Fred is ALIVE!

Fred, the blue betta fish, wasn't doing well last week. He didn't move or eat much. We worried how Mimi would take Fred's death. So, Kevin told Mimi, if Fred didn't get better, he might have to give Fred some fish medicine that would turn him orange!

Thankfully Fred survived and did not need to be replaced by a goldfish!
GoOd ThInKinG Kevin!!!
Have a great week!
Karen

We had a deal.
Now, it's off.
I promised not to kill the incoming ants. You said put the traps down and they will eat it, and bring tasty poisonous chunks back to their family and friends.
Yeah, right.
Clearly evolution is to blame. Ants that are drawn to the poison have all been killed off, and ants who know better remain. So, excuse me while I go kill ants.

~Karen

ACHOO!

It started with this guy! He brought the cold to us, and we all got it. Now he is better, and we are all sniffling!
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Mimi slept on the couch most the day. She doesn't feel so well. She is hardly ever sick, so she is not a good sickie. She gets very grumpy. Ralphie kept her warm.
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Some of my readers are skeptics! How dare they question if my dog smiles??! Here is another smiling picture. See! He does smile! :)

Done!

Finished! At last I am done with Moe's blanket. He is happy.

Now I am in between projects, and I hate that feeling. Next up is a blanket for wounded veterans. It shouldn't take long though. They are requesting 36x44" blankets.
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Hope everyone is having a good week.
~Karen

Stubborn Kids!

I am stubborn. I must have passed it onto the kids. They are unbelievably so. It drives me nuts. For example, here is Mimi:

It's winter. 40 or so degrees outside and she is in a tank top and skirt. She claims the house is cold. She requested soup for lunch since I wouldn't turn the heat up.

And this one:
He claims he hasn't been taking pictures with the camera. Even though there are dozens of these:

Have a good weekend!
~Karen

All Smiles: Playing, Reading, & Pets

No one believes me when I say Ralphie smiles. Here is some proof:

Not enough proof? Here's more:
He shows his bottom teeth when he smiles. He does this whenever he's getting some loving! Too cute!
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Today we've been playing Lincoln Logs.
The kids are great when it comes to making messes...not so good with the picking up part. Usually I am left to do the picking up.

While I pick up, they move onto other things:
Moe got on one computer, while Mimi on another. They know how to find their games.
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I scored a huge stack of books at Goodwill.
And I started this one:
It's great. Already I am hooked. I tried reading Matters of Chance, but quit. I couldn't get into it. It did get decent reviews. I found it boring.

I gotta go work on gifts....and finish Moe's blanket. He is wanting it!
Karen

Mimi and her Daddy!

Once he gets home from work, she becomes his shadow. She dumps her momma!
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Here is Moe running around like a wild boy:

As usual, he is a blur in photos!
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Weekly deliciousness:

Fly away little dog!
( A side note: I highly recommend the rat terrier to anyone wanting a little dog who is good with kids. They are easy to train. And they have very short fur, so shedding is not a huge issue.)
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I am making progress on Moe's blanket. I am almost half way done.

I like the colors in it.
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Finally I finished this:
It drank up the primer and paint. I probably could have done more to it, but I figure the kids will be hard on it anyway, so why bother! It houses most all the kids' art supplies. And I have a nice top shelf for my favorite cookbooks. Sweet!
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Life is sweet. We are all good, and I really can't complain. Lots of blogs talk about "keepin' it real." To be honest I have a lot to be thankful for, and very little to be upset about, so I guess I am keeping it real.
Have a great week! I hope it is filled with love, laughter, and FUN!
~Karen

It's Friday!

Look at this face:

It's been a rough day here. The kids kept coming into our room all night last night. They wanted to play. They weren't tired. They wanted to sleep with us. And now they are grumpy.
I am too.
***
Mimi has been spending her birthday money. I like this wood dollhouse. It came from Tuesday Morning. All the furniture and two dolls were $15. I thought that was a good deal. She's been playing with it a lot.

She's also been playing with my least favorite toy: Slutty Barbie Doctor.
Her high heal leg wrap shoes made the outfit so glamorous. I think Ralphie may have eaten one.
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I found this at Goodwill for $8. It is maple, I think. And stained very dark. So, I decided to prime and paint it.
It has cute little shutter doors:
I am so tired. Last night reminded me of late night nursing sessions. Glad those days are behind us, and I hope we all get a good night's sleep tonight!
~Karen

Moe's Blanket

Moe is happy now. The blanket is no way even close to being done, but he knows I am working on it. He was so hurt that it hurt my heart! I had no idea he would be so upset.

Otherwise nothing new here....

~Karen

It's December??!!

I started a blanket for Moe. He seems quite hurt that Mimi got one, although he showed no interest in one while I was making hers. SO, maybe later in the week I will have some pictures to show...and some progress made...
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I still can't believe it is December. Soon I'll be 35. How did that happen? It goes fast. Seems like yesterday we were married.

I love this. It is hand carved. It must have taken forever to make.
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This is our family in the fishbowl with Fred. I don't know why our heads are floating, and then reattached to our bodies at the bottom. The artist is 5, and I suppose artists can take such liberties when depicting their family!

~Karen

Finished!

It's done! Finally I finished Mimi's blanket. She loves it. I hope it keeps her warm this winter!

Now I am working on new projects. I will update later with pictures!
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We had a great T-day! I fixed salmon, cous cous, butternut & acorn squash stuffing, and spinach casserole. We ate like royalty! It was fun.

Have a great week!
Karen

If I can avoid going to a store, I do it. I prefer online shopping. So, when we decided to purchase a new toilet, I did some research and found one I wanted based on reviews. Yes, there are oodles of toilet reviews. And there are toilets that cost more than a thousand! Finally, we decided on this one: the Toto Drake

It arrived without incident in a massive box. I opened it and found another box! Here it is:

The instructions were easy, and Kevin installed it rather quickly. It is a good toilet, so if you are ever in the market, consider a Toto.

I've ordered a refridgerator and a washing machine online.
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Mimi has been reading a lot these days.

She will be 5 soon. I can hardly believe it. She is so grown up & smart. I can remember the day we took her home from the hospital like it was yesterday. Kevin said he couldn't believe they let people take home people without even taking a test!

Crochet Projects

Crochet projects are addictive...especially when there is no pattern involved. I like to make my own design, and see what I can create. The process is a love/hate relationship. In the beginning I am excited to get it going, and I can visualize the end project, but by the time I am half way done I get discouraged. But I crochet on closer to the finish line. Towards the end of the project momentum builds and I become excited to finish. All in all it is a rewarding process, and it allows me to express my creativity. I love to think the things I make live on and may even out live me.

This is for a dear friend:

Here is a new project I am working on:
It's Mimi's birthday gift from me. She picked out the colors. I have to make 20 squares, and then I will connect them, and make a nice pink border around them. I can't wait to put it on her bed.
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In other news (the bad kind), I broke a tooth in half early in the weekend. :(

Have a great week!
~Karen

I can't believe it's mid-November. My work station shows it. I have 5 different projects going on. I know. 5. That is too many. Look at my space:

Hopefully by 2010 my junk will be reduced as the supplies get used up!
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Here is a blanket I am working on. It is killing my hands. I should have opened it up to show you, but I was too lazy!

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Here is Ralphie. He is getting bigger.

I can't resist saying "Fly away!" when I see him. Look at those ears!

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I finished The Bastard of Istanbul. I really enjoyed the book. It didn't have this perfect Hollywood ending either, and I can appreciate that.

What book are you reading?
and
Are you making most, all, or none of your holiday gifts?

~Karen

Fred, the beta fish, is the newest member in our family.

He requires very little attention. The perfect pet!
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Remember one of my favorite things?
Look at it closely:

Yep, it broke. It broke the day we had the new heater installed. Just a clumsy move on my part was all it took. It may sound really weird, but I think I may like it more now. Not that I like having broken things, but it reminded me to enjoy things while you have them, and not keep them aside for someday.

It inspired me to properly display some favorite pottery pieces:

So, now we can enjoy it!

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I've been crocheting

I love this one:

I'm thinking it will be a pin....still a work in progress!

Another baby blanket:

Off to do laundry! Have a great week!
~Karen

We Should Listen:

The Right Thing: Healthcare for ALL

It's War

My neighbors have lost their minds. It is Fall and the leaves are falling, and this must have triggered insanity because they all spent the entire weekend attacking leaves, bagging leaves, mulching leaves, etc.

WHY?

Who cares?

I say let the leaves be, and enjoy life with your loved ones instead.

My 2 cents, Karen

I Spy Kylie Parry Art!

I have a lot of Kylie Parry's pieces. I admit I look at her shop a lot! I love everything in it! Here is a wall in our bedroom:

Yep, that sweet little key plaque is by her!***
In our kitchen:
The sweet star around the pitcher!
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Here is another piece I love. I love the colors.

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This one is on our bathroom.

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You may see a pear...I see my favorite food in the world: the butternut squash.

*Yummers*

Yeah, I may never take this thing off.
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Love the pins too. Beautiful!

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More little wall ornaments waiting to find a home!

Check out her shop! Find some holiday gifts. I 'll understand if you can't quite part with them after you get them. I feel the same way!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kylieparry