Been Gone, All's Ok!

WOW! I can't believe I haven't posted since the beginning of September!

Well, we are all well here--I guess I've been busy, or taking a vacation from cyberspace. I hadn't Tweeted in six months!! Couldn't believe it!

So....

Our house hasn't sold, an offer fell through, it was quite disappointing. I do feel in my heart of hearts we will look back and say it all turned out for the best (once it turns out, that is!). So--still waiting, and still struggling to keep a clean house!! Ahhhh!

I have been doing less beading and very much less resin (can't leave trays of resin out if there is a showing! See, it is even cramping my crafting!). I HAVE discovered a new, delightful, very fun craft, though. Needle felting!! Check my site for some I have listed. They are so much fun--but basically I hope I can sell some to pay for new supplies to make more. That's how it works, basically my etsy site keeps me in crafts and not much else. Hmmm, I may still be in the hole. Sometimes my temptations overcome my budget...

I'll talk more about needle felting in future blogs.

It is very much winter here, just had a snowstorm. With the el nino, we will hopefully have a warmer (by this I mean 30s and 40s?) February and March. So far January has been pretty darn cold.

I guess those are the highlights. I just wanted to let you know I am alive and well! I have many many posts of my blog buddies to catch up on as well!!

Ewwwwwwww!!!

Last night a centipede almost fell on my head. I stepped back (unaware how lucky I was) at the last second and it landed right in front of me and ran away on its horrifying eyelash legs.

So it lives with me now, hidden... biding it's time.

Oh fright!!

The Old Dog and the Sun

Fall has come early for us, quickly following the summer-that-never-was, but it is being a kinder season than summer was to us. Today is one of those days of deep blue skies and a hearty, penetrating sun. The air is dry, and there is a touch of coolness. The furry, heavy bumble bees, a miracle that they can fly on those small wings, are buzzing around the leggy, grizzled summer flowers which are winding down for the season.

It makes me pause.

I think about what I will miss about this house if (when) we do sell it and move. Not a lot comes to mind, I feel so ready (although I am sure I will be surprised at the things I will miss when the time does come!). But today, as I was sitting on my back porch step, the cement warm in the sun, I realized something I would miss so much, it made my heart ache.

Today was the kind of day my dog would have loved. Sleeping in the sun on these intensely sunny days was one of his favorite things. I would sit on those same steps, and he would be quiet and sleepy. He would come by me for a scratch and a hug. He'd lean on me and we'd sit and soak up the sun together, as if storing it for the long winter ahead. His fur would be so warm and soft, a comfort to me who feels a chill so easily, especially as the season changes.

In our new house, there will not be Buster's favorite spots. The places I could picture him sleeping, or just being. My tangible memories, they stay with the house when we move on. The cement steps in back, the corner of grass in the yard. The spot in front of the steps to the second floor. They will stay here. His ghost-memories will float through this house for another family, a family that won't even know he was ever here.

Froggy Friday

I don't know why I like frogs so much, but I do, and always have (you should see my bathroom decor!!). We found a bunch of adorable tree frogs (look at the suction cup "fingers") Upnorth, and I wanted to share....A very serious fellow!

Giving us the frog-eye



My favorite little guy!

When we were done observing and enjoying the frogs, they each went back to the spot where we found them.

Wordless Wednesday

The Best Laid Plans of Mice And Men

I've been thinking about that quote a lot lately.

There is a school of thought that says the Universe keeps sending a person the same types of problems over and over until he or she learns the lesson, or resolves the issue.

My kids start school next week. We have not moved, no one has made an offer on the house. They will be starting at their old school. The summer was unseasonably cool, quite so. I do like a hot summer before I have to get into winter mode where I shiver the whole other nine months of the year! Things are not going as I planned.

There lies my issue, I believe: My LESSON. I don't consider myself a control freak, at least not in the regard that I need to be in charge. I just have trouble with surprises, I am not a spontaneous person. I do not like to find where I am going, I like to KNOW. (God bless http//www.google.com/maps) I don't like to change my route for going to work. I don't like to make plans at the last minute. It is just hard for me. It is not something I dislike about myself, it is something I have accepted, and I try to work with it, plan for things I can to keep myself from feeling nervous. (Because what fun is being nervous?) There are all types of people in the world, and this is me.

But then there are the things I CAN'T control. I can't control when my house sells, or if the houses I like will still be for sale when my house DOES sell. I can't control the timing. I can't control the chilly summer that is making my tomatoes ripen oh-so-late. And this is what I have to learn to deal with. I have to learn to let go, to let the Universe take care of me, to let things play out as they will. After all, I may not know what is best for me--I may look back and realize how things worked out better. It has happened before. So... I am trying.

Sometimes I think about when I was a kid and all adults seemed to know what was going on. They seemed so grown-up. They seemed DONE, like they knew the answers, knew what was best, always what was right.

I wonder if my children look at me like that. It is laughable. I am still trying to figure it all out. I am still finding my faith, still wondering how the world works, wondering what I will be like when I "grow up"... certainly some things I have figured out, but so many I have not. And then things happen sometimes to turn what I have already figured out on its ear. I am guessing it was the same for the adults in my life. Maybe they were still waiting to grow up like I feel I am--but hiding it well!

So, when I see my "for sale" sign, I try to shrug. No blinking light on the machine from the realtor? I think, "maybe tomorrow." But sometimes I feel the sinking feeling, I get frustrated and sad. I remind myself, "it can change in a blink." I try to focus on the things in my life that are oh-so-very-right. Universe, I am trying to learn what you are teaching me to make me better!

I am evolving. And I may never stop.

UPDATE on ME

Well, I know I am not updating regularly these days... I guess I don't have too much to report. Today I thought I'd report my unexciting events...

After a blistering hot week of 90s (I know my brother in San Antonio and my friend in New Orleans will scoff at the description--but HEY, I'm built for subzero weather. Nope, I don't LIKE it...) where I was SO HAPPY it was finally summer--we have had a week of 60s. BOO. It is supposed to warm up, but sadly, we are near a Great Lake, and that will keep ME in the low 70s, still. Doesn't feel like summer--and disappointing when Fall will be here before we know it.

I have not been doing much jewelry. I took a break from crocheting after overdoing it (my children put it many orders for things--my son is so delighted with the free Pokemon crochet patterns website I found!), but have gotten back to it a bit. And tonight I want to hurry up and make some red, white and blue earrings for tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be the *big* parade with my in-laws, then we go there for lunch. There will be lots of kids, and they will all get to sleep over by Grandma and Grandpa. They will come to the school across the street for fireworks, as it doesn't get crowded and we can see them from two neighboring cities. I will make popcorn and lemonade. I MIGHT even share with the kids. ;-)

NOTHING DOING on the house-for-sale stuff. Not even a showing in two weeks. Our realtor assures us it is across the board, as interest rates have risen. I am getting concerned, however, because we are running out of time to get this going in order for the kids to start in a new school this Fall. Do we change them during the year, or take the house off of the market?? What can my little babies handle?

After waiting to move for 10 years, I did not realize it would still be difficult to move after reaching the point of getting the house on the market. I truly know that in the scheme of things, it is a small problem. I really believe that, and think that perhaps there is a reason or an issue that I will look back and understand why it has been such a challenge. But I have to be honest to say that I am disappointed beyond words. And that is all I will say on that subject (for now anyway)--since it is beyond words!

I spent a couple of hours this evening putting MANY of my resin items in my etsy shop on clearance. I hoped it would get them to move a little more. And I have listed international shipping. Which means I have to hike myself over to the post office instead of printing labels off of PayPal, but I think I can manage--ha ha!!

I am enjoying the kids this summer. They are fighting a lot (either best buddies or fighting, argh!), but I am trying to keep them busy. They are not signed up for anything (since I thought we'd be moving this summer!), but we do a weekly trip to the library, I try to arrange a weekly playdate, we do crafts one day... you get the idea. It is nice to have a relaxed summer.

And really... that IS it. I hope you are all having a lovely summer and that your weekend (for those in the US celebrating the 4th, especially!!) is full of fun, family and friends!