Knitted Kitty

Along for the Ride

2010-12-23T18:43:00.000-05:00

While out watering the backyard today, this little guy fell out of a bush I'd just sprinkled. He seemed to be struggling to right himself so I lended a hand, or rather, a finger. He eagerly climbed aboard.

I ended up watering almost the entire backyard one handed. He didn't want to leave! I was shielding him from the cold wind and I believe he appreciated that. ;)

After I watered, I took him into the house with me to fetch the camera. Could have been disaster had he chosen then to take flight. Thankfully he didn't.

Back outside with my hand cupping him against my stomach, he started climbing up my sweatshirt. His goal seemed to be my radio headphone cord you see in the pic. That he found was a little tougher to scale. LOL

I took him back to the push he'd fallen out of but he didn't seem to be taking to it very well. Struggling to find a foothold and make progress into the plant.

So I got him back on my finger which was really easy at this point and moved him over to the larger bush with bigger leaves and thicker branches.

He seemed to take to it much better with the larger leaf to sit upon. I tried to get him to open up for a photo and he would but only briefly when I ran my finger across the top of his wings. I had at first rubbed the side of his wing but that produced no movement. I think he was enjoying the massage! Inside he had beautiful black spots in his coloring.

Fall????

2010-11-22T12:33:00.000-05:00

It is forecasted to hit 81 degrees here in North Texas today. That is NOT Fall weather. Fall is my favorite time of the year so I'm not pleased but....my flowers are thrilled! LOL

Day at the zoo

2010-11-04T21:19:00.000-04:00

Waiting Patiently

2010-10-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

Callie waiting...

Waiting for...

....the little birds to come take bathes. They have a larger bird bath over by the feeder but seem to like this on-the-ground model.

Cutie Callie

2010-09-23T16:43:00.000-04:00

Helping Mommy make the bed!

Always fun!!

The Bird Whisperer

2010-08-06T22:15:00.007-04:00

A handful of days ago, I found a pair of doves who weren't leaving the backyard upon my presence. The female, seen in these photos, looked injured to me due to lack of a tail. I found it sweet the male stayed by her side. I expected her to be heading on up to birdie heaven over night. That didn't happen and they stuck around.

A few days after, they were gone. "Yay!", I thought, "they can both fly." Next day, the male was back and looking sleepy. He let me get really close and would just close his eyes. I brought him some food and water. I watched him eat a few sunflower seeds with what seemed like difficulty but not being a bird expert, had no idea if it was normal. He tossed those few back up but did keep others down.

I left him for the night, Thursday night, and found him dead this morning. :( Poor guy. I hadn't seen his partner until tonight.

She actually came close to the back door as if asking for help. She looks poorly as if she too is on death's door. I felt she was asking "Where is my mate? I don't want to die alone."

I tried getting her into the granola bar box as it's ready to storm outside. She wasn't keen on the idea. Next up, a bucket. That she was okay with. I added some torn paper towels to give her a modicum of comfort. She is also doing the sleepy eye closing. I think she will be gone come morning if not before.

I'm sad for them yet at the same time honored they felt safe in our yard and with me to live out their last moments.

My Beauties

2010-07-28T23:54:00.002-04:00

I was going through some photos and found this one that I love:

They aren't doing anything too cute for words but are just simply being.

Refreshing

2010-07-20T02:10:00.000-04:00

Captivating Cricket

2010-07-19T01:52:00.006-04:00

Hello! Nice to meet ya!

This big guy (at least three inches long and quite husky) tends
to jump out of one of the bushes I water each day.
Usually out of the Silverberry you see him sitting on in these photos.

Most often he leaps to the fence offended by the water I let fall on his backside.

This day he stayed on the plant. I'm sure word on the street is that
the human can give him his 15 mins. LOL

He was very accommodating for this photo shoot.

Some of these photos you can click to see a larger version.

Backyard Buddy

2010-07-15T21:22:00.005-04:00

While out watering the backyard tonight, I was followed around by this gorgeous dragonfly. He was a beautiful bright red with spots of yellow on his wings close to his body. He was quite friendly.

In this last photo, I was trying to get him to land on my finger. Can you see him looking at me while he mulled it over? He'd fly off around me then land back on this same branch. I took that as a maybe but don't hold your breath. Hee.

Loved This Commercial

2010-07-08T22:02:00.000-04:00

Ten patterns for ten bucks!!

2010-04-13T00:46:00.002-04:00

Ten knit dishcloth patterns for $10.

visit KnittedKitty.com for details

New 2010 Birds

2010-01-06T15:11:00.006-05:00

First I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year!!!!

****************

While the hubs and I were looking out back at the bright red of the cardinal and his wife amongst the blah of winter, a flock of birds landed in a nearby tree. I quickly grabbed the binoculars while hubs snapped a pic. I'd never seen these birds before! Yippee...new birds!!

Yes, it's a gray day here as we prepare for a freezing winter blast that is to hit us tomorrow. Brrr. The picture isn't the best as hubs didn't have time to set his camera to the right settings and it was taken through the window but it was good enough to make an I.D.

This photo of the same bird, a Cedar Waxwing, I snagged off the net so you can appreciate it's beauty!

From other photos I've seen of these birds, they seem to keep in a group which is why they were so noticeable flying down and into the tree.

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Enjoy a wonderful new year!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday it snowed. For a an hour or so it was slushy and not sticking.

Then...it started sticking.
The temp started to drop.
The flakes got bigger.

The wind was howling but I braved it for photos.
I figured if little tiny birds could handle it...;)

**********
I brought in a snowball for the girls to check out.

Callie figured out pretty quick it was just water. Yummm.

**********
Here is the inside of the girls' outdoor pen ramp. Looks pretty cool covered in ice and snow.

Not cool enough, or perhaps too cool, for the girls to venture out.

The wind was blowing through this hole pretty good stopping them in their curious tracks.

It's just after midnight and we are officially starting Christmas with snow. Our last white Christmas was in 1926! To our north, Tulsa, Oklahoma, received 11 inches. The most they've ever received!

It was a special day yesterday being blanketed with such beauty.

Hope you all have a beautifully blessed Christmas day!!

Merry Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T11:41:00.006-05:00

It's Christmas Eve and we are getting snow!!

It's not sticking but it's still a joy!
And we had a red Christmassy visitor!
Can you see him?
********
Some under the tree furball photos:

Bella

Callie

Uh, okay

2009-12-06T23:24:00.002-05:00

I had just finished cleaning and refilling the girls' water fountain. Something Bella doesn't use preferring the sink but Callie does all the time.

I had yet to put the top piece on when Miss Bella decided she liked it without and started drinking. Uh, okay. Why it's better this way than down in the bowl part is a mystery but she's a cat right?

So I left the lid off and she came back again later to drink some more which is when I scored the photo op! If this is how she'll use it, I'll leave the top off permanently for our quirky little girl!

The Best Part....

2009-12-05T00:29:00.003-05:00

....of Christmas decorating....

....is all the tissue from the unwrapped tree ornaments!!

Then later, snoozing under the tree.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Please thank a soldier on this Thanksgiving.

Go to Let's Say Thanks and choose a postcard and message. Or write your own letting our troops know they have our support and love for all they do to keep our country protected and free. It'll only take a moment of your time. Remember, moments become memories!

Christmas List

2009-11-24T21:57:00.005-05:00

When I was a girl, I got so excited at Christmas time over the Sears Catalog. All those toys!!! I would browse and dream wanting it all, of course. So much fun!!

I was remembering those days and had a thought of putting together a Christmas list. I don't really need anything and don't want for much so it's not a thrilling list. LOL

Using Amazon was easy and quick. Some items I found browsing around, others I added when using older versions like the spatulas.

I'm a practical gal so here ya go in no particular order:

Amazon.com Widgets

2009-11-15T21:41:00.001-05:00

CHRISTMAS SALE!!!!
Get all six dishcloth patterns for six bucks!!

Visit KnittedKitty.com

These patterns are my some of my favorites.
Who doesn't love all things Christmas?
They make great gifts.
Place them in a basket with some cookie making supplies.
Sew a backing on them and turn them into pillows.
Knit them all up with some plain squares and make an afghan.
~matching borders~

Monkey Butts

2009-11-11T23:00:00.003-05:00

Hubs and I enjoyed our time at the zoo on our anniversary.

Here are some highlights starting with a colorful monkey butt! LOL

The photo doesn't do it justice. It was very iridescent like a soap bubble. Especially when hit just right by the sun. I think everyone's eyes were glued to the poor guy's behind. LOL

Our last visit, they were working on the penguin exhibit. They are so funny. Especially when they just stand there looking like tuxedo zombies. LOL The little guy here in the photo got quite active swimming back and forth along the glass. He seemed particularly attracted to a cute young boy. I'm thinking his bright red shirt had something to do with it. Whatever it was, this boy was full of giggles and excitement over the penguins antics.

All the big cats were gorgeous as usual.

This lion was alone in his space. Next door was a female and what looked like a young male. Possibly her cub. Her teats suggested she might have smaller young out of sight. The male and the female decided to have a chat while we were visiting them. The male started with a loud roar followed by the female. They went back and forth with their speak getting shorter and shorter in nature. It was really fun to watch.

Our favorites are still the meerkats. They are so little and curious. Too cute! Hubs took all the photos you see. This cutie pie was staring up at me as I chatted with him. I wanted to stick him in my pocket and bring him home with me.

2009-11-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

Today the hubs and I celebrate eighteen years of marriage!!

We were planning to hit Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge and visit with the big cats. However, it's a long drive and with potential rain, we've put this trip off and decided to hit the zoo instead and visit with their big cats.

We haven't been to the zoo since February of last year which is ridiculous since it's not far from where we live and we had fun last time around. We are going to buy ourselves a year's pass as our anniversary "gift" to each other. Tells you how practical we are. LOL

Lookie What I Found!!!

2009-11-04T18:34:00.003-05:00

Headed into Lowes earlier today for a toilet fix and a light fix. Not so fun a trip so I HAD to detour into the Christmas stuff for a moment or two of hypnosis through glitter. ;)

And what do I find but this adorable Santa star!!!!!

He'll fit right in on my mantel this Christmas among my growing star collection.

Isn't he cute?

Mmmm....Bird!!!

2009-10-28T18:06:00.002-04:00

Bella spied a lovely hawk right outside the window.

Little does she know this hawk could probably carry her up and away.

Stars...finally

2009-10-23T20:37:00.002-04:00

A post just for you K. LOL

After about a handful of months, I finally got the hubs to put up the stars above the fireplace today. Long ago, I talked about starting a star collection. As you can see, I got started. Most are small as I didn't know what I wanted to do on the wall. Would I buy? Would I make?

Then I found these at Hobby Lobby. I scooped them up not really sure they'd be big enough to fill the space but they do! Now the hunt is on to find appropriate sizes to fill the mantel space. And Christmas is the perfect time to find stars!!

I Couldn't Help Myself

2009-09-30T22:40:00.002-04:00

Had to run into Hobby Lobby the other day
for some yarn and enjoyed a slow
stroll through the Christmas decorations.

The Christmas ornaments were on sale 40%
off and I couldn't help myself when
I found these three kitty ornaments.

I used to collect snowmen. I have tons of
snowman ornaments so the past couple
years I've switched over to kitty ornaments.

Aren't they cute?

Welcome Fall!!!!!

2009-09-22T14:18:00.004-04:00

Today is the first day of Fall. I'm really excited.

Yesterday was the last day of Summer....temp mid 90s.
Today, first day of Fall....temp low 60s!!!!

Perfect!

Sadly it won't stay in the 60s but for today, however, it's a great start to the season!

Last night we were treated to a loud and grumbly storm. The hubs got some great lightening shots.

Enjoy!:

Critters Everywhere!

2009-09-15T19:28:00.002-04:00

Must be all the rain we've received this past week. About six inches at my house. I don't have photos of the two crickets that made their way in. The first one was last evening and he was flying all over to get away from the girls. He even sought refuge on me! Yes, I squealed like a girl should! I got him trapped and stuck him outside. *shivers*

Then this morning both hubs and I were awakened by the girls playing with the second one in our bedroom. Eewww. They'd traumatized this one enough that catching him wasn't a problem.

I'll start with this snail. I'm from California where snails are thick and have big hump shells. In the past I shared this snail shell that was new to me and I loved it's beauty. Yesterday I came across the snail above with a cone shell. Again, new to me! Isn't s/he pretty?

This afternoon I opened my front door to give a plant some light and was surpised to see guy hanging on the solar screen!

I was able to grab the camera and get a shot of his fat self before the girls caught wind. He soon after jumped to the ground and looked back at us as if he was saying a hello! He kept Bella mesmerized for a bit then he ran to the right into the bushes. Bella followed to the windows that overlook but I think she lost him as she gave up not long after. Next I see, he's back chilling on the mat.

This guy has been living in our front yard for some time. In our back yard, we have Larry the lizard. I looked back over my posts and realized while I've documented him over the summer, I never shared with you. I'll have to do that as he's pretty cute.

Regal Rebel

2009-09-14T00:22:00.002-04:00

I hear "Mrow, Mrow, Mrow". I find it's source and will translate for you: "Mom, look at me! Up here! Do you see me?" For some reason Bella loves to call to me from up on the railed walkway upstairs. She also can fit her body through the slats. Her fur is very deceiving on her true size.

I think she believes she's doing something dangerous or maybe even "bad". She calls me like this when she's made it onto the top of the doll cabinet too. Silly thing. But a cute silly thing, don'tcha think? ;)

May God Bless Us All

2009-09-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

Elegant Hawk

2009-09-09T18:50:00.010-04:00

Howdy! I hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful summer!!

I've been really bad at blogging over the Summer. Kinda got bored with it. I'm blaming the hot Summer we had here in Texas. Made me want to hole up in my home and not venture out. I'm hoping to get back into it once Fall makes an appearance. I am so looking forward to Fall and Winter and hopefully some chilly weather.

On to today's post:

Hubs and I spotted this beautiful bird on our back fence earlier today. Got a couple shots from a distance then a few through the binoculars. We only had my cheapy camera on hand so I apologize for the fuzzy photos.

"Can I see???"

Hubs even put the FLIP video through the binoculars and captured this:

Happy 60th Mom!!!!!

2009-08-22T01:35:00.005-04:00

Today my wonderful mom turns the big 6-0!!

Sixty is the new forty, right? ;)

Congrats Mom and enjoy a fantastic birthday!!

Actually she's already celebrated with a trip to Reno where she came home richer than when she left!!!!! Now that's a birthday!

It's been well over a week and yet...

2009-08-10T21:07:00.003-04:00

Well over a week ago, this little gecko came into the house along side the hubs. We didn't notice until Bella went wacko trying to get at it. She just wants to watch and sniff. Callie, who wasn't around, is the one who wants to chomp!

Hubs picked up the slippery little guy who, as you can see, dropped the end of his tail. Now the tail dropping is weird and creepy yet brilliant in design. It flaps around like a fish out of water (the creepy part) attracting the predator while he makes his escape (brilliant!).

Yes, over a week ago...and yet... Miss Bella is still setting up shop waiting for him to return. She comes over to this spot near the front door every day, sniffs around and sometimes hunkers down in hope.

I wonder how long it will continue? LOL

A Hyper Equal For Bella?

2009-08-04T19:33:00.001-04:00

The Equal:

For Bella:

Design Star

2009-08-03T22:42:00.000-04:00

I almost missed Design Star this season. Nancy spoke of it on her blog reminding me. I thought I had set a season pass on my Tivo but obviously not. Design Star is an HGTV special production where "designers" compete for their own HGTV show. Anyhoo, I caught up yesterday. Episode one I was able to watch online, a rerun of episode two came on at four, and the latest episode, three, hit the airwaves at nine!

I am a bit disappointed at the selection of design show wannabees so far. The first two episodes they worked in groups so it's kinda hard to see any one person shine. But the white room challenge says it all. Wow, what a HUGE disappointment.

If you don't watch the show, this third challenge gave each designer his/her own white space with some furniture as seen in the first photo. They each chose two cans of paint and all they could grab from the grocery store within an hour. I find this the most creative challenge because they actually have to use their noodle to come up and implement a design plan with limited resources. Only two really stood out for me as being good.

This first one by Dan was the best. The computer image does NOT do this room justice. The colors were vibrant and the room felt full of life. You really do have to see it on TV to enjoy the creativity he put into this. Take the "rug" for example. That's food on the floor not a real rug.

This next room by Torie was my second best. I liked her bold color and the graphic she made on the back wall out of garbage bags and napkins. Her floor is charcoal with black beans and puffed rice. Even with the bold color and the dynamic floor, I felt it lacking. With Dan's room above what jumped out at me right at first was he brought us all the way out to the edge unlike Torie's room, and many of the others, where the eye is taken all the way to the back making the sofa etc. seem smaller. You can see all the rooms here.

One thing different in this fourth season is instead of the viewers choosing between the two finalists, the judges will choose. I like that much better because the judges know a lot more than us viewers! Makes me wonder though if perhaps one of the past winners didn't turn out to be such a great show host. I never watch their shows so I can't say. But I do remember season one when the guy, I forget his name, did his final room with no shirt on. I'm sure that got him more votes than his actual design did. ;)

I also was thrilled to see those two judges replaced with Candice and Genevieve. I did not care for the two that left. Candice I love. She does a great show. And I've been a fan of Vern and Genevieve from their Trading Spaces days.

Fun little show without a huge time commitment as it only has nine episodes a season. Six episodes left if you are interested. HGTV on Sunday nights.

And they repeat the latest show so if you want to see the white room challenge, check your listings this week and tune in.

Too Cute!!

2009-07-29T15:30:00.003-04:00

My FIL sent me the link to this wonderful video. You can read an interview from Nora the kitty here.

Enjoy!!

Are You Kidding Me?

2009-07-28T01:14:00.003-04:00

Our multitude of over 100 degree days of late had all my potted plants gasping for life. I finally gave up since there seemed to be no end in sight to the heat! I took the above photo just the other day after we have enjoyed some cooler, rainy days. As you can see, the plants are making a come back.

While the potted plants were dying an ugly death, sprouts were popping up in the crack between the patio and our home. I let them grow and despite the heat and receiving no water from me whatsoever, they were thriving.

Are you kidding me? LOL

So You Think You Can Dance

2009-07-23T13:18:00.005-04:00

I love this show. Have you seen it? It's the best dance show on TV. Last night they did a breast cancer piece that had everyone in tears, me included. Another has it on youtube so I hope you get to see it before it's snatched away. I would hope the show would allow this to remain online as it promotes the show and gives beauty to the breast cancer fight. It's a bit lengthy but I encourage you to watch it through to the end to see the comments from the judges.

The man in the audience with the yellow hair is the female dancer's husband. The man with the hat is the choreographer. Mia, the fourth judge is also a choreographer who did a beautiful piece a couple years ago dedicated to her father who had passed on. I believe the stats that we are all touched in some way by this tragedy. Both my MIL and my best friend have battled breast cancer. I'm sure you know someone too.

Things In My House Thursday

2009-07-23T00:04:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I got myself some new tennies and thought I'd share them with you for TIMHT. My past shoes have always been New Balance but I decided to try Asics on the hub's recommendation and I love these!

I have bad feet so I need comfortable, sturdy shoes since tennies are pretty much the only shoes I wear. These are very comfy with all the mesh forming nicely around the foot.

I'm a white shoe gal. I don't go for all the color and swish but finding comfortable shoes that are without some color is almost impossible so I'm going with it. Do you like the girly flowers and swirls inside the shoe? LOL

Head on over to MSM's and join in on TIMHT.

A Tip For The Ladies

2009-07-17T23:13:00.003-04:00

When the hubs wears out your thongs despite him having his own, your next pair should be pink and girly!!!!!

I picked up these two pair today. Black for the hubs and pink on pink for me! Three bucks each at Wallyworld. What a deal. What I like is the straps aren't those uncomfortable hard plastic ones.

Things In My House Thursday

2009-07-16T14:09:00.002-04:00

Today I share with you our Texas heat.
The photo says it all.
I haven't looked this forward to winter in a l o n g time.

Head on over to MSM's and join in on TIMHT.

Beware Of The Bump

2009-07-14T23:37:00.000-04:00

If there's a bump, a lump, or even a hump

Approach with caution not glee

What's under the rug might make you jump

It all depends on what you see

His & Hers

2009-07-11T16:24:00.003-04:00

Hubs and I finally bought ourselves new cell phones to replace the $19.99 ones (top of photo) we bought five or six years ago. We at first bought other $19.99 ones to replace the old but those didn't work. Literally didn't work so we headed to Best Buy and found these Samsungs. More than we had planned to spend but we tend to keep things until they wear out so these should last us for years.

Do you like the pic of Callie as Hub's wallpaper? I have Bella on mine.

I crocheted us up some covers to keep them from getting scratched.
Simple little pattern:

Chain 8 (width of phone, add or subtract as needed)
Hdc in second chain from hook and in remaining chains.
Continue around with hdc in back of last chain stitched and in each stitch across.
You'll be working in one continuous circle so keep going with the Hdc until your cover reaches the right height. You'll need to stick your phone in to get correct size as your stitches should be sized to be a bit snug against the phone.
When you get to your desired height, flatten the piece and stop one stitch from the end of one side, slip stitch the next two stitches then tie off.
Weave in your ends then flip it right side out.
If you like you can weave yarn in and out of the top row to create a drawstring for security. I didn't do that with ours since the covers are snug and they won't be in a position where the phone could fall out. But if yours is tossed say in a backpack or loose in a purse, you might want the draw string.

Things In My House Thursday That Waste My Time...LOL

2009-07-09T00:00:00.004-04:00

Today I share with you an example of things I find to do instead of things I should do. LOL

I opened a new stack of blank CDs in order to clear off some crap I can't seem to part with on my computer but needs to go elsewhere. Mostly patterns collected in pdf form. Lots of patterns!

Anyhoo, sitting on the top of the CDs to keep them from shifting in shipment were these plastic washers. My first thought at seeing them was Cat Toy!! I figured it'd be something Bella would love. I simply tied them with cotton yarn so that they would be dangly yet not a chocking hazard. Yes, I worry about such things. Many a pet has choked to death on small objects and I'm on constant alert.

Bella does love her new toys. I knew she would because she loves to carry dangly things from her mouth and run away with them. She's kind of a little thief. I've caught her with a dangly earring and part of a watch. The funny thing is she usually takes everything into the master bath. Don't know why. The three rings with the pink is her favorite.

Head on over to MSM's and join in on TIMHT.

Birds!!!!

2009-07-07T21:42:00.003-04:00

Last week, the girls' outdoor pen was invaded by little chirping birds. There were five just on the pen with others you can't see on the adjoining table and chairs.

Bella was sitting on a chair looking out the other window so I pulled her over and lifted the blinds so she could watch. If the window is closed, she can't get outside. I'm sure she wanted to give chase but opening the window would have sent them on the fly.

Not long after the photos, one of the birds started to peck at the screen. We can't have them putting a hole in there allowing a kitty to escape! So up the went the window and out went the cat. Shh, the girls haven't figured out that they could easily tear the walkway screen with their nails and run free. The screen on the pen itself is pet screen with no chance of freedom.

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-04T12:08:00.001-04:00

I've shared these with y'all before but I love them so here ya go again!! Enjoy a wonderful 4th!!!

Thank A Soldier This 4th Of July

2009-07-03T12:10:00.008-04:00

I wish every American a wonderful 4th of July!!

While you are enjoying your weekend, please take a moment to fill out a free online postcard and thank a soldier or two or three for giving us the freedom to celebrate this important holiday honoring our country.

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While watching Foxnews this morning I learned all our major wars have a dedicated memorial except World War 1. It was sad to hear. There is only one living soldier from that war who is an amazing 108 and many family members who would love to see their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers honored for their sacrifice!

Please head on over to wwimemorial.org. You can make a donation and/or sign their petition to rededicate the above war memorial to include those who died for us in WW1.

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I was excited to hear that after almost eight long years, they are reopening the Statue of Liberty crown that was closed following the tragedy of Sept. 11th, 2001. May not seem like a big deal since she is so large and we've been able to see her despite the closure but it signifies that our nation feels safe enough from further attack to allow tourists to look out the lady's windows. Thank you President Bush for keeping the fight away from our shores following 9/11! I've never been to the statue and am pleased to say that were I to go, my knee would keep me from climbing all those steps. Pleased you say? Heck ya cause I'm terrified of heights!! ;)

Behind Curtain Number One

2009-07-02T19:45:00.002-04:00

This chair was sat in front of this window on a temporary basis to get it out of the way.

Callie claimed it as a great place to lay in the sun and watch the morning birds.

I pulled the curtain around the chair to keep the sun from coming into the room which created a kind of tent and made Callie love it even more!

So now the chair seems to have acquired a permanent location.

As you can see, all those photos were making her sleepy. It's hard being a kitty.

Who says things in life aren't free?

2009-06-29T16:08:00.005-04:00

Every year, Kohls sends out a free gift card. And every year, I use it! Thanks Kohls!!

Today I browsed around for about 40 minutes. Since I wasn't planning to shop this store, I tried to limit myself to the $10 amount on the card. I did find frivolous things like wall art and frames but my nature is to be practical so I usually don't fight it.

So I picked up this silicone baster. Our old bristle one is literally falling apart and I would not normally spend the $12.99 they were asking to replace it. This one was on sale for $9.74! I planned to pay the extra 54¢ over the $10 due to tax but they don't charge tax on the gift cards. Hot dog!!!!! My "purchase" ended up being completely free. Gotta love that!

Things In My House Thursday

2009-06-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

Nancy over at Nancy's Tidbits shared some beautiful stitch work on her blog recently which inspired me to dig out some of mine to share for today's TIMHT.

I was a cross stitcher early on in my crafting life but was sidelined by carpal tunnel in the early 90s. I miss it terribly. It was often slow work but very rewarding when complete. I only have a few pics of some I've done which I'm showing you today.

These first two I dug out from The Closet. I love their cuteness. They say a lot about who I am. They are also two that I did completely for myself which is unusual. I, like most crafters I'm sure, do most of their work for others. I should display them and enjoy. I need to reframe and put them onto a better sticky board first. You know though I should enjoy as is because if I wait until I get around to reframing, they'll stay in the closet forever. LOL

This lab stitch was done for my FIL who is now deceased. He LOVED labs and had a huge collection. I enjoyed giving him something for his collection that was unique and made in love.

Head on over to MSM's and join in on TIMHT.

Bloggie Break

2009-06-21T21:39:00.004-04:00

Took a little blog break this week. But that was broken tonight by this moth that freaked me out while I was watering the backyard.

It flew out of a bush and it was HUGE. It was all erratic and freaky. It finally settled on the hose reel which made photographing him difficult. I'd never seen a moth so big but this is Texas... I tried to coax him out gently for a better look but he took off so fast, flying all which way I lost track of him.

Thankfully he had some very distinct markings making quick work out of a Google search. He is called by a few names, Sphinx Moth, Hawk Moth, and Hummingbird Moth, and can be as big as 8 inches across in wingspan! I find it funny the three names are so different. Even the two birds used in the name are vastly different from one another.

Here is a better pic "borrowed" from this flickr find.

R.I.P

2009-06-15T23:43:00.005-04:00

Rest in Peace Mama Goose.

I shared with you a few days ago about mama goose no where in sight, her eggs destroyed and that papa goose seemed distressed on my visit to the pond following our big storm.

Tonight Hubs and I took Miss B for a walk to the pond and came across a family who had rescued a gaggle of Muscovy duck babies from their mother who was killing them. We talked back and forth and I found out that mama goose was killed during the storm. She was found the day after laying along the side of the lake. The mom of this family had researched it and geese mate for life. I told her my encounter with papa and how he seemed so distressed. Now I know why. He not only lost his babies twice but his mate. The family shared that mama goose had laid a second set of eggs after the first were destroyed.

I also got confirmation that the turtles in the lake are eating the duck babies. I shared how coyotes lived across the street from the pond when we first moved into the neighborhood before houses had been built and could also be causing some trouble.

The babies this family is caring for is having trouble getting them to want to live at the pond or even go into the water. They live very close to the pond so we hope they'll want to join the others when they get a bit bigger all on their own.

It was so cute watching this family of mom, dad, kids, and about eleven baby ducks marching along the sidewalk. Sorry but I didn't bring my camera to the pond as the sun was almost gone. But trust me, it was adorable.

I wish this family great luck in nurturing these beautiful babies into adulthood and out onto the pond!

The Cheer Squad

2009-06-14T22:16:00.004-04:00

Go Team!!!!

Dishcloth Patterns Available At
Knitted Kitty Creations

Katie

Megan

Jessica

Brittany

Ashley

I did a Google search for top cheerleading names and scored a hit. These names I pulled from the top ten. I thought it was funny someone actually put a list together.

Before, During, and After

2009-06-12T21:14:00.009-04:00

Wednesday evening and well into Thursday morning, we North Texans got walloped with a big honking storm. We even made the national news later that day due to the flooding and damage this storm provided.

We live on the west side of what is called the Metroplex (Fort Worth, Dallas and surrounding cities) and tend to get hit first since majority of storms here travel west to east in some fashion. Not long after Hubs left for work, the girls and I were once again bunkered down in the laundry.

It seemed to storm all night.

Bella seemed particularly fascinated with this rain storm. See her reflection in the door? I found that cute.

Come morning I looked out back and saw the pool was just about to overflow. I geared up in my wellies and trudged out in the rain to set it draining. If the storm hadn't stopped an hour or so after that, it would have surely overflowed because it was not draining as fast as it was filling.

No matter how hard it was raining...

...this squirrel was not going to be deterred from eating out of Big Red. Soon I'll have to refer to Big Red as Big Pink with all the fading it's done.

Friday afternoon, I headed to the pond to check up on the feathered friends. It seems none of the baby Muscovy ducks survived. I feared they wouldn't with such a fierce storm. Mr. Goose has some news for you too:

Things In My House Thursday

2009-06-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

Some online friends and I were yacking last night and started talking about birthstones. That led to high school class rings so we decided we'll take pics of our rings and share with one another. And I figured I'd share with you, too, since it's that time of year where seniors move on to adulthood and it's TIMHT!

I had to track this stuff down. I wasn't sure when I'd seen it last. First I looked through The Closet. Scary place The Closet. ;) No luck. Then it hit me and Bingo! I found them.

I had forgot about the 'matching' earrings! Boy was I a fashion statement. LOL

And this key chain thingy. I can't imagine getting excited about it enough to put out hard earned cash. Maybe it was a gift from the school or something. I dunno.

Join in on TIMHT.

Sorry To Tell You

2009-06-09T22:36:00.007-04:00

All ten baby ducks I shared with you here are now gone. Last night hubs and I spotted one left with mom while on our walk around the park with Miss Bella. Tonight that last baby was no where in sight near mom. :(

We do have some big turtles in the pond which will eat the babies. Grrr. I rescued a turtle that was lost near the main road long ago and brought him to this pond. This guy could be that turtle! Did he eat those cute babies?

On a happier note, there was a new batch of babies born today. They are ADORABLE!! These are Muscovy ducks. They look mean and do make a hiss sound but are harmless. I hope these little ones survive.

And as you'll hear, no baby geese yet!

Move It Sister

2009-06-09T00:10:00.001-04:00

Bella is particular. She loves to eat out of Callie's bowl but apparently does NOT like Callie eating out of her bowl. LOL

Striking Storm

2009-06-07T21:24:00.005-04:00

A couple weeks back, we had a storm blow through that created some awesome looking cloud formations.

This one above looks to me like a man getting an x-ray.

All these pics are from the same storm. You can see how fast it was blowing through on the one above.

Peepholes in heaven.

By the time we got home, the sun was setting leaving us with this magnificent sight. The photo does NOT do it justice.

Bittersweet Babies

2009-06-05T15:47:00.000-04:00

Stopped by the pond this afternoon. I have some bittersweet news for you.

First the bitter:
There are no longer ten baby ducks but rather six. :(

Today dad was hanging with the family. He'd nip at the babies that got too far out from mom. It was cute watching him 'discipline'.

Now for the sweet:
Mama goose sitting on the nest was milling about resettling herself. If you look close you can see one of the eggs near her backside. It's yellowish. There were two I could see so it would seem she is sitting on more that I could not see. :)

Here's a short video of the babies:

I took away the sound since there were a couple boys right next to me feeding these guys and you could here one talking to his mom on a cell phone. I liked seeing these boys getting gushy over baby ducks. LOL They were probably around ten to twelve. Nice to see kids appreciating nature not reeking havoc.

Awesome Job

2009-06-04T19:23:00.004-04:00

The vet did an awesome job on the girls' teeth. As you can see they gave me before and after pics. Something I wasn't expecting but kinda cool! The top photos are before and the bottoms are after. They were pretty bad. I'll have to start brushing them regularly.

They both did really well. Callie (on the right) complained a lot but went with the program. Bella they had to give the knock out shot right away then do the exam. They even put her back into her crate instead of the office cage because they didn't want to have to reach into my little lion's den to move her from cage to crate when I came to pick her up.

They'll hiss at each other for probably another day. "You smell." "No, you smell." Tonight should be quite around here though with them still coming out of the anesthesia.

**********
And I have some fantastic news to share about myself. Those who have been visiting with me here for awhile might remember six months ago when they found a tumor in my kidney. I went in for the six month ultrasound a few weeks back and it showed it had grown quite a bit. I have been pretty stressed about it all as the ultrasound showed it being possibly up to 4cm in size. Five centimeters and they would remove my kidney.

Last week I had a CAT scan to get a more accurate size on film and today was my follow up with the doctor to find out the news. The past few days I have been all hyped up on nervous energy and even shaky when I went to knit. Well, I received great news! It had grown from 1.3 cm to 1.5 cm or basically no growth at all!!!!!!!! I still want to cry in joy over it.

I've read that sometimes these angiomyolipomas can grow to a certain size then stop growing all together. Fingers crossed that's mine. I'll be rechecked again come December but this time he'll send me to the hospital for the ultrasound where they have better equipment in hopes of avoiding another CAT scan.

It was a good day.

"Things" NOT in my house Thursday

2009-06-04T09:14:00.004-04:00

The "things" NOT in my house today are my girls. I dropped my two babies off at the vet's this morning. They are being tortured today with a blood draw, physical exam, and teeth cleaning. Eeeek.

The hard part was early this AM when they woke me at the typical five o'clock hour for food. Bella also gets brushed and water out of the faucet at that time. No food or drink was allowed after ten last night since they have to use anesthesia to clean teeth. They didn't have to be at the vet's until between 7-8 a.m. so this morning was sad and pathetic. LOL

I lounged in bed, took a shower and watched some news while they looked on expectantly wondering "what the heck!" Finally it was time to corral Callie. She's the runner so she has to be crated first before she realizes what's going on. I got her trapped in the laundry room with me and the evil crate. I had to take the dang thing apart to get her inside! Bella's a bit easier. She's not so much a runner and doesn't have Callie's strength to fight me. Gotta watch it though cause she'll whack at me.

The ride over was typical. The car was filled with cat song. LOL I pulled into the lot right at seven. It kills me to leave them there knowing how scared they are and that it will NOT be a fun day for them. On the flip side, I can spray for bugs and clean litter boxes without "help".

There won't be any fun pics like last time since their exam is happening with me not there. I will share with you a photo of Callie from their last physical. No photoshop magic on this pic. It's all Callie. LOL

Join in on TIMHT.

Babies!!!!!!!

2009-06-03T00:00:00.001-04:00

Three quick videos for you.

This first one has babies! Sorry, no baby geese but how about ten itsy bitsy teeny weeny little baby ducklings. We drove past the pond twice yesterday and saw no babies in the water so between about 2-7 p.m. on Tuesday, these cutie pies entered the world.

The park was pretty dang active Tuesday evening. Between the kids on bikes, the moms and kids on the play ground and the ducks, things were hoppin'. This video shows you some of the wide variety of ducks we have in residence. And you get a better look at mama goose on her nest.

Earlier in the day when we drove past, there were workers putting the top back on the equipment room. I was concerned because they were working right next to the goose nest. I could see that one of the workers was looking at the nest so I felt better that they seemed to be respectful of the geese.

I didn't get daddy on video during any of these trips but he was quite busy protecting his woman. The poor guy. I felt sorry for him with all the "threats" he was trying to keep on top of during all that activity. I did see some smashed eggs inside the nesting area and down along the sidewalk. I sure hope all their eggs weren't destroyed by vandals.

At the other end of the pond, I spied a nest of eggs in the tall foliage. I looked it up and ducks do leave their nests unattended in order to get their feathers wet. They have to keep the eggs in a humid setting. Reading that made me feel better. At first I thought they'd been abandoned.

This last video is of a lizard in our backyard who is pretty darn cute for a lizard. He lives at one end of the pool area in the bushes. We noticed him about a week back when Hubs scooped some ants out of the pool and knocked them onto the rocks. This little guy zoomed out and scarfed them all up. It was funny and took me by surprise. Yesterday he was hanging out again so I got him on video while Hubs fetched the ants. They fly into the pool following a rain. Why, I don't know cause they can't get back out. Well, I guess so we can feed them to the lizard. LOL After each time he ate, he'd do a few pushups. Working off that big meal I suppose. ;)

When I engage with my kitties, I use familiar words that they know what I mean and what to expect. Since it's a habit, you'll hear me giving Mr. Lizard positive reinforcement each time and using the same words to get him to come out. The video is only a minute but the entire time we videoed was about 15 mins. My words would bring him back out. One time when Hubs came to drop some ants he said the lizard ran further down the planter thinking he was done. I started calling him and he came running back for the ants. LOL

Flutterbys

2009-06-02T18:12:00.003-04:00

Can you see all the butterflies?

A closer view.

At a distance.

A close up of the towering flowers that you see in the photo above this one.

Taken by the hubs.

Bumbles

2009-06-01T20:54:00.002-04:00

Taken by the hubs.

Watch Your Step

2009-05-31T14:19:00.002-04:00

I think I need a "dumb things" tag for some of these posts I do. LOL

Recently I came upon this sign that hung next to the top photo at the airport.

The first thought was "My gosh, if the employees who go up and down these every day can't handle it should we expose our young and elderly to such a threat?"

My second thought was "Yikes, if the employees can't handle the escalator, how will they tackle keeping the planes from crashing????" Eeeekkkk.

This has got to be one of the dumbest signs I have ever seen. I think they should have possibly said People instead of Employees. It would have conveyed the same warning without undermining all who works there! And the kicker is they don't have one of these signs at each escalator. They chose certain ones. I'm sorry but wouldn't each escalator pose the same risk?

Goosed Part Two

2009-05-30T09:58:00.003-04:00

Hubs and I hit the duck pond early this morning in the hopes of seeing baby geese. Nope, not yet. However, we did get a good look inside the nest. The goose outside the nest was either Momma Goose or Daddy in a better mood than last time.

Goosed!

2009-05-29T00:00:00.002-04:00

Hubs and I walked over to our local pond last Wednesday. We wanted to capture the ducks' reaction, if any, to the tornado siren which sits right there in the park. The siren is scheduled to go off every Wednesday at 1 pm for testing, weather permitting. It was a sunshiny day so all would be good to go.

Well, our siren has been having issues going off at unexpected times like one in the morning. Hubs has called the siren people to complain and found out they have no way of knowing it's going off or not! They were glad he called and has asked him to call from now on and let them know. So here we were waiting and the dang thing doesn't go off. LOL We can hear others in the distance being tested but not ours. Guess they haven't fixed it huh?

While we were walking around filming the ducks and such, we came upon Mr. Goose who you have seen before on this blog. As you will see, we found out his woman was close by. Back in December there were two geese at the park. I'm sure the other one seen in the video back then is the one you can't really see in the above video.

I'm so excited for baby geese. Stay tuned!

Things In My House Thursday

2009-05-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

This queen size quilt is what I share with you this fine Spring Thursday for TIMHT. I chose an Americana theme for this gigantic project. My biggest sewing adventure to date.

Each square is about two inches after sewing and covers the entire front of the quilt except for the six to eight inch jean border that matches the back. I didn't want the back quilted at all interrupting the smooth jean surface. What I did instead was sandwich batting between the quilt top and a white sheet. I then quilted along the sides of certain squares to hold everything in place. I wrapped the jean back around to the front with a fold which I stitched close to the fold edge cementing the back with the front.

I worked on this project in a teensy apartment hubs and I were living in when we first moved to Texas while our home was being built. It took up the entire floor space in the living room which we were also using as an office. I'll admit there were some naughty words mingled in with the triumphs. LOL Over all I'm happy with how it turned out.

I do have another quilt project planned in my head for our master bedroom. I just haven't wanted to tackle the monster I know it will be.

Join in on TIMHT.

Thank You Susan!!!!!!

2009-05-26T22:12:00.003-04:00

Susan over at Girls In White Dresses had a yummy giveaway and I was one of the winners!!!! Today I received my goodies. While there was really only one edible item, the Fiber One bars, the rest is chocolate themed and smells delicious!

Included is everything one would need to take a chocolate bath:
Terry covered bath pillow
Chocolate Silk body lotion
Chocolate soap
Chocolate scented candle
Bath salts
Coupon for free box of Fiber One bars

Thank you Susan!!

Crunchies

2009-05-24T20:33:00.007-04:00

"You want me to eat what?"

Recently, I decided I want to move the girls off Flint River Ranch food and onto something I can purchase locally. Flint River is mail order only. I headed to our local feed store to pick up Innova that they ate as kittens. While there I spotted Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul food and it looked like good food so I brought home a bag of that too.

Bella wouldn't touch the Innova food. She's our picky eater. The photo above was from not long ago where she was pathetically sitting and waiting for her bowl to magically fill up. If she'd bothered, she'd have found a bowl behind her with food. Nope, she wants to eat out of this bowl. She's a goof sometimes. So I dumped what was in the other bowl into this bowl and she's a happy camper.

It reminded me of when she was a kitten....

When we found her at the local animal shelter, she was a complete mess. She had fallen into the plate of wet food that was supposed to be for her mom to eat not her! Basically we knew she was a girl. That's all we could tell through the food covering her body. However, her sister was one cage over all by her lonesome because she was in the process of hitting the road with a new mommy. She was so cute! We had hopes that Bella might look like her sissy.

Anyhoo, having eaten the 'poisoned apple' so to speak, Bella would only eat wet food when we brought her home. We set down a bowl of crunchies and she'd have nothing to do with them. No way! Ahh, look how teensy she was!

We kept at it and after a few days, she took the plunge and tried one. "Yeeuuummm!" was her reaction. Then she gobbled it up much to Callie's dismay.

Little B on her first day home after getting a bath at the shelter.

Back to the here and now: While the Innova has been crossed off the list, the Chicken Soup food was a hit! I've been commingling old and new food to get their bodies used to it. Well, Bella has taken to whining for the new stuff. Pete even saw her fling the old stuff out of her bowl so she could get at the good stuff. After a talking too, she realizes that she must finish out the old along with getting the new if she doesn't want to starve to death!

Thank The Troops

2009-05-23T15:02:00.002-04:00

Send our troops a big thank you this Memorial Day Weekend!!

Meet Hector

2009-05-22T20:28:00.009-04:00

While picking up cat food at a local feed store. I was mere feet outside the door to the "bird room" when a worker came out. The noise level escalated calling to me to come inside. ;) How could I not with my love of birds!!

Meet Hector.

I first met Hector while he was in his cage.
He wasn't a talkative fellow but curious.

A worker came in and brought Hector out on her arm for a visit. She told me Hector has been with them awhile. He'd been abused by some men making him a cautious bird. I witnessed Hector's fear of men when he started to shake at the passing by of a male worker. Poor Hector. I wanted to bring him home with me. The girls would love that!! LOL

On top of Hector's cage was this gym of sorts. Two stairways (one off picture) connected along the top with a stick. The gal placed Hector there while I continued to visit and she went on about her chores. Hector would move back and forth along the stick and up and down on the ladder you see.

I turned my back to answer the squawking of the fellow in the pic below and when I turned back around, there was Hector right behind me sitting on the outswung door of his cage. He could have whacked me on the head he was that close. He stayed only long enough for a photo then went back up onto the gym. I could tell he wanted to trust me and come closer but he was wary. I then intentionally turned my back to see if he would come closer again and he did. The back of my head apparently wasn't a threat.

Now on to this guy who I mentioned above. He didn't want me paying attention to Hector and would make noise to get my attention. When I would look down and talk to him, he'd turn shy and hide behind his hanging toys. He was awfully cute. I think he was trying to show off in the pic. The gal said he was still in the child stage.

This little one looked adorable. He'd been upset about another bird in the room and had plucked off his feathers making him appear to be wearing some bloomers. He wouldn't hold still for the picture or stand up taller so you could get a good look at his nakedness. That's his cage in the background with the cover on it to block his vision of the other birds.

The photo does not do this bird justice. The lighting in this room for photos was awful. The yellow coloring was beautiful. He simply sat shaking scared of all that was going on. He hadn't been there long, said the gal, so I'm assuming that's his reason for fear.

I loved these wee ones. They were all peeping really low. It was cute. Aren't they interesting? The gal rattled off all the names but I didn't catch a one and nothing was noted on the cages.

These little white birds were quiet but active fluttering around all over the place. There were more than the three in there.

And lastly, I liked the orange color on these two. They also were jumping around all hyper. I was surprised to get a photo of them together.

While I really enjoyed visiting with these beauties, it saddened me that their life is in a cage. I know they probably don't know any different having been born into captivity but watching the freedom of my backyard birds, these little birds made my heart break.

Speaking of backyard birds, I have a little story to tell. We have a lot of new little finches visiting us lately. They are teeny compared to the doves and grackles. One day they were all sitting along the fence when in swooped the blue jay. Now, the blue jay just looks like a meanie with his masked face. All the finches were looking at him like they were lowly freshmen in awe of the senior big man on campus. I'd never seen any of the birds take particular notice of one another in such a fashion. It was interesting to watch.

The jay took a jump on the fence top towards the birds and a few would fly off. He did that again with the same result. Then he started to fly down to the ground thinking he was the hot stuff the little birds purported him to be. He didn't quite make it, flying back up to the fence, when he saw a collard dove down there who was much bigger than he. Not such the big man now are ya? LOL He reassessed and flew down as far as the top of the bucket holding Big Red, snagged a peanut and took off. The collard dove paid him no attention.

Things In My House Thursday

2009-05-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

I can hear you saying, "What the heck is that?"

Well, it's a marker I put together to let us know where we need to park the cars in the garage. I wasn't fond of the tennis ball from the ceiling idea and eyeballing doesn't always work. This little gizmo has been in use for years and works wonderfully. It is easy to move out of the way for projects and works for any car.

I used leftover things I had in the house/garage already so it cost nothing to make. I started with a skinny piece of PVC pipe. Wrapped the end with neon flagging tape which is then held down with the blue painter's tape. The pipe sits in a plastic water bottle filled with kitty litter. I then squirted in some hot glue at the opening of the bottle to keep everything attached and the litter inside the bottle.

I made one for each of us and once you tap it with your car, you can see it move letting you know you've hit your mark...literally. ;) This photo is taken through the windshield so you can see how tall it sits above the hood of my very dirty Durango. The bottles are dented and some of the tape has slipped but otherwise they have held up spectacularly!

Join in on TIMHT.

I'm In Tears

2009-05-20T22:00:00.000-04:00

What a finale!

I knew Kris could pull it out but it was still shocking!

I am so happy for this young man. I know he will go far.

Good Job Kris!!!!!!!

IMO...Just Plain Creepy

2009-05-20T15:06:00.002-04:00

Hubs and I were at the airport not long ago and came across this...this...thing. From a distance it looks like a funky dead flower. Up close it's just plain creepy!! There is no signage that clues you in to what the heck this is supposed to represent.

Once we got home, I looked it up. Here's what they said:

“When do we give one another a standing ovation? When do we celebrate just being who we are or even celebrate the smallest accomplishments? My concept involves a salutation that will speak to anyone walking by. I propose a three-dimensional form composed of a dense multitude of pairs of life-sized hands posed while clapping.

"Each pair is cast from the hands of different individuals from persons of all ages and backgrounds. Applause is both an uplifting greeting and farewell in all languages.”

They should put up a sign because I did NOT get any kind of happy feeling looking at this art piece. In fact, I expected some kind of nightmare that evening! LOL Perhaps if they'd used colors that reminded me less of death like a sunshiny yellow or the wonderful deep blue of a cloudless sky.

So what do you think?

Final Two

2009-05-19T22:17:00.000-04:00

Well, last night on AI was interesting. I think both guys did both a good job and a not so good job. I do believe that it's not so cut and dry any longer on who can pull this out. We'll see!!!

Once Again Confused...LOL

2009-05-18T16:50:00.004-04:00

First I didn't know whether to stop or not to stop. Now I ponder the point of displaying both a Nonflammable Gas and a Flammable Gas sign on the back of one truck. I figure it's probably law that they must display something representing all the gas being carried. But honestly does anyone care that he's carrying nonflammable if he is also carrying flammable?! Am I supposed to be comforted that all the gas on the truck won't engulf me in flames? LOL

Just thought I'd share my confusion of the day. ;)

*********
I did smile upon reaching my home when I was greeted by this guy seemingly waiting for me on the driveway. I was able to get a quick shot before he scurried back under the fence to home sweet home.

Did You Know?

2009-05-17T20:38:00.003-04:00

I didn't know. You wanna know what you might not know?

My friend Kristi shared this secret with me and I'm sharing it with you! Bed, Bath and Beyond sends out their blue 20% off coupons through the US mail. Kristi told me her BB&B not only takes expired coupons but will let you use more than one coupon per purchase! I was at my BB&B the other day and asked them if I could do the same as Kristi. Yes I could!!

You can use up to five coupons in a purchase. The rule is, however, that you can only use one coupon per item. If you have five coupons, you'd need to purchase five items. Still, not too shabby.

I was on the hunt for new kitchen rugs. I needed four rugs so this would work out perfectly. One problem: I left home without my coupons. LOL But problem solved: they didn't have what I wanted anyway.

CallieBella

2009-05-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

I bothered the girls the other day while they were trying to nap.

Callie was sleeping under one of the sheet tents scattered around the house. They love sheet tents!!

Bella was snoozing in her basket. How that is comfortable is beyond me!

I also stopped along a side road into our neighborhood to try and snap a pic of the rolling countryside of yellow flowers I talked about the other day. I had to take it hurriedly as it's a semi busy two lane road. Eeek.

2009-05-15T13:20:00.004-04:00

More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time!!!!!!

First Frolic

2009-05-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I made my first venture into the pool! We are getting a late start this year due to the colder weather that has kept the water temp from rising enough. Temp gauge said 78º so I gave it a go. It was a bit chilly on that first toe and all that followed until I was well submerged and acclimated.

The birds even got used to me in there and went about their business of chowing down on the free vittles. It's funny to watch them sit on the fence looking at each other wondering who will be brave enough to take that first leap down to the ground while the human is near.

After swimming I was looking around the backyard while I dried off lounging in a deck chair. I decided to take photos of the colorful flowers here and there.

This isn't really a flower and it hasn't really bloomed itself yet but it has that petal-like flower quality and I love it!

This magnolia flower is on my neighbor's tree. It sits in the back corner that butts up to our yard so I included it here with the rest.

Things In My House Thursday

2009-05-14T00:00:00.001-04:00

A collection of coasters is what I am sharing with you today for TIMHT. Hubs and I snatch one or two whenever we can. Chilis usually has the best and varied collection. Right now they sit in a stack on a shelf. We haven't come up with a way to display them. I'm assuming a simple shallow shadow box would be the ticket.

Join in on TIMHT.

Final Three on AI

2009-05-12T23:07:00.004-04:00

All of those boys did fantastic. I wasn't real keen on Kris' second song choice but he sang well. I really can't say who will go home but I will say I'd like to see Danny and Adam as the final two. I also could see that Adam found a little humility which was nice. I hope he keeps these AI lessons with him as he goes on to do great things.

The photo above is of another singer. Most likely a boy because he is so bright in his red coloring but that's a guess on my part. Either way this little bird sang me a beautiful song.

He was sitting up on the lattice divider that runs along the girls' outdoor pen. Nope, they missed the show. As you can see it was a very dark and stormy day. His song was a bright spot in the day. You can see in this photo he caught me watching him. I love the little tilt of his head. Was he asking if I enjoyed the tune? Or was he saying over and over in his mind.."is she going to eat me?" I do think they know they are safe if the big creatures are behind glass.

Oh, and this bird is a finch. Did you know Cardinals are in the finch category? I did not until recently. Interesting since they look so different.

To Stop Or Not To Stop; That Is The Question

2009-05-12T17:08:00.004-04:00

While checking in on our future library's construction, I noticed the No Stopping sign attached to the Stop sign. Made me laugh so I thought I'd share with y'all. I just know I'll drive by this spot more than is required to see what's going on. I'm hoping each time to see great feats of completion each time. LOL I don't want to have to wait until 2010!!

Hubs and I liked this view which we'll be able to see from the library. At least until it's built on which I hope won't be for quite some time.

All around our area, these cheery yellow flowers are taking over fields. These are different yellow flowers from a post I did awhile ago. With their dark centers and deeper yellow petal coloring, they provide a different look than the other flowers.

Along our main road we pass large rolling fields that are partially covered with these flowers. It's very pretty but there is no where to stop and snap a pic for you. I believe they are Black Eyed Susans.

Japanese Garden Pics

2009-05-11T14:02:00.002-04:00

More pics from Kris and I's trip to the gardens.

Happy Days

2009-05-10T00:00:00.004-04:00

I want to wish my mom a great Mom's Day. I bought her a Theracane which I know she will LOVE. She won't get it until next Wednesday but couldn't wait to know what was coming. Now I know where I get it. LOL

I love you Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*********

Also today, my beautiful best friend Kristi turns the big four-oh!!! This photo of her was taken at the Japanese gardens during her visit. I have to say it's one of my favorites.

Watercolor Exhibit

2009-05-08T19:26:00.008-04:00

On the last day of Kris's visit, we headed over to my library system's main library in downtown Fort Worth to check out a watercolor exhibit. I love watercolors and while the exhibit wasn't huge, I enjoyed browsing the prints. The photos I took do not include the frames and there is often room lighting in reflection but you'll get the idea. I didn't photo all of them but only those we liked most and of those I picked this handful to share with you. Enjoy!

This sunflower was what grabbed my attention for the exhibit on the library's home page.

We loved the bubbles and cheeriness.

In fact, most of those that involved glass as in this kitchen print we found we liked most.

I adored this house print. Very homey. I want to be on that porch!

Had to photo the cowboy boots!!

Nothing real spectacular in this photo except that it's from my neighborhood. We have large grain silos with train tracks running along side. Very active train tracks that hubs and I took pics/video of in a prior post. You'll see those big silos in the photo backgrounds.

And lastly, more flowers.

After we enjoyed the watercolor exhibit, we hit the books. Downstairs displayed on an end wall was this amazing tapestry by Vladimir Gorsky. If you live in the Fort Worth area, I'd go take a gander. Clicking on the photo will take you to the website I snatched it from since I didn't take my own photo. Even still it's hard to see it all clearly. This thing was huge and covers history for 2000 years.

Enlarging The Family

2009-05-07T18:26:00.005-04:00

I think I could say our little feathered family isn't so little any longer. Two more birds spotted recently in the backyard.

This one is a Eurasian Collared Dove. I took this photo through the binoculars. You can see the black mark on his neck identifying him as a Collared.

Here is a better photo from AllAboutBirds.org

The other guest we had is more elusive therefore more exciting to have spotted!

I wasn't able to get a photo of the Cooper's Hawk since the hawks don't sit still for long on backyard fences. I was looking at his back which allowed me to identify him by the long tail that was hanging down the fence. His coloring was similar to the photo above from AllAboutBirds.org which states he would be a young bird.

The Squirrel Made Me Do It

2009-05-06T20:12:00.004-04:00

On Kris and I's walk through the serene Japanese Garden last weekend, we encountered a couple of rebels.

We stood back and I took discrete photos of the mutinous behavior.

We didn't question them about their obvious "illegal" behavior. I just know they'd have said, "The squirrel made me do it!"

You see, the sign on this fish food dispenser says to not feed the squirrels or other wildlife. I guess the fish aren't wildlife? Hmm. Are they used for food? Are they pets? I dunno.

What I do know is this cutie pie squirrel can't read because he was camped out below this dispenser waiting for the little brown treasures.

This outlaw squirrel tried to escape as I came at him with the camera. He did his best to hide his face lest it be splashed all over The National Enquirer for taking his share of the illegal goods.

What he didn't plan on was me being tricky and moving around the tree to capture the elusive shot! Boy, he's in some trouble now!!

AI Rock

2009-05-05T21:08:00.003-04:00

Rock night on AI, not my favorite. Adam of course fit in perfectly. Allison handled it well. Kris and Danny not quite so much. They just don't wear it well, so to speak.

Danny is still my favorite and if I ever voted, my vote would go towards him.

The duets were kinda fun. I like the idea of showcasing them in this fashion. It shows if one works well with a partner. I don't know if it was luck of the draw or not but the two pairings were good choices.

Last week! How many were SHOCKED at Adam being in the bottom two? I'd said he was getting a bit beyond his britches and I suppose others saw it too. You know how people will say, "Who does he think he is?" I think that applied last week. For me any way. But what we don't know is where he has sat in the ratings. For all we know, he could have been hitting fourth from the bottom this whole time and only propped up by the judges. It has made it more interesting, no? I no longer see him as on track to win!

The above photo is from Kris and I's trip to the Japanese Garden at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. It is calm and peaceful photo in contrast to tonight's screamathon on AI. Ahhh.

You will see more pics from our trip to the Garden later on. Until then, you can enjoy these photos from when I took my mom last year.

Painted Flower Pots

2009-05-04T22:34:00.005-04:00

Hi all! Kris and I had a wonderful time this past weekend during her visit to Texas. I have pics to share but need to get myself organized. Until then, here is a photo of some terracotta pots I painted days before her arrival. I had bought the flowers for us to plant while she was here but we didn't get to it so I did that part this afternoon.

What you can't see are the bees on the back side of the far left pot and the other stripes with flowers on the sides and back of the large pot in the rear. That one also has butterflies and bees on it.

I love painting pots. They are so fun! I urge you all to pick up even a small terracotta pot and some craft paint and go to town. Spray it inside and out with clear spray after painting. I didn't do the insides of some previous pots my MIL and I did years ago and the paint is now starting to flake. :(

I plan to catch up with you all this week and see what trouble you've gotten yourselves into!!

Things In My House Thursday

2009-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is a fun TIMHT for me because my best friend Kristi is coming into town for a visit!! We haven't seen each other since last June when I went to visit her! She fighting breast cancer and me dealing with a knee injury/surgery kept us apart. But we are both doing much better and I am really excited to spend this upcoming weekend with her.

I have plans to take her to a few places. Two are outside so we hope the rain lets us do our thing. If not, I told her we could slip on some rainboots and grab umbrellas. She was on board with that!

Well, of course I'll take photos!! LOL ;)

AI Shocker

2009-04-29T23:24:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm behind on watching AI. I guess you could say I'm watching with the West Coast. Anyhoo, I just passed the part where they told us the bottom three. I was shocked Adam was in the bottom three. But I think you who commented on yesterday's post and I are not the only ones who noticed a little bigger head when Adam took the stage. I am thrilled that Danny scored higher than Adam!! Could he actually win this thing? What a treat that would be!! Okay, back to watching. ;)

Top Five Pick

2009-04-28T22:54:00.004-04:00

Tonight's winner for me would be my guy Danny!

I did actually like Allison tonight.
Her voice went well with tonight's theme.

Kris...okay.
Matt...didn't care for it.

Adam...gosh, he was good vocally but
I felt it's all gone to his head and
his performance was a bit showy.
I also wish he would have kept with the
Rat Pack's way of singing instead of
adding in the 'screaming' he likes to do.

I wonder if they'll do bottom three with only
five contestants. I forget how they did
it last time. My pick to head home would be
Matt.

I believe it'll be Adam and Danny in the
top two slots. I'm a big Danny fan and would
love for him to win but Adam is extremely
talented and deserves to hit the #1 slot.

*************

The photo is Callie's foot. She's hiding, you see, from the scary noise outside. We were being measured for solar screens and the ladder was freaking her out. It doesn't take much with our Callie girl to send her into hiding. It cracks me up when she "hides" yet a body part is hanging out in the open. Like when a little kid thinks you can't see her because her eyes are closed. LOL

Blooming Blossom

2009-04-27T19:35:00.004-04:00

Finally our Oleander put out a blossom. The neighbor's plant is filled with them and there ours sat naked and unadorned. :( But as you can see behind the blossom, many more are on the verge of exploding into beauty. Last year this plant didn't put out very many flowers. That seems to be changing for this year. Yippee!

This is a popular plant in Texas. It does heat really well. If you are interested in an Oleander make sure you give it plenty of space because these guys get not only tall but branch out all over the place. We've put up a rope to keep some of the taller branches upright. I know that's going against it's nature but it was driving me batty watching it devour the other plants around it.

Correction

2009-04-26T10:33:00.001-04:00

I've been corrected. ;)

Hanging In The Cube

2009-04-26T00:04:00.003-04:00

Our cutie pie Callie has been hanging out in the cat gym cube lately. There are two cubes, one for each girl though I don't think they've ever both been in them at the same time. I took the photo through the empty cube which explains the arch you see in the photo. I like how the light and shadows played out framing her.

Do you all remember Morris the TV commercial cat? I think I'm getting that look in this one. LOL

Tea Party Pattern

2009-04-24T19:23:00.002-04:00

Free knit dishcloth pattern celebrating the recent Tea Parties that were such a huge success across the country.

Or celebrate tea with the girls or grandma by using the alternate directions to omit the date!!

Tie on a tea bag, pair with a vintage tea cup and saucer and give as a gift!

You can download this freebie pattern at Knitted Kitty then click on Odds and Ends.

Enjoy!

Things In My House Thursday

2009-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today I share a view into kittyland, otherwise known as my home. LOL

Can we play?

Cause we have LOTS of toys!

This is one of a few buckets of "cat toys".

Callie LOVES to sit atop this chair or the cat gym and have you toss toys for her to catch or bat at. She has a pretty good eye and catches quite a few. That is when I actually get them in her "batter's box."

It's kinda like a version of 52 card pickup where you realize after the fact that now you have to pick them all up. LOL

Join in on TIMHT.

Hey, I Kknow You

2009-04-22T15:53:00.004-04:00

Stopped again to photo the goats since they were out and about. As soon as "Cheese Dog" saw me he came running full of excitement. He's such a cutie.

Kinda hard to spot but among the goats are Cattle Egrets which are white birds that look like small herons and feed off the bugs that hang with livestock. It's quite a sight to see these small, in scale, birds when they sit among big, huge cows. You can click for a larger photo. The small white blurbs are the birds.

~~Knitted Kitty~~

Along for the Ride

Fall????

Day at the zoo

Waiting Patiently

Cutie Callie

The Bird Whisperer

My Beauties

Refreshing

Captivating Cricket

Backyard Buddy

Loved This Commercial

Ten patterns for ten bucks!!

New 2010 Birds

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas Eve

Uh, okay

The Best Part....

Happy Thanksgiving

Christmas List

Monkey Butts

Lookie What I Found!!!

Mmmm....Bird!!!

Stars...finally

I Couldn't Help Myself

Welcome Fall!!!!!

Critters Everywhere!

Regal Rebel

May God Bless Us All

Elegant Hawk

Happy 60th Mom!!!!!

It's been well over a week and yet...

A Hyper Equal For Bella?

Design Star

Too Cute!!

Are You Kidding Me?

So You Think You Can Dance

Things In My House Thursday

A Tip For The Ladies

Things In My House Thursday

Beware Of The Bump

His & Hers

Things In My House Thursday That Waste My Time...LOL

Birds!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank A Soldier This 4th Of July

Behind Curtain Number One

Who says things in life aren't free?

Things In My House Thursday

Bloggie Break

R.I.P

The Cheer Squad

Before, During, and After

Things In My House Thursday

Sorry To Tell You

Move It Sister

Striking Storm

Bittersweet Babies

Awesome Job

"Things" NOT in my house Thursday

Babies!!!!!!!

Flutterbys

Bumbles

Watch Your Step

Goosed Part Two

Goosed!

Things In My House Thursday

Thank You Susan!!!!!!

Crunchies

Thank The Troops

Meet Hector

Things In My House Thursday

I'm In Tears

IMO...Just Plain Creepy

Final Two

Once Again Confused...LOL

Did You Know?

CallieBella

More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time!!!!!!

First Frolic

Knitted Kitty