Birthdays

I haven't written on this blog for awhile.  Reggie has a bad cold, the one that's been going around, so I won't be seeing much of him.  Star's computer is in the shop, hopefully she will get it back today.  Jed is coming over later today to play on the computer.  I'm making my brother a decoupaged photo on wood for his birthday in October.  The kitties will be 10 years old, Oct.1st.  That's Reggie's birthday too.  He is vain about his age, but I found out how old he is anyway.  Hee hee! 

I have homework today for I Ching 1.  I'm avoiding doing it by blogging.  And starting new craft projects. *sigh*  I may have to drop the Counseling class because of the workload for I Ching.  We'll see.  That class doesn't start for a couple weeks anyway.  I have a lot of energy today.  That's good because the night before last I didn't sleep at all.  And I got sick. :(   I only got about 5 hours sleep yesterday.  But I slept good last night.  These are a few of my favorite things:  printers, social networking sites, grad school, crafts, birthdays.  Just thought I'd let you know!

To-Do List

I did my meditations and paper for Ancient Rites this weekend. Funny how you avoid homework for days and then it turns out to be not so difficult after all. I've been considering applying for another program. I decided to ask the cards about it. The Tarot cards came out with a resounding no, at least for now. I mean I drew the Moon in the Covers position. So if I'm not clear how can I make a good decision? It's a matter of enthusiasm. There's something about beginnings that's just so exciting.

I had a really frustrating day with the embroidery today. I started a gardening design on a lime green tote bag for my mom. I'm using only white thread. Well, one of the little flower pots didn't iron-on very well. I decided to do the hardest bit first, the little flower pot. So I had to keep checking with the transfer to see where to embroider the leaves and flowers. This iron-on is more detailed than any I've done so far too. Uggh! Well, I rushed it, but I got the little flower pot done anyway. I'm faster than I used to be. I make myself do one motif at a time now. It may take a couple hours, but I make progress that way. I wonder if wanting to embroider a lot is normal. I doubt it. And do other crafts too. Hmmmmm... I'm certainly not lacking in inspiration. Probably just a phase.

What else? I've got a million things to do tomorrow. Like write poems for the April Poem-a-day challenge. Attend the poetry critique group chat and reread all our poems and read our fearless leader's epic poem and provide feedback. Plus I have a Swaptree package to mail at the PO. There are some things I've been putting off too, posting on the F&F board and posting excerpts from a chapter of Refuse to Choose. I should make my bed and empty the dishwasher too. Plus, and this is really important, I want to type up my application for peer counselor training. And I have Netflix to watch, Fringe and Cirque du Freak. I'm tired already. Hee hee!

Is this who I am? Someone who's usually happy even while complaining. Good prescription drugs I guess. Well, I'll just enjoy it for now. Who knows? Tomorrow I could be depressed out of my gourd. Anything is possible! Bye for now

Happy Easter!

I'm eating my dinner in front of the computer, beans and weenies. It's really good, but I may have put too much brown sugar in it. Oh well! I saw two good movies this week, Up in the Air and Precious. I didn't like how Up in the Air ended, they left us "up in the air". Hee hee! I cried in the middle of Precious. What a powerful movie. Understatement.

Went to Olympia yesterday. Bought a nice skirt and dress pants. Still need comfy flats and maybe a jacket. This is so we don't look like total slobs when we go around to different companies. I'm talking about the Employment Support Group I'm in. Plus they are possible interview clothes.

I also went craft shopping at Joann's. Maybe I'm involved in too many crafts now. Seems like it. My life feels unbalanced. Well, not today, nothing like doing a lot of housework to make you feel balanced. Just maybe too much on the creative side of things. I even got a keyboard! It's a used Yamaha keyboard from 1993. It's really big, Jean Jeanie gave it to me. Not that I know how to play, but I can learn.

I started the April Poem a Day challenge on the 1st. I wrote my first three so far. I'm posting them to my poetry critique group's Google Document page. I had the idea to make merit badges, like in Girl Scouts for our group. We'll see if I get that done. Sometimes I type before thinking. Often.

Not a lot going on for school. I think I'll do a meditation tonight for Ancient Rites. Forgot to put meditation days on the April calendar. I've got more laundry to do. Back to it! Happy Easter everyone!

bye

Lemon Cake with Lemon Frosting

I haven't posted for awhile. I've been busy! I had two appointments this week, plus shopping after. Today was Jean Jeanie's birthday party. Prepped for that by making Irish Soda Bread and the frosting for the lemon cake my brother baked. Mom made corned beef and veggies for dinner. And then I had to smell the bread, cake and corned beef all afternoon. :) Then we played cards and watched 2012. I really liked the disaster sequences, but the rest of the movie was just so-so.

In my convoluted way I got two friends to give me their opinion on my first short story for Prehistory. I should have just went with it, but here it is a week later and I have editing to do before I turn it in. Writing is just not a priority for me right now. I want to kick myself and get my butt in gear. It won't work though. I guess I need to find another way to motivate myself.

What I have been doing in my spare time: finished the orange and brown afghan/throw for my mom, including weaving in the ends, so totally done. Yay! I embroidered the other peaches on the fruit-themed floursack towels. Now all I have to do is the green border on that one, then the first four are all done.

Any excuse will do for me to throw a party. I'm an inveterate hostess extraordinaire. No doubt about that! I have Ancient Rites homework to do tomorrow as well, the final for this section. Well, that's all for now! Bye

Kicking Ass

Well, I've been kicking ass creatively today. I finished a scarf that I made with two different yarns and my biggest crochet hook, from a pattern. I finished the afghan I've been working on since October. I still have to weave in the ends. I was just so sick of making the thing, I thought to myself, "I can just quit". I did just that. It's a cross between a throw and an afghan. I picked up the Rune bookmarks I started last summer or fall, don't remember, and finished the stitching on them. I don't know why I was such a perfectionist about the stitching, it's really very simple, just lines. Now I have to cut them out, back them, and laminate them. The hard part is over though.

I organized my embroidery and crochet supplies tonight too. I'm giving Star my extra orange and brown yarn as I am truly sick of those colors. I have a lot of blank stuff I could embroider. Some of it should be dyed first. Really trying to finish my current embroidery project before I start another one. Mom dyed some dinner napkins for me, a soft green. We were hoping for a spring green, it turned out more of a fall green. She says that Rit liquid dye is easier to work with than the powder and the color is more even.

I had an attack of low self-esteem today and yesterday. This surrounding my creative writing. I just don't have a lot of confidence in that area right now. Hopefully my recent successes with crafting will spill over into the writing arena. Seems like they are two different things though. I did get my notes typed up for Prehistory, but I still have to rewrite the story. I wonder if I could get a friend or family member to either set up imaginary deadlines for me or nag me about schoolwork or both. Would that work? I could try it. Seems like I shouldn't be roping people into this.

Mars is direct! It's been retrograde for almost 3 months. I know I'm starting to feel more energized. Lots of creativity and thinking about creativity for me. That's been the main effect of Mars in Leo in my chart. I did a load of dishes and a load of laundry today too. And made French Toast for dinner. Was in my jammies or sweats all day. Well, that's all for now! bye

Top Secret

I have a new craft project, a Top Secret one. I'm not used to hiding my projects. I'm used to sharing them, taking pictures of them "in progress". When I do finish it, I'll have to hide it until Christmas. I'm not that great at keeping secrets. Oh well.

We saw Inglorious Basterds last night. Talk about frustrating! Constant speedy subtitles, and not much action. I did like some of it. Brad Pitt was funny.

I'm not getting much done lately. Unproductive Virgo here. It's been like this for the past couple months. Totally unlike myself. Usually, I actually do the stuff on my lists, well some of it. Now it's just crafty stuff, movies, and appointments. Weird. Unmotivated, I guess. It will be nice when things get back to normal, whatever that is. :)

My computer is still screwed up. Explorer and Yahoo Messenger aren't working. That's all for now! bye

Mantra

My computer is running sweetly. Went to church today, still don't feel entirely comfortable there. Not many people my age, although I do agree with the church's basic social philosophy. That's actually more important to me than agreeing with the whole Christian thing. Not sure if I buy all 9 yards of that, more like 2 and a half. :) I'm beginning to realize that someone can be a good person, but still be a bitch. That's a hard dichotomy for me to wrap my head around. You see that a lot at church, bitchy women who would do almost anything for a stranger, much less a friend. Weird! I still don't like them. The only other problem I have with church is it's too early in the morning, and all the singing, not real fond of singing hymns. Although I do like to sing. I bring water, my mouth gets dry.

Star finally called me. She doesn't sound too happy. Guitar Hero, notwithstanding. Hospitals are not my thing. Spent way too much time there, including a whole day of waiting for my dad to die. Unpleasant associations. Our mutual horoscopes said she might be having money issues with me. If that's true, I'll find out soon enough.

My brother watched District 9 with me. We both loved it. It was entirely believable once you bought into the premise. A great sci-fi movie, highly recommended! Listening to Phil Collins.

I took pictures of my house today and of my works in progress, the craft projects I'm actually working on. I love my Canon camera now that I got the battery issue worked out. I use long life lithium batteries now. One reason I took the pictures of the house is to remember my house the way it is now, the way I have it set up. I hope I like my next place as much or more. "Home, home, home, home, home..."

bye

Coloring Pages

I made a mistake in my last blog. I enjoy the chat classes the best. Now you know. Not that we are having any this spring, but that may change. I haven't registered for a class yet, still on the fence.

I'm not myself lately. It really sucks. I haven't gotten much done that I want to do and even less that I don't want to do. Very un-Virgo of me. I'm a little hypomanic tonight. I've been looking up coloring pages to eventually trace and turn into embroidery. They are in black and white and line drawings which is why they are good for that purpose. I say eventually, because I'm not ready for all those lines yet. I found some really awesome ones though, the Cheshire Cat, Wizard of Oz ones, a flying monkey even! I even found stuff that is delightful to me if no one else, a tank, a lobster, and Eloise drawings. :) I guess I'm trying to maintain my enthusiasm for crafts. I have so many unfinished projects. Well, only 4, but that's too many. I'm about in the middle of most of those. Crafts, not writing, that's another story.

I'm really having a hard time, not sleeping enough and all. I need a vacation. I just want to spend money too, which is an impulse I'm trying to control. I discovered punch needle embroidery and I want to try that too. I will have to get a kit for that. I'm not really into kits, but I've never tried that so would need some instructions. I watched a video on it on youtube and it looks really fun and easy. Here I just said I had all these unfinished craft projects, the irony! See, the thing is, I'm having a hard time concentrating so surfing the web is OK, but sitting down and doing something is harder.

My computer, Miss Thing, was acting up again today. I tried to burn a CD. Not happening. Usually I try to figure out how to fix things, but I tried to do that for hours today, get WMP to work properly. I think I may have to call the computer guy. Maybe tomorrow or Monday, not sure yet. My level of frustration is pretty high. I synced to my friend's MP3 player though, so it's working somewhat. Well, that's all for tonight! Bye

Crafts are keeping me sane.

Crafts are keeping me sane. I'm not kidding. I haven't been sleeping well. It seems like I'm getting all the bad side effects of anti-depressants without the good effects. Well, usually I'm OK and not depressed, on this one at least. But then there's the weight gain and the sleep disturbances. Might have to change...

Nature U. has 3 kinds of classes. The chats, which aren't offered very often, and are a fun and easy way to get credit, then there's my favorite, even if nerve-wracking at times, regular classes, which have deadlines, which I love. Deadlines are very motivating for me. Then there are the classes for those who have inner drive and motivation, the self-study, go at your own pace classes. Excuse me! I don't do well in those. It's too easy for me to put stuff off. I guess I'm actually "taking" a fourth kind of class, creative self-study classes. I put taking in quotations because I'm putting that off, for this week at least. I'm not as strong as the stress monster. I admit it!

Astrological digression. Mars is in Leo, retrograde. All this has done for me is make me very creative, almost to the point of obsession. I spent last night finding and looking for hand embroidery patterns, cool ones. Now, my embroidery skills are at a very basic level, so this is an exercise in frustration on the one hand. On the other hand, I love possibilities. Possibilities are like oxygen to me. The more possibilities there are, the happier I am. I put some of my ideas down in my Scanner Daybook, so I can save them for later. Mars in Leo is transiting my 12th house. I'm not sure what that means; maybe I should work in isolation. Something along those lines.

I'm listening to the Beatles on WMP. Tomorrow, Jean Jeanie is coming over and I'm going to help her put music on her new 2G MP3 player. She is bringing over some of her favorite CDs, which I'll rip and synch to her player. If all goes according to plan. :) Mom invited her to our Italian Valentine's Day dinner on Sunday. I think we might play Spite & Malice afterwards. Fun!

I got the class schedule for Spring Semester today. I'll either register for a Goddess class or Runes, both short classes. Haven't decided yet. I keep straying off the path. "Not all who wander are lost". Some exciting stuff is coming up Fall Semester. That seems so far away. It will be here before I know it. That's how time works. You think you are in today, then all of a sudden 5 years have passed and your in a totally different today, even if the sets are the same. Wow, I'm downright philosophical tonight! That's all for now! Bye

Miss Thing

One thing I have learned about using computers--simpler is better. I was having problems with Windows Media Player, it wouldn't recognize the CD I wanted to rip, so I started looking at all the help information. When I got to the part about changing registry values, I thought "maybe not". Instead I restarted the computer, I'll call her Miss Thing, because she's quite temperamental, and that worked. Often, if I'm having problems I just log off or restart and that works. I'm kinda mad at myself for taking an hour of fiddling with WMP and searching help menus before figuring that out.

Decisions have been made. I'm helping out my mom financially. She is in dire straits or this wouldn't happen. I finally got Star's number so I can call her if I want. It's unlikely that I'll get to Olympia this month, so visiting her is out of the question. Not sure if she can have visitors once she gets on the chemical dependency unit.

I've been extremely stressed out lately. I haven't been able to read. This has settled down some tonight. I read a chapter in Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher, an excellent book. I summarize each chapter on one of my creativity websites. Maybe I can get Chapter 4 done tomorrow. I made chocolate chip cookies today, from a 2 pound tub of cookie dough. They turned out really good. I gave most of them to my family.

I have 3 craft projects going for my mom and best friend. Coasters, floursack towels, and an afghan are all in the works. I need to do a project for myself. I have these rune bookmarks started, just simple lines, but I'm hankering for a new project. Have to think about that.

I'm wondering if I should announce this blog on Facebook, my creativity and divination websites, and the Nature U. website. It might be nice to get some comments. On the other hand, maybe I should wait til the current crisis(plural) blow over. Sigh. What to do, what to do? That's all for now! Bye!