Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my Daddy's birthday, he turns the big 60. It's also the very first year since I was born that he's not nearby at all. So instead of baking him a 7 layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting and giving him a big hug and gathering with my siblings while we sing "Happy Birthday", I posted a message on Facebook and called him. I'm torn between sad and calm. Glad he's up with his fiance and having a good time, sad that he's not here.

Daddy and I have had our ups and downs while I was growing up. We argued incessantly, fought over the stupidest things, and almost never saw eye to eye. Mom said that's because we're too much alike. I have to mention though, no matter how much we didn't get along, Daddy always, and I mean always, saw each and every show I was in at least once, without fail, no matter how far away I was. Our relationship got much better after I moved out and went to college and even better after he stopped asking me when I was moving home. We're downright perfect now.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Daddy and my baby sister on her wedding day.

 

 I love you.

Bags for Breasts

So this morning I got my first contact email from a company.

I was obvious that the email was a generic press release and at first I was excited, then disappointed.

I'm all for battling breast cancer and raising money to do so, but the company that mailed me, well their items are pricey. As in Ka-Ching! The best that the company is offering is 10% of each sale, which I'm sure isn't including the extra cost of shipping. None of the products stand out to me. Cute, pretty, waaaaaaaaay overpriced for anything I'd even consider. Even if I was rich.

Of course if I was rich I'd probably just spend my monies on books, Neocash, and craft supplies, you know, the practical things.

I mulled the email over and over and finally decided to post the link.

This is one of the bags. It's cute, I personally like it in brown, but just not practical for my lifestyle.

Luxury Leather Handbags by cutey

They are giving 10% of all profits to women’s Breast Cancer Research so its for a great cause! 

 

 

Fitting in.

I have a migraine, but then again I've had it on and off for 2 weeks now. There's only one way to get rid of it, but Hubby is still totally stressed out, so it's not going to happen.

In other news:

Orion is totally fitting in.

It took 4 days but he made friends with everyone. Including Zentara. I am so thrilled! Especially since I fell in love with him hard on the first night. It was so hard not to. He sleeps with Squee and Ebony and Ivory. Hunts Zentara's tail, but she eggs him on and plays in her own way. He and Ivory wrestle and chase each other all over the house, ensuring Ivory get exercise, Squee lets him pounce his tail, with the patience of a Daddy lion playing with his cub. Ebony, oh lordy! Ebony seems to have youthened 10 years. Running, wrestling, chasing, playing hide-and-go-seek. It's amazing.

Hubby fell in love too.

Sunday

So on Sundays we decided that was the day the yard work would be done.

Let it be said let it be done.

I usually mow the lawn. Personally love it.

The dog pen, bit enough to hold 2 full grown German Shepherds with room to run, hasn't been mowed in 3 weeks. It was completely overgrown. Daddy also warned me that it was full of holes where the dogs dug. Yesterday I was determined to tackle the pen while Hubby geared up and worked on his own thing.

Well. I stalled out the mower no less than 3 times cause the grass was so thick. I got stuck in holes twice. And I had to "rock" the mower forward 4 times to keep it going, thanks to thick grass.

Fun? Yes.

Nerve wracking? YES!

Mower came out safe and not broken? Hell yes!!

I did scare the bajeezes out of a little bunny in the pen. Poor thing hopped 4 feet straight into the air from a thicket of grass and beelined to the fence. BAM! Right into the fence. The next second it scampered across the backyard and into the woods , safe and maybe not so sound.

Hubby did do something very important, moving some concrete blocks around. Let me show you.

Cute, eh? Like a turret. The blocks are set up to protect a pipe that carries out water to the septic tank. I can't mow over it cause the blades can break the pipe, and with Daddy all the way in Minnesota, we'd be fooked.  Now it nice and protected. Thank the gods!

After finishing up the dog pen Hubby came up to the mower.

"My turn."

"What?"

"My turn."

"On the mower?"

He nodded.

Shrugging I dismounted and let him climb on.

"How do I work it?"

Hiding a smile I schooled him on the mower and set him loose. Wanna see?

Totally cute!

Please take note of his spiffy leather gloves, bought specifically for yard work.. His hat, Monsters Inc. And his shoes, no sandals, shoes. He's serious.

Gotta say, we got all hot and sweaty yesterday, gross. Worth it though, the backyard looks great.

Toxic

I've come to the conclusion that money is toxic, at least in my household. When we have some everything is okay, but when we don't everything changes. The mood of my household that is.

Hubby becomes so very upset. He doesn't say anything, but his while body language, voice, and energy changes. It's personally very upsetting to me. I can't get him to talk about it or even just vent, and I feel like I can't do anything to help. I get very quiet.

It's worse when I'm having my period. Like today and last night. I feel so defeated. This has been going on for years now, but it seems so much worse the past 6 months. Especially since we moved.

It doesn't help that he gets even more upset every time we find a spider. Which also happened last night.

I'm hoping that things get better as time goes on, but that's just hope.

Elvenspun

It's open! My Etsy shop if now officially open.

I'm all a jumble of excited and scared and anxious. It's wonderful.

As per my sewing business that was quite successful before the recession, I've stayed with the name Elvenspun. It's just fitting.

Shop: Elvenspun

 Facebook Page

DeviantArt Page


Right now I'm focusing on the sculptures, but as soon as I get all settled in, the sewing will start again.

Also, if I get 100 likes on my Facebook page I'll host a givaway!

Go on, check it out!

The Foundling

On Thursday night, Hubby walked into the house and called me to the door. There he held a pet carrier up.

"Say hello to your new Mommy."

His voice was filled with tenderness. If he wasn't in love yet, well he was taken at least.

I was breathless and couldn't take my eyes off the tiny little black ball of fur with white splashes.

I was enchanted and took the carrier. Setting it down on the living room floor I greeted our baby, letting all of our kitties have a chance to sniff while he was safely behind a caged door. It didn't take long before I couldn't resist for a moment longer and opened the door, pulling him out, unsure of what I'd find.

He was clean, eyes bright (even though it was 3am), and very aware of his new surroundings. He didn't seem to have any fleas either. Hubby and I watched, and played with him, while he was intent on making new friends with his (new) siblings. After a few minutes I looked up very pleased.

"I think he fits his name perfectly."

It's very important for me to have a name that fits the personality. This time though, when Hubby first told me about the kitten, when we were still considering it, before he said no, I told him, the baby would be named Orion. I've never ever named anyone or thing before meeting and interacting.

Orion's Belt has always been my favorite constellation. Taking the dog for walks, growing up, at night, the three stars have always been there. A sense of peace and contentment has always filled me whenever I turn my eyes upon them.

We kept him with us last night. There's more than enough growling and hissing going on between the 4 big kitties. Especially Ivory. I didn't want to wake up to find that something awful had happened. So little Orion got his own litter pan, food, and water bowl, and even his own soft plushie kitty toy to play with while we slept.

He was AMAZINGLY quiet last night. Sleeping for a very long time and then quietly going potty and munching food. At about 1pm he climbed up on the bed and started playing, but I wiggled my fingers to him and he spent the next 2.5 hours sleeping on me or playing on my legs while I read a book.

Hubby spent time playing with him after waking up before going to work while I tried to work a kink out of my neck that Orion had decided war the purrrrfect place to sleep.

Today Orion was very determined to make friends with the big kitties. Just as all of our kitties have done when they were little. He got the same response too. Hisses and growling. That will last for about a week or so. Ivory is the only one who has "hunted" and cornered Orion and aggressively hit him. (Don't worry, no claws were used, no boo-boos, and I rescued Orion every time.) It's gonna take Ivory time to adjust to not being the baby, and to reinforce the idea that he's NOT the dominate male. But! I did catch Ivory and Orion eating in separate bowls, side by side for about 10 minutes earlier today.

Zentara has been following Orion around, keeping her distance.

Squee and Ebony, both have been keeping their distance, but allowed Orion to sleep about a foot away from each of them.

Here's our baby last night and today. I found a single flea on him, so he's going to get a bath. It's amazing to see him leaping from couch to footstool with no abandon. Determined to follow the "big kitties" around and even try to pounce them. He'swonderful to carry around and has the sweetest purr, but best of all, he's makes little noises that reminds me of stardust.