Hats!!!

So, back in August, I was looking for some easy projects to do on vacation. I started with this baby hat. Then I needed something to do with the hat and found this project:

These hats went to Colorado for Keep a Kid Warm. You'll notice the original hat center front row of this picture. Then I got to thinking...It's cold in Colorado & the kids there probably really need hats, but it gets chilly here to & there are probably some kids who could use some hats. So...

Here is the first group of hats completed for local kids. I will probably donate these hats to CPS for distribution...they know where to find the kids who will need them. I'm making hats for infants up through teen.

Here's the second group of hats I've finished. I've actually got 17 & 1/4 finished, but only pictures of the first 14. When I get the next 6 finished & have 20 I'll take another picture. At 20 hats I'll get hold of CPS about delivering them & see if there would be a need for more. Some of these patterns make up really quick, some of the yarn has been bought for $1 a skein, the rest bought w/40-50% off coupons from JoAnns, so it's not been expensive to make them.

Anyone want to join me in making some hats for kids...it doesn't have to be around here in Coos County, there's likely a need anywhere you live.

Meet Joker!

Joker-a very good dog waiting for his home
Joker is a sweet boy who is currently at the Coos County Animal Shelter. He's been there since the end of April. People walk right by him all the time because he's a big, black, pitbull. But, he's so much more than that. He gets along well with most other dogs, will chase cats if they run from him, but otherwise is fine with them, loves people and most especially kids! He is neutered, about a year old, has pretty good leash manners, and knows most basic commands. I'm sharing a link to a video of him playing fetch w/my 11yr old daughter Riley. He really is this good, and this was right after we took him out of his kennel to the play yard...and trust me, I don't trust my kids around just anyone, but I'd trust Joker with them w/out hesitation:

http://youtu.be/lA9p6Vv9GME

Mascot of the Day!

So, on July 26th, I entere Clarice inthe Mascot of the Day contest at the Animal Rescue Site. Today, she is the Mascot of the Day!!!! You can check it out yourself & vote for the Coos County Animal Shelter in the Shelter Challenge by clicking on this link:

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3&ThirdPartyClicks=ERA_073111_ARS_Html

Hawaii

So, I've wanted to go to Hawaii for as long as I can remember. We were supposed to go for our 10th wedding anniversary, but I was 11 days away from giving birth to Riley, so we obviously didn't go. Now, I'm pretty sure that Gregg never intended that we go, or at least that he would go. We've been together for 26 years, he KNOWS how bad I want to go, he doesn't want to go.

I've threatened to go without him before and he's been fine with it, and I've come to the conclusion that he really isn't going to go with me, so I've started planning the trip without him. I've checked out airfares, hotel rates, food, souveniers...I've got a pretty good idea now how much money I need to save.

Now, comes the savings part. I'm going to open my own, separate savings account. Every payday $50 or so will go into the account, also all my overtime. Will probably take me a couple of years to save it up, some of the prices might go up, some might go down. I have a hunch they'll stay pretty close to the same and I'm saving the high end of the estimate just to be on the safe side.

Don't worry, I'll take lots of pictures when I get there.

Our Cats

Cookie, aka Cookie Monster, is the oldest now. He's about 9. My grandfather had a soft spot for cats and adopted his mother, who was pregnant at the time and gifted him with four kittens. When the kittens were about 4 wks old, Grandpa went in to have colon surgery. It was routine and when the kittens were about 5 wks old Grandpa came home. I had been visiting him while he was in the hospital, and came to visit him at home. All the great-grandkids were outside playing with the kittens and I could tell he wanted to see them. I brought in little Cookie-not named yet-and that little guy snuggled on Grandpa's lap for the next hour. It is the last memory I have of my Grandpa happy. He was back in the hospital that night and never came home. When I was asked if there was anything of my Grandpa's that I would like I asked for his pocket knife and his kitten...best inheritance I've ever gotten.

Tatiana, better known as Tottie, was from the feral cat colony that lives on my parent's street. She was caught by my mother when she was about 3-4 months old, because my mom knew that I wanted her. For the first week she lived at our house, she wouldn't leave the kennel she was transported in. She was totally feral and it was the first time she'd ever been in a house. Now, she runs the joint. She has the calico attitude, but with me, she's my snuggle kitty. Her favorite place to sleep is mine & Gregg's bed, and she's trained us that she needs a can of cat food first thing in the morning. She loves the Dachsunds, tolerates Cookie & Simon, and is adjusting to Clarice. Now if I could just convince her to stay out of Gregg's shop & off his cars...

Simon showed up at our house sometime after Halloween. At first, he was just the white streak running off the porch. Eventually, we figured out he had orange ears & tail. My son, Doug, set out to catch him. It took a couple of months, but Simon would come stand next to Doug & as long as Doug didn't try to pick him up, would stay there. Finally, the kids cornered him in the shop, and caught him. Doug believed he was a girl, and so he was named Sophia. Once caught, this little kitty became our most affectionate kitty ever! One day, while loving on me while I was sitting in my chair, he turned around & stuck his butt in my face, like cats will do. "Hmmm, testicles, that's awkward" was my comment at the time & Sophia became Simon. Simon these days will go outside, but once he realizes he's out there wants right back in, right now. He also loves everyone, but Doug is still his absolute & obvious favorite...he takes full advantage of Tottie's earlier training of us about the can of cat food first thing in the morning.

Clarice Olivia started out as a foster kitten along with her brothers & sister, but she stayed. When I brought the litter home to foster, they were about 4 weeks old and we were going to keep them until they weighed 2 lbs & could be spayed/neutered. When I got them I was told that Clarice was a boy...she started out as Clarence Oliver. It became obvious fairly quickly that she would be staying. Simon liked all the kittens, but Clarice was his obvious favorite...she was also my favorite from day one. A week before the kittens were going in for their surgeries I let the animal shelter know that we'd be keeping "Clarence", but I still maintain that she adopted us, she started posting her name on Facebook as Clarence Oliver Kirby. I dropped them off at the vet on the assigned day & an hour later got the call that Clarence was a girl, and she became Clarice Olivia Kirby...after I was told she was a boy I never double checked & she's a fuzz butt, so it never became apparent until she was shaved. Most days Clarice & Simon spend the morning running amok around the house-after canned catfood breakfast-and the afternoons sleeping in the sun spot on my chair, sometimes with Gracie Lou...and occassionally I'm invited to join them. She's also been called the "cutest kitten ever", mostly by me, but it has been said by others. She's also usually a crucial subject of my Daily Pile of Cute pictures that are posted semi-regularly on Facebook.

Untitled By Anonymous

Spreading chaos & destruction
wherever she goes.
Thoughtless, careless, selfish,
are her hallmarks.
Others don't matter,
unless they benefit her,
it's all about her.
Never her fault,
always the victim.
Addiction fed by addiction
fed by enabling.
Lies fall from her mouth.
Manipulation her friend.
Sociopath, psychopath, bi-polar, personality disorder, bitch.
All labels she's born.
I'm done, I exit here.
Good luck with your mess.

Cassie Kirby March 1998-March 2011 Beloved Kitty

Cassie was 13 yrs old, she was born in the basement of our little house to the last of the feral cats we inherited when we bought our house. Doug came running in to tell me about her when she was born & told me that he was keeping her. Wh...en she was first born she was black, but had silver guard hairs over the top of the black. That's baby Doug holding baby Cassie. We ended up weaning her & her sister & brothers when their mom disappeared for 24hrs when they were 4 wks old. We bottle fed them for a week first. When they were old enough we found homes for the other kittens, but Doug got to keep his kitten

I love this picture of her. It's actually framed & hanging in our dining room. Cassie was very independant & did things her own way. She could come in the house anytime she wanted to, but wouldn't. When is snowed a few months ago, I tried to bring her in, it lasted all of five minutes. She loved her family, but really didn't let anyone else close to her. She was an excellent ratter & mouser.

About 10 days ago I noticed that she was bloated in her abdomen. I thought she had worms so I wormed her. A couple of days later she was still bloated, I still thought it was worms, but a more serious case, so I took her to the vet. It wasn't worms, her abdominal cavity was filled with fluid. They drained off the fluid & sent some off to be tested. None of the results would've been good, it was all pretty much a death sentence. They sent me home with some antibiotics for her & pressure bandage around her tummy. I kept her inside as long as she would stay, but short of keeping her in a kennel, it wasn't going to happen. She hated the antibiotics and after a couple of days on those she disappeared. The neighbors were seeing her, but she wasn't coming to anyone including the kids.

This morning I went about my regular routine, got home from Zumba about 10:45am. At 1:30pm I went outside to get the mail. Sometime in that almost 3 hours, Cassie had come home, crawled into her bed and passed away. She buried not far from where she was sitting in the second picture...she loved to sit up there and watch. I'll miss you so much Cassie, who will be waiting for me on the front porch when I come home from work? Who will sit on the front porch with me and keep me company on summer evenings? We love you, safe journey.

Why I Love the Animal Shelter...caution use of F-bomb

I love my job, I really do. However, when I'm at my job there are people who think it's perfectly acceptable to call 911 just tell me I'm a "worthless fucking bitch".

When I go to the animal shelter, I've got dogs who are VERY happy to see me. Today, Vince, jumped straight up in the air just to give me a kiss on the cheek. BTW, Vince, is a pitbull and an absolute sweetie, so no bad talking the pitbulls.

I HATE being sick

Seems like about all I've done in 2011 is be sick. It started end of January and lasted three weeks. Then Friday afternoon it started up again. By Saturday morning I was so miserable, I was awake at 4am, my head felt 4 times it's normal size, and I was seriously trying to cough up a lung. My lovely husband ran to the store and got me some DayQuil...and it knocked me out. I took it at 7am & was asleep about 7:30am...slept until 3pm. Gregg gave me another dose at 4pm & I was out like a light again! I thought this stuff wasn't supposed to make you sleepy!

But I hardly ever take anything stronger than aspirin or ibuprofen, so I have a very low tolerance to medication. I've been known to be knocked out by regular Sudafed...before they screwed it up because of the freaking meth cooks.

So, I'm just under a week with round two. It better not 3 weeks again. I'm really not good at being sick. I'm cranky, mean, short tempered, and will snap at everyone-and that's a good sick day. Poor Gregg & the kids, I really feel bad. I don't mean to be this way, but it's like all my filters are turned off & everything irritates the liver out of me, engage mouth & instant cranky.
Last night was not a good sick night & I was whiney & cry babyish...I really hate when I'm like that. I don't know how hypochondriacs do it, I can't imagine wanting to be sick on purpose.

Ready or Not, Here Comes 44!

Thursday is my birthday. I'll be 44 years old. My age doesn't bother me...it's just a number. I'm pretty healthy, except for that little thyroid problem & this cold I've been fighting for 3 weeks, I've got a good job, I've got a great husband & kids, nice home, nice cars, interesting hobbies and interests...my life is actually pretty good for the most part.

I find I'm not really interested in presents this year...I've got more than enough stuff & the means to buy more stuff if I really want it or need it. I'll be happy with cards, phone calls, Facebook posts...but there's stuff that I really want to do on my birthday.

I want to go to Zumba. I haven't been able to work out since I got this cold 3 weeks ago...that's a long time for me to go without a workout. So this week, regardless of the hacking cough, I'm going back to Curves & Zumba. Thursday morning I'm going to start out my day with a Zumba class.

Then I want to go to the yarn shop and fondle the yarns. I love to go to this place and just feel the different yarns. I may indulge a little & buy some specialty yarns that I wouldn't normally splurge for, but mostly I just like to walk around this little shop and FEEL the different yarns. I guess I'm a pretty tactile person, I love the different textures.

Then, I'm going out to the shelter to walk dogs...yes, on my birthday. I really can't tell you how much I love going to the shelter and walking the dogs. It's very therapeutic for me. I like being around the animals, who just want to be around me. They really don't ask anything from me except my presence. The last three weeks while I've been sick, I haven't been able to walk the dogs like I normally do. Also, the shelter has been very full. Mostly they've been getting either play time, or just potty break walks. They don't care, they're still happy to see me. I love that about them.

Last, but not least, I want to go to Charleston to Fisherman's Grotto, for my birthday dinner and eat fish & chips. This will be the perfect end to my day.

This might all seem pretty mundane, and I admit it's probably not the most exciting way to spend a day, but you know what, I'm usually going 100mph all day on my days off and the days I work. A day just to do the things that I want to do, things that I find relaxing & stimulating at the same time, sounds like just the thing for my 44th birthday.

Signs of Spring

Just some small signs of spring that have been sprouting around my yards and planters...now if I could just get over this darn cold.

Parts

You hear a lot of stuff about parts of people that they'd like to change...heck, plastic surgeons make the majority of their money off people who want to change their parts. Me, personally, I don't think I'd go in for plastic surgery short of something cautastrophic happening & being disfigured.

My worst looking parts are my feet. I have really ugly feet. I have an extra high instep, and short, fat, sausage looking toes. Plus, I like to run around barefoot, so I have callouses on the bottoms, my little toes have huge callouses on the sides, so they look totally misshapen, and my big toes get ingrown toenails all the time-I have a genetic pre-disposition to them-thanks Dad.

It's easy to hide my feet, just wear shoes & socks, and for most of the year that works. But there is some time during the summer when sandals are more comfortable. My trade off here is to wear moccasins.

I really don't spend a lot of time fretting about my feet. They are what they are. I am glad that my kids seem to have gotten their dad's feet though.

By far my best feature is my hands. I have nice, long fingers. When I grow my nails out they look really elegant. Pictured is my hands after their first, and so far only, manicure from last July. I would like to get another one done, but lately money's been a little tight, so I can wait until I'm a little ahead for the next one.

My hands are on the large size-again thank you Dad, but they're not out of proportion for the rest of me...I'm not dainty, I come from good, sturdy, peasant stock. I wish my hands had the ability to play a musical instrument, but so far that's eluded me. I might try again with the violin, but this time I'm going to buy a good one.

My hands are good at creating. I do several crafts, but mostly crochet. I get a lot of pleasure from this, and I've been doing some good with the skill also. They're also strong, which is good for gardening, another favorite hobby. They've also had the pleasure of holding my babies when they were born, and my husband through some good times & some not so good times. They've comforted little children, animals, and even my parents. They've also played several sports, some better than others, and never anywhere near a professional level, but always for fun. They've typed thousands, possibly millions of words, and probably written just about the same amount.

They are not without their flaws. I have a scar on the side of left index finger middle knuckle from a mishap w/a pocket knife. Middle finger on my left hand used to have a crescent shaped birthmark on the pad, but it's faded as I've gotten older. I've got a scar on palm of my right hand from tripping over a glass soda bottle and then landing on it when I was a kid, and a couple of freckles on the back of it almost dead center. I've got some mild calluses on both hands, but I wear gloves more faithfully now, so they not as pronounced as they once were. But you know, my hands are just about 44 years old now, overall they are holding up well.

Of course, my hands couldn't get anywhere w/out my feet...

Introducing Sophia Kirby...the stray that stayed

Around Thanksgiving a little white kitten showed up at our food dishes. Very skittish, wouldn't let us anywhere close. My son, Doug, spent hours outside trying to convince kitten to come to him. She would come close, but not close enough & wouldn't let him touch. Then on Dec 30th, 2010, she somehow got into my husband's shop. The kids cornered her & Riley, my daughter, caught her. She's got some Siamese somewhere in the background-her ears & tail are orange, and I would guess between 4-5 months old. And she's a girl.

We named her Sophia, and from the start Doug is clearly her favorite. And I do mean clearly, she literally lights up when Doug is in the room & ignores everyone else. She treats him like a jungle gym and plays on him, and then will cuddle up to sleep. Last night Riley & I went to the store, when we got home Doug was sleeping sitting up on the couch w/Sophie on his lap w/his hand over her back...she was wide awake, but not leaving her boy.

It's really very cute. My son is not dainty, but Sophie is, and she has absolutely no fear of him whatsoever. In fact she demands that he pay attention to her and will cuddle with him as long as he'll let her.

She likes the rest of us too, just not as much as she loves Doug. Here's Riley with her the night we caught her.

And this was right after she was caught...she stepped in some motor oil, that was cleaned off right away.

She's getting used to the dogs and Tottie. Cookie already has adopted her and Cassie wants nothing to do with her. Cookie, Tottie, and Cassie are our other cats. She's pretty much lost all fear of us, we haven't tried to introduce her to other people quite yet, but soon.

Ready or not it's 2011

So far my New Year has consisited of work broken up by a brief bout of sleep. I worked a 14 hour shift New Year's Eve, and then back for my normal 12 hour shift New Year's Day. Needs to settle down quickly or I'm moving straight to 2012.

New Year's resolution:last year my resolution was to make one Mother Bear Project bear a month. I accomplished this goal. Not bad for the first New Year's resolution I'd done in years. This year I'm going to again do the one Mother Bear Project bear a month, but I'm adding learning how to make cold process soap. Towards this end I've bought a bunch of books that I'm working my way through. I'm hoping by next month to maybe start experimenting.