Friday, May 28, 2010

A thanks to an inconsiderate pet owner and a goodbye to a dear friend.

I'd like to thank the inconsiderate pet owner who almost two year ago abandoned their beautiful cat.

One summer night while I was sitting in my living room I noticed a long haired Siamese sitting on our window sill. When I went out to see it, it jumped off and ran away.
Two evenings later, Dusty was riding his bike around the neighbourhood and Rhett and I were playing outside. Dusty comes riding up with the same cat following him. Kitty was very friendly and came rubbing up against us. She was thin and filthy. We took her in and gave her a bath thinking we'd find out who owned her. No one claimed to have "lost" her over the next few days so we named her Tao and she became a part of our family.
She was a total character. She didn't want us to sleep and meowed incessantly. She demanded that her food bowl be filled even if there was food already in there. She didn't like to be left alone and would bug you till you pet her. She slept in the most peculiar places, usually somewhere in our way like kitchen chairs, on the couch or on top of my wool. She was a good mouser and gave us the "entertainment" of watching her catch mice that happened to wander into the house. She was patient, loving and had this wise look in her face.

I'd like to thank you inconsiderate pet owner for if you had been responsible you would have taken her to the humane society or the pound and we wouldn't have had the wonderful opportunity to spend the past two years with this beautiful cat. She took her last breath in my arms last night.

And thank you Tao Kitty for choosing us as your family that one summer's eve. Thank you for the patience you showed Rhett when he pestered you to no end and you never bit or scratched. I am sorry that I didn't realize something was wrong three days ago when you came to me while the kids and I were playing and you just stared at me. I should have. You will be missed lovely Tao.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Blog tip of the day!

Stay away from playplaces of questionable establishments!

So Rhett has been fighting an illness for about 2 weeks now. And since we inhabit the same domicile...It was inevitable that I get whatever he is fighting. It is a losing battle by the way. Why my tip of the day? Because it was at a playplace about two weeks ago I am sure the little bug picked up a bug while waiting for my now soon to be ex (stbx) was getting his driver's license. After seven years he finally decides to get one. BLEH. Thorn in my side. But that is another story. I will refrain from completely annihilating him by written word. That may come later.

So, nice warming teas that will fight off infections and help with congestion:
Cinnamon ginger tea. Sounds gross right? It actually tastes really good.
Sweet Basil tea. Yummy.

Other good remedies:
Bay leaf as a poultice on the chest to relieve bronchitis and coughs. (I think I will try this one tonight.)
Black pepper (freshly ground) and honey is supposed to also relieve cough symptoms and congestion.

Well I shall go take my little sick self (mentally and physically) off to go play with the kidlet. He is begging to do some semblance of school work. And here the other day he was telling me that it is his job to play all the time and playing involved video games...all the time. See what happens when older brother takes over the games? Little brother begs for school work.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Blog tip of the day!

Stay off of Facebook.

Home made cleaners.

I tend to use less or non-toxic cleaners for around the house. I get migraines when I use commercial stuff with lots of fragrances so I try to make as much as I can.

One of my favourites is a something similar to softscrub. Its great for cleaning the oven or glass stove tops.
Mix 2 parts baking soda to 1 part dish liquid or Dr. Bronners soap then add a little bit of water. Mix well and let sit for a couple of minutes.

Window cleaner/household cleaner
Mix this in a large spray bottle.
Add white vinegar to fill 1/3 of the bottle, add a squirt of dish liquid, add about 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol then fill with water.

Maybe I will come up with some others later...
So here we are at the beginning of April. Even though I started several blogs in March, they never got published. Hmmm, I wonder why?

Anyhow.
New month new projects.
Out of the 52 project challenge I completed several.
Cleaned 4 fleeces, I have 3 left to do.
Finished a pair of knitted slippers.
Have 5 skeins of handspun yarn for my stash or sale.
Washed almost all the fabric I had sitting in a tote so I can start using it to make cloth books and other things.
I am at 40/52...12 completed projects.
Its slow going.

At the moment I am also looking for a job outside of the home. The first in eight years. I usually worked from home part time as a massage therapist and herbalist. But now I need to earn money to move the boys and me back home to Colorado. Another reason my projects have been going slow.
Life gets too complicated...

Monday, February 1, 2010

Ack! Its the beginning of February!

Where does the time go?
So, this is what we've been up to...
Dusty received a microscope from my best friend Thea. We've been friends since like the eighth grade. It is an awesome scope! So on to biology. Dusty is really interested in forensics so we thought this would be a good place for him to start. After he gets the basics of biology done he will have a biology pack from Labpaq as well as a forensic class from the same place. Thank goodness for Vet Med class, my EMT and detective friends in San Diego area or I'd never be able to keep up.
Of course with advanced Science you have to have the math that goes along with it. So we have been hitting the books.

Rhett is working on his reading skills...well after I have to pry him away from the video games. Thanks dad for buying him Pikmin 2 the obsession.
He loves math, science, and art. Not so much in the writing the department.

I've completed three projects out of the 52 and working on two more. They seem to keep piling up. When I complete one then something happens and I end up with more. Oh well, at least I haven't bought anything except for some knitting needles so I can do more than one project at a time...
My next project is finishing the socks I started, finish spinning the llama fiber for a pair of socks (then knitting those socks), making a pair of mittens for Rhett, then sorting out my fabric stash to make some easy crafts for Rhett. All those for the month of February.

I am still working on my Japanese so I can take the proficiency test. If only my brain would get in gear. Depression really sucks. I know I can't do anything to change the past, but moving ahead seems so hard too. It seems all my brain function is used to just get through the day.

Well today seems to be sunny. Its still cold here, just above freezing. I can't wait til I can put in a garden and get outside.
Off to do some knitting and cleaning.

Monday, January 4, 2010

The boys school work

Today Rhett had a formal lesson in reading. He usually just goes around asking us to spell things for him and many times he will use the magnetic letters on the fridge to spell it back. I read to him quite a bit and he has gotten into the Dirk Bones series by Doug Cushman. He also loves Beatrix Potter.
After that he painted with watercolours. I am going to bind them into a book for him.

Dusty read about Queen Hatsheput. Did you know that she reined during the time Moses and the Isrealites wandered in the wilderness?
He's been reading books by Erin Hunter as well and welding. I wonder if he can learn to weld without blowing up the place??? Ha! I know he is reading this.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

52 Weeks-52 Projects

One of the sites that I frequent has a challenge going on. Its finish a project a week for a year. Its supposed to help motivate some of us to get creative and finish some of the things we've got going on. Some wondered if they had enough stuff to do 52 projects and I'm thinking I need to do more than one a week to finish all of my projects especially since I want to open up a shop here in the spring at the local farmer's market.
So I am set to finish the projects that I actually promised a couple of friends that I would send them a few things. Then finish what I promised Dusty. I told Rhett I'd make him a pair of mittens. Then all open projects. I think I have enough to keep me busy for awhile. ; )

I am hoping that there will be someone giving away fleece again come spring/summer when all the critters are shorn. I don't mind buying, but until I get the shop up and running and start turning a profit...free is good.