Lullabyes for an Insomniac

Yoyo reappeared, healthy and unharmed, thankfully. I am not going to dwell on that. Suffice to say, it was bad while he was missing.

Friday, someone sent me flowers at work. Pink tulips, my favorite. No card, no name, no florist logo, just a mystery. They are beautiful, although slightly limp after the weekend. It has made me nuts, as I am not a fan of mysteries like that. I would like to thank whomever sent them! They made the day a lot brighter, for sure.



I have been procrastinating a little on packing up some swap-bot things. I have had them all ready to go for weeks, just haven't felt like packing them. I am almost done packing tonight (love insomnia). I think once I mark "sent" on the swaps I have, I will stop for a bit. I joined some expensive swaps lately and as much as I enjoy putting together things for other people, it is getting to be too much, as I am not receiving an equivalent in return. I started out with quite a stash of things, so I was just clearing clutter, but I have had to purchase things recently, so time to stop.

Unfortunately, I failed to save the scans of the tip-in pages for the Wheel of the Year Tip-ins-both February and March for morrigane .

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Those are the last of the big swaps I plan on doing for awhile. I have a Spring Swap for Nervousness, but I can make most fo the things for that one and it should be fairly easy. I have a few outstanding tags , but nothing more than gathering things up that I already have or can make very quickly. I am just burned out and have been quite disappointed (and flaked on) a few times recently, so before it becomes a chore, I would rather just stop.


I am slowly but surely recovering and every day is a little better. I hope I can get well enough to start packing, as I am very serious about moving back closer to Murfreesboro. There are more and more issues becoming apparent with the house and I need to get out before my life becomes even more of a misery. All this, just when I finally start to meet some local people. Figures. I hate moving... I own too many things. I will be freecycling a lot of possessions when I move. I just don't need them. They are encumbrances.

Speaking of local people, have met some lovely people that I have wanted to meet for quite some time and got my entry to The Mark, which is a wonderful thing. It gets me back out with people I have things in common with, which is nice. I have a dinner date with one of the men that I used to see at the old club, so it is something to look forward to. I still miss Bill, but I am never getting him back, so it is time to look forward. I am not looking for a relationship, but occasional dates would be nice.




















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( Full Moon Swap-Light in the Darkness )

For some reason, I am having tons of problems posting to LJ lately. My first sentence up there was not supposed to be under the cut, but it will not let me edit it.


I finished a plushie for one of Nicki's friends. It is  cthulhu, a nasty H.P. Lovecraft creature:

( cthulhu )


I also finished a Spring Goddess doll, almost exactly like one I finished two years ago, for a swap-bot swap. I haven't even been assigned my partner yet, but I have her ready to go. I will post pics of her later. I am working on some tip in pages for morrigane . Too funny, I was finishing her page for a series of swaps we are doing on swap-bot and when March's partners were assigned, I am sending to her again!

I am feeling a lot better today. I got up in the middle of the night to drive Nicki to Nashville, as she is going to South Carolina this weekend to see a friend. After that, I came back home and slept. Stayed out of work again, as I need the rest. I do plan on going to work tomorrow if I continue to feel better. I have been invited to The Mark this weekend for a Valentine party and and thinking about going. I don't know, I probably should stay home and rest some more. But it is tempting. It's a $15 door charge and it's nice to have someone else pay that.... normally I fend for myself at the door. We'll see how I feel.

I have made the decision to let my house go. It was a tough decision, but I honestly don't know how I will manage after Nicki moves out... it will put me $300-$400 over budget EVERY month. Disaster. I don't expect to make anything off the sale of the house, but hopefully I will break even.  My heart is hurting over it, but it has to be done. I can't take on a second job while my health is in such a precarious state. It would be counter-productive.

I am just so damn tired. And tired of being tired.

Photography is most definitely NOT my strong suit....and photobucket was being a brat this morning. I cropped every single one of these pics and photobucket shows them cropped, yet here.... not cropped. WTH?

(  Awful Pictures and short descriptions under here. )

Cold Moon

Birch Moon

I finished my tip-ins for hag53's altered book/BOS. I made a card style spread, so she can insert it into her book either attached or split apart. The theme is January's full moon and I chose to include information about the Celtic Cold Moon or Birch Moon. It is very plain, but I wanted to give the sense of darkness and the moon shedding light.

 

 

Leonard Nimoy photography

www.leonardnimoyphotography.com/7body.htm

Warning:clicking takes you to nudity

The past couple of weeks have been busy and up and down, as always.

Biggest news is that John was here for 4 whole days! We had a good time, although we mainly stayed at home. Katie came over Saturday and we played with the Wii and then she and Nicki made soap while John and Nathan played games.  I hated to see John leave on Sunday, but he has made a definite commitment to return to TN in April, when his lease is up.

Have had car issues and plumbing issues in past couple of weeks, but I refuse to dwell on them.

Doug sent me a sewing machine and I have started a number of small goddess dolls that I will complete in the next couple of weeks for PIFs and swaps. I am looking for vintage bra patterns, now that I have a decent machine. I can hardly wait to get crafting.  He also sent me a camera, which is a lot of fun. I haven't had much chance to play with it yet, but am looking forward to being able to take clearer pics! Such sweet and thoughtful gifts. But that is Doug. That Christmas tree he sent was a big hit with the kids. :)

Bon & J are fighting.... depressing.

I passed my courses, although since that last paper I handed in was so bad, I dropped from an A to a C. I am not ashamed of it... A C is respectable after being out of school for 25 years, but it irritates me that I let a work project take precedence over school. This also means I am only reimbursed 50% for tuition, which sucks.Won't happen again. I dropped out of all committee and projects at work. I just want to go in and work... then go home.  I still need to finish those last two speeches in Toastmasters. I put them off in November, but have asked if I can do a speak-a-thon to get both out of the way before I schedule those damn surgeries. We'll see.

Was doing some research for an elemental altar today:

Air-
East (duh)

Projective energy, intelligence, creativity, communication, imagination, ideas, dreams, wishes, psychic powers, travel

Symbols: wind, breezes, clouds, feathers, smoke, herbs, incense

Goddesses: Aradia, Arinrhod, Urainia
Gods: Enlil(another raping god, for crying out loud)
Spirits: zephyrs (I love that word), fairies, tree spirits

Colors: yellow, white

Stones: topaz, pumice, rainbow stones, crystals, amethyst, alexandrite

Metals: tin and copper

Animals: eagle, spider, raven


I think from this, I can come up with a great altar to put by my crafting area......

This was for a N'ness swap... first dotee doll I have ever made and I thought it turned out cute. It is a Valentine dotee!



This was a Winter Swap... here is the rest:



The whimsy jar is winter themed, there is a little handmade journal for New Year's resolutions, a spice mat, a cookbook that reminds me of Mima, and a chocolate sleigh, also a first attempt at something new.

Today started out rough..... the coffee maker died. It was ugly. Just ugly.
Was peeing rain and sleet on the way to work and as always, people were being jerks. It took me from 6:15 to 8:00 to get to work, because of fender benders. Sheesh.

Was kinda a rough day at work, but it's over so I will move on.

I bought a coffee percolator instead of the drip type. I think coffee is better.... and it takes less counter space!

When I got home had two GREAT packages in the mail.... gwensmom sent me a box of fabulous fabric, which I was expecting, but also sent some marvelous yarns, which has me giddy with excitement.  There is some super soft fuzzy green yarn that will be perfect hair for a Baba Yaga doll I have been thinking about starting at some point.

AND!! my PIF from gypsytemptress arrived, smelling yummy when I opened the mail box. There was quite a collection of BPal scents, which my daughter is trying to steal (I offered to share) , samples of moisturizers, tea.... just all sorts of tiny treasures. What a day brightener!

There was also a belated birthday card from Bill's precious mother, that made me bawl like a baby, I miss him (and her) so much.

Brrr.... cold this morning. I am trying very hard to be conservative with the heat, but since it really isn't all that cold yet, I am a little concerned about January/February. If I keep the heater on low, it is still a little too chilly in the living room. The kitchen, dining room, and utility room are already too cold for comfort, since I blocked them off from heat. No fun to go in the kitchen to make coffee in the mornings. I have to bundle up like I am in the Arctic Circle. Poor Nicki... with her circulation problems, her fingers are blue in the evenings. I try to look at it as a "toughening up" process. There was no heat in the Treehouse and I lived there okay. But then again, I didn't have full blown arthritis then, either.

I have a couple of PIFs to finish up and get in the mail. I am trying to complete everything by end of November so I can relax and not worry about anything else. I am having fun with some ATCs right now and have a couple of teeny-tiny art dolls that I am really loving. My raggy lady has been put away for the time being, until I can finish these other things. Since the crafting table is in the utility room, I am going to have to put a heater in there. I tried to sit in there long enough to just paint a box top and I couldn't stand it. COLD!

I am so tired.

Yesterday was rough... a long day.....
Busy, as it is billing spike time. Back-to-back phone calls and two meetings about C.R.E.D.I.T. project. We went around and around and went right back to where we started. I have stated that we need to just stick with it and not talk to anymore people, as they just muddy the waters. I need the get the thing written, so I can move on to other things.
Meeting w/ M. today, which I have been waiting for since April. About damn time.


I found this great picture of Lynchburg. It is simply perfect, an accurate snapshot of what is in my head when I think of Lynchburg, other than the distillery:


That feller looks like he knows his way around a whisky bottle. Adorable.  And of course, the obligatory truck. Heart of Redneck country.....I had to go to Lynchburg right after work yesterday, as I had to pick up some papers from school. It was too late to go into the town and go into the shops or a restaurant, as they roll up the sidewalks at dusk , but I was happy just to be there a short while... such a cute town. And a gorgeous drive right now, through winding country roads.

Watched Rocky II last night. Will probably skip III tonight, as I am not fond of that one. Again, missed sleep because I kept thinking of Bill.  Shouldn't watch Rocky at all.

One of the members of a Yahoo group I'm involved in started a PIF exchange and I am really excited about it. These small things in my mailbox cheer me up a lot and I'd like to spread the cheer.

Here's how it works, I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this exchange. I'm not quite sure what my gift will be, maybe a little art  doll, or some kind of assemblage, or a matchbox shrine, just  whatever I am inspired to make, and I promise you will receive it by the end of the year.

The only thing you have to do in return is play it forward by making the same promise on your blog, "This will be like a seed of abundance of creativity that will bloom in many wonderful works of art."

An easy-peasy swap via swap-bot: Send decorated to-do list. It is an outdoorsy activity weekend, it looks like! This is going to Denmark. Coincidentally, my new penpal is from Denmark, so I have two things mailed to that country this weekend. It's exciting to get mail from another country, so really looking forward to the returns on this.
Got some  things accomplished from that list: winterized the koi pond, mailed my list,  and raked leaves.  Finishing the essay right now, but am procrastinating.

I am working 7-7 all week, which means I am not going to have a lot of time for studying and posting to the school discussion boards. Trying to get it all done today.

Posted a candy/cookie recipe swap LMAO on N'Ness. I hope people sign up, as I thought it would be fun... and relatively easy to do. I imposed a firm deadline and  made it a collection LMAO, so if people don't mail to me by  deadline, they will get their own stuff back. Period. 

It is sweat shirt weather, which is exciting. I have been waiting for it! Love it, love it.  The dogs are enjoying the weekend too.

How exciting.... was able to log into the courses and see the schedule, first assignments, etc.  Still have not received my books, but should have those in the next week or so.  It was SO damn exciting to actually see my name on the class roster and to know that I am finally following through on my dream of getting a formal education.  And it's great that it's all online. Love it.

Ran into the first snag, too. Of course, there is a snag. I wouldn't know what to do if there was no snag.

Word is not loaded on this computer. I need Word to send in assignments in English. I only took a loan large enough to cover tuition and books, not a penny more. Didn't think that through. I am sure I will come up with a solution, even if it means typing everything here in wordpad and emailing it to someone that has Word, paste it into word there and emailing it back to me here. We'll see. I can't afford to buy the software right now.

Crafted, crafted, crafted yesterday. Started two autumn leaf dolls, a couple of tote bags and Rob's cthulu (sp?). One of the leaf dolls looks slightly like antler instead of leaf, but I guess that is fall-ish also. Ran into a snag with the cthulu, as the tentacles are so small, having a hard time turning them. Am having to rethink my design.

Today's agenda: cleaning and more crafting.  I slept until 8:00! It's rainy, so I just want to stay in bed, but I really need to get some stuff done. The coffee is absolutely spectacular this morning and Nicki made peach scones that are delicious, so the day has started out wonderfully well.

Have really been enjoying a discussion in MTL group. It's so nice to have a DISCUSSION in at least one forum. An actual conversation. So rare, nowadays. I am trying to understand the concept of "consent to non-consent" and I don't know that I ever will. But it's nice to hear from others about it. I have learned and gained a newfound respect for a couple of people. So, definitely a worthwhile discussion.

I am supposed to hear about the event planning job Tuesday or Wednesday. I thought I would be more anxious, but I honestly believe that even if I don't get the position, I'm okay with it. I have too much other stuff to worry about.  Will definitely raise the issue of promotion. I am not okay with C.  getting a promotion because she threatened to quit. That is just not cool.

Another speech on Tuesday. Topic? haven't even thought about it so I guess I need to do that today and get it written.
I have 3 speeches in September. Ugh. I'll be glad when I am all done with the speechifying. I hate it.

I finally finished with the altered bird nest. However, I absolutely could not get the camera to do what I wanted so I will just have to keep the image in my mind.
( For the Birds (N'ness project): )

I didn't make it yesterday, so was very disappointed.

I slept all day, as it was yet another day that I had absolutely no energy. No housework was done either, so my house is still fairly messy. I DID sit on the sofa and finish one component of a N'ness project.

Nicki made shepherd's pie yesterday evening. It was  delicious. And so unexpected, as she doesn't like red meat and she rarely cooks anything other than grilled chicken and couscous. I couldn't believe it when she said she was making it!


3:00... today is going better.
I have been working on my birds nest project for N'ness and I have to say it is fabulous. I have sent Nicki into town for beading needles, as everything came to a screeching halt because of the lack of the beading needles.

I am feeling very crafty.

I have never been so tired in my life. I am just drained.
I am missing another day of work because my chest is tight again... as well as the backs of legs hurting like h.e.l.l.

Just got back from the doctor.

BP is up again and so the meds got upped again. I don't know what I am going  to do, as I am borderline nonfunctional as it is.

Legs... pinched nerve.

I couldn't sleep last night so I made postcards to distract myself:



I got bored with them so they aren't completely finished.  The lady on right bottom is Wallis Warfield and the text is: Wallis Warfield, 1914, Baltimore, Bachelor's Cotillion. Later Mrs. Earl Winfield Spencer, Jr., later Mrs. Ernest Simpson, later Duchess of Windsor. Never queen, but not for want of trying.

The lady on top left is an ad from 1928 (great ephemera from Bell Buckle Antiques) for deodorant.

The sheep one is my favorite, although I like the eye in the sun too. I think I get carried away and start layering stuff and I end up overdoing it, as I did with the 1928 lady.

Drugs are kicking in and I am heading back to bed.

I love lavender. And purple. I am so glad I made this little journal and decided that only happy things were going in it. It is over halfway full now of things that only positive and happy and I enjoy looking at it.