Winter Bucket List Update...

I'm getting close to the half way mark for my Winter Bucket List and so far I've managed to crochet a rag rug (pictures below), I've continued using My Fitness Pal and totally bombed out on CY365 and #fmsphotoaday for January. Oh and I'm four squares behind on my CAL.
But Deuce is doing better, the days are getting longer (more light) and February is right around the corner so hopefully I'll be able to mark a few more items off my list and get back to taking photos for CY365. A few years ago when the Mr. bought me my Canon t1i, I promised myself that I would learn to take better photos with it. At first I practiced a lot and even felt like I was taking better photos, then I laid it down, used my iPhone a lot (like all the time), picked up my Canon t1i again and seemed to have forgotten everything I had learned about it. Has this ever happened to you? So my new plan starting February 1, 2015 is to use my Canon t1i for CY365 and ditch #fmshotoaday for now. Who know maybe it'll show up on my Spring Bucket List.

#Selfie Sunday...

Tough Times...

As you know from my last post the first of the week was a little tough here and even though daddy is home now things haven't gotten better.
Today I took Deuce to the vet and didn't get the best of news. He has lost his sight, his hearing is going, his back is weak, he has problems with his back legs and his heart murmur is worse. The vet was surprised at the amount of energy Deuce has being he is in congestive heart failure. He talked a lot about giving him the best quality of life that we can at this time. They are doing blood work to see if they can up his meds for the heart murmur. I'll know more tomorrow. I'm not liking where this is headed and I feel that the Mr. and I will have a very BIG decision to make sooner than later. But for now I'm going to be busy holding him, hugging him and letting him know how much I love him. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

While The Mr. Is Away...

The Mr. jetted off to Vegas for a business trip earlier in the week. He left on Sunday so I had a few family member over to help me get a few things done. My son sealed the grout in the bathrooms for me and all of us pitched in and did a switcheroo of my craft room and the sleepover room. Both rooms are the same size but making the switch gave me more wall space to work with so I'm quite happy with the end result. Funny, once the switch was made they all said "we thought you'd put it like this from the get go." I only wish they would have mentioned it seven months ago.
I've been trying to find the time to get in and organize the remaining items stacked on the floor but my poor little Deuce is having separation anxiety because daddy is away. Three hours of sleep just ain't cutting it. I've been a couch contortionist since Sunday night because each and every time Deuce hears a noise he thinks daddy is home so he paces through the house and barks for what seems like hours. Looks like organizing will have to wait until at least Thursday, maybe Friday.
If anyone has a good way to store printed pictures, please share. I have them in photo boxes at this time but they take up so much space. I'm thinking that I need to go through and weed out the photos that have no meaning, you know from back in the film days. I'm sure I kept everything. I do have photo albums that I purchased for the Library of Memories class but I just couldn't take all my photos out of order so maybe that's an option. I also need to stop with the hobby hopping and focus on just a few hobbies instead of trying and buying them all. Yes, I do that! Why, I don't know!
I have quite a few UFO's and I'm wondering if I should complete them or just move on. I have tons of scrapbook supplies and have decided that the only way I'll be scrapping in the future is hybrid/digital (CZ style) so do I keep all this stuff or let it go. I have tons of yarn so I plan not to buy any yarn until I use up most of what I have. I have a cart full of paint that I used for tole painting years ago, do I keep it or let it go? I also have beads and more beads, I thought I'd like to try jewelry making but have yet to make any so again do I keep them or let them go. Do you all do this hobby hopping thing or do you just focus on a few hobbies and let it go at that? I'd better go and stop blabbering, the tireds are creeping up on me, this post may not even make since to anyone but I hitting publish anyway.

Just A Minute In January...

Watching...Deuce sleep but only while at work.

Listening to...Construction noises. Houses going up in the hood.

Cooking...Dinner for my Grandson tonight.

Eating...A Panera veggie sandwich for lunch today.

Buying...Less expensive fuel. Yay!

Looking forward to...The weekend and the home show. New 3 season room...maybe!

#Selfie Sunday...

How Do You People Do It All...

I made a Bucket List of a few things I'd like to do this Winter and so far, so good! I've completed a rag rug, added my photos to the CY365 gallery and taken photos for the #fmsphotoaday all except for one day. That day the prompt was landscape, it was below zero out and I had no interest in getting out to take a photo. As my niece Katie would say "sorry but I'm not sorry."
I'm not going to lie I've been struggling with the photo taking, a couple of photos for CY365 were not taken on the correct day but I took them and added them to the galley anyway. So for now I'm caught up...until tomorrow. ; )  Which leads me to this question, how do you people do it all?
I chose to participate in CY365 so that I could learn to take better photos. Sometimes I feel like I've got my camera figured out, other times not so much. That's when I get frustrated and quit but this time I plan to stick with it and learn to take better photos. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites here today. 

Ensemble

Solitude

Multifaceted

Sunset
 

I'll share photos of the rag rug soon.

Hello...

I've been a little busy trying to catch up with my CAL. I'm a few squares behind and unfortunately I'm stuck on one square at the present time. I've frogged it numerous times so I'm thinking that there may be a mistake in the written pattern. Lucky for me, my daughter has made the same square and is trying to help me out.  I only have three rounds to go so I may leave this one for now and move on to another. I'll never catch up otherwise. 

#Selfie Sunday...

Four New Things 2014...

I've been doing this since 2010 and what started as a challenge from my daughter has become my favorite post to write at the beginning of each year. I blog more or less to keep a journal for myself and its always fun to look back to see what I've accomplished over the last year. Not that I only accomplish four new things each year but the original challenge my daughter started with me back in 2010 was to do, try or learn four new things each year. Funny thing is she's a mom now and doesn't even blog anymore. My blogging over the past few years has been hit or miss but luckily just enough that I have been able to write a post at the beginning of each year about four new things. I'm now working less hours and am close to having the new house in order so hopefully I can make/take time to post here more often.
Last year was a strange but exciting year for us and things just seemed a bit off. We're all settled in now and its a New Year. We are looking forward to doing, trying and learning new things. Are you?

Here's my list:
1.We bought a new house, sold our old house and lived with my sister and BIL for 6 weeks. This could be one or three new things depending how you look at it.
2.I started doing a monthly post in February and lucky for me I did. It sort of summed up what was going on in my life each month last year. And even though I missed posting for a couple of months, its a post I plan to do going forward.
3.Once we were in the new house and had an AV guy over to hook up our TV, sound bar and such I started listening to Pandora and am forevermore hooked. No more loading CD's or switching stations. Its pretty awesome, how did I not know about it beforehand.
4.I made a wreath which was one item on my Fall Bucket List, another post I'm enjoying and plan to do going forward.

So there you have it, another year that I was able to do, try or learn four new things. I'm pretty sure item #1 will never happen again people, moving is hard especially after you've lived in the same house for 28 years with four kids part of that time. I am so happy we had the chance to do it but I never ever want to pack up our belongings, put them in storage (we had two full storage units), go live with other family members (although it was not bad) and unpack all those belongings and put them in place again!

Happy 2015...



Wishing you all a bright, healthy
Happy New Year!