it's a steal . . .

I saw a wonderful layout a couple of days ago and decided to scraplift it.  I wish I could give credit to the original artist but my pea brain will not remember on which site I saw it.  Grrrrr.  Here is my version:

Credits:  Paper: Sugarboo Designs, Leaves: Vinnie Pearce. Staples: Anna Aspnes.

just a matter of degree . . .

I took a look at the weekly weather forecast and actually saw a day with a high of 83.  Immediately, my brains flitted to fires in the fireplace, sheepskin boots, open windows, sweaters and chili.  OK, so I am probably ahead of myself by a few months, but it just sounded so good.

Long about August and September, I have had it with temps in the 90's, mold between my toes, having to work to inhale humidity so thick it resembles pea soup. 

Why do I live here?  Because you have to love the other eight months of gorgeous freakin' weather.  Nine if we have a mild winter.  The humidity drops, the air gets crisp, the windows ARE flung open.  Coverlets are needed at night.  And it stays that way not for mere weeks but for glorious months. 

I love sitting out by the pool in the early morning in sweats, sipping a cup of Suisse Mocha, doing a crossword puzzle or reading.  I love walking our five miles unencumbered by sweat and mosquitoes.  I love the top down on the Miata even when I have the heater on.  I love getting under cool sheets and waiting for the warmth to seep in.  I love getting out of the shower and not feeling sticky two minutes later. 

Fall is coming and I am happy.

six months later . . .

and i still miss my sloth. 

finally . . .

omg!  i finally stick my nose out of the cave only to find we're in a hurricane cone.  thud.  it's been raining every afternoon . . . which i secretly adore . . . but hurricanes have never ranked high on my experience list and 2004 certainly scratched that itch.  so come Sunday, the rains will click into high drive and i will finally get to wear my Christmas rain boots.  boy are my priorities skewed.  snort.

i finally went grocery shopping this morning.  so much for my usual Sunday morning trek.  i love coming home and surveying stocked shelves and a full fridge.  i'm like that kid in a candy shop but with no one to tell me no.  it's raining veggies!!!  since it was only spitting out this morning, i grilled off some chickens, brewed a fresh jug of iced tea and made a honking big spinach salad with the aforementioned chicken, cucumber, black olives, bleu cheese, bacon bits and avocado.  slurp-o-licious.

enough fuel to get me cleaning the kitchen . . . or at least those surfaces that can be seen. . . this is, after all,  me we are talking about.  i finally swept up the mess pippin made when she decided to go digging for gold in the cactus pot, took a couple of inches of grease off the stove, wiped down the counters, appliances, table and at least one cat.

now i can guilt free stick my nose in a book for the rest of the afternoon.  Life is good.

the color of her life . . .

Since I've learned how to make gradient masks, I'm working with them and blending modes.  I am an addict.

pussy poo and phosphates . . .

The pool is at it again.  Mid week, it turned decidedly green . . . again.  Robert, the pool boy . . . who in reality is a very nice older French gentleman . . . came by Thursday and tested the water.  Chlorine, was high, Ph was great, Alkaline was low, none of which explained the terrible green miasma that was supposed to be my crystal clear pool.

So Robert took a sample and early the next morning, I called the office to get the result.  Phosphates.  Yep, those little chemicals in clothing detergent.  Also available compliments of lawn sprays.  And so with all of the recent rains, the phosphates have leeched into the pool and as luck would have it, are the singular favorite snack of algae. 

Three days of meticulously cleaning the filter morning and night and a bottle of anti-phosphate and the pool is once again clear.  And so this is where we move on to the pussy poo part.

One of the neighbors cats has decided that clawing his way up the pool cage is a wonderful thing and has been availing himself of the top screen as his own personal hammock.  I find him up there most mornings.  Other than the squirrels, he hasn't any company.  Nor does he have a port-o-potty and in lieu there of, he squats and poops, leaving his presents on the screen next to his bed. 

This is neither visually nor aromatically pleasing to the senses and consequently gets hosed off as soon as found.  And since his aerie is clear over the pool, it makes one wonder where the little devil relieves himself of the more liquid variety.  Shuddering at the thought.  Just another reason, Ryan Lochte, not to drink the pool water.

And so due to the alliteration,  I am no longer extending invitations to come swim in my pool.  Except for Joanie since she and I have been paddling around in complete and utter ignorance since May and are still relatively healthy. 

Splash!!!!

more photoshop . . .

Credits:  Jessica Sprague: paper.  Anna Aspnes:  frame, flowers. staples.  Katie Pertiet: Flowers, boats, newsprint, bunting.

bawk, bawk, bawk . . .

Narrator:   Chicken Little was in the woods one day when an acorn fell on her head.  It scared her so much she trembled all over.  She shook so hard, half her feathers fell out.
Chicken Little:   "Help! Help!  The sky is falling!  I have to go tell the king!"
Narrator:   So she ran in great fright to tell the king.  Along the way she met Henny Penny.
Henny Penny:  "Where are you going, Chicken Little?"
Chicken Little:   "Oh, help!  The sky is falling!"
Henny Penny:   "How do you know?"
Chicken Little:   "I saw it with  my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"
Henny Penny:  "This is terrible, just terrible!  We'd better hurry up."
Narrator:  So they both ran away as fast as they could.  Soon they met Ducky Lucky.
Ducky Lucky:   "Where are you going, Chicken Little and Henny Penny?"
Chicken Little & Henny Penny:  "The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!  We're going to tell the king!"
Ducky Lucky:  "How do you know?"
Chicken Little:  "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head."
Ducky Lucky:   "Oh dear, oh dear!  We'd better run!"
Narrator:   So they all ran down the road as fast as they could.  Soon they met Goosey Loosey walking down the roadside.
Goosey Loosey    "Hello there.  Where are you all going in such a hurry?"
Chicken Little:   "We're running for our lives!"
Henny Penny:  "The sky is falling!"
Ducky Lucky:   "And we're running to tell the king!"
Goosey Loosey:  "How do you know the sky is falling?"
Chicken Little:  "I saw it with  my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"
Goosey Loosey:    "Goodness!  Then I'd better run with you."
Narrator:   And they all ran in great fright across a field.  Before long they met Turkey Lurkey strutting back and forth..
Turkey Lurkey:    "Hello there, Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, and Goosey Loosey.  Where are you all going in such a hurry?"
Chicken Little:   "Help!  Help!"
Henny Penny:   "We're running for our lives!"
Ducky Lucky:   "The sky is falling!"
Goosey Loosey:   "And we're running to tell the king!"
Turkey Lurkey:   "How do you know the sky is falling?"
Chicken Little:   "I saw it with  my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"
Turkey Lurkey:   "Oh dear! I always suspected the sky would fall someday.  I'd better run with you."
Narrator:   So they ran with all their might, until they met Foxy Loxy.
Foxy Loxy:   "Well, well.  Where are you rushing on such a fine day?"
Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey (together)   "Help!  Help!"  It's not a fine day at all.  The sky is falling, and we're running to tell the king!"
Foxy Loxy:   "How do you know the sky is falling?"
Chicken Little:   "I saw it with  my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"
Foxy Loxy:    "I see.  Well then, follow me, and I'll show you the way to the king."
Narrator:    So Foxy Loxy led Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey across a field and through the woods.  He led them straight to his den, and they never saw the king to tell him that  the sky is falling.

Dear Chicken Little,

The moral of the story is never trust a fox.  They didn't get that name for nuffin'. Remember fur and feathers do not mix.  And next time, if the sky is falling and it feels wet and you live in Florida, it is just the afternoon rains.  Suck it up, Chicken Little.  Suck it up.

Signed, your friend
jeanne

Nothing healthy about a tan . . .

the deal for the day . . .

i need to not click on the Coldwater Creek ads in Facebook.  it is always an invitation to trouble.  i have been looking for a necklace to wear with a couple of cream/beige/ecru tops i have hanging around the closet feeling naked.  when i navigated to the sale section of their site, this popped up:

Pearl medallion necklace

Was $89.95
Sale $36.99 +60% Off!
Less $10.00 coupon.
Final price.  .62 cents.

oh yeah, i did!  of course the cynic in me wants to know the original unit cost, but color my tops happy on their hangers.

sunday afternoon playtime . . .

Credits:  Stitches & Mask:  Anna Aspnes, Paper & Photo Glow: Katie Pertiet.

stuff . . .

I've been a little MIA recently, mostly because Kidlet was home for a few days and this blog is, after all,  the way we connect when she is not around.  But she left late Friday for the northern part of the state and I can now resume my chatter.

When she is home, I try to cook the things she misses which generally consists of steak, chicken-that-smells-good-when-it-is-cooking, crab legs and chicken and gravy over rice.  While we were scarfing down CTSGWISC with roasted taters and onions, she looked up and asked how I was doing with a meal without veggies.  I remarked back that a couple of meals won't kill me since that is all I ever eat, left to my own devices.  As soon as she got back to her apartment, she shot me a text suggesting asparagus wrapped in garlic bread . . . think vegetarian pigs in a blanket.  Gotta love that kid.

But tonight is cored tomatoes stuffed with sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper, onion, garlic, corn, breadcrumbs, parmesan and mozzarella.  It's one of my old favorites but I always make too much stuffing.  Enter Proud Italian Cook.  She makes a very similar mixture but makes it into patties and bakes them.  I see goodness in the freezer for next week!  Do you think she would mind if I just moved in with her? Slurp!

Kidlet kidnapped acquired my CRV when she left for school so many moons ago.  Thank God it is a Honda and can handle the wear and tear, but after eleven years, it looked rather beat up sitting forlornly in the driveway even for itself.  After years of being parked next to the sprinkler, its poor headlights were so clouded it was a wonder her lights lit up the road two feet in front of the car, the wax job was dubious and a spider had moved in, freaking Kidlet beyond mention.  Friday I made an appointment for it and had it detailed inside and out.  Can you say new car?!?!?  They did a fabulous job.  The headlight covers or whatever they are called look like they just came out of the box.  Color me tickled and Kidlet pleased as punch.  I'm still hoping to get it back one of these years . . .  hint, hint, hint.

on the net . . .

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Christopher Robin to Pooh”.  A.A. Milne
 
"Bride of the Rat God by Barbara Hambly on Nook."   I wonder if she too was married to 'he who must be obeyed' . . . referring to my ex-husband . . . and no way reflecting on my Sloth.

And this from the Bloggess:

 

if you don't follow her, you should.  she is one of my heroes.  how she manages to be so witty, irreverent and wise while battling crippling depression, anxiety and other issues is beyond me.  amazing woman.

another favorite:  What Fresh Hell is This?   i like this shot:

who knew what a Lenticular cloud was?  The site is full of wonderful oddities.

but, back to clouds for a second.  this from my backyard yesterday:

nuff said.  

it's Tuesday.  La's for lunch.  and next week, yoga classes begin again.  welcome back sanity.

baby sloths are so sweet . . .

Credits:  Staples and Date:  Roben-Marie Smith, Everything else:  SAS-GO-Kit by Cilenia Curtis.

Still playing around with the shots from my mother-in-laws albums.  Look at the three year old 9TS!!!!

what would I do without photoshop . . .

I actually did this for a challenge on JessicaSprague.com, the premise being that you could only utilize the bottom third of the page.   Obviously, I am still on my watercolor jag.

This layout is harder to explain.  The inspiration came from here.  Les amazes me.  She is courage personified.  I am beyond ecstatic she is keeping the monster at bay.  Her posts started me thinking about how cancer touches all things, from every perspective and so . . .

Thanks, Les, for putting into words what I was feeling.