Speak Play Read

Today was one of those days that is perfect for no particular reason.  Just perfect in a quiet way that some days lend themselves to.

I have an extensive collection of bears, but I am not really a doll person.  However over the years a handful of dolls have found their way into my house.  I have a couple Pullips, and two Hestia Ribon, and a couple assorted others.  But when Heather at Little Bearries posted about the Monster High dolls she had just purchased I fell in love with them.  So I ordered Lagoona Blue and Frankie Stein online.  This morning I received an e-mail canceling my order because they were out of stock.

I went over to Toys R Us (these are inexpensive dolls) and found Lagoona, but they didn't have Frankie.  The kid working at customer service was so pleasant and helpful and he ordered one for me right away.  I have to say though, for a manufactured toy these are pretty impressive in detail.

Next I headed off to Barnes & Noble which is one of my favorite places.  I wanted the new issue of Where Women Create, but it hadn't come in yet.  I browsed around a bit and I found a CD set entitled "Drive & Learn French."  I took French in college, but it's been a while and I thought how fun...I can brush up while I am driving!  That might not seem that fun to you, but I thought it was just fabulous!  I also came away with the most adorable little box of notecards.  The box is what I really wanted.  It looks a bit like a small suitcase with French labels on it.  (I really want to go to Paris in case you couldn't tell!)  It will be perfect in bear pics!

I generally tend to avoid books and movies that are over hyped.  I bought Harry Potter on the first day it came out, and no one knew what it was yet so that doesn't count.  But I have been avoiding Eat Pray Love until today.  Since the movie is coming out soon, they had a display of the book, so I picked it up and read the first couple pages.  I decided to go ahead and buy it.  It's not normally the sort of book I read, because I like adventure novels.  James Rollins is my favorite author.  I also picked up "Garden Spells" because it was mentioned on the blog post about the upcoming Practical Magic party...although I would swear I had that book in this house already still waiting to be read.  If I find it, I will pass it on to my friend.

After that I headed over to another of my favorite places...World Market.  I came home with a couple little trinkets, and some blood orange soda from Italy, which is so good!!!  When I paid she said I had spent over 20.00 and I got another free bag...oddly enough this one had the Eat Pray Love logo on it. 

It was raining this afternoon which made me perfectly happy.  I love thunder storms.  After R went to bed I decided to treat myself to a candlelight and paper lantern lit bath.  Now I dearly love paper lanterns, there are several in my house.  They are just dreamy and romantic.  I really like paper parasols too. I added a little lilac oil to the bath, opened the window to let the rain scent in and let it mingle with the scent of orange and pine candles.  It was the perfect summery-woodsy scent.  Gypsy and Rizzo were in their appointed spots in the powder room and seemed to find the whole thing rather enchanting too.

I ended the evening by biting the bullet and deciding to upgrade my internet speed despite the extra ten dollars a month.  (Refer back a couple posts if you're not sure what that's about.)  But I will tell you a secret...I always call the phone company late at night.  Their night time employees don't have as much to do, and they are bored.  If you are pleasant, amusing and conversational with them they always hook you up.  So I got my upgrade and my phone bill will now actually be 12.00 less a month than what I was already paying instead of 10.00 more!  *Insert big cheesy grin here*

All in all it was a great day!  I hope yours was as fun as mine...I am off to finish my bird I am working on!

Hugs, K. <3

~*~ Nod ~*~

So here he is....Nod.  He is made from the new bear pattern.  It's a tad bigger than the previous one, the pattern pieces are quite a bit different.  He is chubbier and he will actually stand if coaxed!

You can visit him on the bears page of my website!

Busy Busy!

I have two new patterns in the works today.  I am working on a new bear...which you can see above.  It's quite chubby!  Now keep in mind he or she hasn't been detailed yet.  In fact he or she isn't even done being distressed.  But hopefully by tomorrow you will be seeing it.

Also I am working on the new bird pattern.  So you should be seeing that very shortly too!

Testing

Just ignore this post, I am testing something...although if you want you can tell me which picture you like best, and how the color looks on your screen.

It's Only...

R is a techno gadget junkie.  He has XM radio, a Blackberry and another cell phone, a Nook, A Zune, laptop, big screen TV with high definition and sattelite service, a GPS and a whole host of other stuff.  For most presents I get from him it's something electronic.  He can't go into a jewelry or lingerie store but he has absolutely no problem with Best Buy.

I don't have a problem with it, although some of it doesn't seem worth it to me.  Take the Nook for instance...it's no more convenient than a paperback in my opinion.  It's not smaller in any way and it doesn't cost less for books. 

The XM radio I bought him because he travels around the state so much, and he goes through the mountains where he can't get a radio station.  His work truck is a company truck so it's not equipped with a CD player or anything like that.  It still killed me to have to pay for radio though.  But he loves it.

The Blackberry also came from work, but he has a personal cell phone.  He decided this past weekend he wanted a new one because the ringer on his isn't loud enough.  He was looking at that new iPhone.  He decided to wait until February when we are both eligible for an upgrade and can each get one.  The service is only 15.00 more a month.  He assured me that would be a good thing, I could look up directions on the internet if I need them.  Also I can see him on the screen when he calls.  I rarely use my cell phone and I already think we are overpaying for the service despite being on the least expensive plan.  I have enough roll over minutes to last until the year 3000. 

Oddly enough, on those rare occasions I can't find my way I have still managed to figure it out by asking someone or looking on a map.  In 47 years I have always managed to get where I want to go without having to connect to the internet via my phone.

Today I had to call Qwest, they sent me a letter to tell me something on my account had changed, but I hadn't changed it.  After we got all that worked out, she told me that I could upgrade my internet connection speed.  Apparently I am connecting at 1.5 and  I could go up to 7 or 12.  To go up to 7 is only 10.00 more a month, plus 100.00 for a new modem which she told me I could break up into 3 payments and that I got a month of service for free by upgrading.  I told her my connection now is instant.  I don't have to wait for anything to load.  She assured me that it was faster (how can anything be faster than instant?) and that it payed for itself and told me again, but it's only 10.00 a month more.

First of all, I have yet to see for a service of any kind that pays for itself.  Wouldn't that be nice if it really did?  But it doesn't.  Also it's not only 10.00 a month, it's 220.00 for a year if you figure in the cost of the new modem...which we only replaced  for 100.00 a year ago.

The iPhone service at only 15.00 a month works out to 180.00 a year.  That's a lot of money.  All these little things really start to add up if you're not careful.  I don't think they are necessary either.  In fact all this constant upgrading of technology is starting to wear me out. 

I still like books, free radio, asking live human beings for directions, not having to get on the internet when I am away from home...and I am starting to consider getting a couple tin cans with some string for talking to people!  Afterall, it only costs as much as two cans of beans and the string!

Painting The Porch

One of those projects I have been keeping tucked away in my brain was that I wanted to paint a little vine going across the front of my porch.  I have been wanting to do it forever.  The other day when I was at the craft store I came across something called "patio paint" which seemed like just the thing. 

I hadn't been able to do it until today since we had so much rain.  But I went out a little bit ago and did it!  Painting on concrete was a little harder than I imagined, and I only bought five colors....so it may not be a masterpiece, but I am feeling proud of myself anyway!

That's the first project I can remove from the secret dreams box!

Everyone Believes In Magic

I would like to thank everyone who left me birthday wishes, that was very sweet of you all.  My birthday was nice, I went out to dinner and to the book store and that was about it.  But it was fine, I had a lovely day.

Today we had intended to go to a movie, but I had a terrible headache from an ear/sinus infection.  So R kindly went off to the store without me and left me at home.  Just as he was leaving "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" was coming on after the movie he had been watching.  Now of course I love that movie for reasons that should be obvious.

Between the movie and a comment I made on my last post about always waiting for something magical to happen that never does...I started thinking.  I realized that everyone believes in a little bit of magic.

R is a very logical, straight forward, seeing is believing sort of guy.  But when I got up he was watching one of his favorite movies; "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory."  (The one with Gene Wilder, not the one with Johnny Depp.)

Suddenly I wondered why he likes this movie so much.  In fact the more I thought, the more I realized he likes quite a few fantasy type movies.  That is rather incongruous with his personality...or is it?  Perhaps living deep within his soul is that little boy that still believes that magic can happen.

But what constitutes magic?  Sure we all have a mental image of the magician pulling the rabbit out of the hat.  But that's not really magic, it's just an illusion.  We also conjure up images of Harry Potter-esque magic, but we all know that type of thing isn't real.

So what makes magic? 

A little later I went downstairs to have a bath.  As I was running the water, my ever present bathing companion was sitting on the counter.  My cat, Gypsy likes to come in the bathroom.  She knows that is our special room that no men or dogs are allowed into.  She was trying to steal a tube of lip gloss without me noticing.  Gypsy has a little hoard of items she steals from me.  I check it periodically and always find a couple pieces of jewelry, some lip gloss, makeup brushes and other things of "Mom's" she can pilfer.  She never takes R's stuff.  But she has an unnatural attachment to me.  In her little feline brain her stash of treasures is magical because they seem special to me, and she wants to share that.

At some point in our lives we develop a little ritual before we do something special or we have a lucky charm.  For years I always watched "Meet Me In St. Louis" the night before I would head out to the Kansas City show.  I always had a good show as long as I watched the movie.  Of course it wasn't because of the movie, it was because I believed I would.  The movie was simply a tool that I needed to get to that place of self belief.

Like Molly Mahoney in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, all we have to do is believe to find the magic.  It's out there, there is no special formula or item that is automatically magical.  It's out there everywhere and also within us.  All we have to do is believe in it, and a small part of each and every one of us already does in some way or another.

On Mr. Magorium's last day he tells Molly that her life is an occasion, rise to it.  All of our lives are a special magical occasion...all we ever have to do is rise to it!

My Birthday

Today is my 47th birthday.  Now normally you would think as wordy as I am I would make a post about being as young as you feel or some other introspective thing, but I have to level with ya, I got nothin. 

Every year I am usually filled with a bit of angst over it, and I also wait for some magical thing to happen that never does.  But this year I am content and happy.  It's going to be an uneventful day other than going out to dinner with R tonight and that's plenty.  My "7" years always seem to be pretty good for some reason, so I am hoping that this year holds true to that!

He gave me my present months ago, in the form of concert tickets for next month.  I also got a card and a check from my parents..so there ya go.

Chasing Reality

I guess you're never too old to be disappointed in someone you look up to.  I like to watch The History Channel.  I enjoy many of the shows they have on it, despite knowing that some of them are extremely skewed for ratings.  But I had high hopes when "Chasing Mummies" was advertised.  I thought here we go, a show that actually follows the real life of an archaeologist/egyptologist.  One I respect to boot!

My enthusiasm dulled a tad when I read a disturbing article about the star of the show; Zahi Hawass...and no I am not referring to the anti-semitic comments he was accused of making which was already quite bad enough.  This article was in an obscure publication most people don't know about, and on something else entirely to do with his work.  I read it a couple weeks before the show came on.  Sadly the article had a ring of truth to it.

But I was still hopeful about the show.  I had felt for a long time that Mr. Hawass was at the top of his game in Egypt.  When the show aired, I was struck dumb.  It seemed so amazingly contrived.  I know there is no reality in the making of TV, but I hadn't expected what I saw.

I decided to give it another chance with last night's episode, but I was left with the acrid aftertaste of embalming fluid.  Mr. Hawass runs around acting like a screeching megalomaniacal buffoon, and at least one of the supposed college students is actually an actress.  Most likely they all are.

The "student" in question is constantly having mishaps providing fodder for Mr. Hawass's anger.  In this episode however they took it to a truly tacky level by having her not be able to hold her proverbial water in the pyramid.  She is in turn berated for desecrating a sacred site and told to leave immediately.  But she doesn't of course.  Now anyone who has suffered the embarrassment of peeing their pants knows it doesn't run out on the ground like water from a hose.  It soaks into your jeans.   Plus I can't believe no one would have had the foresight to bring a coffee can or a mayonaise jar for just such an eventuality considering how many people were along for the lengthy climb.

Any serious archaeology student would know better anyway.  Not to mention in that type of heat and humidity when you're not used to it, (Zoe is supposedly from Canada) this simply doesn't happen unless you slammed several Big Gulps from the local Cairo 7-11 before entering the pyramid.  Zoe has been told several times she will never work for him and to leave, but I have no doubt if I bothered to watch next week's episode she would be on it right back at another site.

I was truly hoping this show would be informative and allow us to see real working archaeology.  Instead it makes a mockery of the science and even reality TV.  Not to mention I will never have an ounce of respect for Zahi Hawass again.  I feel like a kid who just found out his favorite action hero is really a horrible person who kicks dogs and pushes little old ladies down in the street.

When It Rains, It Pours

The past couple of days have been kind of crazy.  Day before yesterday R went out of town, and I was going to go run some errands but it started to rain so I thought I would wait it out.  It rained and it RAINED!  We got 2.09 inches in an hour.  The city was flooding in areas, they were telling people not to drive unless they had to, and that if they found a street that was filled with water to turn around and go back.  There was a wreck on the freeway involving a horse trailer that blocked I-25 for a couple hours.  We had tornado's too.  Luckily no one was hurt by them.  I was so glad R was up in Vail for a couple days and not driving back from Denver in it.

It rained on through the night and my sinus's were so stuffed up I could barely breathe.  I love rain, but it doesn't love me.  This was excessive though.  Today my garden was nothing but mud.

Later that night, about 10 PM I started to feel sick to my stomach.  By midnight I was violently ill.  It made for a rough and exhausting night between that and the rain.  I drank peppermint tea (peppermint is good for an upset stomach) and took some pepto but it wasn't doing much, by the time R called at 5 AM, I wasn't sure I was going to make it.

Yesterday I was feeling a little better.  I don't know what caused it, it almost felt like food poisoning but I didn't really eat anything that could have been bad.   Needless to say I didn't eat much yesterday. 

I decided to go out and run the errands I was going to do the day before.  I went to the bank drive through, then the post office where I had to wait in line for 45 minutes.  Now I normally use the automated machine, but I was sending Blue Moon to Singapore and the machine doesn't do international shipping.  After that I swung into the store really fast and got cat food.  So I was gone maybe all of an hour and a half.

When I got home Ridley had demolished my house!  All the cushions were off the sofa, my winter boots, gardening clogs and sneakers were pulled out, R's hat and two quilts were on the floor.  He chewed up a pen.  I don't know why, he hasn't done that before.  It was such a mess.  Luckily he didn't chew on the sofa cushions or the quilts...or my shoes.  Believe me he knew he did something very wrong.  After I got it cleaned up, I set about doing some laundry and then I cut out a bear from the new pattern I designed the night before...before I got sick.

I got to looking at some of the things I had made and kept from ages ago.  There aren't a lot, I have sold most of what I have made.  But I did keep a pig I made from years ago, and I have been working on making a smaller one.  I wish I had kept one of each of the elephants, monkeys and dragons.  I may make some more someday, but both the monkey and the dragon take soooooo long to make...the dragon takes about two weeks.  They are both quite large.

I also came across a little bird I made.  I decided to photograph it.  I don't know why I didn't make more.  I only made the one.  I guess I just never thought anyone would want one, so I never made another one...in fact only my Mom and R have ever seen it until now.  I did make several other things, including some very sweet snowmen that I gave everyone for Christmas with their presents that year.

I have an idea for a smaller mohair bird than I am making now that popped into my head yesterday.  It's a peculiar idea and I am not sure why I thought of it, but chances are after I am done with the bear you will be seeing it.

Then probably after that you will be seeing a pig!

Have a lovely day!  Hugs, K. <3

Second Star To The Right Blog Party

I do so love parties!  FawnDear is hosting one that sounds completely wonderful!  Head over and sign up to join in the fun!

Six Possible Things

While Alice may have had trouble believing six impossible things before breakfast upon her arrival in Wonderland, most of us who live in the real  world  actually have a harder time believing in the possible.

This weekend as I traveled around reading all the posts from my party guests, I was astounded at what creativity and talent everyone had.  Everyone quite put me to shame.

But I learned an important lesson from those posts and also my own trials with my project.  All too often we get caught up in our heads and talk ourselves out of what we have the ability to make possible.  We let things like fear, full schedules, over thinking it or even laziness sometimes keep us from our full potential as creative beings.

I thought about all the secret dreams I have, and why I haven't done them.  I also thought about the ones I have done.  That first step really is the hardest, it's what keeps me from beginning all too often.  But it's also possible if I just make my brain shut up a little and get off my duff and do it!

Like with the new bunny pattern, once I got started it just all began to fall into place.  So why have I always needed so long to design a pattern or make a really fancy piece?  Can you imagine if those first astronauts didn't take that first step on the moon?  I am sure they were terrified when they strapped themselves into the rocket and waited for lift off.  But they did it anyway and it was a giant success.

I have made a little decision, instead of waiting for the blog party next year I am going to make those secret dreams a reality more often.  What am I waiting for?  I have already had the flash of inspiration when I got those ideas.  What's the worst that can happen?  Maybe a project fails like it did with what I originally intended to make.  If it fails it's not the end of the world, I will just begin again.

A long time ago my Mother gave me an unfinished wooden box.  I am going to make it all pretty and write all those secret dreams of things I want to make or do down on little pieces of paper.  I am going to put them in the box, and periodically pull one out and do it.  I have a lot of things I have been wanting to make for years...and now is the time.

All the creativity I saw this weekend inspired me so much.  Hopefully it inspired some of you too!

Hugs, K. <3

Blue Moon Give Away Winner!

Blue woke up very excited this morning!  He knew today was the day he gets to find out where his new home will be.  With every person that entered he whispered; "I hope they win!"

I explained to him that sadly there was only one of him and many entries, so not everyone could win.  I am pretty sure a little blue tear trickled down his nose at that thought.  "But I love them all, they have been so sweet and posted about me!" he exclaimed.

I assured him that they would have future chances to win another bear.  He smiled and his nose sparkled again at that thought.

So without further ado...

Blue has drawn a lucky winner from the magic hat! (Actually we used randomizer.com, but the hat made a better picture! *winks*)

The winner is Wayne from Wayneston Bears!

Congratulations Wayne!  I just need a mailing address and Blue will be on his way to Singapore!

Thank you all for taking time to enter and post about my give away.  A new give away will be along soon!

A Little Night Magic

Nothing like being late for your own party! Last night at about 12:15 I was half way through this post when my usually reliable Internet went down. Apparently it went down for our whole area for 12 hours! So I wholeheartedly apologize for the lateness of this post!

Welcome to the party!  On warm nights during mid Summer anything can happen...and does.  If you are very quiet, you might catch a glimpse of a fairy in the work room.  Fairies love teddy bears you know!

 Sometimes they help me out when I really need it.  Last night I needed all their help.

You see I had this wonderful idea I have been keeping tucked away for a long time.  I found these little unfinished wood cabinets.  They were rouned in the front, had windows in the doors and two little drawers.  I looked at them and thought they would make perfect miniature theaters. 

I set to work painting.  I knew exactly what I was going to do.  I was going to do a fairy forest scene and make two tiny marionette fairy bears. 

But into every life a little chaos reigns. 

R split his head open, we had a brutal hail storm that required a lot of clean up, and we got a new dog that needed training.  I also had forgotten how long it takes to paint wood pieces, and make them all fancy.  Time started slowly slipping away.

Last Monday I began to realize I wasn't going to get my project done.  By Tuesday, I decided to "downsize" it and make one miniature bear in a shadow box with some fun things.

Maybe my heart wasn't in it, because the little bear simply wouldn't turn out right.  Sadly last night at 11:45 PM I tossed him in the waste basket.

I had no project for my own party!  I didn't know what to do, so I went to sit in the work room where it's quiet and think for a minute. 

Maybe the fairies sprinkled me with a little fairy dust?

It was midnight and I picked up a pencil and started drawing.  I drew a new pattern for a bunny.  Normally when I do a new pattern it takes me at least a week to even start drawing.  I like to think it through first, mentally adjusting it as I go.

This time I didn't think too hard, I just let the idea flow onto the paper.

One of the secret dreams I have had for a while is to design some new patterns. 

So without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Carlotta Lu!

Isn't she sweet?  She could have only come to life with the help of a little night magic...

...and fairy dust!

And so my friends I may not have gotten my original plan done, the road had a few bumps. but when it comes to secret dreams I learned maybe it's best not to over think things! 

A little fairy magic doesn't hurt either!

Thank you all for coming, and don't forget to visit the other blogs participating in the party at A Midsummer Night's Secret Dream Party!

I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the Midsummer Night's Secret Dream Party.

Also that you have until tomorrow night to enter to win Blue Moon! I will announce the winner on Sunday.

I will see you there!

Hug, K. <3

George Kalter's Hat

You might be thinking to yourself right about now that you have no idea who George Kalter is.  Don't feel bad, I don't know who he is either...but I have his hat.

What I do know is that he was at a seminary in a small town in Illinois.  I know this because he wrote his name, address and phone number inside the brim.  I feel sort of like I do know him.  He obviously had quite a few adventures in this hat, and cared enough about it to write his information in it so that if it ever got lost he could get it back.

For a lot of years I have had a list of things I want.  Strange little things.  I always wanted a top hat, a ruby ring since it's my birthstone, a genuine carpet bag and among many other things...a pith helmet.  Not that long ago I got the top hat, and the year before that I got the ruby ring.  I still don't have the carpet bag.

About 15 years ago I was in a second hand store and found a very beat up pith helmet.  It had holes in it, and the covering was worn.  The inside band was broken and it's outside strap was gone.  But it was only five dollars so I bought it because it was one of the very first things that ever went on the list.  It's not something you can walk into any department store and just pick up.

I would really like to have a brand new one to wear out in the garden.  Maybe I will buy myself  one for my upcoming birthday.  Even if I get one, I don't foresee ever getting rid of George's.  Over the years I have worn it quite a bit.

I don't know what you do in the privacy of your own home, but I sometimes do some pretty odd things.  (I am sure you figured that out from reading my blog already!  It's ok to admit you would like to be a fly on the wall here once in a while to see it for yourself!)  When I am feeling really stressed from work or having too much going on inside my head...or can't quite work out an idea for something I want to make...I put on the pith helmet and wear it around.  I am sure it looks ridiculous since the band is gone and it sits too far down on my head.  I don't care though, I don't worry about those sorts of things.

It always makes me feel instantly good, calm and clears my thinking.  Maybe it's because he was in the seminary and some of that part of George rubbed off on it and stayed with it.   

Sometimes I sort through some part of my stuff and give it away to a second hand store.  Once it's gone I usually never give it another thought.  I am sure whoever gave George's hat away has long forgotten about it.  I wonder what they would think if they knew it's still around and the life it's led after it left them?  I also wonder if any of my old junk has gone on to be special to someone else?

Lucky Bears!

  While it's still 75 degrees at 4 AM in Colorado and the night couldn't have been more beautiful...I have to confess, I am feeling a tad envious this morning.  Bronte' was adopted yesterday and Thursday she will be winging her way to her new home in Hawaii. 

It wasn't that long ago that Agadeze went to live in the south of France.  Such lucky bears to get to live in these exotic places while I have to stay here!

I do love living in Colorado though.  I have lived in many, many...MANY places and this is by far my favorite.  Of course I have never been to the south of France...maybe next time one gets to go someplace wonderful I will stick myself in the box with him, even if it's just for a visit.  Can you imagine how surprised their new owner would be!

Hugs, K. <3

Scenes From The Weekend!

If you look closely you will see a Daddy Long Legs under the shelf!

Basil loves to help me in the garden.

Don't you wish you could be this happy all the time!  He was rolling around, having fun while I was pulling weeds!

Jazzy likes to run through the hose when I water, but hates to be brushed afterward.   I decided this time to have all her hair cut off.  She has been dreadfully embarrassed ever since.  I guess I won't do it again.

Despite the hail damage, my rose bush has bounced back nicely.  Would you believe when we moved in ten and a half years ago this was nothing but a dry stick.  We thought it was dead.

My Day Lilies are blooming!

I was always told in order for holly to produce berries you need a male and a female plant.  That must have miraculously happened, because for the first time in five years since I planted it...I have berries!!!

The color is called "Grass Slipper" and while I am sure I am probably too old to have bright green toenails, I don't care.  It was fun!

I hope you all had a great weekend.  Mine was pretty quiet...just the way I like it!

Hugs, K. <3

Caught In The Act

Nearly everyone has some odd little facets to their personality that is completely incongruous with who they are and what the people in their lives know about them.  Now if you're like me, you have kept those things secret because if someone caught you engaging in them you wouldn't know how to explain yourself.

Until this morning I had such a secret.  Something that I had never told a living soul.  Now R is pretty used to my quirks...and there are many.  So very little surprises him.  But this was something that I just never shared with him.  I have always been able to get away with it, without being caught because it's an occasional thing I only do once every year or two.

Last night was rather odd all the way around anyway.  For starters I would have sworn, sworn, sworn I saw Shelby twice.  Once in the living room and once in the foyer.  But that is impossible because Shelby was a cat I used to have.  She passed on a couple years ago.  I don't know why I thought I saw her, I hadn't even really been thinking about her.

The second odd thing was while I was microwaving a can of tomato soup for lunch, (I have lunch about 11 PM since my schedule is different than the rest of the world) I was standing perfectly still in the kitchen, flat footed and all of a sudden it was as if someone pulled a rug out from under me and I nearly fell on my backside.  Luckily for once I didn't.  Now I know I am extremely clumsy but I was standing STILL!

The oddest thing of all, right around 1 AM it felt as if someone just sucker punched me right in the back of the rib cage.  I don't know what I did.  I didn't run into anything and I didn't move wrong and pull a muscle.  It was very strange, and today it's so sore I can barely move my arm.

So I decided there was really only one thing left to do...now I was certain I would get away with it again without being caught...and I would have if R hadn't uncharacteristically gotten up five minutes early.  He wandered out of the bedroom, squinted at the TV and said "What on earth are you watching?!"

I froze like a deer caught in headlights.  I didn't know what to do.  What should I say?  Should I deny it and claim I hadn't meant to?  Should I fess up?  Should I turn the TV off and run?  Finally I said very quietly: "Er...um...a...a kung fu movie."  He just gave me a quizzical look, shook his head and wandered to the kitchen to make coffee.

It's true, for about 30 years now I have been watching that rare kung fu movie in secret.  I can't make anyone understand it, because I don't understand it.  But I do believe that every single thing in the entire universe right down to the tiniest detail makes perfect sense in the big picture even if it's not apparent to us as to why.

I do have a bit of good news to share too...I don't know if he picked up on my feelings or it was merely coincidence but Ridley decided to back off a little yesterday.  He let everyone else have attention and didn't stick to me like glue all day. 

He managed to pass three important tests in the last 24 hours.  As mentioned above he decided to share.  Also Gypsy bolted out the door with the dogs yesterday and he was off after her like a rocket.  I was terrified he would grab her and either hurt her or kill her.  While he hasn't been aggressive with the cats, he also didn't seem to understand what they were and I wasn't sure of his intent.  But when he caught up to her, he just started running around her in a circle wagging his tail and doing that doggie bow that implies they want to play...so second test passed.

Lastly, today I had to go out and leave him home without supervision this afternoon for the first time since he has been here.  I was gone for two and a half hours because I had to drop Jazzy off at the groomers, run errands and hit the store.  I wasn't sure what I would find when I got home, but nothing was amiss.  He had behaved like a gentleman with the furniture and the cats...so he gets to stay and doesn't have to go back.

Somehow I think he knows he passed the tests, because he is happily asleep with a big doggie grin on his face.  Of course...he could just be dreaming about chasing rabbits. 

Hugs, K.  <3

The Sistine Chapel And The Soup Can

Can you believe I am making a second post today?  I have something I have been chewing on a bit here though. 

I want to tell a little story first.  When I go overseas to do a show I always like to take a few extra days to sight see and shop.  It was on one of these trips a few years ago that another artist pal and I were shopping and wandered into an upscale department store. 

On a mannequin we saw displayed a dress by a very famous designer.  I was rather excited to see it because while I had seen their clothes on celebrities and in magazines I had never seen one of their garments in real life.  The dress in question was a simple orange rough linen shift.  It was sleeveless, with a flower near the rounded neckline made of the same material.  The price tag worked out to a little over eight thousand dollars with the conversion rate.

As I was looking at it, something seemed a bit off.  I realized the dress didn't hang straight.  My friend and I started really scrutinizing it.  The seams were poorly stitched and weren't finished on the edges, it wasn't lined and the new fad of having unhemmed material had just taken hold so the edges was raw and frayed...by design.  I also noticed that one of the arm holes was slightly larger than the other.

I was shocked.  This was a designer that had achieved a level of success that most others could only aspire to.  I guess you could say they would be considered the "gold standard."  This dress wouldn't have survived more than two wearings.  I have a linen shift in a blue floral in my closet that I paid twenty five dollars for at Target that was better made.

For me to spend eight thousand dollars on a dress it had better have perfect hand stitched french seams, silk lining, a hemmed bottom regardless what the current fad is, hang straight, slice, dice and make julienne fries!

I belong to a bear artist group, and this week a topic was raised on making a list to set the gold standard for bear artists.  I, along with a few others are rather against that notion.  I think it's nearly impossible to quantify what the gold standard in any artistic venue is. 

Art, even in the bear world, is so diverse, how can you make a standardized list.  And...should you?  There has been quite a bit of discussion about what would go on the list.  No one seems certain if it should be about a simply making a quality product or specific design details.  I also raised the question of is it simply who can get the highest dollar for their work over someone else who charges less but who also makes a quality product.  Because in the case of the previously mentioned designer, their work was clearly sub par to many of their peers despite their reputation.  That holds true in some instances in the art world as well.

What really sets the gold standard in art?  What happens if you don't meet the decided upon set of requirements?  You can set Michael Angelo's Sistine Chapel painting up as the gold standard, but that doesn't invalidate Andy Warhol's tomato soup can as a genuine work of art if someone loves it and wants to own it.  At least that's my opinion because I believe that art is in the eye of the beholder.

But I am curious about your views on this.  I know that many artists making things other than bears read my blog, so I would like to hear your input on this regardless what you make or if you are a collector.  How would you feel if a group of people in your venue set up a list of what defines the "gold standard."  Would you try to adhere to it?  Would it affect you at all?  Would it affect your sales/purchases to know that someone does or does not meet the list?

First Harvest

Despite the terrible hail damage I have managed to get my first "harvest."  Ok it was just one radish, but I was still feeling proud and excited over it because it came out of my very first garden.  You can see the ravages of the hail on the leaves.

I have been outside doing clean up.  I had to rake the front the yard day before yesterday to get up all the downed tree branches and leaves.  I was going to do the backyard and garden yesterday but it was pouring rain for most of the day.  It doesn't really look like today will be much better.

I have caught a cold from running out in the rain with the dogs to go do their business.  I have to go with them because if I don't, Ridley won't let the other two have a moment's peace to go potty. 

Speaking of Ridley, he may have to go back.  It just kills me to have to consider that.  He is such a sweet, smart dog.  But unfortunately he is extremely obsessed with me and he won't let the others get near me for any attention.  I have been trying to work with him all week, but he isn't getting it.  Buster and Jazzy are starting to loathe him.  I am not sure what to do about it.  He has learned everything else so fast.  But this is getting worse instead of better.  I am starting to think he needs to go to a home where he is the only pet and will have all the attention lavished on him.  If anyone has any ideas let me know.  I would like to be able to keep him.

R is doing ok, but he comes home absolutely exhausted and pale.  He wouldn't even take a day off to recoup from his head injury and being a stubborn man he refuses to admit there is a problem.  I could just smack the doctor for telling him he was fine to go back to work the next day.

Other than the laundry, I haven't gotten much done this week.  I need to start on my project for the blog party, but I just haven't been able to between dogs, hail and injured husbands.  I will somehow get it done...I always do.  I will keep you posted on my progress.

Hugs, K. <3

Robin's Egg Blues Giveaway

I found this lovely blog, and she is having a give away!  You really must go visit Robin's Egg Blues!

What A Weekend!

This past weekend started off pretty good.  We named the puppy Ridley after Ridley Scott who wrote Blade Runner.  He loves to run all over the yard 90 miles an hour, so in my brain that somehow made sense.

We barbecued and it was just lovely.  But Sunday evening it started to rain, then it started to hail.  HARD. It hailed for what seemed like hours.  We still had hail on the porch Monday morning.   My garden is destroyed, my camellia and rose bushes are stripped and I am going to have to rake the yard to get all the tree leaves and branches picked up.

This afternoon R went off the gym, when he came home he seemed a bit off and was slurring slightly.  Then he told me he passed out in the shower in the gym.  He said his head hurt and asked me for an ice pack.  I wrapped it in a towel and he leaned back on it.  He didn't seem right and I wanted him to go to the ER but he assured me he would be fine.  When he leaned forward a few minutes later I saw a big spot of blood on the towel so I made him go to the ER.  He didn't want to, but it's a good thing I made him because he had managed to split his head open 2 inches!

They ran a whole bunch of tests including an EKG, Cat scan and a bunch of blood tests.  He ended up with over a dozen staples in his head.  When he turned over to have the doctor do it, I could actually see his skull.  I thought I was going to pass out.  I could never work in the medical field!

As it turned out his blood sugar had dropped because he forgot to eat before he went to the gym.  So after a good workout and five minutes in the steam room it must have just plummeted.  But I was terrified until we found out what happened.  It's very hard when something is wrong with someone you love and you don't know why.

This evening I had a pounding headache...not as bad as his though I am sure...and for the seventh straight night in a row they kept setting off bottle rockets in our neighborhood.  I will be glad when they finally run out.  Enough is enough already.  Poor little Jazzy is beside herself, they scare her so badly. 

After all the things that have happened this past week...or should I say the past couple months, I am simply worn out.  Things have got to turn around and get better soon, because I have gone way past needing good luck.  I think at this point I need a little Divine intervention.

I hope you all had a great weekend!  Hugs, K. <3

Surprises

R and I went to brunch this morning, and then we headed over to the hardware store to get a new sprayer for the hose.  Lowes causes my allergies to act up if they have been cutting a lot of wood, and today they had been.  So I decided to head over to World Market while he looked around.  Between the two is a pet store, and they had an animal rescue group with dogs.

Now if you had asked me what I was going to come home with today, the very last thing I would have said was a new dog.  Especially since I have two of them.  But life has a way of throwing things at you when you least expect them. 

So we have a new addition to the family.  Don't ask me why...he was a rescue dog and I am a big softie.  He doesn't have a name yet.  But he is a very sweet dog.  We are in the learning curve, but I think he will work out just fine.  R missed having a bigger dog ever since we lost Boris and Chyna, so he has a new buddy.

Actually since my last post life threw something else at us out of the blue, that we certainly weren't expecting. A member of our immediate family was arrested for committing a very large crime.  Now it wasn't murder or anything like that, but it's quite serious all the same and we are trying to deal with it since we had absolutely no idea they had done anything wrong.  We don't see them that often and they live several states away.  There are a vast array of emotions that go with it, and quite honestly I am not sure what we should be feeling right now. 

I have never known anyone (at least not that I was aware of) who committed a big crime before and so this has thrown us for quite a loop.  We are feeling angry, betrayed, shocked, sad...you name it.  Also we have been asked to help financially which put us in a very awkward spot.  If you read my blog you know about the insurance not paying for my dental work and the camera and all the junk I have been going through lately.  But it's family so R feels obligated, although we aren't really sure we want to because it's not the same issue as if they had an accident, illness or disaster of some sort.  If that was the case we would work it out without hesitation.  We are just floundering with all this really because it's stressful and confusing.  So that's why I haven't posted for a few days.

Today though we are going to barbecue and train...and hopefully name the new doggie and try to keep some semblance of sanity and normalcy. 

I hope you all have a lovely, safe and wonderful 4th of July!  Hugs, K. <3

PS...if anyone has a nice name for the puppy, by all means leave me a comment!