Not so Happy Birthday

No, my birthday in Hawaii was most excellent. Best one in years, right after the 51 hour party.

A friend's sister lost her little baby girl early this morning. An online friend, but one whom I have been communicating with for several years now. I interact with her more than I do with family. Watching the pregnancy, the excitement, the birth and the subsequent struggle with health problems made this child very dear to me.

The little girl was named Evvie, short for Evelyn. Which is my mom's name, by coincidence. Mom died a few years back, soon enough I still get misty this time of year. Today is her birthday, she would have been 87. I know dad misses her. I wanted to go see him today, but I can't make the walk (insert usual list of physical complaints). So, I am sad and weepy on two counts. Evvie and Evelyn and Dad. Three?

If I believed in an afterlife and heaven and all that, I could say something mushy about Mom looking after the newest little angel. But I don't. But I could see it, Mom would be right there for her.

Ah hell.

New Year, new blog, I still won't blog daily.

Preview:

Trip to Hawaii and a Happy Happy Birthday.

High blood pressure and triglycerides and my Wii Fit Plus.

House sitters behaving badly.

Walking to the podiatrist.

So there you have the content of my blogs which are floating around in my head and which I do not want to write at this time, but will soonly.

Happy Freaking New Year.

Santa Rampage 09

Mrs. Claus, you've been very naughty! Actually, guys and gals responded strongly to me, to the point I was getting hugged and petted and patted. I told the girls they'd get lingerie for being naughty... Oh. My. Goodness. They ALL proceeded to show me how naughty they could get. Wowza. Larry and Nate were so jealous!!!

Kitchen remodel

Finally after 10 years, I get the countertops I wanted! I did the tile backsplash myself. Larry will put in shelves under the overhang later. White, of course. We also need to refinish the face of the pull out cutting board.

Many more pictures on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029652&id=1192536713&l=c52ee5c26a

The Amazing Brocade Pirate Coat

On me, the sleeves are too long, I didn't adjust them. I'm quite round, so it only closes under the bust; however, from the pattern, it is designed to hang open. Now it is a toss-up whether MyLarry will wear the coat or me. No matter, I like it. All it needs are decorative buttons on the cuffs, I have bid on purple glass flower buttons, vintage and glimmering.

Oh, and it isn't even for Halloween, it is playawear.

River of rocks

I'm just hanging out today, doing minimal chores. Larry went to work at 4:30 in the morning, but was back by ten-thirty. He'd done all his work too fast! He was shuttling steel loads in Salt Lake Valley down to a work site in Provo. He got too many done each day, so this morning there was only one load left. He makes the other drivers look like slackers.

Now he's headed up to the ranch with Desi and her sister to pick up rocks. There's a mountain cliff which kicks off a river of flat rocks, the type which are used by decorators and landscapers. Since it is Desi's family ranch, she can go get rock anytime she likes. They took our Trailblazer and trailer, the ranch has dirt roads leading up to it, and bumpier dirt roads inside it. Who says our SUV is not used the way it was intended? Anyway, the ranch is way up in Grouse Creek in the north-eastern mountains of Utah. They have to take a shotgun in case of mountain lions! They shoot at the coyotes too, so the dogs don't get snatched. Smoky is fierce, but small, Heidi is small and dumb.

Desi needs rocks for her garden, Larry wants a few to bridge the patio and storage areas under the eastern side of the maple tree. He's thinned the branches of the maple up into a column, we can have our firepit under that and sit near the patio rather than at the bottom of the yard. The bottom of the yard is great in summer, but once the snow flies, we;d like to sit up out of the deep snow.

I didn't go because my knees are killing me today, wouldn't be wise hiking in the rough terrain.

Fallen

Summer had been hanging on, warm days and cool nights. Perfection Last night we had wind, windy wind, which blew leaves all over the neighborhood. Even green leaves came down. Our maple shed a few, but she's the last tree on the block to drop her leaves, and she has a mighty stash above our heads. A few red and orange and yellow, but the old gal is still green and lush.

After the wind we had hail. Not big ones, but fast and hard. And then it rained. Today is dreary and dull and damp. MyLarry has already had the fireplace going this year. A good thing he has a double stack of firewood as long as the garage, and up to the eaves.

I put up the Halloween decorations, and the lights in the windows. I didn't do the front room, just not into it this year. I haven't even brought up the Buckys from the basement. And I need fresh porch pumpkins! The kitchen is another place I don't think I'll get done as I still have my art studio on the table. I want to paint a couple scenes to display at Decompression in November. That means no setting the table with the haunted castle cookie jar and the pumpkin tablecloth! I'm such a slacker.

My arthritis knows it is autumn. Random pain in the feet and knees, grrrrrr.