone.

Barks a lot

I am still totally nuts about making dogs and cats. It started about a month or two ago. I decided to try my hand at a cat. It was not easy......but after many tries I came up with something that did have a feline look. I now have many litters of cats all over my desk. Orange ones, gray, black and white, even a blue one. Since my cats have taken over………. I decided to try dogs. They are getting better, but I still need work. My last one was the best and I will post his silly head. Every time I sit down to make beads I have to force myself NOT to make dogs or cats. LOL Now the weather as turned ugly and hot so I will not be making beads until we get a cool morning. Booo whoooo

Flowers, Colors and a Dream

“The Man” and I went to a local iris farm here in Vacaville. They had probably 5 acres of iris blooming. It was an incredible site. So many colors and shapes, it was an iris lovers dream. Ha We didn’t stay too long, but just long enough to make out my list of favorites. I have always wanted a big iris garden and after I get my order this summer that dream will come true.

I have a few varieties now, a couple of yellows, way too many purples, and a couple of oranges. For some reason the one pink I planted turned out to be purple…….must have been a mix up in packaging. Iris is one of the easiest flowering plants to grow. They don’t need a lot of watering and they don’t require constant fertilizing like other flowers.

Here are some pictures of our day and the flowers of course.

I whelped a litter of puppies!

I have been so stuck in one design for my cats and dogs. I have no clue why………. But I think I wanted the easy way out. ha The lentil press I used makes the first basic shaping of the bead very easy. Maybe too easy. NOT!

So yesterday I decided to think outside of the box. (I hate that cliché) I have to admit…….. I did do some research online, looking at other peoples dogs and cats. It’s truly amazing the different shapes and styles out there and they all really do look like cats and dogs.

I made 5 dogs total. I found the perfect core bead to start my shape and stuck with that. From there it was pretty simple, actually…………much easier then using the lentil shape. I think they turned out pretty good.

I do have a small problem with their eyes. They look like they are the proverbial “dog in the head lights”. I have gotten a few suggestions on how to fix that. I also have a problem with the dog’s mouth. Most people don’t see the problem……….and maybe I am just being too much of a perfectionist. Lol But I will try to correct that today.




Which reminds me…………it’s already 72 degrees outside at 8:00 am……… I need to get this old body in gear and get to making beads before it gets too hot.

Needles, hot toes and lentils

I can’t believe it’s been this long since I posted to this blog. Where has the time gone? In my own defense, life has been busier then normal.

Well…………lets see………… I had a back procedure done. They went in with needles and fried some nerves……….hoping it would stop some of the pissy back pain I have been having. It felt great for a week; it turned out to be just the steroids they filled me full of. After the roids wore off the old back was back to the way it was………….and actually more pissed off. Hmmm lesson learned………….leave it alone!

I went into Sacramento to see the gut doctor. No new news there……..more waiting and no progress. Urggghhh

My Dad is doing much better after a few rounds at the hospital. His heart is doing what it’s supposed to be doing now. I have discovered something, 81 is a very scary age for me.

I woke up last night was a cat foot on my mouth. Wrecks likes to sleep with me at night because I am very warm and he is not. He will work his way up in the bed until he is next to me and my arm is around him. hmmm
I was deep asleep, dreaming of a very pleasant encounter. In my dream I was being tenderly kissed by my hubby, it felt so nice, so warm and soft. It woke me up………..and I realized it was a warm cat foot. ICKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!! Where has that foot been??? Oh ICKKKKKK I am too sleepy to get up and do what the ICK is encouraging me to do. So I go back to sleep and have dreams of scrubbing my teeth with bleach. Ha………..that will do it.

I have to add my newest creation, after all this was started to help me sell my goodies. This necklace is called “Cookies and Cream”. I have been having tons of fun making lentils and recently branched out making something different with them. I love the effect, do you?



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23469686

Santa Fe and all the way the Rio Grande

I have some new beads to share that are listed in my shop I just love them, they remind me of New Mexico and those wonderful colors of the deserts.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22823737

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22565046

Dad is doing much better and is out of the hospital. AFter a few scares, the doctor thinks his heart will beat normally now. whewww

I am out of gas, I hope I can talk "The Man" into hauling the tank to Airgas tomorrow. I have a couple of orders to fill and want to get back to it.

I have watched a great old movie. Its called "Pillow Talk" with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. If you want to see a great feel good movie that has lots of laughs........rent it.

Hmmm......... I guess thats all the news. I will post more pics of the beads I make...........when I make them.